Posts Tagged "capsules"

By Leslie Willmott on Jan 9, 2017

  Guest post by Alexandria Heinz   A New Year means time for new resolutions. If you’re constantly on the go and looking for a way to simplify your life, this could be the time to resolve to streamline your wardrobe. How? With a capsule wardrobe, a curation of stable pieces that you can mix and match. A capsule wardrobe can save you future time and money and assure that most of your clothing goes together. The first step to creating a capsule wardrobe is to clean out your closet. This might be something you dread doing, but with the help of the flow chart below created by American Eagle, it won’t be so hard! Just answer a few simple questions to determine if you should keep, trash, donate or sell your items. Make sure to dispose of the items that you’re not keeping within a week and store or organize items that aren’t seasonal in order to streamline your closet. If you travel frequently, organize your essential travel pieces in a certain section of your closet to make packing easier. Happy New Year and good luck!       Leslie’s note: The flow chart by American Eagle first appeared in a post on capsule wardrobes in AEO, the American Eagle Outfitters blog and is reprinted here with permission. Why not print it and tack it in your closest for ongoing reference? That’s what I...

By Leslie Willmott on Mar 2, 2016

  My wardrobe strategy for smart travel packing – pack a few versatile pieces planned around coordinating colors – is one that can help you streamline your dressing every day. It’s called a “capsule wardrobe.” I use this concept when planning what to pack for every trip I take. Taking a small mix-and-match wardrobe means fewer pieces, lighter luggage. When you pack the right pieces, less is more!  What does it mean in your closet at home? How many times do you go to your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear – in spite of the number of items hanging there? If you create “closet capsules” within your wardrobe, you’ll be able to put together several polished outfits that you can pick at a moment’s notice. When your closet door opens up to a well-planned wardrobe of coordinated pieces, you spend less time thinking about what to wear. First . . . what is a “capsule” wardrobe? Simply stated, it’s a small wardrobe made up of pieces that mix and match that you love to wear. Some would preach that instead of stuffing your closet with items you barely wear, take the Marie Kondo “Tidying Up” approach and strip down to a few key staples you love. I suggest you think more strategically: Minimize your wardrobe into a collection of pieces that not only mix and match but also streamline your dressing routine, especially for work or travel. It means you’ll no longer stand in front of your closet, wondering what on earth to wear! The concept goes back to the 1970’s and was initially referred to a collection of essential clothing items that don’t go out of fashion – classics – that can be built upon each season with new pieces. Today’s capsule concept refers to building groups of 5-12 related pieces that can be worn in several different combinations. Building a working wardrobe for your lifestyle is easiest when you think and build in terms of “closet capsules” by lifestyle need: work, evening, travel, etc. 5 Benefits of Having “Closet Capsules” Reduces decision fatigue – busy women have to make decisions every day; the removal of one – choosing your clothes in the morning – leaves you with more mental space...