Transform and update your wardrobe with these top tips…
If you live in the city, you’ll already know how fast-paced and busy it can be. So, whether you’re constantly rushing around for work, or are endlessly attending different social events, knowing what to wear can be just as disorientating.
Narrowing down your wardrobe to only include key pieces that can be mixed and matched is an effective way to always look great. Here, we’ve rounded up our top tips for creating a capsule wardrobe, so you can always look stylish in the city.
Cleanse your wardrobe
Before you hit the shops for some new pieces, you’ll need to evaluate your current wardrobe stash to see what pieces can be re-used and which are just taking up valuable space. The top tip for giving your wardrobe an overhaul is to match it to your lifestyle. So, while you might need to keep your trusty old work trousers, keeping that top you haven’t worn in two years will never be fashionable, especially in style-conscious cities like London.
It can help to separate your clothes into two piles: stuff to keep and items to donate or recycle (if possible). Additionally, creating outfits as you go along is a realistic way of seeing what stuff you’d actually wear and what would sit untouched for another five years. For your nearest donation point, visit the Charity Retail Association.
Define your personal style
The cleanse will have helped to establish what pieces and patterns fit your desired aesthetic. So, bear this in mind when you’re shopping for your capsule wardrobe. For example, if you’re going for a subtly stylish look, teaming a plain shirt with some designer jeans, like these ones from Garment Quarter, is a perfect way of adding unique luxury touches to an otherwise simple and versatile outfit.
However, if you don’t do dressing down, a standout designer blazer or jacket can ensure you’re standing out from the busy city crowds. You could even team this with high-end accessories like belts, watches and rings for an indisputably sleek outfit. Just be sure that the look you’re going for is well within your budget!
Consider your daily lifestyle
As previously mentioned, the key to a capsule wardrobe is to ensure it reflects your daily lifestyle. But, this doesn’t mean just having enough workwear to cover you for a week. Instead, you’ll have to branch out and think of how you can transform these pieces to fit your social life as well.
While you might be a heel-obsessive, does it make sense to have a wardrobe full of fancy dresses and going out shoes when you work from home most of the time? This doesn’t necessarily mean purging your wardrobe of your favourite items, but it does mean cutting down on the excess to cater for the necessary. Although it can be tempting to incorporate impractical things into your wardrobe simply because they look nice, it’ll actually make it more difficult to nail the city style if you have too many options.
Pick go-to brands
The thinking behind a capsule wardrobe is that all of the pieces are timeless and able to be recycled to create different looks. With that in mind, quality is bound to be more important to you than quantity, so selecting some go-to brands for your clothes will help to keep this minimal wardrobe vibe on track.
If your budget means heading to the high-street for your key finds, steer clear of retailers that sell cheap throwaway fashion, as this is unlikely to see you through. Instead, go for ones who pride themselves on their quality, even if this means spending a little more. If being ethically responsible is important to you, using an ethical directory like this one from Ethical Consumer will ensure your wardrobe mirrors your morals. There are even many designer brands which are branching out to be more environmentally and ethically friendly, including Stella McCartney. So, you don’t have to give up your luxury look.
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Fill gaps in your wardrobe
An easy way to ensure you’re not overbuying is to only buy something new when there’s a gap in your wardrobe for it, rather than being lured in by a shop window on your lunch break. However, do try to avoid filling spaces for trend pieces as this will derail from the timelessness of your capsule wardrobe.
Making a list of things every basic wardrobe needs can help you to identify these gaps and stop you from frivolously taking out your purse when you see something you don’t have (but also don’t need!).
