An Australian finance guru has shared the secret to building a capsule wardrobe from scratch – and you only need 12 pieces.
Capsule wardrobes have been a ‘must’ for fashion fans for some time now, but many have no idea where to start when creating one.
To put it simply, a capsule is a collection of essential clothing items that don’t go out of style and work well together to form multiple (and versatile) looks.
The key is to avoid purchasing anything too ‘trendy’ as you don’t want to spend too much on a piece you won’t wear when the season is over.
One of the main fears people have is that a capsule wardrobe will lead to repetitive, boring outfits which is not the case.
Queenie Tan, from Sydney, recently started investing in fewer pieces of high quality clothing and is encouraging more women to follow in her footsteps.
‘I’m in my capsule wardrobe era,’ she said in a video. ‘It’s good for our finances, better for the planet, and it feels good to wear high quality pieces we love.
‘This is the simple formula: four tops, four bottoms, two outerwear, and two pairs of shoes – and you will have 64 looks.’
For the tops, you’ll need one casual top, one semi-sporty collared piece, a classy white or cream knit, and a dressy going-out top.
While everyone is different, a general guide to picking out capsule wardrobe pants includes blue jeans, black jeans, tailored work pants, and a relaxed fit dark pair.
You need to be picky when you get to buying outerwear because you only have two spots.
Women usually pick a casual but dressy corduroy jacket with stylish buttons and lining, and then a sleek overcoat that can be paired with work outfits or to elevate a simple look.
Queenie’s recommended shoes are one pair of sneakers and one pair of heeled boots.
‘For the capsule to work, it’s a good idea to get 80 per cent neutrals and 20 per cent colours so that it’s easy to mix and match pieces,’ she advised.
‘It’s also important for us to be mindful of the clothes we buy and make sure that they are high quality, timeless pieces which we can wear in a variety of different ways.’
Some people also have seasonal capsule wardrobes they rotate out a few times a year.
Claudia Curac, from Jervis Bay, NSW, tried it for herself and was amazed she was able to create 11 different outfits by reusing seven staple pieces from Kmart.
The mum-of-four told FEMAIL she spent just $147 after shopping in store on September 1.
She purchased: a $38 Linen Blend Blazer, $25 Wide Leg Ankle Pants, $15 Linen Blend Pull-On Pants, a $12 Sleeveless Luxe Open Back Top, $22 Slingback Kitten Heels, a $10 white Short Sleeve Oversized Boyfriend T-Shirt and a $25 Sleeveless V-Neck Mini Dress.
The 27-year-old said the neutral pieces are ‘absolutely to die for’ and are great to mix and match together.
‘I love outfit repeating, I’m not one to go shopping very often, I found these pieces and I thought they are such cute staples,’ Claudia said in a now-viral video.
‘I love Kmart and I’ll say that ’til the day I die.’
First, she paired the ‘buttery’ soft Sleeveless Luxe Open Back Top with the ‘cute’ Wide Leg Ankle Pants and black kitten heels.
Claudia said the look is comfortable to wear to work and school pick up or drop off. The blue top is also the favourite piece of the entire haul.
‘It’s so flattering and the fabric is incredibly soft! The quality for the price is amazing,’ she told FEMAIL.
To add another style, she popped the lightweight linen blazer on top.
Next she swapped out the long pants for the brown shorts for another two looks then changed into the white t-shirt.
Lastly she tried on the Sleeveless V-Neck Mini Dress and paired it with the blazer then realised the dress is thin enough to tuck into the pants for another option.
Claudia demonstrated how you don’t need to break the bank when buying new clothes.
She said she loves how Kmart pieces are ‘so affordable but still on trend and easy to get your hands on’.
