5. Starting From Scratch

Started from the bottom...

So, if you successfully analyzed your moodboard, and evaluated your wardrobe, you should not only have a good idea of the specific items you want to wear, but you should have also weeded out the items you own that you don’t wear, as well as come up with a list of items that need to be replaced and upgraded. It’s time to take all these notes and ideas and finally—finally!—build your capsule from scratch.

How Much Clothing Do You Need?

In Capsule Wardrobes: Do They Work?, I explained a pretty basic formula for figuring out how many pieces you might need:

…the best rule of thumb for me personally is to look at the activities you typically do in a week. If you, on average, absolutely have to get dressed for any reason, say, 5 times a week, then you’re going to want at least 5 bottoms (pants, skirts, shorts, etc.) to start.

How often do you do laundry? That answer will dictate how many tops (and dresses, if that’s your thing) you need. If you have to wash your clothes after every wear, you’re going to either need more options or easy laundry access (and a laundering spirit). But, if you’re washing about biweekly, take the number of bottoms and double it to get the minimum you’ll need for tops, so, in this example, ten. So, in total, five bottoms and ten tops. Sounds simple enough, right?

And yes, it is simple enough. But, let’s simplify it even further.