Make A Capsule Wardrobe Work For You

The alarm clock rings and you reach for the snooze button. The kids/dog are still sleeping and you can sneak an extra ten minutes in the warmth and comfort of your duvet. Hopeful in the thought that maybe today, when you open your wardrobe, there will be exactly what you want to wear jumping up and down on the rails excitably going “pick me, pick me!”

Do you catch yourself looking at other women on your way to work with envy? Or worst of all do you work in the same office as them? You know the ones who arrive looking all smooth and polished, not a child smudge or dog hair on their clothes, just grace and style as they walk (or is it glide?) effortlessly to their desks. Grrr! How do they do it? They have a capsule wardrobe.

Selecting what to wear each day is virtually effortless for them. If there is a child spillage moments before leaving the house, no matter, a quick return to said capsule wardrobe and something can be replaced, without having to pull on a whole new outfit from top to toe. We have all done it. Split coffee or our breakfast, put a makeup smudge onto something that just isn’t going to shift without washing, and then grabbed the first thing to hand. For the rest of the day, we wander around feeling under par because we are not 100% comfortable or confident with what we are wearing.

Simple and effortless, the capsule wardrobe will make any working girl's life easier. But where do you start?

1. A base colour palette. Most of us already know what our favourite colour is, so that is your starting point. If your job requires your clothing choices to be a little more formal and corporate, and it isn’t a role where your love of clashing brights will gain you respect in the workplace, or you simply want the most versatile and adaptable capsule wardrobe, stick to monochromes. Yes, black white and grey you can confidently add to every season, mix with poise bright colours or pastels, and there are so many shades of grey when you find the right one for you it is never drab nor dreary.
2. Classic tailoring separates. Invest in a great dress, pencil skirt, trouser or all of them if you can. And not all in the same colour! If you are using the monochrome scheme go black for one piece, pale or dark grey for another, and even black and white for a dress. In fact, this season there are huge selections of small detail monochrome print trousers that will be sticking around for several seasons to come, so don’t be shy to give them a try.
3. A tailored suit jacket for women is not as essential as it used to be. In fact, there are so many knitted jackets and semi-structured jacket options available today that can work with many different outfits. Whatever you do, make sure it is semi-fitted and not a box that adds bulk to your frame and doesn’t enhance your silhouette.
4. Tops. Not all of us like shirts and not all of us have time to iron. If you are one of these time pressured women don’t kid yourself that you will suddenly find the time. Shirts are labour intensive for aftercare; even when they say non-iron, so beware! And nothing takes the polish off a stylish look more quickly than a crumpled top or shirt. Select wisely, some fabulous stretch tops that are made from thicker fabrics with a maximum 4% Lycra content. More than 4% lycra and fabrics have a tendency to show every lump and bump below, they will cling to bra straps, wrinkle and fold to create bulges you don’t want.
5. Accessories. A capsule wardrobe is not complete without a few great accessories. You need to build in the matching monochrome ones as the easy default options for days where you don’t even need to be awake to get dressed, but don’t forget to add some in a favourite splash of colour.