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Capsule wardrobe is a term often used to describe closets of minimal, versatile clothing.
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Celebrity stylist Tara Swennen likened it to a grocery recipe: “You need the key ingredients.”
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But there are myths about capsule wardrobes, including that they only contain neutral colors.
Building a good capsule wardrobe is like making a good soup, celebrity stylist Tara Swennen told Insider.
“The basics are the most important things to think about,” she said. “You need your basic ingredients and then you can throw in a pinch of that or a pinch of that.”
For those who don’t know, a capsule wardrobe is a closet filled with minimal, versatile items that maximize your number of outfits created. According to TikTok, there have been over 367 million views of videos associated with the phrase, showing that interest in the organizing method has increased in recent years.
Despite this, there are misconceptions about what it means to have a capsule wardrobe. Swennen, who has styled for the likes of Kristen Stewart and worked with other famous stylists like Rachel Zoe, helped Insider debunk four popular capsule wardrobe myths.
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If you thought capsule wardrobes always lacked color, think again
A simple Google image search under “capsule wardrobe” yields photos of nude colored clothing. But is that really all a capsule wardrobe is? According to Swennen, no.
“If you look at the general guidelines of a basic capsule collection, yes you’ll start with your neutral colors, but it doesn’t have to stop there,” said Swennen, 42. “If someone’s favorite color is red, then the base of their capsule collection could be black.” and navy, but it will be very red-heavy.”
There’s more emphasis on color blocking — using two or three solid colors in an outfit — rather than removing color altogether, she added.
Generally, color palettes in a capsule wardrobe focus on neutrals because that adds versatility to the collection, Swennen said. Neutral colors like white, beige, brown and black are easy to combine with colorful or patterned clothing and accessories.
The “whole point,” Swennen says of a capsule collection, “is to build an outfit around the basics.”
Starting a capsule wardrobe doesn’t mean throwing away everything you already own
Describing herself as a “sustainable stylist,” Swennen says building a capsule wardrobe requires “the opposite” of getting rid of everything you already own.
“You can build your capsule wardrobe entirely from a collection you have,” she said. “It’s about figuring out what pieces you’re going to routinely wear every week. I’m all about reusing things you love and building well on those things.”
She suggests starting with an evaluation of your favorite pieces in your wardrobe, something she does for her clients. Anything that hasn’t been worn consistently in the past year or three years shouldn’t be part of someone’s capsule wardrobe, she said.
Trends change, but capsule wardrobes are built to last
Fashion trends come and go, but when it comes to capsule wardrobes, Swennen says they’re specifically built to sustain the never-ending evolution of style and taste.
“The idea is to figure out which parts last the longest,” she said. “They want to buy quality pieces.”
The encapsulating element of your wardrobe are pieces that are routinely worn and built to last, she added. Instead of spending your money on trendy pieces, Swennen said it’s better to put money into a capsule collection.
“You get what you pay for there,” she says.
Capsule wardrobes are sometimes called “boring” and actually encourage creativity
“The misconception that the base of the outfit is boring and causes the rest of the outfit to be like that is completely wrong,” Swennen said. Capsule wardrobes don’t hold back creativity, she added. You amplify it.
Take an all-black monochromatic look, for example. Swennen explained that it’s the backdrop for everything from a pop of color on the shoes to an eye-catching accessory or an extreme print.
“Where you have fun is putting pieces on top of the capsule collection pieces,” Swennen said. “Creativity comes in those final little steps, and that’s where the best parts of your outfit really come together.”
Read the original article on Insider