Creating an entire Capsule Wardrobe can seem like a bit of a minefield. Starting with what you already own can be confusing because one person is telling you that you must have a trench coat because they are so versatile and another person or blog is telling you that a leather biker jacket is your new best friend. I want to start out with a really small 12 piece capsule, that can actually create quite a lot of outfit options. This could also be an ideal amount of clothing to pack for a holiday or any amount of time you may be away from home.
With this small 12 piece capsule, I want to show you 12 super basic pieces that can easily be mixed and matched to create seemingly endless options (72 to be exact, though). These pieces can be interchangeable with the pieces you currently have in your own wardrobe. In fact, I WANT THEM to be interchangeable for you, because the point of a capsule wardrobe is not to style everybody like neutral-loving clones, but to curate the perfect wardrobe for YOU and your life. I’ve listed the pieces I chose below, and a few alternatives at the end of the post to get you thinking about how to incorporate your own 12 items into the mix.
Fashion Maths
So let’s work out just how versatile these 12 pieces can be. The below calculations are based on 12 basic pieces that can all be mixed and matched together. If you watched my video that I made to go along with this post, you will have heard me mention that I probably wouldn’t wear the leather trousers and leather jacket together. So this already reduces down my possibilities. If I added in a normal black trouser instead then I could match them to any of the tops and jackets. Or maybe I just need to try leather-on-leather and see if it suits me!
The Pieces:
2 outerwear (long coat, short jacket)
3 bottoms (jeans, leather trousers, skirt)
4 tops (long sleeve polo neck, 2 x sweaters, t-shirt)
2 shoes (heeled ankle boots, flat shoe/trainer)
1 dress/jumpsuit (worn under or over a top can count as a bottom)
[ { (4 tops x 4 bottoms) x 2 shoes } + {1 dress x 2 shoes} ] x 2 outerwear = 72 possible outfit combinations
That’s 10 weeks worth of completely new outfits!
Pieces I chose V Pieces you might already own
I don’t want to dictate what you own in your wardrobe, but instead give you inspiration on how to style these pieces. So here are some examples of alternative pieces you may already own, if you don’t have the same 12 pieces I listed above.
Trench coat: faux fur coat / wool coat / duster coat / duffle coat
Short Leather Jacket: faux leather biker jacket / denim jacket / blazer / chunky cardigan /
White Jeans: blue jeans / black jeans / white trousers / chinos
Faux Leather Trousers: black trousers / black jeans
Black Midi Skirt: midi skirt / mini skirt / pencil skirt / maxi skirt
Grey Jumper: any kind of cosy knitwear
Beige Cashmere Sweater: thin knit jumper / long sleeve top / sweatshirt
Grey Polo Neck: any long sleeve top / bodysuit
Black T-shirt: any t-shirt / white v-neck / grey scoop neck etc
Grey/Silver Slip Dress: Strappy or sleeveless dresses and jumpsuits are the best for layering over tops
Black heeled Ankle Boots: flat black ankle boot / tan ankle boot / knee high boot
Nude Flats: ballet flats / trainers / sandals / kitten heel / day heel
Pieces Included in the 12 Piece Capsule
