Winter Capsule Wardrobe Tutorial
My Winter capsule wardrobe is very similar to my Fall capsule wardrobe – as a matter of fact, it’s quite similar to my Spring and Summer capsule wardrobes too! With the addition of a few warm pieces that I can layer on top of my basics, my regular capsule wardrobe turns into my Winter capsule wardrobe.
winter capsule wardrobe video
My Winter Capsule Wardrobe Categories
tops
- Basic white tea
- Green long sleeve ribbed shirt
- Black long sleeve t-shirt
- Black short sleeve shirt
- Striped long sleeve shirt
sweaters
- Cable knit sweater
- Black cashmere sweater
- Cream duster
- Tan chunky cardigan
- Orange chunky cardigan
- Grey sweater (light)
outerwear
- Black trench coat
- Black parka
- Purple jacket
- Orange hooded jacket
- Black vest
- Green vest
bottoms
- Jeans x 2 (1 dark wash 1 regular)
- Jean skirt
- Black skinny jeans
- Black leggings
dresses
- Green floral dress
- Grey cozy dress
- Maroon striped dress
shoes
- Brown booties
- Black rain boots
- Cut out flats
- Long brown boots
How do you make a Winter Capsule Wardrobe
Tips for making a Winter capsule wardrobe
- Find inspo
Go on Pinterest and type in what you want your Winter wardrobe style to look like. Make a board titled “Winter Capsule Wardrobe” and start pinning your favorite outfits to that board. Make a list of common items you pinned and use that to create your wardrobe. You can also head to Instagram, find a brand you love, and find some inspo from their page.
- Use what you already have
Rather than going out and buying a bunch of new clothes (which defeats the purpose of a capsule wardrobe) see how you can style what you currently have differently using the inspo from the Pinterest board you just created. Don’t neglect your Summer, Spring, and Fall clothes when creating your Winter capsule wardrobe. Maybe a summer dress can be made into a Winter dress by throwing a cardigan or sweater over it with some warm boots.
- Donate what you don’t wear, doesn’t fit, or don’t like
We all have clothes that we keep because we either spent a lot of money on them, they’ll fit one day or for sentimental reasons. I’m here to tell you that you don’t need that kind of baggage! Donate the things you cannot or will not wear within the next year. I promise – someone out there will love it way more!
- Fill in gaps
After going through those steps you may find some gaps you need to fill. Now is when you get to go shopping! The idea of a capsule wardrobe is that you can mix and match items for different outfits and in order to do this, you’ll want to stick to a similar color palette. Make sure when you’re shopping you’re keeping that in mind. Buy quality items that will last many years versus fast fashion items that’ll last one season. Other than 1 or 2 fun seasonal pieces keep everything pretty neutral and of good quality.
What do you need in a winter capsule wardrobe
Here are a few basic items that make for a simple, but well-rounded Winter capsule wardrobe. You can adjust this as fits your style.
TOPS
- Basic white t-shirt
- Seasonal top
- Black long sleeve
- Striped long sleeve shirt
SWEATERS
- Comfy warm sweater
- Fancy warm sweater
- Seasonal sweater
- Chunky sweater
OUTERWEAR
- Nice trench coat
- Warm coat (puffer, wool, etc.)
- Rain coat
- Seasonal jacket
- Vest
BOTTOMS
- Dark wash jean
- Lighter wash jean
- Skirt (with leggings)
- Black pants
- Comfortable pants (for me these are leggings, but it could be whatever pants you find comfy but can be made into a cute outfit).
DRESSES
- Nice dress
- Casual dress (eg. sweater dress or t shirt dress)
SHOES
- Long boots
- Rain boots
- Booties
- Nice shoes
- Sneakers
Is a capsule wardrobe per season?
A true capsule wardrobe has about 25-50 pieces (usually on the lower end of that range) of very basic pieces that can be mixed and matched as the seasons go. However, I suggest adding a few seasonal pieces per season to mix things up.
Part of the fun of the changing of seasons is the evolution of your style! It’s a fresh start and your wardrobe can also reflect that. I like to purchase a few pieces that are specific to each season.
avoiding a cluttered winter capsule wardrobe
For each changing season, I do a massive closet declutter. I look at a few criteria for keeping or donating an item.
Condition of the piece of clothing
- There are irreparable rips, stains, etc. – Donate or toss.
- It’s in good condition – move to next criteria.
How often do you wear the article
- You haven’t worn the item within the last year. – Donate or toss.
- You’ve worn the item within the last year. – move to next criteria.
The article of clothing currently fits you (at this exact moment in time)
- The piece doesn’t fit. – Donate or toss.
- The piece fits. – move to next criteria.
Closet space
- You’re struggling to find space for all of my clothes. – Donate or toss.
- You currently have enough closet space. – move to next criteria.
How you feel about the piece
- You don’t feel good in this piece or there’s something that bugs me about it. – donate or toss.
- You feel good when I wear the piece. – move to next criteria.
I usually try to get rid of at least as much as I bring in at the start of each season. So, I’ll just take inventory with what I currently have and go through these criteria to decide whether it stays or goes. Usually, I don’t even have to go through the above list.
how many pieces are in a capsule wardrobe
A true capsule wardrobe has 37 or fewer pieces. A minimalist wardrobe usually just has under 50 pieces. In either case, pajamas, workout clothes, and special occasion clothing don’t count towards those numbers.
how do you style in the winter
Style doesn’t have to go out the window in the winter months! Here’s a checklist for styling your Winter capsule wardrobe so you still look cute.
Wear layers
Base layer, warmth layer, and a layer to protect against the elements. Keep in mind that most people shed layers as they get to wear they’re going, so make sure your base layer is cute on its own!
Be bold
Step outside of your comfort zone and pair things together that you typically wouldn’t. For example, for my Fall and Winter capsule wardrobes, I wear sweaters with a skirt and leggings and boots. This keeps me warm but I still feel cute and put together.
Functional accessories
Winter is not the time to wear lots of fun fashion jewelry to accessorize. However, you can use functional accessories like a trendy scarf, hat, or gloves to look stylish.
Pull pieces from other seasons
Use pieces from other seasons’ capsule wardrobes to make your winter capsule wardrobe complete. Just style them with some chunky sweaters and boots!
Give your wardrobe texture
Winter clothing is all about texture. Cable knit, wool, fur are all great ways to add texture to your winter wardrobe while making it trendy.
Pin it for later – winter capsule wardrobe
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About Me
Thanks for sharing your winter capsule wardrobe! I need to do some closet clearing this week so I appreciate the tips!
Great! Glad this was helpful for you, Tara. 🙂
You hit the ball out of the park on this post! I loved that you walked me through the whole process from beginning to end. You’re really good at what you do.
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you stopped by to read it! 🙂
You have no idea how much I needed this! Thank you so much. I can’t wait to use your tips and clean out the closet in the coming weeks!
AMAZING! Happy decluttering, Stephanie. 🙂
Here in Canada, winter is so long that sometimes it feels like you’re wearing your fall/winter clothes for nearly 9 months of the year. So it’s really important to have pieces that mix and match and layer to create all sorts of combinations so you don’t get sick of them and have options. Thanks for all the tips in this post!
Oh man, I know how it feels to have long winters! Luckoly where I live now our winters are very mild!
I absolutely love the idea of a capsule wardrobe! Your post is perfect for anyone who’d want to create one!
Thanks so much, Anja!