Why I Got Rid of My Wardrobe

By
Denaye Barahona
-
366

This spring I got rid of my entire wardrobe. I did it because I have been wearing yoga pants as clothes for far longer than I like to admit–even before I had a baby. On a daily basis I actually have a delusion that I am going to do yoga. Due to the lack of actual exercise happening in this fitness gear, my husband has been begging asking me to treat myself to new clothes for quite some time.

Don’t get me wrong, I had a closet full of clothes. I had lost all the baby weight, so most of them fit. But I never seemed to have anything to wear. Post-baby, I felt certain styles like strapless dresses, v-neck tops, and short(ish) skirts just weren’t working for me anymore. Hence the head-to-toe work-out attire. I knew a shopping trip needed to happen, but I had no idea where to start. After all, most of my clothes came from a quick grab-n-go during a “drive-by” of the woman’s section at Target.

If you are similarly wardrobe challenged, you probably also have that friend who always looks so cute-and-put-together. You love to hate her—especially when she has “it all together” while wrangling a toddler the same age as yours. Around the time that I was contemplating these big questions about getting my act together, my super cute-always-put-together-friend posted this on Instagram.

Hater’s gonna hate.

Seriously. This is her closet? I had three thoughts immediately upon seeing this photo of her closet.

1. MBN (must be nice) to live in the ‘burbs and have closets for miles. I bet this is her second overflow closet {insert jealousy}.
2. Who the heck has the space to decorate their closet with artwork. I can barely get the door closed on mine.
3. Where are the piles of cute stuff I always see her wearing?

Months went by, and my cluttered wardrobe continued to accumulate. One day at a play date, my cute-always-put-together-friend casually mentioned that she follows a fashion blog called Unfancy and does a “wardrobe capsule”. I may have rolled my eyes at the thought of following a fashion blog but decided I should take a gander.

After all, I looked like this:

And my closet looked like this:

What did I have to lose?

I started to read about wardrobe capsules. Caroline, the Austin-based blogger of Unfancy (who is currently on hiatus), describes a wardrobe capsule as

a mini-wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear.

She advocates for maintaining a 37 piece wardrobe: 15 tops, 9 bottoms, 9 pairs of shoes, 2 dresses, and 2 jackets.

It didn’t take long to make my move. After bedtime one night, armed with a couple of giant garbage bags and equally giant glasses of wine (for bravery) I completely emptied my closet. I donated most of it. I kept a few of the nicer things and sold them online, which helped to fund the rest of the pieces I needed to complete my wardrobe capsule.

Pre-capsule, my wardrobe was like the Cheesecake Factory menu. It went on for days, was disorganized, and overwhelming. The majority of my options didn’t fit right, didn’t look right, or I just plain didn’t like. On the other hand, my capsule wardrobe is like a fine-dining restaurant. I have fewer choices. However, the decision is easier to make, and I can be sure that all of the choices will be amazing.

Amazing, right?

It has been a month, and I haven’t worn yoga pants in public (not even once). My new wardrobe is comfortable, flattering, accessible, flexible, and overall just really cute. Sounds impossible, right?

If you think this minimalist wardrobe idea sounds as crazy I did, here is a preview of my wardrobe capsule. I quickly grabbed 10 pieces: 3 tops, 3 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes, and 1 dress.

A capsule “sampler platter”

Then, in a matter of a few minutes, I made 12 outfits with these 10 pieces and the help of a few accessories. Take a look.

In case you are wondering, I did save my yoga gear. I actually wear it when doing yoga now. I also kept a few pairs of pajamas and comfortable clothes to have around the house. And for special occasions, I will continue to use my go-to source for fun dresses, Rent the Runway.

Not only do I look better, but I feel better. The clutter I cut out of my life has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Decluttering expert Marie Kondo says there are two types of people: Those who can’t put things away and those who can’t throw things away. I am both of those people.

This experience has taught me that no organizational system will help me organize my space—the only solution that will last is to dramatically cut down on the number of possessions that I own. Since tackling the closet, I have made my way through every nook and cranny in the house. No knick knack, vacation souvenir, or old book is safe.

I have struggled with clutter for a lifetime, but I finally feel like I am getting on track.

I have always loved having a smaller house and the intimacy that it provides our family. I do not fantasize about having a bigger closet or home. But I do need to find a way to fit what I really need inside of the space that I have.

I even had closet space to add my own piece of art, courtesy of up-and-coming local artist Ashlee McClung,
I even had closet space to add my own piece of art, courtesy of up-and-coming local artist Ashlee McClung,

I don’t want to spend a lot of time dealing with clothes everyday, but I also don’t want to live in yoga gear. I can say that changing my wardrobe has changed my outlook on life. It has helped my confidence and attitude about how less really is more.

I can save my time and energy for what matters the most.

I have a seasonal wardrobe capsule for my son in the works. And in the future, I may even try to apply it to maternity wear. Interested in reading more? Check out why I got rid of the toys.

For more inspirational links from our archives, check out how to do multiple looks with 1 black dress or add a little “excitement” to the basic pieces you already have in your wardrobe.  And if you just have to keep some of those yoga pants in your wardrobe for painting (or exercising) here’s Dallas Moms Blog’s favorite workout gear for all occasions. 

Do you think you could trade it all in and start fresh?

If you’ve been inspired by this post, we want to see your new wardrobe!

Tag #DMBWardrobeCapsule & @dallasmomsblog and show us your results! 

 

Follow Dallas Moms Blog on Facebook or subscribe to our daily newsletter for more great content! 

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366 COMMENTS

  1. This is truly inspiring! I was going to say that you read my mind, but aren’t most of us struggling with this very thing? Thank you for sharing, and most of all thank you for sharing with enough detail that the rest of us can devise a plan to downsize and get organized too. Although I may have a bit more trouble than you did making 12 outfits with 10 pieces. Wow!

    • Thank you Michelle! If I can do it, anyone can. I don’t know a thing about making outfits. Pre-baby, my closet consisted mostly of casual dresses because it was a 1-piece quick thing to throw on. Post-baby I realize that dresses don’t work for nursing, and they certainly don’t work for chasing toddlers. un-fancy.com and theproject333.com are great resources to get started!

      • Is the 36 piece rule per season? Or overall? I’m thinking with extreme winters and summers it would 36 pieces for warmer weather and 36 for colder weather? Thoughts?

        • I agree with you (partly) 😉 we live in Canada, like you said extreme cold AND extreme warm… i think there are alot of wardrobe basics that can be worn in winter AND summer- for example tanks can be layered with a long sleeve, a short summer skirt can be worn with tights, etc. I keep one tote labelled “seasonal clothing”… bring it out in spring and fall… swap out items that can NOT be worn dual season like tights, boot socks, thick sweaters, shorts, sundresses, etc. But the basics stay:)

          • I live in Montana, US. I have separate items for all the seasons, with some overlap. Yesterday it was 70F and today it is 35F and snowing. Also, I work full time in a professional corporate setting so I have a separate wardrobe for that too. Because our weather is so crazy here, I have more shoes than most capsulers do. I don’t keep it all separate in totes either. I have my closet organized by season because that is what works best for me. I use the current season as my base and “borrow” from another season if needed depending on weather.

        • The rule is per season. You store out of season clothes outside of your closet. Every season you choose a new set of 33/37 whatever your number is and then store whatever is not in the chosen set. You would have a very different wardrobe for summer vs winter.

          • Thank you! I was about to fall over when I looked and my closet and counted 52 total hanging. Now I know I can break it down per season!

        • It’s 36 pieces per wardrobe capsule. It doesn’t even have to be the number 36. It should be the number of pieces your comfortable with. I have 40 because I wanted 2 more dresses and 2 more skirts. I have 3 capsules that I keep stored in under the bed rubbermaid containers when not in use. Winter, Summer, and Fall/Spring (here in Oregon the weather is the same for both.) Each year I look over my capsule and most of it I keep and sometimes I switch out a new piece here and there. I also don’t count accessories or formal attire.

        • I agree that a closet needs to be organized and gone through. When an individual loves clothes and desires variety in their wardrobe, it can be a daunting task to weed out the pieces that you choose to discard.

        • Yes, the clothes match the place the shots were taken.Now, instead of the “art” over the sofa matching the furniture, our wardrobe matches the house. Oh-vey! grey/charcoal floor, white/cream trim, light blue wall.

          However, In art we see a huge variety of expression with a 3 color limited pallet. With clothes, when we stay with 1 – 3 neutrals and one color for our wardrobe we create a platform for amazing accessorizing. That color can change per season or not as we see fit. It is all with what one is comfortable with. Personally I won’t be caught outside without at least two bold colors involved. But, that is me.

      • Hi there, I have gone over your blog article a bunch of times and I really am determined to try it. I have picked my palette and am almost ready. I do have two questions….I am in my late 40s with three grown sons, and need things a bit older looking. (less leg, and tummy disguise stuff) Do you know of any websites for capsule wardrobes for older gals? I have been looking too but any ideas would be awesome. Also what do you suggest for a blazer style? I have never owned one since the 80s, and am concerned I may pick out some kind of Michael Jackson military garb that will have my co workers teasing me forever. Thanks in advance! Mary D.

        • I actually did this at Chico’s a couple years ago as well. After two babies (now 3!) and an additional 40 lbs, and over the age of 40, I needed to stop wearing maternity pants at my professional job. The women there have been really helpful finding me pieces to mix and match and they have also become my staples for work, and even when I go anywhere off the block on the weekends. And they also helped me accessorize better, too.

        • Hi Mary, I just discovered this blog and noticed your question. I too, am a little older but tend to dress in a casual style for the most part, thus any of the minimalism blogs containing wardrobe posts can be a guideline. One of my favorite bloggers is lLight by Coco, who is in her mid-late 20’s, however she’s my inspiration on how to truly live a minimalist lifestyle!

      • Great article, very inspiring!

        If you ladies had any weight to lose, that would be the way to get a new wardrobe. I’ve been doing this all along… I lose a size, I have to go through and try everything on again. If I love it, and it can be taken in, I keep it, otherwise, off I go to Goodwill or SA to get me some ‘gently used’ clothing and give the good stuff to a lady with a new job or the homeless shelter we love. I never spend much on new clothes, as for the last year I’ve only been able to keep them for a few months. I’m finally at a place where the tops I buy I think I will keep (the shoulders and ‘the girls’ aren’t shrinking), but the pants probably will go down another size. Started at 18-20, now 8-10.

        I’m having so much fun with clothing now that I’m not ready to really limit my wardrobe – other than space – or go to one color palette. I like discovering what looks good now and surprising myself and others – especially my husband! I have, however, discovered what colors do NOT look good on me, so that solidifies a color palette (or two, or three) by default. I live in Florida, so weather extremes are rare. I do have scarves, sweaters and boots for the few weeks of fall and winter we do have, plus more than enough capris and shorts. I do have a semi professional wardrobe for work, which I have whittled down to basic slacks and the tops that I love and are unfussy enough to just throw on and look good. That really helps.

        My home needs help. I am seeing how your concept can can work in every room. I am currently being inspired by the book Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space by Kathi Lipp, Easily found on Amazon.

        I have found many outfit combinations and inspiration on Pinterest. I especially love Polyvore. They will give you a page with the entire shebang: top, bottom, shoes, accessories, purse…

        So where do we go to look at what people have done in response to this post?

    • This is an awesome post. I am currently going through the konmarie process, and i love it! I got ride of 75%of my wardrobe.

      Right now I have 18 tops, 5 dresses 3 pants and 6 shoes. I need more pants because I keen wearing my yoga clothes as well. Sigh.

      You just inspired me..

      Thanks!

    • Great idea but how realistic is this? I work with kids and get food, paint, mud, little dirty hand prints on my pants evey day. I often have to change clothes mid-day! How often do you all do laundry?

      • To avoid me getting my clothes dirty or wet I wear an apron most of the day. It has saved so many clothes over the years from stains and fat splashing onto it when cooking!

      • I know this is an older post, but wanted to respond to this in case you still have the same profession or others are wondering the same thing. When I worked with children, I invested in a few sets of scrubs (like those used in the medical field). You can find super cute patterns and colors. The scrubs were my work uniform and it didn’t matter so much if they got a little messy. Another way to handle it is to get a super cute smock or apron made to have on hand for messy times. 🙂

    • I saw this on FB a week-ish ago and out of morbid curiosity, I read it. I was appalled & fascinated at the idea of paring down to so few items in my closet. I stewed over the thought for about 48 hours and on a whim the other night, I grabbed a bottle of wine (liquid courage, you might say) and took the plunge deep into my closet. I tried every single item on and made an honest evaluation of function & fit. Four hours and 283 items later, I had my entire wardrobe whittled down to 85 items that would accommodate all seasons. (35 summer, 35 fall, 15 winter). I let it sit and went to bed, thinking I’d wake up hungover but rational. Instead, I woke up feeling like I had just conquered the world! I played for another 2 hours in my closet, trying to find as many combos as possible for my new wardrobe selection and I photographed each one to save for inevitable days when I just couldn’t figure out what on earth to wear. This morning, I couldn’t WAIT to get ready! (I’m quite certain this excitement will wane, but for now – it’s pretty awesome.) I also might note, I posted just a handful of the extra items (I don’t think I really needed to save 7 additional black cardigans…) and have already made about $100 in extra cash. SWEET! It really is a liberating feeling to lose the clutter!! 🙂 THANK YOU!

    • I too am excited about the “capsule” but need suggestions for age appropriate ideas. 60 yrs old, grandma of 21, probably not going to wear those cute shorts & such but have no desire to appear to be a bag lady either.

    • Sounds like my travel wardrobe! Really, we sold everything, packed a rolling bag, and have been travelling for 3 years. Mix and match wardrobe of basic pieces that layer, pieces that make me look and feel great – that’s all we need!

    • I used Facebook YardSales and Ebay. Ebay is a lot of work having to ship several packages though. I have heard great things about thredUp–they send you a postage paid bag and you send it to them!

    • I help run a few Facebook community yard sales. Pretty much it’s an online yard sale ( it’s cool cause you can garage sale all year around ). You basically take pictures of all your items like clothes or any other house hold items & put a detailed description about size, price & location ( if you have questions about how to go about all this, the administrator of the page will help) make sure to read the site rules. Make sure not to list your address just the city. You either meet up in a public place or put PPU which is pick up only & you can do all the rest in a Pm ,like where to meet, time etc . When I started i just typed in my search on Facebook and searched for online yard sales in my county or surrounding areas. Their is also some consignment stores that will buy gently trendy up to date clothing. In my area it’s called Playtos closet. Hope this helps.

      Jess ♡

  3. I have a full-ish closet. What fits, doesn’t fit me well. The rest of it—it doesn’t fit. I’m clinging on for dear life because I’m PROMISING myself I WILL fit back into it. I don’t do enough for myself, and so the thought of getting rid of perfectly good clothes when I will eventually need them seems wasteful.

    But this has made me realize that even if I could fit back into some of it, not all of that smaller wardrobe is made up of the nicest pieces. I need to find the gumption to at least clear out the pieces I don’t absolutely love and aren’t DYING to fit back into before they are out of style.

    Because when I DO finally lose this tummy, I will deserve some new clothes. Right?

    • You absolutely will deserve some new clothes! But I agree, there is something satisfying about knowing you can fit into old clothes, even if they are oh-so-wrong 🙂

    • I had three babies in a span of four years and had similar thoughts about my pre-baby clothes. At first, I saved my entire wardrobe. Eventually, I narrowed it down to about 6-10 pieces. I checked them over with every seasonal turnover and then put them back in their bin. Eventually, they all fit (even the college jeans). Once I had the satisfaction of fitting into them again, though, I found I really didn’t want them and donated everything except one pair of good black pants!

    • Lol Jenn. I have the same “clothes I’m going to fit into again”. Just the other day I looked up at the shelf with these relics and realized theyd gone out if style.

      • I am stuck. I have no idea what to buy. I need a pre-beginner list that says….buy this type of jean, two short sleeve shirts, one skirt. Can anyone help me?

        • If you’re looking for help with how to choose the right clothing pieces that will be flattering to your body shape and to your coloring, check out MissusSmartyPants.

  5. These are great ideas! I have applied these kind of principles to my maternity wardrobe and it is spilling over into my “normal” wardrobe as well. Having things I like to wear and fit well makes a world of difference! I also liked seeing suggestions on numbers of pieces and how many of each to aim to have…I like specifics! Thanks!

  6. I need to do this but I may have to change it up a bit. I live in an area with below freezing winters and ridiculously hot summers. There is simply no way one capsule set would work. Maybe I’ll have a few based on seasons.
    I love the idea of simplifying my closet. It’s so overwhelming!

    • Actually the Unfancy blogger suggests doing 4 capsules per year–seasonly. That is too pricey for me though, so I plan keep the one that I have, and switch out a few warm weather items for cold weather items when the time comes!

    • Joline, you might want to check out Project 333. It’s similar to the Unfancy 37-piece wardrobe, but you create a capsule for each season.

      Love, love, love this post! Capsule wardrobes are truly game-changers. I’m slowly developing my first spring and summer capsules right now, after loving my autumn and winter ones. It’s so liberating to have high standards for every item in your wardrobe.

  8. Love this idea! I have three closets full & always feel as if I have nothing to wear so this was inspiring. I wish there was a book on the subject that I could follow.

    • Thank you Ginger, and thanks for reading! Un-fancy.com, project333.com, and into-mind.com are great resources! Let me know if I can help!

      Denaye
      cribtotable.com

    • The book you seek is Nina Garcia’s 100 or in the Rupaul’s book working it, there is a few pages on how make your wardrobe elegant and simple.

  9. This is great for the figure type of the author!

    Almost all I wear are dresses, with leggings and above-the-anklet footwear in the colder months, and sandals in warm months. – This post mentions a recommendation of 15 tops, 9 bottoms and 2 dresses. However, on my body type, it’s very difficult to find tops and bottoms that are as flattering and comfortable as a colorful dress with an empire waist.

    So where does that leave people like me? 20 dresses, 2 bottoms and 2 tops? lol. I’d like someone else to be the expert and do the bit of research necessary to come up with the appropriate formula. (I would but I haven’t got time to worry about my clothes, as my closet was just deep-cleaned and organized!)

    I’m into this concept, especially for me “someday” dream of living in a tiny home. I just need some accommodation to adapt the plan to other body types! That’s what it will take to ever see me supporting this – much less, going for it myself!

    Thanks!

    • Thanks for reading EB! Believe it or not, I used to be a dress HOARDER before I wrote this post and did a capsule. It was always so much easier for me to grab a dress and throw it on than worry about making an outfit. I actually never realized how comfortable jeans can be until I got a new pair this month.

      I truly believe you can find some flattering tops and bottoms–but it’s going to take some thinking outside the box. Thanks to some good online resources (un-fancy.com, theproject333.com, and into-mind.com) I have bought some things I would have never given a second glance at before. I have had more luck wandering into smaller stores like J.Crew and Madewell, than I have at department stores which can be very overwhelming. Sale associates can be super helpful (sometimes).

      Good lick and let me know if I can help!

      Denaye
      cribtotable.com

    • I wear a lot of dresses, especially for work, and I do a modified version of a capsule. Mine is more dress heavy than what the original capsule wardrobe recommended. I have 7-8 dresses that are fairly all season and primarily solid colors (sleeveless or short sleeved) and then I have 5-6 cardigans I can switch up with the dresses. The rest I do with accessories or scarves. My casual wardrobe is 2 pairs of jeans and tanks or tees I can also wear with the cardigans as necessary.

    • Ask yourself what activities you do each week? Choose outfits that will cover those. Church, shopping, beach( I live by the beach) sports events, concerts etc. a lot will call for the same clothes. For instance the dress can cover church and a concert if you choose a basic color and accessorize. I only wear tree types of shoes I found. Tennis shoes, black flats and sandles. I found out that I wear shirts more than t shirts and jeans are a staple type of pants. I do keep a white and black t however because there is nowhere you can’t go in a black t, blue jeans and a blazer around here. Add black flats, colorful scarf and away you go.

  10. So how did you decide which items to purchase when you started your new wardrobe? You wrote “She advocates for maintaining a 37 piece wardrobe: 15 tops, 9 bottoms, 9 pairs of shoes, 2 dresses, and 2 jackets.” but I feel that I wouldn’t know which goes well together when starting fresh. Did a sales associate help you? Any store you recommend?

    • I started by looking at Unfancy’s past outfits. It really opened my mind with new ways to wear some things I already had. For example, a button down chambray shirt. It can be worn open as a cardigan, buttoned up with a skirt, half tucked into shorts, or knotted over a dress. I picked a few pieces that I noticed tend to be really versatile. Other examples include a sleeveless chambray shirt, button down white shirt, a great pair of jean shorts, and a pair of grey jeans.

      I had a lot of help from the sale associates at J.Crew and Madewell also. Happy shopping, please let me know if I can help 🙂

      Denaye
      cribtotable.com

    • I recommend considering a 4X4 wardrobe planner or reading the vivienne files blog-it seems the easiest way to achieve maximum flexibility. 🙂

      • Agreed, Becky. The 4×4 of The Vivienne Files is a wonderful resource and it really helped me focus after I had my colours done. And I love how she takes a painting and picks out the colours and sets up a core wardrobe…magic.

        I decluttered with Feng Shui.
        I made a go at being a Minimalist.
        I konmarie’d my drawers to perfection.
        I looked at the 20% that I wear 80% of the time.
        I reminded myself of the simple wardrobe of style icons.
        I kept the best and ditched the rest to be the good example.
        I created a uniform that suits my aspirations of Classic Natural French Chic.
        I counted tops, bottoms, boots, bags and bangles, went past 33, stopped at 100.
        I finally, after It’s All Too Much, sigh! decided that my space defines how much stuff to have.

        I Am A Work in Progress.

  13. what about for those of us who travel internationally for business and each clime or location has a different standard of dress? I want to blend in locally and I would say that I have had challenges stateside as well. west coast, meet east coast with Dallas thrown in between!

    • This is a great question! I think if you find some versatile pieces you can absolutely pull this off.

      Check out un-fancy.com’s spring capsule ( for some inspiration on the classic pieces to include–and then add your own flair to it.

  14. My girlfriend does a potluck clothing swap twice a year, its so much fun and has really helped me to let go more of clothing I love but I never wear, seeing it look great on another is fun. I think I’m ready to get rid of more, great post!

    • The blogger at Unfancy suggests doing 4 capsules per year–one each season. However, I think this can get VERY pricey. My plan is to keep the same capsule all year, and switch out a few pieces when it gets cold/hot. When the weather changes in the fall, I will put my shorts and tanks in storage and get out my sweaters and jeans.

  17. What about laundry. Do you have to do it everyday? I rarely escape a day with my clothes I stained by working with my toddler!

    • Here is my two cents with the messy clothes and laundry issue. I didn’t predict this happening, and it may seem like an obvious answer…but I am finding myself to be much more careful with my new, nice clothes. I used to just grab my toddler out of the high chair covered with avocado all over his hands semi-knowingly letting him smear it on me. I have found that I stop myself more often and keep him cleaner because I want to keep myself clean. Believe it or not, but I have had significantly less laundry as a result of this. I have been keeping my capsule laundry in a separate little bin because I don’t want to wash it with all the other hodge-podge of stuff I usually throw in there together. I have actually *gasp* been able to wear things numerous times without washing. EVEN WHITE SHIRTS. We had a BBQ this weekend and I was feeding him the little guy sitting in my lap and distracted talking to friends and he got his burger all over me, but that was the first time in a month that has happened. It used to be a daily thing.

  18. Great article!!! So I am actually reading Marie kondo’s book right now! I have read a bit about capsules and love the way you wrote about it.

    My worry is let’s say I’m ready for some better pieces – where do I go? I don’t want all one “look” of what’s trendy now. I know I could go for classic peices or to nordstroms with many brands but where do you actually shop to build your pieces?

    • Thank you Catherine! I used a lot of Madewell and J.Crew. For good quality and classic pieces, I have always had great luck with J.Crew. And with Madewell being a subsidiary, I am hoping it has staying power also.

      I found shopping at smaller stores (rather than department stores) made putting my capsule together much more approachable. The sale associates were excited about what I was working on and wanted to help.

      Let me know if I can be of more help!

      Denaye
      cribtotable.com

    • Catherine, if you like Nordstrom and it’s in your budget, it doesn’t cost anything to get an appointment with a personal shopper. Be brutally honest with them about what you like, what you’re looking for, and your budget (plan it during their annual sale if you can). I haven’t done the capsule plan yet, but I went in a few years ago when I needed a serious wardrobe overhaul. I did spend more than I expected, but every single thing I purchased has become a go-to item – they are the shirts and sweaters I grab most often, and will definitely survive my pending closet purge. One shirt I never would have picked out on my own, but I ended up really liking it and it’s now a favorite.

      I think Macy’s does this as well. I have also found that I get great help at smaller stores, and sometimes even at chain stores if I go to a stand alone version (say, downtown) instead of the one at the mall.

  19. This is great, and I want to have the courage to do it myself but the shopping for those few essentials that I am supposed to love makes me so nervous! How did you do it! Did you have to go to 100 stores and shop endlessly online to find those 3 shirts you know you won’t get tired of. Can you enlighten me on how you went about shopping for your capsule. Did you have a plan of attack? Stores to target, a list of specific items?

    • I used a handful of the classic items on Un-fancy.com’s spring capsule for a launching off point. http://www.un-fancy.com/my-capsule-wardrobes/my-spring-2015-capsule-wardrobe/

      Things like a chambray shirt, grey jeans, a jean jacket, a white button down. All classic things that are super versatile–I just needed to find some that fit well. I had a lot of luck with J.Crew and Madewell. They both have a decent amount of classic, high quality pieces and fun mixed in as well. Once I got a few good pieces, the rest started to come easier. I was able to fill in the hole’s with cheaper stuff from Forever 21 and H&M.

      I ordered a lot online and returned A LOT. Overall, I found it easier to trek to the mall and try stuff on 🙂

      Let me know if I can help!

      Denaye
      cribtotable.com

  20. Wow! I have to say I’m in the same kind of rut you were. This is truly inspirational. With me moving soon… It may be the perfect time to try.

  21. I love this idea! It’s all about the right pieces.
    I LOVE that striped skirt! Where did you get it? It is a perfect staple to your look.

  22. I love this idea! What about dress clothes for work? Would the capsule cover both business and casual clothes? Or would you have separate ones? I’m a stay at home mom now, who lives in jeans and sweat pants, but I’m looking to go back to work and none of my old with stuff fits… Or is in style!

    • That’s a great question Jessica! I haven’t seen someone design a capsule for work-attire specifically, but I am sure it could be done! I think a blend could be done as well. Search Pinterest to see if you can find any help there. If you decide to give it a try, please send us your results so we can share 🙂

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

      • I was going to ask this very same thing! I definitely would have to a separate capsule for work, and one for casual. I’ll have to check out Pinterest. I would love to get a “basics” list for business. I have so many clothes “and not a thing to wear”. My husband rolls his eyes when I say that. 🙂

    • The capsule wardrobe movement was hugely popular decades ago with work clothes and it still huge. There are a TON of bloggers that do it. My favorite ones are teachers. You can find them by just typing into Google “capsule work wardrobe.”

    • You May enjoy reading theVivienneFiles.com
      for ideas for your work-clothes capsule. She shows how a few pieces can be put together many different ways. Many of the looks may work for your business attire. That is actually a great companion website to UnFancy I think.

  23. I love this. I don’t go quite as lean as you have on clothes, but I’ve resolved (and been successful in that) to only buy clothes I feel gorgeous in. Before I would buy things I intended to make work or were good enough just because they were a great price. The purge of all the so so ones was a great feeling!

    • The blogger at Unfancy suggests doing 4 capsules per year–one each season. However, I think this can get VERY pricey. My plan is to keep the same capsule all year, and switch out a few pieces when it gets cold/hot. When the weather changes in the fall, I will put my shorts and tanks in storage and get out my sweaters and jeans.

  26. I must say after to moving to Seattle from California, I was totally not prepared for summer here. Summer doesn’t start until after July 4th. It will literally rain and be cold for the entire month of June. which gets depressing when you’re reading blogs from everywhere else in the US about everyone’s awesome summers and you feel like your summer will never come. Also, for the 6-8 weeks of sunshine we’ll get, the weather will stay in the 70’s. which is nice because you can stay outside all day and not get too hot, but it never really feels hot enough to go swimming.

    • Jill, it sounds like you need to follow Caroline from un-fancy.com. She is actually moving to Seattle right now from Texas and is in the process of finding the perfect Seattle capsule gear!

      • I might have to find that as well. I was born and raised in Seattle and live in one of the suburbs about 30 miles east now (closer to work). But being raised here, I tend to wear shorts even when it’s rainy season. Just not if it’s freezing temps (which we do get from time to time during winter. Just usually not much in the way of snow). I’m curious though, where do you store your stuff like socks, underwear, bras, etc. ?

  28. I’m absolutely floored! I promise I was just speaking with our women’s group at church and the pastors wife told us how we could make so many different outfits with only a few pieces! I’m thankful you posted this! I will let you know how my capsule turns out

  29. I like this idea, but where I live I can identify at least 5 maybe 6 seasons, and our winter is easily 5 months long. In spring and fall, temperatures often fluctuate wildly, causing us to experience two or even three “seasons” in a week. I’ve seen snow in late May and September!

    In winter I always wear two layers on top, turtleneck and wool sweater, and most spring and fall days find me in a tee and sweater. Should I count these pairs as individual items for the 15 tops, or does each actual piece need to count on its own?

    Does anyone have ideas for adapting this plan for a Southerner transplanted to the Upper Midwest?

    • Hi Katie! As a Texan, I don’t have much of a problem with seasonal shift :). Therefore, I would count these all as separate pieces. But I think the idea is that it is YOUR wardrobe so it needs to be flexible with you. Maybe that means picking a number of pieces to stick to for summer, and a higher number of pieces for winter?

      I am excited to see how you make it work, please share any fun closet cleaning and capsule photos with #dmbwardrobecapsule

      Cheers!
      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  30. Love th article and P333, but I’m approaching the “Senior Citizen” age. Wish some sassy, classy older ladies would post their capsule wardrobes.

    • Carla, I couldn’t agree more. I think a capsule wardrobe would really resonate with more mature ladies who have been “collecting” clothes for even more years than myself. If you decide to give it a go please share your photos with #dmbwardrobecapsule I would love to see your progress.

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  32. Just this morning, after stumbling over yet another basket of our clean clothes, I wondered what it would be like to do this very thing. This has given me the motivation to actually do it now!

    • Marissa,

      Thanks for reading! The decrease in my laundry has been amazing. And because I really love everything in my closet, I am actually careful washing it for the first time in my life. Sometimes I even HANG things to dry. Which never happened with my pre-capsule clothes. Good luck! Please post some fun cleaning out the closet and capsule photos with #DMBWardrobeCapsule.

      Cheers 🙂

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  33. You are a cutie, inspiring piece, now to top it off tan up those legs. I have fair skin and I use leg make up or self tanner. No time to do a natural tan. Cheers

  35. First, thanks for using disorganized instead of un. Second, great blog, Third, I have 2 dress pants, black, 2 jeans, 8 tank tops 6 are black and 12 jackets or covers all different colors, styles and pattens. Four pairs of shoes. Problem is it is mostly black, and I have tubs of clothes Ithat will fit when I get my weight down. I’m almost there but I think this will get me where I need to go. THANKS!

    • Hi Ellen!

      Thanks for reading. I used to have a lot of black in my wardrobe–it’s safe and goes with everything. I found that using more neutral colors like tan, blush, charcoal, navy, white, and then some chambray has really worked well for me. I think those colors are almost just as versatile as black, but softer and better for the whole year. I actually don’t think I have a single black piece in my capsule now!

      Good luck! If you decide to give your closet a clean out, please post photos with #DMBWardrobeCapsule.

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  36. HI Denaye, I really enjoyed this post about your wardrobe capsule. I am pretty good at cleaning out old stuff but I tend to keep pieces in my closet that I don’t wear (mainly because they currently dont’ fit me right now, but might in a few months – LOL.) I definitely need to do this. I tend to wear the same few things anyway. Thanks for an inspiring idea!

    • Amy,

      Thanks for reading! I know how you feel. For my capsule I picked out a lot of flowy tops and stretchy skirts/jeans. I want to be comfortable and know that things will still fit with minor weight fluctuations 🙂

      I hope you give it a try! If you do, please post photos with #DMBWardrobeCapsule. I would love to see your progress.

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  37. So inspiring. I am such a clothes hoarder. This weekend I am going to spend some time in my closet and clean it out. I may not be able to commit to a capsule, but I do need to week out about 1/2 of my clothes. Over the last couple years I have definitely started shopping for quality over quantity, so I feel as though I have made progress, but I need to get rid of all that old quantity. I have no idea why I have such an emotional attachment to clothes!! Love your necklace in the final picture by the way 😉

    • Andrea,

      My one suggestion (and it’s a big one) is to take EVERYTHING out of your closet. Start fresh like the day you moved in. Marie Kondo recommends you hold every piece in your hand and ask yourself “does this spark joy?”. If it does, put it back in your closet. If it doesn’t, donate it. The experience of an empty closet is a beautiful one, and I think you may be inclined to let go of more than you think!

      Please share photos of your progress with #DMBWardrobeCapsule. Can’t wait to see your progress!

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  38. denaye -I LOVE this post. It is so inspiring to me – I am also both of those people, who can’t throw things away or put them away. I found your blog post via your comment and link to your post on anothernicole’s blog. You can make 12 outfits with those pieces! My word!

    I recently published a post on what to wear to work trying to figure out that quandary of a question for myself. The discussions I’m seeing are thought provoking so I’m excited to see where they’ll take me. Thanks for the post!

    • Sanae! Thank you for reading. Good luck on your wardrobe ventures–I would be really interested to see how you apply these ideas to work attire. I have found decluttering my closet and the rest of my home to be so freeing and stress relieving.

      Please share any photos with us as you go with #DMBWardrobeCapsule. I would love to see your progress!

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  40. What a great concept. I too have a closet filled with clothes that is just overwhelming. I did a similar exercise with accessories. I had a drawer filled with jewelry that was all tangled and specialty pieces that only went with one outfit. I bought some timeless pieces that could easily be dressed up or down and go with a variety of colors at http://www.royalbluebox.com.

  41. I love this idea! What a great way too to appreciate what you already have. A fun trick I started to do also, is type in the search bar a clothing item I own into pinterest and see what outfits pop up and then see what I have to make one work. It helps my brain. which does not plan outfits well, to think outside the box and find new ways to use those items.

  42. This is great! Hmm…maybe a challenge for my upcoming summer wardrobe? Love it.
    This reminds me of a really cool movement called Dressember. Every day for the month of December, women wear dresses to advocate for women who have been exploited for their femininity around the world. The creator of Dressember actually wears the same dress for the whole month, just jazzing it up different ways, to prove that it can be done even if you don’t own a bunch of dresses. Maybe a challenge to you this December? Dressemberfoundation.org

  43. I know the plan is for 37 pieces in the wardrobe but I am actually wondering if that is enough what I do. I do gardens every Summer and when i come in from working on the garden I most often have to change clothes or risk getting dirt/mud on the furniture. So I need two or three outfits for that, Then I am in the middle of writing a children’s book and drawing or painting the pictures for it as well. So I have two shirts and two pairs of short or pants that have paint on them to use when i am painting so I do not get paint over all of my clothes. Not to mention my work out clothes and my work clothes for the office and church. Maybe I should keep my limit at 50 pieces.

    • Alisa,

      Thanks for reading! That is a great question. The capsule really only covers clothing that I wear out of the house. Things I wear around the house and to do chores outdoors are not included. A good way to add those in may be to consider how many times per week that you garden–for example maybe you garden twice per week. Then have at least 3-4 gardening outfits saved for that.

      I think the capsule size will look different for everyone, especially those of us who change clothes a few times a day 🙂

      Good luck, and please share you progress with us at #DMBCapsulewardrobe. I would love to see how it works out for you.

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

    • Alisa, maybe try having a few aprons or coveralls specifically for the messy work? Then you’re only getting them dirty, and you can wear them several times before washing them?

  44. i have a million tshirts and athletic shorts (summer) and comfy like sweats (for winter) what is a reasonable number for tshirts and comfy clothes? i stay home and homeschool…but want to not look like a slob all the time 🙂

    • Julie,

      Thanks for reading. That is a tough question. I work from home, so I know how you feel. You want to be comfortable–but you don’t want to feel dirty and frumpy day in and day out.

      I think you should only keep enough comfy clothes to last until you need to do laundry. So if you wear them every day and you do laundry once a week–7 comfy tops, and 7 comfy bottoms.

      You might be surprise that you feel better about putting on some comfy jeans and a cute top a couple times a week too. It has made a big difference for me.

      I would love to see you closet overhaul and capsule come together, please share it with #dmbwardrobecapsule

      Happy Decluttering!

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  45. Okay I love this idea. So much. My biggest hang up though is what if I end up purchasing something that doesn’t look great? I feel like when I do buy new clothes, I end up buying things that aren’t versatile or don’t look great on me. I’m worried I’d throw everything out and still end up with a crummy wardrobe.

    • Julie,

      Thanks for reading. That is a tough question. I work from home, so I know how you feel. You want to be comfortable–but you don’t want to feel dirty and frumpy day in and day out.

      I think you should only keep enough comfy clothes to last until you need to do laundry. So if you wear them every day and you do laundry once a week–7 comfy tops, and 7 comfy bottoms.

      You might be surprise that you feel better about putting on some comfy jeans and a cute top a couple times a week too. It has made a big difference for me.

      I would love to see you closet overhaul and capsule come together, please share it with #dmbwardrobecapsule

      Happy Decluttering!

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

    • Whoops! Sorry Kaitlin, that response was meant for the one above you 🙂

      BUT, thank you so much for reading. Do you find yourself shopping on the clearance racks or at places like Marshalls/TJ Maxx a lot? I had that same problem with my pre-capsule wardrobe.

      I think it was a shopping problem. I found myself shopping for specific things: something to wear to my anniversary dinner, something to wear for girl’s night out, etc. I would buy whatever I could find for a good deal and only wear it once or twice–which was not a good investment, even if it was cheap!

      Therefore I was really lacking the high quality, classic items that I have in my capsule now.

      I think investing in some simple, nice things that fit well has been so valuable. It has meant that I need to try on quite a bit, and return quite a bit. But most of the process was kind of fun, even though I do not enjoy shopping!

  46. How many t-shirts is a reasonable amount to keep around? Athletic shorts? Comfy thick pants for winter? That is what my closet mostly consists of, but I have nicer stuff too, just never wear it. I want to pare down so I will wear nicer stuff more often

    • Hi Julie! I really think less is more. I would keep JUST enough that you can make it through a week without doing laundry. I say this, because I typically do laundry once a week so that is what would work for me. If you wear comfy clothes 4 times a week, keep 4-5 outfits.

      I think having less frumpy clothes will help you to wear more cute ones–BUT I think finding cute clothes you really love will be the big motivator to get you to put the cute ones on more often 🙂

      Please post photos as you clean out the closet and get your capsule together, I would love to see. Link them with #DMBWardrobeCapsule so we can keep up.

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  47. Hi!
    This is very inspiring! I can’t wait to get started. I’m still losing baby weight from my 5th child (yikes). I really like the peachy colored top, where is that from? It looks like it wouldn’t be too tight on my stomach;-)

    • Thanks for reading Jennie!

      Congratulations…times 5! I wish I could share a link to the peach top, but its actually one of the things I saved from my old wardrobe…I have had it for years and got it from a little boutique when I was traveling abroad in 2011. The brand is Monki, but I doubt that will help 🙁 I will follow up if I see something similar in stores now!

      Happy decluttering!

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  48. I’ll admit I love to wear yoga pants too, mostly because I just can’t find any others that are comfortable around my waist! You said you finally found comfortable jeans–where and what am I missing? I’m thin so I feel like there should be a lot of options that make me look good, but no matter how good my pants look, they just aren’t that comfortable in the end. Where did you get your comfortable jeans?

  49. Besides making sense, your article is amusing. The last two months I’ve been thinking of my house as one big closet. Trying to streamline. But here’s a problem that I have that you might have a suggestion or two for. I live in Pennsylvania. We have all the weather. Cold snowy winters & hot muggy summers. Everything in-between. Plus, the activities that go w/ such weather. Skiing, boating, etc. That seems like multiple capsules. What do you think?

  50. No lie…my soul longs for this simplicity. Know any fashion bloggers suitable for a 49 year-old, wife, homeschool mom of a 13 year-old ballerina who spends most of her time in the car?!?!?

  51. From one yoga pants wearer to another, Your blog is incredibly inspiring. I did a giant clothing purge in the winter yet I remain discontented. I’m now recharged. Thank you, Katy Perry look-a-like! (That’s a compliment- she’s a doll).

  52. I recently read on MSN about a girl in New York that dressing in morning for meetings and such stressed her out so much she went and revamped her closet. First she got rid of everything and started over with 12 silk shirts one blazer and five pairs of black pants. I think the shirts were all one color. She took the idea from male Co workers of the way they have do with few clothes and make it work. She uses the clothes as a uniform rather than a fashion statement . I think about this girl in the mornings while tossing or looking for stuff to wear. I think she is a genius.

  54. Two thumbs up! You are absolutely right about huge wardrobes that don’t fit well or look right or make us feel good. I’m always working towards getting rid of anything that isn’t working anymore and taking up valuable real estate in my 1-bedroom apartment. We live in society of materialism, which makes it hard to realize that it can be totally ok – and even better for you – to have less.

  55. In your capsule “sampler platter”, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those sandals on the left. What brand are they? Do you know the style? Great article, btw. Can’t wait to get started.

  56. I love this!! I am always thinking ” I wish someone would just tell me shirts/bottoms/etc to keep! I am inspired!! My closet is Tiny! Thanks for sharing!

  57. this is fantastic and inspiring! I actually attempted to do this a couple weeks ago. I had my whole closet emptied. Pants sorted into piles by what fit what didn’t and what was maternity. Well, after leaving my piles neatly sorted for a week I ended up sticking them back in the closet. Major fail.

  58. Wow! I found this blog by sheer accident, and am intrigued on trying to adjust my wardrobe also, even though I don’t feel like I fit into the majority of people responding. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’m feeling rather in a funk and want to rejuvenate my entire house – a drastic move to another state is also in the works. I have kept some items for sheer keepsake, and I also love vintage clothing, it’s going to be awful hard to part with some items. I have some sweaters that are only worn a couple times a yr and are classics or hand crocheted pull overs that I can layer over those Tshirts that I have grabbed for the comfort factor or to just clean in and to sew. Thank you for listing a few sites for possible purge of items. I am going to give it the ol college try!

  59. What you’ve done is a great idea, but what has worked for me and what I love is an energy profiling system based on a person’s nature and movement. It’s an on-line beauty program and worth every penny. I’ve learned so much about myself through the program and the clothes I buy fit my nature perfectly and I love to dress from my closet because everything in it is right for me. The course goes on sale occasionally for $99. Check it out: michellejacobs.dressingyourtruth.com

  60. I love this post! I heard about Unfancy about 4 weeks ago and spent the better part of two days creating a spring capsule; my first ever! Since then I posted about my process for eliminating things and how to decide what to keep, but I never thought about a simple before and after picture. Genius! I’m encouraging my best friend to jump on the capsule wardrobe train and can’t wait to send her your post. Keep it up!

  62. Glad this concept works for you. But id truly get tired of wearing the same pueces over and over even if it is a “new look”. Id work FT and i definitely want more than 3 jackets and 3 pairs of work shoes.

    • Then maybe you could do a ‘work-only wardrobe capsule’ (perhaps not 37 pieces which sounds a lot) but less like? 20. That would give you more options.

  63. I have found great success and confidence with Carol Tuttle’s Dressing Your Truth program. I highly recommend it. It has helped me in better understanding myself and what types of clothes, accessories, makeup and hairstyle best complement me and who I truly am. It gives guidelines and then you can create your own personal style from there. I don’t work for them or get any compinsation for recommending the program. I have just had such a successful experience (and it is a process, but you learn and grow in the process,) so I want to share it with others. I wouldn’t trade my experience with it for anything. I love my style of clothes and colors and I always feel and look “put together” because of it. I have better understanding about myself and others and can better recognize others and my own gifts and talents without judgement. It truly is a life changer and for the better! I guess I’ve done enough rambling. My intention is that this will be taken as intended, which is an oppertunity to explore something that could be possibly beneficial to anyone who reads this.

  64. Wow. Amazing. I see my wardrobe naturally leaning in this direction, HOWEVER, my beloved mother is a chronic clothes hoarder. She claims because she teaches high school English that her kids judge her own her wardrobe versatility. I come armed with wine every year or so and help her clear out her THREE closets!

    She’s perfectly petite and takes good care of her clothes, so it’s hard to argue some issues. I’m lending towards challenging her to be the example, that kids don’t need to have flashy things to be valued.

    I think I just developed my own plan for maternal rehab, but any advice is appreciated in learning how to make my mom hoard and fritz less!!

  65. Wow! I wish I had the guts to do this! I love, love cute clothes! I like variety …. But sometimes, my closet can be daunting! Overwhelming! Too many things to pick from! And I fall in love with what I have….. It is very difficult for me to part ways with my clothes! I sincerely gave been trying to downsize and have considered doing this very thing….

  66. hi! I love this idea. I have wanted to do it for awhile now but always chickened out. I am motivated!!
    I may have missed it, but are the 37 pieces for a whole year or just summer?
    Thanks!!

  67. Would it be possible to share where you purchased each item? I want this wardrobe? The striped skirt! The tops! The shoes! Please’

    • Emelie,

      Sure! A few things were classic pieces I kept from my old wardrobe, but mostly it is new things I added in for my capsule. The sandals are both new this spring from J.Crew, and the Converse from Zappos. The skirt is J.Crew Outlet, shorts Anthropologie (Pilcro brand), and jeans from Madewell. Dress is J.Crew also. Logo tshirt is J.Crew Outlet. I hit some really great 30-40% Spring sales at J.Crew so I made some investments there…I have had really good luck with the lasting quality they provide.

      The long blush top is old from a boutique abroad, and the chambray is from Target last year.

      Thanks for reading!

      Denaye
      http://www.cribtotable.com

  68. Must be nice to fit into enough things to be able to do that. At a plus size petite height, I struggle to find items that fit at all, and forget renting a dress. I’m always worried if I get rid of things if I will be able to find clothes to replace them.

  70. I rarely comment on blog posts, but this was such a great read I wanted to say thank you!!!! I am truly inspired to do the same and keep yoga pants for yoga. 🙂

  71. Oh my gosh, this is amazing! I for sure will have to give this a go. I feel it’s all the clutter that is holding me back from doing all kinds of things. I just know I can feel so much “lighter,” better if I can get rid of the clutter. Thank you for such an awesome article!

  72. What a great article, I couldn’t have come across it at a better time! I started the cleaning out process quite a while ago, I haven’t had the guts to do a capsule wardrobe, but I did get in a bad habit over the years of buying ten $20 pieces I just kinda liked instead of one $200 piece I absolutely LOVED! So my closet was packed full but I too had nothing to wear. Lol. I wanted to buy the nicer pieces but couldn’t always afford them retail in a department store. So I started Closet Envy Consignment Events. I’ve done private sales in my home but the first public sale debuts June 5-7 in the DFW area. It would be a great opportunity for your followers to sell their higher end pieces and receive up to 75% back, as opposed to a consignment store that gives you 50%. And even the process of taking pictures, listing items for sale, and shipping is a time consuming tedious job. My consignment event is a much simpler option. It also is a great opportunity for women to SHOP for new designer or name brand clothing pieces for their new wardrobe, at a FRACTION of new retail prices. My website is http://www.closetenvydfw.com which has ALL the details of the event…be a Consignor, shopping, AND donating!! And like my Facebook page to stay on top of the news and details. AND you’ve inspired me to make a post to my followers about how less is more and I would like to share your article in my post! 🙂 http://www.Facebook.com/closetenvydfw

  73. I love this idea but I would have no idea where to start as for what pieces I should purchase. Basically, I don’t ever shop and don’t really know how to style a wardrobe. Any key pieces you would recommend?

  74. I have followed project 333 almost from its inception. 🙂 And I love it! But I have another angle to share. It won’t apply to you younger moms immediately… but someday.
    My mom, in her late 70s, needed the 24 hour care of residential assisted living a few years ago and made the move. For the next year and a half, my sisters and I cleaned, sorted, organized, and ultimately emptied our parents home to prepare it for sale. We were beyond stunned to discover that our mom owned eight (EIGHT!) full closets of clothing (these were closets built in the 60s… no walk-in types, but they weren’t “tiny” either). As each of us kids moved out, she proceeded to fill each of OUR former closets with her clothes. She also ended up buying two large, stand-alone wardrobes (“wardrobe” the furniture piece) which she filled as well. I saw (and still see) my mom several times a month and I never knew she had so many clothes… because she always wore the same 12-15 outfits. My point is: If for no other reason, I’ll keep a minimal wardrobe to spare my children the 18 months of work my sisters and I had to do! 🙂 That applies to all my passions, really… but I’m not quite there with anything else. I’m working on it, though.

  75. I so need to do this. I don’t know if I could keep to the limit, but I could probably get rid of over %50 of my wardrobe easily. I have put on a significant amount of weight in the past year and keep buying a piece here and there to get me through till I lose the weight. As another commenter said, when I do lose the weight, I will be happy to buy new clothes! Great post!

  76. Brave? Inspiring? Guts? Clutter is holding me back?

    Lovely article but we need to get some perspective ladies…
    More so, can we get rid of the word “cute”?
    Cute homogenizes individuality.

    We should all aspire to be beautiful, sensational, unique, amazing, one of a kind.

    Ciao for now.

  77. Cute homogenizes individuality.
    Cute is temporary, beautiful is forever.
    We should ALL aspire to be beautiful, sensational, unique, amazing, one of a kind.
    Those qualities transpire even from a messy, stuffed, unorganized closet. #amyschumer #julialouisdreyfus #tinafey #patriciaarquette #cute #badwords #declutter #decluttering #dallasmoms #perspective #comedycentral #insideamyschumer #unfuckable #lastfuckableday http://mantenuta.blogspot.com/2015/04/cute-unfuckable-word.html

  79. I loved this post! I’ve tried to do the same thing in my closet. I am forever cleaning out. Especially as I am a “bit”older than you, and in a different season of my life. Going to be mother of the bride this fall. On a different note, the same philosophy could apply to your kitchen pantry. I see that you are concerned with picky eaters. If we have fewer, but healthier choices it gets easier. I am a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and love to help young moms with what to feed kids for healthier, happier, successes in school. I am available to speak to school groups about Brain Foods! Now headed back to my closet, to see what I can clear out! Thanks for this article.

  80. “Who the heck has the space to decorate their closet with artwork. I can barely get the door closed on mine.” LOL

    I seriously almost spit out my coffee laughing when I read that. I’ve had 2 art pieces sitting in my closet (adding to the general dust and clutter of my Cheesecake Factory closet), with the intent of hanging them IN my closet to make it pinterest-worthy.

    Fail.

    I’ve gone from 300 pieces of clothing to about 150 and I’m still working at it. I’m planning on doing another purge and will keep the wardrobe capsule in mind…..AND try to avoid the Gap Outlet sale this weekend that will just add to the chaos. 🙂

    Great article!

  84. Totally just went and cleaned out my closet! It’s good practice to purge for every new piece that comes in but it’s hard to let go of the sentimental “first date” top that will never see the light of day again. Love this article.
    Shortly after my first son turned 6, I purged all my plunging neckline shirts as I found myself flashing my family on a regular basis 🙂

  86. I’m in! I’ve gone through my closet and it feels so great to look at only the things I love and wear with plenty of room! No guilt staring me in the face over things I spent money on, but don’t wear. Now, to put together outfits! Thanks for the link to Unfancy, too!

    • Kamila,

      Thanks for reading. I think I am living proof that being “unfashionable” is something that can be changed. Please share you wardrobe overhaul with #DMBWardrobeCapsule so we can stay in touch!

  88. My 27 year old daughter emailed me this link and told me that she needs to do this. She totally sparked my curiosity so I read the blog for myself…WE ARE TOTALLY DOING THIS!!!!

    I am 54 years old and soooo ready for this!!

    We are both excited to create our new “feel good” wardrobe and closets and create a fun environment to hang our clothes in versus the dungeons that they are now!!

    Thank you for waking up our wardrobes!!

      • Hi Denaye,
        I’m just checking in to let you know that my daughter and I have been having such an awesome time creating our new wonderful ‘feel good’ closet space! It’s not a project for the weak though 🙂 It takes time to go through everything, find a great place to donate all the clothing (found a wonderful local place that gives to the homeless and those in need) decide where your artsy space will be and then shop for great pieces. We’ve got our spaces all cleaned out for the most part and are buying those special pieces. For me, that’s been the hardest part of this project. I’m soo used to impulse buying and never realized how ‘colorful’ my wardrobe was…basically a rainbow of color!!! LOVING how I’m shopping now, although it’s takes me longer as I pick up the old go-to and then hang it back up and look for that ‘right’ piece. But we’re almost there and I’m definitely sending pics 🙂 THANK YOU AGAIN!!

  89. Only in America do we talk about how hard it is to have too many clothes!

    This is basically the same premise as What Not to Wear – have a few well fitting clothes that are comfortable and can be mix and matched. It’s nice if you have the cash to do it all at once but I’m not sure how realistic it is for the average person. Also I don’t want to have to worry about ruining nice clothes with the kid messes I encounter on a daily basis. I want to be dressed so I don’t have to cringe and pull away from a sticky PB and J hug or avocado kiss. But I can see that it might be valuable for others!

  90. First, congratulations on your closet overhaul! I know that was difficult psychologically to let go of all those things as well as being a daunting chore. My question is, doesn’t the capsule wardrobe put more pressure on you to do laundry constantly? I confess that on at least one occasion when our household was in crisis mode or someone was sick or whatever, that I have stopped and bought new underwear just to be able to put off laundry for a couple more days while I dealt with the Disaster Du Jour… It seems like with so few pieces of clothing for each person, especially kids who spill all over everything and can rarely wear a piece twice before washing, well, it seems like deliberately limiting how many items of clothing you have for each family member could actually INCREASE stress levels. I’m envisioning panic in the morning on a school day when my kiddo informs me that he has no pants. ;-). Although I must say, men have almost a de facto capsule approach to their wardrobes, especially business casual wear. My husband has a few pairs of pants, dress shirts, polo shirts, and more casual button downs and everything goes with everything else (and never seems to go out of style).

  91. Hi there, I’m wondering if this includes work clothes? There are clothes that I’m required to wear for events at work, and shabby clothes for when I’m crawling around on stage and running power tools. Do you count work clothes as part of the 33/37 if you only wear them for work? Some of it overlaps, but some of it doesn’t. I know you probably don’t have time to respond to all of threse queries, but I would welcome input.

  93. I am also in the daily yoga wear routine but not sure if I’m daring enough to throw out all those clothes that I haven’t worn in years, because I keep telling myself I just might need them one day. Haha Will definitely be looking at tips to declutter. Thanks for sharing.

  94. I LOVED THIS ARTICLE! I have been wanting to do this for a long time, a couple of questions: 1) what about the winter months – I live in Canada? and 2) how did you decide what “pieces” to add your new wardrobe. I want to do this!!! (need to do this!)

  95. Our Moms group is doing a study called “the 7 Experiment”, by Jen Harmaker. We have been challenged to clean out and purge and simplify. We donated clothes to different organizations in our communities.
    It’s amazing how much we can truly live without when we know how others are in need.

  96. “Pre-capsule, my wardrobe was like the Cheesecake Factory menu.” I almost peed my pants. I thought I was the only one who cursed that stupid menu. The graphic designer should be fired for sure! Bravo on the closet! You look adorable.

  97. What a great idea!
    After my 2nd child was born and I had returned to my pre pregnancy weight I also had a big wardrobe clean out, as like you, I had clothes that I just wouldn’t (and couldn’t) wear anymore now that I am a mum (ie short mini skirts, strapless tight tops etc.). It felt great to get rid of the excess clothes as my husband is always complaining that I am taking over his side of the wardrobe. I know I can trim my side down even more still thanks to your tips, so thank you!

  98. You are an “experienced” psychotherapist and you realized your closet/wardrobe needs to be fixed? I hope you don’t charge $200 per visit. It is all good but, whoa, I have to say, isn’t some of this obvious? It would have been better if you had you, your kid, and your husband in the picture at the end – yes, include the husband. It is not career, it is family. Good luck and take care.

  99. Hey there! This is so great! I love all of the outfits in your photos and am wondering specifically about the grey maxi-style dress and where you found that? It’s adorable! Thank you!!!

  100. I love the idea of a wardrobe capsule. I have been in yoga pants for a few years now, post kids, and I need this idea in the WORST way! After seeing your post, I happily trotted on over to the Unfancy blog to learn more about what I so desperately need to know to upgrade my wardrobe.

    Guess what?! Unfancy is taking a 6 month hiatus! Whaaaaaaat?!?!?

    Now I’ll calm myself because I just realized that will give me time to read through the entire blog and follow her advice prior to her return. But still…the day I discover an amazing resource is the day it shuts down. Still happy I found this blog but I’m just saying’…

  101. Denaye! This article is brilliant! I am a wardrobe stylist in the UK that does capsule wardrobes for clients. You captured every moms struggle with looking cute with kids. I really enjoyed this and am so happy you now have a fab wardrobe! Cannot wait to share this article! I do agree with you that 4 capsules a year can get pricey. I recommend 2 good sized ones (37-40 pieces) and add accessories to create interest.
    Thanks for this article!

    Be.Epic.
    Toya Styles xx

  103. I LOVE this idea and am seriously considering making a change this weekend. I have to ask, what pieces do you recommend keeping? How did you choose what pieces to keep?

  106. This is JUST what I needed to read. I have a question for you. How long did it take for you to assemble this? My youngest is TEN and I am still in limbo with clothing. It is beyond overwhelming to me to try and figure out what truly looks good on my body, what will work with my lifestyle (both as a mom and as a professional whose work involves traveling and public speaking).

    Do you have any tips? I find I get caught up in wondering if things look right or ridiculous, and then of course, starting ground up I need a LOT. So the cost comes into mind. I am a big CPW (cost per wear) person. I spent a fortune on boots but they are my go to from September until April, and have lasted for over 7 years- so the CPW is seriously pennies at this point.

    Love this topic- and love your blog. My kiddos all had medical issues which lead to feeding issues. Your blog would have been a godsend back in the day!

  107. I love the article and love the idea! My question is how did you know what to buy? And how did u know what you bought would all work together? Did you get a personal stylist? Did you buy all at one store? I’m not good at putting outfits together- at all! Thanks!

  108. […] Why I Got Rid of My Wardrobe – One of my favorite things I read this week. And that I hope to implement in the near future! 12 outfits. I can do this. “This experience has taught me that no organizational system will help me organize my space—the only solution that will last is to dramatically cut down on the number of possessions that I own.” […]

  109. Thanks for this post, Denaye. So practical. I’m in the process of moving, and I’ll have to tackle my closet within the next couple of days. Now’s a good time to figure out my capsule wardrobe. You’ve inspired me to be brave (and to stop wearing yoga pants when I dash to the grocery store!).

  110. Huge THANK YOU! I had been seeing things about decluttering clothes but for some reason and possibly it was the pics, this seems so simple! I even shared it in my Hoarding/Decluttering group on FB! I so hope this will be beneficial to a lot of people! Many of us struggle …more than struggle with the issue of having too many clothes.

  111. Changing your clothes is a wonderful way to a fresh start and I adore this idea! Congrats on taking the plunge into the capsule wardrobe world. Thanks for sharing.

  113. Question- did you throw everything out and buy all new pieces for the first capsule? Or just pick your favorites staying within the number limit?

  114. For those needing office wear or that are harder to fit because of tall or petite sizing, I adore New York & Company. I’m 6’2″ and that makes pants nearly impossible to find! They carry almost every style of pant they have in petite and tall as well as regular. Sticker prices can seem high, but they have good sales and coupons that result in quite competitive pricing. I have items from them that are very classic and they look as good today as the day I bought them despite frequent use.

    For those who love dresses (living in Florida, I find that’s a much more comfortable choice many times with the heat!), Ross is a wonderful option. At least in the southeast, they carry A LOT more dresses than any other store I’ve seen. Prices are reasonable, and they carry some high end brands too if that’s your thing.

    Just did this kind of overhaul with my mom who is late 50s and was at a stage of needing to dress her current body instead of what it used to be or might be in the future. We were able to do all of it at Ross!

    If the shopping seems overwhelming, find a friend whose sense of style you trust, who is willing to be honest about things you try on (yet kind at the same time), and loves shopping. People like that really are out there! I love doing that, and have a couple friends who will for me. Important thing is that they look to help dress you in a style that fits you and your life, not necessarily their personal style. One of my best shopping buddies and I have polar opposite styles, but we can look past that and find things that truly fit the friend’s style and personality.

  116. I love this idea. To see the possibility I want online to a store (Gap) that I would be guaranteed to LOVE my wardwrobe, guaranteed to be versitile…. and realized A 37 PIECE wardwrobe is going to cost about $2,000! No way!

    Where did you shop? How can someone on a budget make this work?

  117. This is one of the best blogs I have read on this! I see the intrigue, but have never been convinced enough to do the work…

    Maybe I will give it a shot now.

  118. Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this! I used to be cute before I had my 3 girls, which are 3, 6, and 7. I’m so tired of being a frumpy mom! I also struggle with too much clutter, although I have gotten better. My husband is the opposite of me. For some reason I hate to go shopping for clothes, but I really want to do this. I know my husband will be thanking you! 🙂

  120. You have totally inspired me to do this!! I don’t have a lot of money to go out and start fresh, but I’m going to go through my clothes and start one step at a time!
    Thank you for sharing this with us!!
    Hugs,
    Theresa

  121. I love your article! I read it today and purged all of the extra clothes and shoes from my closet! I know that you or one of your readers mentioned a website where you can sell some of your nicer pieces but now I can’t find it. Can you remind me of the name.? Was it upsell? I tried to go back through the responses but there are about 200!
    I’m a teacher and a wife and a mother of two teenagers. I want to look for a capsule for my age…early 40’s. I’m going to take your suggestion and look on Pinterest. Thanks so much for reading this and for such an inspiring article!!

  122. I am so excited to do this soon. Your 12 example outfits are AWESOME! That gives me so much motivation. I’ve been living in yoga pants for a while now too lol. My baby is almost 2 months old & I’m planning on updating my wardrobe like this as soon as I’m back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Almost there!

  125. truling inspiring and motivating! You look so happy and beautiful x well done.
    I’m doing this!!! My WIR looks like yours did…. I need this x

  127. This is so awesome! However… I’m so very bad at fashion I wouldn’t even know what 36 items to purchase!!! I own grubby everything and this would change my life… But I don’t even know where to start with all matching things. Any help for that???

  129. […] One day this week I came across a post by the #eastvalleymomsblog on another sister site’s blog contribution on decluttering your closet. The mom’s blog discussed her issue with being a mother who had a huge wardrobe but consistently was wearing the same shirt and sweatpants / yoga outfit everyday. She continued in her blog to mention a site she came across that talked about decluttering and creating a wardrobe time capsule. In the end this mom blogger posted that she got her wardrobe down to 37 pieces of clothing!  Her blog can be found here: https://dallas.momcollective.com/why-i-got-rid-of-my-wardrobe-capsule-wardrobe/ […]

  131. Not really a commenter ….well usually. But thanks for sharing. Been following 333 and Unfancy for a bit now but this might be the story to finally inspire action!

  134. I love this and feel ready for PART of the challenge. My problem is western Pennsylvania weather!
    I need a more specific wardrobe to go from negative temps to 90 degrees! Plus, all the in between 40/50 degree days? Oh, and not to mention, snow, rain, ice, sleet and sun. It’s overwhelming to me. In the winter, I live in underarmour and I hate it! Help!

  135. This is so inspiring! But there are three factors that make it seem like it might be tough for me to tackle this wardrobe capsule challenge, at least at this time. I just had my first baby three weeks ago, so my body hasn’t completely bounced back yet. I also live in a very temperate climate with all sorts of weather and temperatures. I also am drawn to many different color palettes, sometimes depending on the season. Any suggestions to help me overcome these seeming obstacles? Or do you suggest I hold off until a different stage in my life?

  136. Hi! New to your blog, and I love it! I’m in the process (literally, today) of doing the same thing, via the KonMari approach. I can’t believe the freedom and high that comes from this process! Time to tackle the 3 Vera Bradley bins. LOL

    You’ve done great! 😀

  137. Ahhh I love this! I hang on to crap I don’t wear. Mostly to make myself not feel bad for having an empty closet. Then I have to spend too much time digging through it to find something to wear. Then I feel stupid for thinking I have nothing to wear. Hello! Stupid cycle I know! I am literally going to bag up all the shirts I don’t wear right now. I don’t have money to replace everything but I can start with one item at a time. Shirts it is! Thanks for the inspiration! Because you really do look so cute and put together in each shot! Looking forward to this ❤️

  138. I think this is a great idea – but – you have exactly three outfits that I could wear to work. The rest would get me sent home to change. Those pants would never fly at my job. How do you have a wardrobe that small that fits casual and professional clothes (more than business casual)?

    • One recommendation I’ve seen is to have seperate capsules for work wear and casual wear since there’s some clothing that won’t work for both scenarios – hope that helps!

  141. How often would you redo your capsule? Would you replace items one at a time as they went out of style or were worn out? Or do you replace everything at the same time?

  142. Found your blog post through Becoming Minimalist 🙂 I’ve been following Unfancy and Project 333 (along with some other simple living/minimalism blogs), and have been paring down my house and closet as well. I have never been this content with my wardrobe (or with the rest of my house), even though there are some holes I still need to fill.

    You look GREAT in the clothing you chose to keep – well done!

  145. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this post! my question is this…I’m not the cute-put-together-person at all…so….where do you find these cute clothes? If you are not this person, how do you even find the cute clothes? I’m in yoga pants because I just don’t know where to start…any advise?

  151. Oh my gosh—- I LOVE THIS. I relate to it, SO MUCH. The overfull closet, the yoga pants. The drive-by Target grab.

    I just SERIOULSY cleaned out my closet last weekend for the first time since giving birth to baby boy number 4 (which was 7 years ago. Ugh.) I’m both the can’t-throw-things-away girl and the can’t- put-things-away girl too… and am working on both!:) Thanks for an awesome blog post that is doable and inspiring! And you look AMAZING! So does your closet.:)

  152. I am a married mom of 4 boys, I recently started a Maternity Lending Closet out of my home. I am looking forward to applying this technique to my life and to the packages I put together for local moms!

  154. Hi Ladies
    Love the concept! I am so tired of the yoga uniform! With 5-8 pieces you can create over 20 different looks, still be comfortable and look stunning. I learned from the queen who has been practicing the cluster (sorry but capsule postdates the cluster) concept for over 30 years. As a personal stylist, I now teach people how to organize their wardrobe to save space and shave off that extra year we spend trying to decide what to wear!
    A few more specific guidelines to help:
    1. Start with an inspiration piece: a print, plaid or stripe that ideally has your personal coloring in it.
    2. Add 5-8 pieces that coordinate with the patterned inspiration piece. 3 tops, 2 bottoms
    3. The initial pieces should be basic in line and shape so that they are easy to combine.
    4. Each piece should match with at least 3 other items in the cluster.
    5. Add accessories – the funnest part!

    Yes, you can create more than one cluster! Your cluster should be based on your roles, goals, season of the year, colors, etc. Create one cluster for Fall/Winter one for Spring/Summer, one for professional clothing, one for casual work from home occasions, it varies depending on your needs. For more information or cluster photos check out my blog: http://www.stylebydani.com/blog/7-strategies-to-help-busy-women-build-a-wardrobe. I’m happy to give professional advise 😉
    You can contact me here: [email protected] or through my website http://www.stylebydani.com

    • Dani, are you in the Dallas area? I just want someone to come in, go through my closet, and then send me new clothes. I’m so not a shopper or a putter-togetherer. I just want someone to tell me what to wear.

  157. Have you seen the Fashion Meets Faith website? That is where I solved my fashion dilemma – very similar to yours. She also talks about keeping just the pieces that work for you. But there is also a lot of info about what colors work well for you and what styles work for your body shape. She has a book out and lots of other helpful information on her website.

  158. I have never heard of this before and now that I have I’m ready to raid my closet. While I only have a handful of pants, shoes, dresses, and skirts – I have waaaay too many shirts. It takes me two+ weeks to go through them all and of course I wear all my faves first then end up with outfits I really don’t like by the end of these weeks.

    The only thing that’s holding me back is that I’ll have to go to the laundromat more (that’s why I stretch it out so long) but I think it will be worth it when I have less clothes to put away.

    I really like the idea of curating your wardrobe, carefully editing what doesn’t belong and only adding in pieces you are absolutely in love with.

    Great post!

  164. I just found you on Pinterest and this is amazing!! And YOU are amazing! I must say I think you looked really cute before in your yoga stuff (I think yours is better quality than mine.. LOL) but I can COMPLETELY relate to your struggle now because surprise, surprise, I just had a baby 6 months ago, so I share in the same adventure of finding things that fit and not always wanting to be in work out stuff. I am in sweatpants as I type this because I don’t want to crawl around on the floor in my dark jeans. Sigh. It must be a transition that happens to all moms.

    I have had an overwhelming desire to simplify my life lately and although I’ve heard of the capsule wardrobe before (and similarly rolled my eyes) I’m thinking now it would be a great thing for me to try… even if I just at least get rid of clutter for now and work on accumulating more quality pieces I love as I go. Thanks for the inspiration! I love all the new outfits you created. I can’t wait to get started on this along with all the other nooks and crannies in my small house as well!

  168. Nobody mentioned Madame Chic, Jennifer L. Scott from the Daily Coinnoisseur who is also a mom to two young children and is extremely well put together using a “French” 10-piece wardrobe plus various basics. Very nice.
    Another good resource for more casual capsule wardrobes is Travel Fashion Girl which focusses on versatility though it might feel too young for some. However, I found inspiration and I am a grandmother…!
    I feel I have lived and learned re. wardrobes and capsules 🙂

  170. Hi Denaye,
    what a great article. I’ve been trying to ignore the Wardrobe Capsule movement for months now, because the thought of digging through my closet is just too overwhelming. Regardless of whether I wear them or not, my clothes are like my armor. But like you, my daily uniform is yoga gear and it is time I transitioned into something a bit more put-together. With the seasons changing and Spring finally here in Toronto I think your blog post is the push I need to get into my closet and start the purge. With wine, of course! Thank you for the inspiration!

  171. Thank you thank you thank you!
    I am so very inspired. I am ditching my daily five-dollar-oldNavy-Vneck-tee-a-day routine. making my wardrobe list now! and bravely selling/donating everything else.

  173. i must be shopping in the wrong places because if I wore the clothes I love that often they would only last a month or two. Clothes are so cheaply made nowadays!

  178. […] me, my focus this past week as been on the indoors. What started as a clothing purge inspired by this article, has me reassessing nearly every room in the house. Just yesterday I gave away a bookcase in my […]

  180. Okay, I’ll be honest: I started reading with a “yeah my fat butt, 37 pieces of clothes, she’s crazy” attitude. But as I read, you write in such a… , friendly “real person” way. You hit on exactly what I’ve been going through for a REALLY LONG TIME — all I ever wear is workout clothes (I’m still trying to get rid that stubborn baby weight I gained 16 years ago) even though I have a LOT of clothes in my closet. I have a few things that are really nice, a few that I hate but keep because I have to have SOMETHING to wear, and a few that I don’t know why the heck they’re there in the first place. So! I think I’m actually going to print out your article and hold onto it… we’re moving to another state in 17 days. This is a good opportunity to get rid of a lot and start thinking about what I want to consider *worthy* of my new closet! Also loved that you gave us a little fashion show! So thank you, Denaye! I no longer think you’re crazy lol

  183. You have inspired me! We are going into winter so I need to swap my clothes anyway. Good time to actually take a good look and do some serious purging!!! I am going to post this on my facebook page Sizzling Towards 60 to inspire others.

  185. […] 4. Read this cool mom’s blog about completely getting rid of her wardrobe. And starting fresh with 37…..yes 37 articles of clothing. See what she did!! So cool! Dallas City Mom’s Blog […]

  209. So glad to see this. Yoga clothes seem to be the attire of choice for moms, and they all look like sloppy crap.

    It is great to see you clean yourself up! I bet you feel better now that you look better! Also, bet your hubby appreciates it too!

  212. This is great. I have what it like to call a Floordrobe. In all honesty I usually only wear a certain section of clothes at time like I’m stuck in a wardrobe time warp. A huge problem is have is I am a bargain shopper. I haven’t paid more than $5 for a top in years. And jeans general rule never more than $15. Usually I can get shorts for $5. So I literally can spend $50 and come back with my little Hyundai Excel’s back seat up packed.
    With all my piles of clothes things always get lost and forgotten.
    I’m hoping to use your story as inspiration to make a difference dp at least I don’t have any more Floordrobe’s around the house 🙂

  217. Love the idea! I’ve trying to psych myself up for something like this and now I have a little more direction.
    Most importantly…what color is the wall behind you in the pictures of you modeling the clothes? 🙂 I’ve been looking hard for a good color for my walls! ☺️

  224. […] Why I got rid of my wardrobe (j’avais déjà fait un giga ménage de ma garde-robe lors de mon dernier déménagement il y a 18 mois et j’ai refait l’exercice en prévision de mon déménagement qui vient et ça. fait. du. bien. je n’ai vraiment pas besoin de tant de vêtements de ça. particulièrement ceux qui sont trop petits et qui me rappelle que je n’ai plus la taille que j’avais dans la vingtaine. ce qui est curieux c’est que j’ai à peine acheter 10 morceaux de vêtement dans la dernière année mais je me suis départie d’au moins 6 sacs de vêtements. je vous assure que je ne marche pourtant pas toute nue dans la rue. bref, réduire c’est facile et, en prime, ça rend les gens qui en ont besoin plus que nous heureux.) […]

  231. You are a great inspiration! If you can do it, I can do it, too! I had never heard of the capsule wardrobe until I read your blog. I will let you know if it works for me. 🙂

  234. I’ve started the process of refining to a capsule wardrobe as well and it has certainly simplified my life. It’s a struggle to stick to timeless, classic pieces when the whole world of style blogging is devoted to marketing! I recently posted about my struggle with this, and strategies to stop wasting money and energy on things that don’t matter (http://www.cocobordeaux.com/2015/10/three-simple-ways-to-stop-wasting-money.html) Great to see that the minimalism movement is starting to take off!

  235. Love love love this blog!

    I have been reinventing my minimalist wardrobe for the past 3 years. This is great!

    Btw…love your hair down. The cut is flattering.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

  237. This is something I have been thinking about for a while. I don’t have masses of clothes anyway but many of the things I have I don’t actually wear so a good clear out is needed.

  238. This blog post is life-changing, LOL! No, seriously, I think as soon as I get off work today I am going to go home and clean out my closet. I read Marie Kondo’s book, and did a closet cleanse… but it’s time to take it to the NEXT LEVEL and declutter the closet even more!

  241. Beautiful! I would love to see another post on how you redid the hardware in your closet. I love the combination of the shelving and hanging bars, and would like to know how to do that myself! Can you post about how you organized, with pictures of each wall, and where you got the hardware? Thanks so much!

  244. I think this is your blog post summarizing a lot of posts and really really very helpful for newbies as well as old members who must have forgotten many things in the way.

  245. I am so happy to have found you through minimalists blog (somehow). I am probably in the minority who has too little clothes to start with:) I am a natural declutterer and I get rid of everything I don’t like. I also hate shopping so my closet is full of empty hangers! and I have nothing to wear so I live in old yoga pants and falling apart shoes. Time to create a capsule wardrobe for me! I look after people’s image but neglected mine. Thank you for being so inspiring!!

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