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As I mentioned in the first post of this series, a capsule wardrobe is designed to be relatively minimalist in nature. Most people start with around 20 pieces and build from there. This can include everything from dresses, skirts, and jeans to shoes and underwear. You’ll want to make sure that you’ve got items that can match each other; otherwise, they won’t really help you reduce the size of your closet.
30 pieces
30 pieces is a good number to aim for, but it can be easier said than done. If you stick with mostly neutral colors, you can mix and match the pieces in your capsule wardrobe to create different outfits that are appropriate for work and weekend wear. With so many combinations available, it’s important to have a good selection of accessories to accessorize your outfits—this is where jewelry comes into play! Make sure your jewelry collection is versatile enough to go with any piece in your capsule wardrobe; if not, consider adding more options such as necklaces or bracelets that will help keep things interesting.
40 pieces
You may have heard that 40 pieces is the perfect number to start with. It’s a good amount of clothes to give you plenty of options, but not so many that you’ll lose track of what you own. And with 40 items in your closet, there’s less pressure to match everything perfectly—you can mix and match them however you want and still look great!
Having fewer items in your wardrobe will also help keep things organized and make it easier for you to decide what goes with what when getting dressed each day. You might even find yourself spending more time on getting ready now that there’s less work involved than there used to be!
50 pieces
You’ve probably been told that a capsule wardrobe should include 30 to 50 pieces. You may have even read that number in a book or blog post, but it’s likely you’ll find the exact number varies based on who you’re talking to. So what’s the right number?
You’ll want to start with fewer pieces if this is your first time creating a capsule wardrobe, because there are some factors that can make it more difficult for newcomers (such as not having enough “go-to” items). For example, someone who doesn’t already have several pairs of jeans and trousers will have more difficulty building a collection than someone who already owns several pairs—but the same goes for someone who has 10 dresses but no casual tops!
Once you’ve got your process down and know what works best for your lifestyle and personality type, however (and once you’ve really gotten into building up an expansive closet), increasing the number of items in your closet becomes much simpler. If this sounds like something you’d like to try sometime soon, start small: stick with just 25-30 items as long as possible before adding anything else into your mix.
60 pieces
Capsule wardrobes of 40 to 60 pieces are ideal for most people.
At the lower end, a 30-piece wardrobe is great for those who prefer minimalism or live in small spaces and don’t want to think about what to wear each morning. At the other end, a 50-piece wardrobe allows you to build in some variety and keep things fresh with seasonal changes. A 60-piece collection is best suited for people who love fashion and want more options when dressing up.
Regardless of your style preference, we recommend starting small by keeping it simple at first—a few core pieces will help you get used to wearing clothes without all of the extras!
A good number for building a capsule wardrobe is about 40 to 60 pieces.
Although the exact number of pieces you’ll need for a capsule wardrobe depends on the kind of clothes you wear and the type of weather in your area, a good starting point is 40 to 60 pieces. Anything more than this and you may find yourself with pieces that don’t get worn as often, because there are too many options. On the other hand, if your capsule wardrobe has fewer than this number of items, it’s unlikely that everyone in your house will be able to mix and match enough outfits to keep them all happy.
If you’re unsure how many items are right for building a capsule wardrobe, start with 30 pieces (for example: five tops; two pairs each of bottoms; three dresses or skirts). Then add on from there if needed!
Conclusion
We hope that this article helped you understand the basics of what a capsule wardrobe is and how many pieces will work best for you. If you haven’t decided whether it’s right for your needs, there are other ways to organize your clothes—but this system may be just what you need if getting dressed in the morning has been stressing you out lately.
