Identifying Your Style and Needs

Creating a luxury capsule wardrobe begins with understanding your personal style and wardrobe requirements. This ensures that each piece you select not only reflects your aesthetic preferences but also fits seamlessly into your lifestyle. Here are some tips for identifying your style and needs:

1. Reflect on Your Daily Life to inform your Capsule Wardrobe

Evaluate Your Lifestyle:

Consider your daily activities. Do you work in a corporate environment, or is your lifestyle more casual? Do you attend many social events or need outfits for travel?

Make a list of your weekly activities and the types of clothing they require. This will help you identify the balance of formal, casual, and special occasion pieces you need.

Practical Needs:

Think about the climate you live in and the practical requirements for your clothing. For example, if you live in a warm climate, you’ll need more lightweight, breathable fabrics.

Consider any specific needs, such as comfort for long hours or easy maintenance for frequent wear.

2. Get Clear on Your Personal Style to Curate your Capsule Wardrobe

Inspiration Boards:

Create mood boards or Pinterest boards featuring outfits, colours, and styles that you love. Look for patterns and common themes in your selections.

Save images of fashion icons or celebrities whose style you admire. Note what aspects of their outfits appeal to you.

Allison Bornstein’s 3 Words Method:

Define your style using three adjectives that encapsulate the way you want to show up in the world. Use these three words as a guide when evaluating your current wardrobe and making new purchases to ensure everything aligns with your defined style.

• Practical: This word reflects your day-to-day needs. Examples might include “comfortable,” “versatile,” or “functional.”
• Aspirational: This word embodies the style you aspire to achieve. Examples could be “elegant,” “chic,” or “modern.”
• Emotional: This word captures how you want to feel in your clothes. Examples might include “confident,” “empowered,” or “joyful.”

Signature Elements:

• Identify elements that consistently appear in your favourite looks. This could be anything from tailored blazers, statement jewellery, bold colours, or minimalist designs.
• Determine the key pieces that define your style. These could be a leather jacket, a pair of high-waisted trousers, or a silk blouse.

3. Assess Your Current Wardrobe

Purge and Evaluate:

• Go through your current wardrobe and remove items that no longer fit, are worn out, or don’t align with your identified style.
• Evaluate the remaining pieces. Which items do you wear most often? Which pieces make you feel confident and comfortable?

Identify Gaps:

• Take note of any missing essentials or pieces that would help complete your outfits. Make a list of these gaps to guide your future purchases.

4. Define Your Colour Palette to Help Choose for your Capsule Wardrobe

Seasonal Colour Analysis:

• Determine your best colours based on your skin tone, hair colour, and eye colour. This approach, known as seasonal colour analysis, categorises people into colour seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) to find the most flattering palette. It’s possible to use AI apps (such as this one) to identify your season.
  • Spring: Warm, clear colours like coral, peach, and light turquoise.
  • Summer: Cool, soft colours like pastels, rose pink, and baby blue.
  • Autumn: Warm, rich colours like olive, mustard, and burnt orange.
  • Winter: Cool, deep colours like black, white, navy, and jewel tones.

Choose a Base Palette:

• Select a base colour palette for your wardrobe, focusing on neutral colours like black, white, grey, navy, and beige. These colours are versatile and easy to mix and match.

Add Accent Colours:

• Choose a few accent colours that complement your base palette and reflect your personal style. These could be bold hues or subtle pastels, depending on your preferences.

5. Determine Key Wardrobe Staples for your Capsule Wardrobe

Wardrobe Essentials:

• Identify the core items that form the foundation of your wardrobe. These should be versatile pieces that you can mix and match to create various outfits. Examples include:
  • A tailored blazer
  • A white button-down shirt
  • A little black dress
  • High-quality jeans
  • A white t-shirt
  • A versatile handbag
  • Classic trench coat

Occasion-Specific Needs:

• Consider items needed for different occasions, such as formal events, casual outings, and professional settings. Ensure you have appropriate clothing for each scenario.

By identifying your style and needs, you can create a luxury capsule wardrobe that is not only sophisticated and timeless but also perfectly tailored to your lifestyle. This thoughtful approach ensures that each piece you invest in enhances your wardrobe and aligns with your personal style, making it easier to dress with confidence and ease every day.