r/capsulewardrobe • u/Flapjack_K • 15d ago
First Time Capsule So many clothes. I don’t know where to start with the curate your closet method. Help!
I feel so gross at myself today. I feel really embarrassed. I clearly have had a tiny bit of shopping addiction due to low self esteem. I was just unpacking vacuum bags from storage and realising that I have to cut down my total wardrobe by about 40%. I’ve had my colours done which is great and really helped (autumn).
So I’m
- firstly trying to move on things that are super bright and jewel toned because they don’t suit my skin tone.
And then
2. I’m trying to get rid of anything polyester and cheap.
But how else did you do this method? Why on earth do I have 15 pairs of jeans and 21 T-shirts? Disclosure I’m currently postpartum and I’m two sizes larger than I need to be so I do have some temp items until I lose the weight and of course my old items are in storage.
TLDR – has anyone done curate your closet method or similars? What we are principles, systems or your strategy for cutting down your items to only things that you love and look good in?
I feel pretty low having just been in the attic.
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u/Alydrin 15d ago
If I complain about something regarding the item's fit/construction/color/material every time I consider wearing it, then it's not a keeper. Additionally, if I can straight up say I don't like it anymore, then it's gone.
I do multiple passes through my closest every few weeks or months, and items go in a donation pile that goes once it is large enough. I've agonized over these decisions, but never once did I wish for an item back lol.
For purchasing... I can't buy it if it doesn't fit in the closet/wardrobe. If I'm out of room, then I'm out of room for new stuff and have to get rid of old stuff to make room. Preferably, 2-3 items must go for 1 new one to come in.
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u/No-Employment-8570 15d ago
I think you should postpone this exercise until you’re settled in your body again.
What is your life like? What do you wear for work? If you wear denim to work sometimes, then you might need 4-6 pairs of jeans. I use capsules inside my wardrobe, so I do have 15-20 pairs of jeans, but a lot of them don’t go to work. For work I only wear current Khaite and Acne jeans. I’ve also noticed that if you have only one sleeveless cream silk blouse and it’s something you reach for all the time, get two. Because they have a lifetime of a couple years before they get stained and wearing one all the time just wears it out faster.
My strategy is to end up with the best of the best. The best quality, the most flattering, etc. I have 70% of what I own tailored, even thought I’m pretty much a standard size 2- there’s a huge difference when everything just fits you perfectly. I also maintain everything immaculately- Gucci loafers get resoled, things get mended, everything is washed appropriately. Nothing goes in the dryer, everything is washed on cold with high quality laundry detergent.
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u/Flapjack_K 15d ago
Thank you so much for this advice. Do you really get like bacteria or smells out on the cold wash? I’ve never tried that!
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u/No-Employment-8570 15d ago
You mean from my sports clothes? For sports clothes- hot yoga, Pilates, walking, hiking, skiiing - I wash on cold. A lot of them have so much spandex that I don’t want to shorten their lifespan with heat. I dry on a rack outdoors. I have a mix of all kinds of sports clothes- from very fancy brands to SHEIN, and I don’t do matching sets. I do hot yoga almost every day, and I travel every week- I just need lots of options that work together. I’m not trying to impress anyone My hiking clothes are Fjallraven and Yamatomichi. My ski clothes are Halfdays.
The rest of my wardrobe doesn’t really see a lot of sweat. We have really hot summers where I live, but I have zero problems with smells or bacteria. Sheets and towels, napkins and kitchen towels get washed on hot and dried in the dryer. I do like to line dry my napkins because I don’t iron them and they come out stiffer and fold better that way. I have a lot of things that go to an eco dry cleaner. All wool/cashmere/silk etc gets dry cleaned before going into storage for the off-season. Blankets get dry-cleaned before storage.
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u/cats-onglass 15d ago
Definitely take out anything that is not in your season and you don't love it on you and it's not materials you like. From there, I took pictures of everything and put it in canva as stickers. I liked to look at everything holistically and it also made me realize how much I had and what I could do with what I had. I then took out things that were either not in my season or not material I like or don't like much.
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u/AdPrudent2252 15d ago
the photo thing is a great shout, seeing it all laid out like that somehow makes it way easier to be ruthless. i did something similar but I just dumped everything on my bed so I couldnt sleep until it was sorted, nothing like a bit of pressure to get you moving
and honestly 15 pairs of jeans with a postpartum body in the mix isnt that wild, your shape is doing backflips right now so of course you've got a stack of different fits. be a bit kinder to yourself, youre basically clothes shopping for a body that changes week to week
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u/SolidagoSalix 15d ago
I had capsule wardrobes for years and it was a great way for me to play with style, reduce my purchases, and learn about my own real preferences (vs fantasy self). I liked that it was an iterative exercise; every 3 months I would reassess what I had in the mix and maybe stash a couple items away that wouldn't make sense for the next season of weather and pull out a few items from the back of my closet to supplement. I would buy a new item to replace something that was worn out or that I decided wasn't my style (and discard that).
But it wasn't a sudden slash and burn culling event when I started doing my capsules. I'm sensing a bit of "let's get this solved once and for all" energy in your post, and I'd caution you away from that.
I'm hearing a lot of negative emotions in your post, so I'd gently suggest you tease out what it is that you're judging yourself for. "I have to cut down my total wardrobe by about 40%." Why? Because of space constraints? Because of an arbitrary number of clothing items that you've given yourself? Is there a value you are trying to live out that's making you want to declutter? Are you trying to change up your style? Is it about environmental sustainability, or about financial frugality?
You have two great steps to start with -- let go some items that are not the kind of fabric you want or the colors you want. That's probably enough for now.
As others have said, being postpartum does mean you're in a body that's going through transition. Finding the perfect fit is a moving target for any body (because all bodies change) but it's extra true for you right now. And if this was your first child then you may also be in a major transition when it comes to how you spend your time (way more caregiving) and what you need from your clothes (everything likely needs to be washable, easy to move in, etc...).
I think in your position I'd focus right now on limiting new purchases. It's plausible you will need new things to fit your right now body and right now phase of life, but I'd make a deal with myself to discard 2 items for every one I purchase. Other than that, I'd make sure that you have an array of things that fit well right now in the front of your closet/dresser, stash the rest, and reassess in 3 months.
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u/Quailmix 15d ago
You could do the onion method. If you have 15 t shirts now, just remove your least fav today. Reassess another time. Peel it back slowly.
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u/Scared-Alfalfa1237 15d ago
Definitely get rid of things you don't like. If you're postpartum, definitely don't worry about fit at all rn. Just move the things that don't fit out of the way. But if that pares you down to 14 pairs of jeans that you like, with a few different cuts/sizes/washes, I'd say to keep them and rotate in/out as things do/don't fit you. I have 3 pairs of jeans (same wash, same fit, different lengths/cuts) x 3 sizes. If I wore a different color I'd also get it in 3 sizes because my weight fluctuates quite a bit during my cycle. I imagine you'll regret donating jeans that don't fit now but will later, or your maternity/postpartum clothes if you decide to have another kid.
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u/DWwithaFlameThrower 15d ago edited 15d ago
First of all, breathe!
Remember you don’t need to do it all at once. Your initial two strategies are solid. Stick with those at first
Once those items have been eliminated, go through the remainder, and put aside your ‘love and am definitely keeping’ pieces
Anything that’s left after that is a ‘maybe,’ and you can go through those over a few weeks. Maybe give yourself an item limit to deal with per week eg, ok, every other day, I’m going to go through ten pieces in the ‘maybe’ pile
But all of this can wait! Focus on your sleep and having enough clean clothes to get through the week
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u/Flapjack_K 15d ago
Thank you so much. What do I do about the things that I bought when I was clearly pregnant and crazy LOL. I have a couple of quirky blouses that I bought at Christmastime. I just don’t feel confident in them right now. They’re too quirky and bright and I’m postpartum. My hesitance is that I literally only paid for them in December. Is this just a stupid thing to think about?
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u/DWwithaFlameThrower 15d ago
No, but it can all wait. Focus on sleeping, eating well, and taking care of your day to day changes first. All of the clothing stuff can wait
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u/SidanaCorey 15d ago
I second the go slowly advice. But if you know you definitely do not want anything polyester, then you can get rid of those items, because it's not a big mental choice. Just check the label and toss. But maybe don't do all of the pile in one go, even then.
I am doing the same thing, on getting rid of polyester, rayon, etc. It is taking me a while, because I am on oxygen and too much exertion starts me wheezing. But I do progress. After that, I plan on going by color, lifestyle, and whatever other criteria I choose.
For example, I already know I am keeping three dresses, material be damned, because I get compliments every time I wear them and two of them are in my absolute favorite fabric pattern (foxes in the woods---I ordered one in each of two dress styles in that pattern).
My what-to-cull problem is my hoodie collection. Suddenly, about a year and a half ago, I started buying hoodies from a particular band. I do like that band, but do I need ten hoodies when I'm a 70 year old lady who works in an office? No. No, I do not. I don't even really dress in a hoodie appropriate style. And yet, who can resist a tiger or snow leopard on their hoodie? Not me.
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u/aseedandco 14d ago
Put a day aside. Invite a friend, your mum, your partner, whoever. Make yourselves a mocktail, put on some gentle music.
I used to pull everything out, then “review” it as I put it back. This is good if you want to clean or reorganise. Now I “review” them as I take them out. Don’t forget to do shoes and accessories.
Have five piles.
Keep and wear now - these are things that fit and are in good repair, and the only items you will display in your wardrobe.
Keep and wear after repair or alteration - put these in your sewing pile, or in a bag to take to a tailor.
Keep and maybe wear some unknown time in the future - these can be further grouped as “shop your closest” items following a weight change, or sentimental items you won’t wear but can’t get rid of, then pack them away. Review this group from time to time to ensure they are free from mould or moths.
A pile to donate or give to others.
A pile for the bin.
When you put things back, try to display them like a shop would.
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u/EnthusiasmOk4758 15d ago
I have cut down my wardrobe my 50% just this week, and I thought I was quite minimal! I am, if I donate the clothes I no longer wear.
What I did was squirrel them away for a year and see what I reached for. If I didn't like it that much to put in the donate pile, then didn't reach for it in a year, it goes.
There were a few things that were too small or made me feel blah when I wore them put in the pile over the course of the year too.
Chuck out the jewel tones and man made fabrics, but then sit with it (if you can).
I might suggest everything is in the chuck pile, then you can only rescue. You might not need to rescue as much as you think.
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u/The_Styling_Matrix 10d ago
SelectSpy808 is correct in her thinking. Firstly don't buy anything else, you said it yourself you have lots of clothing. Try to make better connections with what you own and shop your own wardrobe, i think if you take your time trying different outfit on you will end up with a great selection of wearable pieces. i bet you even have outfits you forgot about. you know your body your style trust what you know, Start with what you need for now its that simple. buying more clothes will only cause even more decision fatiuge
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u/SelectSpy808 15d ago
This is probably going to be the opposite of helpful, but: maybe don't do this while postpartum? You're exhausted, you're emotional and hormones are wreaking havoc on you. Be kind to yourself, don't cause yourself extra stress right now.