Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying the capsule wardrobe system is without flaws, and maybe there really is something to some of the most sceptic statements, that I have listed down below.
/ I have been practising the art of having a well-crafted capsule wardrobe for over 2 years, and I enjoy t to the fullest. However, I do get some sceptic questions and comments almost on a daily basis, and I thought I would gather some of the most common phrases about the capsule wardrobe system right here. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying the capsule wardrobe system is without flaws, and maybe there really is something to some of the most sceptic statements, that I have listed down below. They can all be discussed, and that’s fine. I always welcome critique because it also makes me smarter. In fact I think it is a good thing that we tend to approach new habits with a portion of scepticism. With that being said, I thought I wanted to give my opinion on 9 of the phrases I would call “myths” about the capsule wardrobe in this post! Don’t let any of these statements scare you from trying it out yourself. Having a capsule wardrobe is a way of practising the art of limitation, and a way to enjoy fashion in a way that has least impact on our environment. And last but not least, you will learn to be true to your own style!
Jeg har bygget min garderobe efter capsule wardrobe systemet i over 2 Ć„r, og jeg nyder det i fulde drag. Jeg fĆ„r dog dagligt bĆ„de skeptiske spĆørgsmĆ„l og kommentarer, og derfor tƦnkte jeg, at jeg ville dele de mest almindelige med jer her. MistforstĆ„ mig ikke; jeg siger ikke at capsule wardrobe systemet er uden fejl og mangler, og man kan diskutere bĆ„de for og imod nogle af de udsagn jeg har skrevet nedenfor. Og det er helt fint. Jeg tror det er sundt, at vi helt naturligt opretholder en vis portion skepsis, nĆ„r vi gerne vil Ʀndre vores gamle vaner, og det gĆør ogsĆ„ migĀ klogere. Det er vigtigt vi mƦrker efter og bruger vores egen sunde fornuft. NĆ„r det sĆ„ er sagt, sĆ„ har jeg nedenfor skrevet 9 af de mest almindelige “myter”, der talerĀ imodĀ capsule wardrobe systemet. Lad ikke disse udsagn skrƦmme dig fra selv, at give systemet et forsĆøg. Det handler i sidste ende om at Ćøve sig i begrƦnsningens kunst, og at lƦre sin indre fashionista at nyde alt det sjove ved mode, pĆ„ en mĆ„de der pĆ„virker vores miljĆø minds muligt. Og ikke mindst at lƦre dig selv, at hvile i din egen stil!
Myth: a capsule wardrobe is colourless
/ While my wardrobe might be rather colourless, that’s just my personal preference. A lot of colours freak me out. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t build a colourful capsule wardrobe filled with patterns yourself! Do what makes YOU happy and comfortable in your own skin! You could do some research in what colours suit your skintype and what colours that compliments each other, so that you are sure everything you have in your closet can be mixed and matched, which is key when you have a paired down wardrobe. It does require some more in depth planning, but it certainly is achievable.
Selvom min garderobe og generelle preference er en forholdsvis farvelĆøs garderobe, sĆ„ er det bareĀ mig. Jeg ville elske at se flere kvinder med en mere farverig stil afprĆøve systemet, for du kan sagtens have en garderobe fuld af farver og mĆønstre selvom du har en capsule wardrobe! Du skal gĆøre hvad der gĆør DIG glad. Du kunne lave lidt research for at finde ud af, hvilke farver du bedst kan lide og hvad der fx klƦder din teint. PĆ„ den mĆ„de sikrer du, at du kan sammensƦtte alting pĆ„ kryds og tvƦrs samtidig med du fĆøler dig godt tilpas, hvilket jo i sidste ende er det vigtigste. Det krƦver lidt mere planlƦgning, men det er bestemt opnĆ„eligt.
Myth: your clothes will wear out quicker because you wear the same things all the time
/ I have basic tank tops that I wear almost every single day from 5 years back, and they are still in great condition, so I’m not convinced with this statement! Some things do naturally wear out quicker, like lightweight cotton t-shirts for example. However, I have been doing the capsule wardrobe system for 2 years, and I haven’t disposed a lot of things that was worn out. I might have sold something or given something to charity, but that whole thing about your clothes wearing out quicker is not a general problem with having a capsule wardrobe! As long as you make sure to invest in good quality pieces, you are more willing to take good care of them and they will last (almost) a lifetime if you do! Also, when you have a capsule wardrobe you store pieces away from season to season, and in that way you give them a break part of the time, because you obviously aren’t wearing it. And let’s all remember that durability isĀ alsoĀ sustainability!
Jeg har basis toppe i min garderobe som jeg bruger hver eneste dag, som er over 5 Ć„r gamle men som stadig holder sig fint, sĆ„ jeg er overordnet set IKKE enig i dette udsagn! Nogle ting bliver slidt hurtigere end andre, som fx helt tynde bomuldstoppe. Jeg har dog endnu ikke oplevet fĆølelsen af, at mine tĆøj generelt bliver slidt hurtigere. Jeg sƦlger eller giver sommetider et par ting til genbrugen, men det er ikke et generelt problem for mig, at mit tĆøj bliver slidt op! Hvis du sĆørger for at tƦnke i kvalitet frem for kvantitet, sĆ„ vil du helt naturligt passe bedre pĆ„ dine ting og derfor vil de ogsĆ„ holde lƦngere. Og nĆ„r man har en capsule wardrobe sĆ„ gemmer man produkter vƦk fra sƦson til sƦson, og pĆ„ den mĆ„de fĆ„r en del af dit tĆøj jo en pause i lĆøbet af Ć„ret. Som en sidste bemƦrkning vil jeg blot sige, at bƦredygtighed jo ogsĆ„ er holdbarhed, hvilket jeg synes man fĆ„r nĆ„r man opbygger en capsule wardrobe: en langtidsholdbar garderobe.
Myth: having a capsule wardrobe is boring
/Ā My friends; it is far from boring! There are so many other ways to have fun with personal style, than constantly adding those fast fashion trends to your wardrobe. Personally I have developed several tricks to shake things up every now and then – for example turning to my style icons and getting inspiration on new ways to put together great looks (watch that series HERE), put my hair up differently or wear a bright colour on my nails.
Venner, jeg kunne ikke vƦre mere uenig i dette udsagn! Der er sĆ„ mange andre mĆ„der at have det sjovt med mode og stil pĆ„, end ved konstant at tilfĆøje de hurtigt forbipasserende trends til din garderobe. Personligt har jeg udviklet andre mĆ„der, hvorpĆ„ jeg kan slukke min tĆørst for noget “nyt”. Jeg elsker for eksempel at stjƦle inspiration fra mine stil ikoner, sĆ„dan at jeg lƦrer at sammensƦtte min garderobe pĆ„ nye mĆ„der end jeg normalt ville gĆøre (se min serie pĆ„ Youtube HER). Jeg kunne ogsĆ„ gĆøre smĆ„ ting som at sƦtte mit hĆ„r anderledes eller lƦgge en flot farve pĆ„ mine negle.
Myth: it’s too expensive
/ It obviously depends, and again – it’s a matter of personal preference. Good quality doesn’t mean that it has to be crazy expensive designer brands. Remember that when you purchase a design product, you also pay a rather large amount of money just for the label. Also, I can highly recommend you to start with what you already have; good or bad quality. You will learn so much in the process, and changing your buying habits in this area wont happen overnight. Have patience – your dream wardrobe will become a reality along the way! When this is said, then yes of course good quality costs a little more than the (crazy) low prices we’ve been taught to pay for our clothes. Just remember, that when you’re not willing to pay the price for a certain item, someone else is paying that price for you: either our environment or some of the people in the supply chain – from the designer to the one producing it.
BĆ„de og – det er et spĆørgsmĆ„l om personlig preference. God kvalitet er ikke nĆødvendigvis lig med designer brands! Husk pĆ„, at nĆ„r du kĆøber et produkt fra et dyrt designer brand, sĆ„ betaler du ogsĆ„ en god portion blot for det navn der stĆ„r pĆ„ label’et. Jeg anbefaler, at man starter med det man allerede har; hvad enten det er god eller “dĆ„rlig” kvalitet. Du vil lƦre sĆ„ meget i denne proces, og uanset hvad kommer du ikke til at Ʀndre dine gamle forbrugsvaner pĆ„ Ć©n nat. VƦr tĆ„lmodig – gode ting tager tid, og det samme gĆør det, at opbygge en solid, langtidsholdbar garderobe! NĆ„r alt dette er sagt, sĆ„ jo: god kvalitet koster lidt mere end de (vanvittigt) lave priser, vi de sidste mange Ć„r, har lƦrt at give for vores tĆøj. Men husk pĆ„, at nĆ„r du ikke er villig til at betale, sĆ„ er der nogle andre i verden der betaler den pris for dig: enten miljĆøet eller nogle af de mennesker der har vƦret med til, at fremstille dit tĆøj – lige fra designeren pĆ„ kontoret til producenten!
Myth: it’s just another way of being obsessive about fashion & things in general
/Ā Well, yeah? But all people have something they are “obsessive” about: art, food, cars, movies. Most people have some kind of hobby that brings extraordinaire happiness into their lives. And life is about being happy end the end! I love personal style because it tells me something about the people I see, like if it was some kind of language. And if we (all who love fashion) want to continue to enjoy fashion like this, we alle need to change our habits. That’s what the environmental issues are telling us! So I guess what I’m trying to say is, that if we have to be obsessive about fashion, I’d rather be it in a way that has the least impact on our environment, but still be able to have fun with it at the same time. And so peace be with that, right? We all have different interests, superficial or not.
Ja, det er rigtigt. Men alle mennesker har en interesse eller noget, de er “besatte” af: kunst, mad, biler, film. De fleste mennesker har en form for hobby som bringer en helt anden glƦde ind i deres liv, end hvad de normalt foretager sig. Og livet handler om at vƦre glad! Det kan godt vƦre det er overfladisk for nogle der ikke deler samme interesse for mode og stil, men jeg ELSKER det. For mig er mode et universelt sprog, der fortƦller omverdenen noget om, hvem man er. Og hvis vi (alle os der elsker mode) skal blive ved med at kunne nyde mode pĆ„ denne mĆ„de, sĆ„ er vi altsĆ„ allesammen nĆødt til at Ʀndre vores vaner. Det fortƦller vores klimaforandringer os! SĆ„ det jeg prĆøver pĆ„ at sige er, at hvis man absolut skal vƦre “besat” af mode, sĆ„ vil jeg hundrede gange hellere vƦre det pĆ„ en mĆ„de, hvorpĆ„ man skader miljĆøet mindst muligt, men bevarer alt det der gĆør det sjovt samtidig. Og fred vƦre med det, ikke? Vi er allesamme forskellige og har forskellige interesser, om de sĆ„ er overfladiske eller ej.
Myth: 37 items in a wardrobe is too many/too little
/Ā Again, I can’t emphasize enough that having a capsule wardrobe isn’t a one way street: it is a matter of personal preference. I usually end up with about 35-45 products in my capsules (about 80% of that being my all-year basics that remains the same throughout the year), but I never stay fixed on the number. I go with the flow and what I’m feeling that particular season. As long as you’re not overdoing things, and you stay real and honest to yourself.
Jeg kan ikke fremhƦve nok, at dette er et spĆørgsmĆ„l om personlig prƦference. Der er ikke Ć©t facit, nĆ„r man gerne vil opbygge en capsule wardrobe: vi er allesammen forskellige. Jeg ender som regel med 35-45 produkter i min garderobe fra sƦson til sƦson (hvoraf 80% er min helĆ„rsgarderobe som altid er den samme), men jeg er ikke fastlĆ„st pĆ„ et tal. Jeg gĆør hvad jeg fĆøler for den pĆ„gƦldende sƦson. SĆ„ lƦnge du ikke overdriver, og du hele tiden er Ʀrlig over for dig selv hvad angĆ„r dine forbrugsvaner!
Myth: you buy 37 products EACH season?!
/ This is probably one of the biggest misunderstandings I stumble upon from time to time! If you did buy that many every season, I totally see the point in the capsule wardrobe actually being a much more obsessive way to be into fashion! However that is not the case (for me at least). I only add around 2-3 Ā new things to my wardrobe each season, most of if being secondhand things I buy online (read my secondhand shopping guide HERE). And in many cases I sell a few products myself too, making room for the few new things I purchase. Purchasing secondhand is the most sustainable way to enjoy fashion afterall, and I buy everything from more highend brands like Acne Studios to more affordable brands like & Other Stories.
I forlƦngelse af det forrige punkt, sĆ„ er det en kƦmpe misforstĆ„else, at man HVER sƦson kĆøber 35-45 nye produkter! Det ville IKKE vƦre sƦrlig bƦredygtigt! Jeg tilfĆøjer mĆ„ske ca. 2-3 “nye” ting fra sƦson til sƦson og jeg kĆøber stort set kun brugt tĆøj (fĆ„ mine bedste secondhand tips lige HER). I nogle tilfƦlde sƦlger jeg ogsĆ„ sommetider et par produkter fra mit eget skab videre, sĆ„dan sĆ„ der er plads til lidt nyt. At kĆøbe/sƦlge genbrug er Ć©n af de mest bƦredygtige mĆ„der, at kĆøbe nyt pĆ„ generelt, da du kĆøber noget der allerede er produceret! Jeg kĆøber alt fra dyre mƦrker som Acne Studios til billigere mƦrker som & Other Stories brugt.
Myth: a capsule wardrobe is only achievable if you live somewhere with more than 1-2 seasons
/Ā Now this is something I get comments on rather often, and I can obviously only speak for myself and what I would do, if I were living somewhere in the world, where we didn’t really have seasons like we do in Denmark (we have all four: spring, summer, autumn & winter). If I was living somewhere where it was warm throughout the year for example, I would reinvent my wardrobe, just as if I was living somewhere with 4 seasons; the only difference would be, that instead of brining in heavier and warmer things for autumn, I would practise the art of bringing in different moods and colour plattes instead. I would still store away things from season to season, and I would also buy secondhand products just as I do now, with my 4 season wardrobe. Use your imagination!
Dette er et nyt udsagn jeg for nyligt er stĆødt pĆ„, og jeg kan selvfĆølgelig kun tale for mig selv, og hvad jeg ville gĆøre i denne situation. Jeg bor i Danmark hvor vi har 4 sƦsoner, men nogle steder i verden skifter sƦsonerne jo ikke pĆ„ samme mĆ„de som her. Men derfor, kan man sagtens have en capsule wardrobe! Jeg ville personligt bare “lade som om” der var 4 sƦsoner, hvis jeg nu boede et sted hvor det var varmt hele Ć„ret rundt. SĆ„ ville jeg hver 3. mĆ„ned genopfinde min garderobe prƦcis som jeg gĆør nu nĆ„r sƦsonerne skifter, ved at skifte nogle ting ud, gemme dem vƦk, hive andre ting frem fra gemmerne og kĆøbe et par nye (gerne genbrugte) ting. Jeg ville tƦnke mere i forskellige farveskalaer og stemninger fra sƦson til sƦson, i stedet for at bekymre mig om hvad der temperaturmƦssigt passer. Det handler om at bruge sin fantasi!
Myth: you will NEVER have a bad outfit day if you have a capsule wardrobe
/ Now this may be i the opposite direction of trying to convince you to build a capsule wardrobe, but let’s be honest: having a so-called “bad outfit day” often adds up to something deeper than just your outfit. It’s a pretty intense thing to rely on your outfit to change your mood to the better; shopping (or retail-therapy as you may call it) to make yourself feel better won’t heel your wounds or whatever you’re dealing with in the long run. Sure it can brighten up your day to feed that inner voice begging you for the rush of something new, but it will pass pretty quickly. Having a capsule wardrobe will help you a lot along the way though, and I don’t lie when I say I hardly ever have bad outfits days. I just have regular bad days, as we all do sometimes, and I use other tools to make myself feel better than by purchasing a lot of new things (read what HERE & HERE for example). And I feel more comfortable than ever with my own style too!
Dette er nok ikke et udsagn I mĆ„ske havde forventet jeg ville tage med, da jeg jo netop forsĆøger at overbevise jer om, at en capsule wardrobe er en mega snart opfindelse. Men lad os nu vƦre Ʀrlige: vi har allesammen dĆ„rlige dage, og selvom vi nogle gange kan fĆøle det tĆøj vi har pĆ„, har noget med det at gĆøre (det kan det godt, bevares), sĆ„ er det lidt intenst i min optik, hvis man giver sit outfit skylden for denne fĆølelse. NĆ„r man har en dĆ„rlig dag ligger der som regel nogle dybere fĆølelser til grund for det. Shopping kan virke som et rigtig fedt plaster pĆ„ sĆ„ret, men den tilfredsstillelse du fĆ„r af at shoppe er relativt kortvarig, og det heler ikke dine sĆ„r i det lange lĆøb. At have en capsule wardrobe kan dog hjƦlpe dig langt hen ad vejen, sĆ„ du fokuserer mere pĆ„ de ting du virkelig burde forsĆøge at gĆøre, hvis du har det dĆ„rligt (og her henvender jeg mig altsĆ„ mest til de kvinder der netop bruger shopping som “medicin”). Jeg har sjƦldent en “dĆ„rlig tĆøj-dag”, jeg har bare almindelige dĆ„rlige dage som alle andre. NĆ„r de dage opstĆ„r bruger jeg andre vƦrktĆøjer end shopping, for at fĆ„ det bedre (lƦs mere HER og HER). Og min stil – den hviler jeg i!
SkĆønt indlƦg.
Jeg har ogsĆ„ stĆødt pĆ„ nogle af de her fordomme, og det er fint med svar pĆ„ dem.
IsƦr den sidste kan jeg godt lide – for ja nogle dage er alt jo til vask, eller hĆ„ret driller eller. ja nogle dage er mĆøg dĆ„rlige outfit dage,
Thank you Signe for all the great information. I have been working on my capsule wardrobe for about 7 months and can really see a switch in my thinking (with your help) about my style, my shopping habits and the environmental impacts of fast fashion. Having a capsule wardrobe has made me less anxious and at the same time more confident. As I continue to look at fashion in a new way I’m excited about creating a wardrobe I’ll love for seasons to come. ?
I really love your YouTube channel & blog.
I think that 80% of my wardrobe is sort of a “capsule” but I simply can’t resist the urge not to buy new things for 3 months…
I do have some weird imbalances in my wardrobe – too many tops and not enough pants or more winter clothes than summer clothes because I rarely find pants or summer clothes that I like ?
Great post Signe ! Your blog and YouTube channel are the huge inspiration for me a special my style is quite similar to yours š From almost last 3 years I’m creating capsule wardrobe and I can say this changed a lot in my life. 1st – I defined my style, 2d – I stopped impulsive shopping and I started to buy less choose well, 3d – I start following slow fashion and minimalism ideas. Thanks again for inspiration – best regards from Poland – Anna š
I have been practicing your principles for some years but didn’t realize what I could call this method until now. I t started in the 70s when I had absolutely no funds for a wardrobe as a college student. I needed a raincoat, sturdy shoes, jeans, and a few tops. I too have 1 dress but may look for an LBD to wear for dressier event. Basic shoes don’t go too out of styles long as they are in excellent condition. I stick to pearls, gold, and diamond colored stones. Jeans in black, white, and medium wash last forever as long as the style isn’t gimmicky. Thank you for your beautiful website and videos!