Capsule wardrobe – stylist’s tips for composing images

Spring is the most inspiring season of the year. After a long period of gray winter, nature finally takes out its colorful palette and begins to paint the world around. This is a period of renewal, new features and new solutions.

Of course, spring is also the time to revise your wardrobe and put all your warm clothes away in your closet. The spring season is always associated with bright colors, light textures and perky mood. And there is nothing easier than creating and maintaining this feeling with the help of clothes.

The whole set of clothes, shoes and accessories you have can be summed up in one word – wardrobe. The last few years, terms such as “capsule wardrobe”, “basic wardrobe” can be heard everywhere. Such wardrobe formats have gained widespread popularity over the past decade, despite the fact that the concept itself appeared back in the 70s.

What does a capsule wardrobe mean and why a capsule wardrobe system is a favorite technique of many stylists.

Since our life is very diverse, we are used to conventionally dividing it into spheres of activity. A certain area of ​​life affects certain activities, united by one thematic focus. For example, life can be divided into areas such as work, family, sports, leisure, hobbies, travel, and more. Since in each of the spheres we show ourselves in different ways, we broadcast different images, then the clothes on us should also be appropriate. It is very difficult to find a set that would be suitable for work in the office and for a walk in the park with the family and for going out at the same time. Therefore, it is logical that we divide the wardrobe according to the same principle: for each area of ​​life – its own set of clothes, the same capsule (for example, a business capsule, sports or evening capsule).

The capsule should consist of 6–8 items, matching each other in color and style. A very important characteristic of the capsule is the internal combinatoriality of things, otherwise the whole system of the capsule wardrobe loses all meaning.

However, there is also such a thing as a basic wardrobe, which assumes that almost all things in your wardrobe are combined with each other, and at the same time, their different combinations can suit different areas of life. It is worth noting that rather laconic styles of clothing in neutral colors are selected for the basic wardrobe. This is due to the fact that you form a kind of canvas from basic clothes, on which you can add bright colors in the form of interesting things, accents and accessories that you can use to revive and diversify your sets. In this case, the wardrobe will consist of a basic capsule and additional accents. But again, let me remind you that it is very important to maintain a uniform style.

What else should you look for when choosing clothes? Your color type, body type, lifestyle and social status. These moments in developing a style and drawing up a wardrobe are very individual, but there are general rules by which you can independently form your wardrobe.

So, the color type. These are the natural colors of your appearance. Here, the color of the eyes, hair and skin matters. Now look at yourself in the mirror. Pay attention to your natural colors, study each one separately, but the most important thing is to determine the impression of the image of the exterior as a whole.

The first and foremost thing that catches your eye. You must define one word to describe your appearance. Dark, light, soft, contrasting, cold or warm. This will determine your color dominant. In a simple way, a lighter image (lighter shades of hair and light eyes, for example, blue or gray) needs mainly light colors, heavily diluted with white or pastel shades. The dark image (dark hair, brown eyes) must be maintained with dark colors in clothes.

A soft dominant (light brown hair shades, gray eyes, gray-green, gray-blue) suggests dull colors, diluted with gray. In contrast to the soft dominant, the contrasting dominant (very dark hair, blue eyes) needs bright and rich colors. Cold appearance (from which there is a feeling of “icy”, the appearance has a blue undertone) and warm appearance (more peach tone of the face, there is a “gold” in the hair and eyes) differ in temperature (blue undertone and yellow undertone, respectively) of the color used in clothes.

Next, regarding the type of figure. You also need to look in the mirror and determine whether you are the top type or the bottom type. That is, which part of the body, upper (arms, shoulders, chest) or lower (abdomen, hips, legs) you have more prominent. Our main goal is to visually balance them. If your figure is of the upper type, then A-line skirts, bell-bottomed trousers, jeans with patch pockets, a dress with a peplum and most other styles will suit you, which will help to visually increase the volume of the hips. The lower type of figure will balance various flounces and ruffles in the chest area, lantern sleeves, jackets with stiff shoulders and the like.

The next item is lifestyle. This is where you need to look at your daily activities, the places you visit, and the people you interact with. You need to understand what kind of clothing you need in order to look appropriate in every situation.

The social status or social roles that you play in your daily life. This point overlaps a little with the previous one. Who you are? Who are you during your day? Are you a spouse? Mum? Daughter? Specialist? Pupil? Here you must understand what status you are broadcasting, that is, in which case you can wear sweatshirts and a sweater, and where it will be simply inappropriate and can ruin your image.

When choosing wardrobe items, also guide your self-awareness of how comfortable you will be in this or that outfit. Because a thing selected in all respects, repulsive with any element, will never allow you to feel 100% confident.