4 Accessories to Complete Your Capsule Wardrobe
Capsule wardrobes rose to prominence a few years ago, during the height of the minimalist craze. But if you’re seeking to cut down on clutter, this remains the best way to balance style and simplicity.
Nevertheless, you can’t complete certain outfits without a few key accessories, and you need to choose carefully. These four items will round out your capsule wardrobe and ensure you always look your best, no matter what the occasion might be.
1. Basic Boots
We’re not talking about rain boots or hiking boots here. When it comes to fashion, it’s all about the leather boots … but they need to fit correctly.
Choose boots based on your body type. Women with muscular legs typically look best in ankle boots, while shorter women with thin legs can elongate their silhouette with an over-the-knee look. You have to find the fit that highlights your assets.
2. Match Materials
Mixing textiles is great when it comes to staple items, but as far as accessories go, you want to match materials more often than not — because this will help you coordinate. For example, if you’ve opted for brown leather boots, you’ll want to choose a coordinating leather handbag and belt.
If you don’t match your leather accessories, you’re apt to end up having to buy extra pieces to complete your outfits. And that defeats the purpose of your capsule wardrobe.
3. Expand With Accessories
Yes, bags and shoes are accessories in a technical sense, but not the way that such items as hats and jewelry are … and these items are really key to expanding the uses of your staples. Simple studs pair well with a little black dress for office wear, but upgrade your earrings or add a statement necklace and suddenly you’re ready for a night on the town.
There’s a reason every woman needs a little black dress, and it’s not because the outfit does anything special. What’s key is that it’s so easy to transform this basic item to fit any occasion.
4. Have Some Fun
People can get fairly rigid about their capsule wardrobes — emphasizing minimalism rather than functionality — and that can swiftly defeat the purpose of the exercise. The goal of a capsule wardrobe is to make getting dressed easier, not limit your options and set you up for frustration.
If you can keep that in mind, make sure you allow yourself to have a little fun with the process. Add some glitz for social events, such as a sparky shirt you would never wear to the office — or a fancy clutch.
Just because you can’t pair satin or rhinestones with your work blazer, that doesn’t mean you should include it in your capsule wardrobe.
There’s more than one way to take on the capsule wardrobe. In fact, many women have several variants: a work capsule and a dressy capsule, a winter capsule and a summer one.
The main idea is to let go of the excess; having six clutches to choose from won’t help you to perfect your outfit, but can make it harder to arrive at a clear decision and coordinate your pieces. Two versions of the same item may be just what it takes to feel polished, though, no matter what the occasion is.
That’s the boost we could all use when we’re standing in front of a closet trying to decide what to wear.