Fashion experts dole out advice on building a capsule wardrobe

Back in the Gossip Girl days, watching Serena and Blair strut down the lanes of Upper East Side, carrying a dozen shopping bags, was a sight to behold. Indulgent shopping, under the guise of retail therapy, was the most coveted way to recover from a bad day. But today, we are aware of the repercussions of not having a sustainable approach to fashion.

Building a capsule wardrobe has been a trending concept for a while now, and repeating outfits is rather appreciated. For the uninitiated, a capsule wardrobe consists of a mix of classic and versatile pieces that go well together. These can be mixed and matched to create several looks, thus giving you more out of less.

The concept of a capsule wardrobe, however, wasn’t incepted in recent times. Back in the 1970s, when luxury meant more, a woman named Susie Faux found that people were shopping excessively and using those pieces for just one fashion season. She started a boutique called Wardrobe in London which sold classic, high-quality clothes that could be used for creating various looks.

In 1985, Donna Karan crafted her capsule collection titled, 'Seven Easy Pieces', which consisted of versatile items including a bodysuit, a skirt, a tailored jacket, a dress, a leather piece, a white shirt, and a cashmere sweater.

Aastha Sharma, the celebrity fashion stylist behind the sartorial choices of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Bhumi Pednekar, Kiara Advani, Disha Patani, and Rakul Preet Singh among others, breaks down capsule wardrobes for us. “The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to maintain a collection of essential and classic pieces in your closet that can be mixed and matched over time. It is basically personalising your wardrobe with items you love and that fit your lifestyle, but with very limited pieces,” she explains.

Meenakshi Kuwadekar, a luxury consultant and fashion influencer vouches for building a capsule wardrobe as it “reduces the stress of selection and saves space while keeping your look stylish and versatile”.
If you’re feeling sold on the idea of building a capsule wardrobe, then take notes as Sharma and Kuwadekar offer their expert insights. 

How to build season-appropriate capsules?

 

While there are ways of taking your summer outfits into the colder months, having two separate assortments helps you reset your wardrobe every season, revamping your OOTDs and OOTNs.

When curating a winter capsule, Sharma vouches for four essentials: A well-tailored blazer, a classic black turtleneck sweater, well-fitted denims, and black or tan boots.

Kuwadekar recommends outerwear and accessories too. “A cashmere sweater and a warm overcoat in black or any neutral colour are winter wardrobe essentials. I love styling my look with a shawl or scarf,” she says.

For the hotter months, Sharma suggests you invest in “flowy maxi dresses, comfortable chic sandals, oversized button-down shirts, linen trousers, classic well-fit T-shirts.” Kuwadekar recommends investing in shirts in neutral shades such as black and white that can work for all seasons.

How to mix and match to add freshness to your looks? 

 

Building a capsule wardrobe is a little bit about strategy, a little about style, and a lot about what you actually wear. If your overflowing closet is making you panic each time you open (or step into) it, maybe it’s time to compartmentalise it into micro collections. Toss everything you don’t or won’t wear for a while in the back and place outfits in a collection that you will.

That said, you don’t have to go on a classic diet; you can include trend-led pieces in your capsule wardrobe. Kuwadekar explains, “I mix and match classic pieces with colours, styles, and shapes that are trending. For example a pair of blue jeans with a white shirt is classic, but colour-blocking it with a crop top, a yellow jacket, and a pink or red bag makes it a fresh trendy look.” She adds that all you need to take the look from day to night is “swap the yellow jacket for a sequins blazer”.

Sharma takes her oversized shirts from work wear to casuals with just a change of accessories—she belts her shirt for a formal look and pairs it with sneakers or flip-flops for a casual look. Kuwadekar’s go-to piece is a short black skirt which she pairs with a sexy evening top and heels or with a vest or shirt and a Birkin & Oran sandal, depending on the time and occasion.

Can you include statement pieces in your capsule wardrobe? 

 

While a capsule wardrobe requires you to include the Friends of fashion, it doesn’t mean you can’t use an occasional Emily in Paris. Every capsule wardrobe needs and deserves a pièce de résistance. “It can be a pair of glittery heels, chunky earrings, or even a bright-coloured handbag. Just make sure to always use only one statement piece with a look and not overdo it with more accessories,” Sharma advises.

Some may find a capsule wardrobe restricting, but, on the contrary, it pushes you to be more creative and less lazy with your sartorial pairings—all you need to do, is do it right.