My capsule wardrobe challenge: First thoughts

I’ve always thought February was a chilly, dull month. A speed-bump on the way to spring. But now it has some purpose for me. It began as a challenge not to buy any new clothes – but evolved into a pledge to create and wear a capsule wardrobe.

What’s a capsule wardrobe? I see it as a small collection of clothing – usually your favourite, classic pieces – that can be mixed and matched. Essentially, it’s a few items that can create a variety of stylish outfits.

Some people are naturally good at this. They’re the curators of their closets. Forever editing. Removing what they don’t need. What doesn’t fit. What doesn’t make them happy. They know exactly what they like. They buy classic items that don’t go in and out of style. They have a natural colour scheme, so most of their clothes look good together.

I am not one of these people. My wardrobe is a jungle. A testement to my various moods, styles and inspirations. There are grown-up, classic pieces, which I wear when I pretend to be Parisian. There are quirky, eclectic prints. Cute, pink, Peter Pan-collared garments. Ladylike vintage. Leather jackets and ripped knee jeans. My wardrobe? It’s a dressing up box.

There’s nothing innately wrong with this, especially when you enjoy fashion. But I get suckered into the idea of newness. Instagram, influencers and internet shopping have led me down a bad path. What I have is never good enough. I can always look better.

I don’t want to think like that anymore. I’m hoping that a capsule wardrobe will help me to find joy in what I already own.

What’s the challenge?

I’ve whittled down my wardrobe to just 15 pieces for the whole month – and I’m going to be avoiding repeating outfits, just for an extra challenge. Here’s what I chose:

blue jeans
black jeans
black fleece-lined leggings (Primark)
floral midi skirt (H&M)
leopard print mini skirt (M&S)
black T-shirt (ASOS)
green T-shirt (Monki)
black roll-neck long-sleeved top (Dorothy Perkins)
plain grey long-sleeved top (Pull&Bear)
navy and white stripe long-sleeved top (H&M)
black star-print shirt (Glamorous)
topaz wool jumper (Olive)
grey wool jumper (& Other Stories)
pink dunagree dress (Lucy & Yak)
*surprise item* (I’ve left one out for now, just in case I have a special event to dress for, or, more likely, I run out of cleans T-shirts.)

Here’s what I wore (or similar)

One week down, three to go

I’m a week (and a bit) into my challenge and I’ve enjoyed it! Honestly, the hardest part is photographing it for Instagram everyday.

There’s more fun to be had with my mini wardrobe than I imagined – creating new outfits and putting together pieces I’d normally dismiss (see stripy top and floral skirt combo). It’s definitely made me appreciate my clothing more and it certainly saves time in the morning!

Day 1: Topaz jumper and fleece-lined leggings (it was a snow day, after all!)
Day 2: Grey jumper and blue jeans for a slouchy Saturday.
Day 3: Polishing a pink dungaree dress with a grey long-sleeved top.
Day 4: Slightly vintage inspired with a leopard print skirt and a polo-neck.
Day 5: Floating around in a grey jumper and floral midi skirt.
Day 6: Pretending to be a rock star with a celestial shirt and black skinny jeans.
Day 7: Mixing things up with a striped top and a floral midi skirt.