Thanks to Organic Basics for supporting this episode.
Hi everyone, it’s Justine.
In a capsule wardrobe, actually, we only count the ready-to-wear pieces: the tops, the bottoms,
the sweaters.
Right?
What about all the other pieces that are necessary in your closet, like underwear, shoes, accessories,
outerwear?
I have talked you through how to plan the core capsule itself in a previous video.
I will link that one here in the corner and down below in the description as well, in
case you've missed it, but today I would like to focus on all those other pieces, those
that officially “don’t count” towards your total.
I will start by showing you how I would structure a spring/summer capsule, and then I’ll explain
how to plan the rest, the other items, around it, because the capsule and all the rest are
clearly two connected things.
First, the core capsule.
For the warm half of the year, my capsule wardrobe would probably look something like
this: Enough tops to only have to wash once a week maximum.
I have more blouses and tops and less cardigans and sweaters than I would have in winter.
This totally depends on the weather where you live though.
I live in Berlin so even in summer, in the evening, you do need more than just a top.
That’s the way it is.
In the south of France, where I’m from, you could go several months without ever needing
a sweater.
In terms of bottoms, I have less pants and more skirts and dresses than what I would
have in a winter wardrobe.
33 items in total.
I think it’s a good basis to start with.
You can have a bit less, a bit more, it's up to you.
Now let’s move on to the “other pieces” that are nowhere in this overview as you noticed.
You can start planning these once you have defined your core capsule.
That’s the basis for everything else that comes around it.
It has to match the core capsule.
Then, the easiest thing to plan for the rest of the closet is the underwear.
Basically you need enough to last until the next time you do laundry.
In my case the bottleneck will be the tops, cause I have more of the rest, so I need as
many units of underwear as I have tops.
In Summer I wear more light-weight fabrics, so I match the underwear type and color to
my clothes.
With pants and jeans I would wear regular panties in black.
With skirts / summer dresses, I would wear a thong because I do not want a panty line.
And if the garment has a light color, I switch from black to nude, to make sure the underwear
does not show, not even the color of it, through the garment.
So I have 13 pieces, just like the tops, plus 13 bras, or bralettes, or whatever you prefer
to wear.
Personally I have regular bras plus T-shirt bras (that are molded and won’t show too
much under thin jersey), plus racerback bras plus strapless ones, and I pick depending
on the top that I am wearing on a given day.
At this point, I have a question.
Please answer honestly.
How many pieces of underwear do you actually own?
Counting everything.
I’m sure it’s more than 13.
I would bet.
How many do you really wear regularly?
Cause I know I used to have a drawer full of underwear that I stopped wearing years
ago...
Then come the shoes.
One of my favorite parts.
And here I would say that you need at least: One pair of flats that you can walk a full
day in and that are chic enough to wear to work.
For instance, ballerinas, loafers, something like this.
Then one pair of sandals.
(I like platform sandals because I prefer to have a sole rather than feeling the concrete
on my feet).
And I love platforms.
One pair of sneakers for comfort.
White or black is a smart choice because it goes with everything.
Or you take a color that matches the dominant color in your capsule.
Also a thing.
One pair of heels for when you want to dress up.
Mine are simple, black, but not basic in design, so I won’t get bored of wearing them, I
know it.
That makes 4 pairs.
Feel free to add more shoes to match your lifestyle, really.
Working in an office will require more dressed-up shoes, while if your job’s dress code is
more casual, you’d want more sneakers.
Then, accessories.
And that includes everything from scarves, to handbags, to jewelry.
All that is also part of your outfit and it needs attention as well.
Here you see a black outfit, styled with neon shoes and a neon infinity scarf which I like
to wear in summer, when I am tan.
I have to be really tan though; right now I am not tan enough yet to wear it.
And then I have another one that looks more like a regular scarf, but just in a bright
summer color.
I own way more scarves than this, but if I am honest, I only really wear them in winter,
so I don’t need to have them in my summer capsule.
Then handbags…
You know I like handbags where everything fits.
Everything and more.
But I want handbags that I can wear on my shoulder.
I don’t want to have to carry a purse in my hand.
One like this is practical.
Other practical ones include cross-body bags.
I like that a lot as well because you can put them in front and keep an eye on your
belongings when you’re standing in a crowd, for instance.
I would add a clutch for the evening, something that’s a lighter version of your everything
bag, for when you don’t want to carry everything once in a while.
And I would make sure that they have a wrist link so that you really don’t lose them.
Keep them close to you.
Then, jewlery.
That depends on your taste, really.
There are probably earrings, rings, necklaces that you wear almost every day.
I think that’s very common.
But on top of that, I would plan some extra pieces, that are a bit more of a statement,
a statement bracelet, statement earrings, a big necklace, something more colorful than
you would usually wear for when you want to wear more than just your everyday jewelry.
In the accessory category, we've kept 2 scarves, 3 handbags plus the jewelry that you like,
that’s very personal.
Then, outerwear.
In the warmer months, obviously, you don’t need a heavy-duty winter coat, but still,
it is good to add some layers just to give you options, let’s say, to keep it cozy
in the evening.
Because you never know, six months is still a long time.
It might be a leather or vegan leather jacket: I found this one in a thrift shop.
(See, I was talking about thrifting in my video a few weeks ago.)
I've had it for about eight years, I believe.
Still looking good, I need to re-tint a bit the surface, but that’s fine.
Something like a light-weight trench coat is also a great thing, especially for that
weather in-between.
Not really winter anymore, not really summer yet.
Make that trenchcoat waterproof if you live in a rainy region.
And then maybe also add a denim jacket if you like that.
It is super easy to wash and it’s easy fabric to care for.
In total, that makes three outerwear pieces.
Again, I am in a region that doesn’t really get hot in summer, but do whatever makes sense
for your region.
Now in total total, this is what my capsule wardrobe now looks like: 33 core garments
plus all the “other pieces” that we discussed.
You are welcome to use this overview as a checklist for when you plan your own capsule.
Remember that many of these items work for more than one season, so you won’t have
to buy all that new next season; you’ll just swap or replace a few elements.
Coming back to the underwear topic.
I’d like to introduce a young Danish brand with whom I have partnered for this video.
They’re called Organic Basics and they make very smart underwear.
Instead of putting the seams on the sides (where they would show through your summer
clothes), uh-huh, the seam is placed at the back.
There is no itchy label.
They use mainly recycled materials, and they produce ethically.
This, what you’re seeing here, is called the “Invisible line”.
It exists in black and nude, briefs and thongs, plus tank tops.
Well thought through.
If you want to try that brand, they are offering you a gift card of 15 Euros if you use this
code here when you check out.
I will put the link to the website in the description below for you.
There is no minimum order amount for that gift card, and they ship internationally.
Thumbs up if you enjoyed this video!
Thank you very much.
I feel like when planning a capsule wardrobe, having a sort of checklist is very helpful.
But let me know, how do you do it?
How do you plan your capsule for a new season?
If you want to learn more about capsules, about the process, about the planning, have
a look at my previous video series on that topic.
I will link it here and here as always.
This channel is dedicated to fashion so if you like that, don’t forget to subscribe
before you go watch something else.
I will see you on Sunday with a new video, and until then, take care.
Bye!