Little Changes
A whiskey tasting class I took a few years ago changed how I approach life, and has nothing to do with whiskey. At the start of the class the instructor asked what the correct way to drink whiskey is, there were a few answers and people fiercely arguing as to which is correct. Turns out everyone was wrong, and the correct way, according to him, was however you liked to drink it.
This small comment has stuck with me. There really is no right or wrong way to do things and sometimes you just have to experiment and find what works for you, even if it isn’t the conventional way.
When I first tried out a capsule wardrobe I tried to do it ‘the right way’. I got rid of most of my clothes, and replaced them with a selection of pieces which all worked together in a colour palette I liked. I was tailoring this wardrobe to office wear, as pre-covid I was in office 4.5 days of the week. The clothes were boring, I was uninspired and I very quickly reverted back to my usual wardrobe.
Since then, a lot has changed in my life. During covid I started a fully remote position, then a hybrid one. Going to the office took a back seat and I rarely shopped for clothes. I started to see my creativity as a strength and wanted to dress less corporate and more like the ‘office creative’ when I did go in. My casual clothes seeped into my workwear and I eventually had one wardrobe for everything.
Whilst the capsule wardrobe didn’t work, some elements of it did. I switched out all of my socks for either black or white ones to save on decisions. I upgraded all of my main accessories like bags and shoes to be black so they all matched and I bought 40 hotel grade washcloths so I didn’t have to keep washing them. These small changes have made huge improvements in my life, removing friction and decision fatigue, and it made me look again at the idea of a capsule wardrobe.
Getting dressed everyday had become a chore. I tried adding more statement pieces and hone my personal style. I tried to have more basic pieces I can mix and match. I tried wearing a ‘uniform’ of jeans and a top. Nothing was working, and I was just adding to my vast wardrobe.
It was on holiday when the idea came to me. I found it so easy to get dressed everyday because I had only packed a curated selection of outfits, shoes and accessories, and made sure they all matched before I left. The same way a shop curates a seasonal collection, I had curated a summer wardrobe.
Capsule was out, curation was in.
Once home, I got to work. I cleared a section of my wardrobe for my new ‘collection’ and put everything else into another space. I made sure to look at my calendar and the weather for the next month before selecting 14 outfits, a mix of casual and dressy, a few pairs of shoes, one trainer, one flat, one sandal and a selection of accessories.
By curating my wardrobe instead of culling items, the pressure had reduced. Instead of having to decide if this one pair of sandals was on brand for me, forever, I just had to decide if this is what I wanted my brand to be this season. It also meant I could be a bit riskier with some of my clothing choices. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by how much I have and choosing jeans and a t-shirt for ease, I only have a few options to choose from, so picking the new crochet coord doesn’t feel like such a bold decision.
Earlier this year I set a goal to find my personal style again. I thought this meant having to completely clear out my wardrobe and start from scratch. What this exercise has shown me is that I already have a well defined personal style within my wardrobe. Most of my pieces match in either shape, style or pattern— and by combining pieces into a curated collection I am able to see that better.
I feel like I have cracked the code and got the best of both worlds. The minimal decision free ease of a capsule wardrobe, combined with the freedom to swap things out seasonally and not have to actually get rid of any of my clothes.
With access to less, I am able to wear more.
