Capsule wardrobe challenges can be frustrating for someone attempting to downsize in order to create a simpler home. Read on for how to overcome them.
The story.
The jersey cotton dress seemed to stretch to the floor as I held it up. I sighed. It couldn’t last one full summer? Why did they make fabric so stretchy these days?
I wasn’t about to blame the seamstress from Etsy. Textile manufacturers have had a ball the past twenty years, applying planned obsolescence to fabric. But still, I’d paid eighty bucks for not a whole lot of material.
My irritation wasn’t about the money, though. I’d suspected this might happen. No, I was irritated because I didn’t have anything to replace it with.
Micro-capsule wardrobes: not for the faint-hearted!
You’ve heard of capsule wardrobes. They are sets of tops and bottoms that mix and match so that you can create a variety of outfits out of not very many pieces of clothing.
A micro-capsule wardrobe is a minimalist wardrobe, consisting of less than a couple of handfuls of items. I am on the extreme end, owning two summer dresses, two chenille sweaters, and two pairs of fleece pants. I also have a couple of T-shirts, one pair of shorts, and capris that must be twenty-five years old. Oh, and an even older turtleneck.
Plus a couple of very nice pieces in case I need to attend a wedding or funeral.
But everything after the fleece pants are just-in-case pieces. I rarely wear them.
That is an example of a micro-capsule wardrobe.
Which is a good idea for anyone wanting to live a simpler life. After all, the fewer clothes you own, the more money you save, the less room you need to store them, and the less stress you have in trying to decide what to wear every day.
But as you’ve just seen, being extreme with your wardrobe has its downsides. Let’s examine three, and what to do about them.
Micro-capsule wardrobe challenge #1: Planned obsolescence.
Like I said in my little story, they don’t make fabric like they used to. You used to could* buy a cotton T-shirt, wear it every day, and it would still be in good condition five years later. When it finally started to wear thin, it would just… wear thin. Not grow holes.
Polyester? You’d never be rid of those neon-colored ‘70s pantsuits. Have to detonate a bomb to destroy those puppies.
When I graduated from high school, my family still was using some of the same bath towels and wash cloths that we did when I was a wee one.
Not so today. You’re lucky if a well-used T-shirt lasts six months before developing holes.
So one of the big micro-capsule challenges is, as has happened to me more than once, a piece of clothing giving out before you were ready with a replacement.
The solutions to this are easy on the surface. First, go out and buy a replacement. Or order one online.
Second, order a replacement after two months so it’s ready when your current piece of wardrobe goes kaput.
The problem is, you may not be able to find exactly what you want. Especially if you’re highly sensitive and require certain fabrics and styles in order to be comfortable.
In such a case, be a little less “micro,” and purchase several more of any clothes that you like. Store them in their original packaging inside a box, closet, or cabinet until you actually need them.
Micro-capsule wardrobe challenge #2: Lack of variety.
That’s a no-brainer, and a non-starter for a lot of women. If you have your max four tops and four bottoms, but your wardrobe still bores you to tears, follow the one-one-two rule.
That is, allow yourself to have one more top and one more bottom, plus two more accessories. Make sure they’re all different, but easily coordinated with other items that you own.
If that’s not enough, experiment with different colors and styles, see which ones flatter you. You might be surprised!
Micro-capsule wardrobe challenge #3: Laundry.
Ah, and here we hit on what might be the biggest deal-breaker of all: with such a small wardrobe, you have to do laundry more often. If you’re neurotypical, that’s probably not a big deal. But those of us who are neurodivergent have enough taxing our executive function without having to remember to do laundry every day, or every other day.
Or… is that really necessary? I’m not sure who made the rule that shirts could only be worn for one day, and pants two days, but they must have had one serious body odor problem!
The fact is, unless you get your clothes dirty or go out and sweat in them (have a separate set for that), you can wear both tops and bottoms several days before tossing them in the laundry.
I know, guys sweat more than women, but look at the header at the top of this page. It’s geared toward neurodivergent women.
Another work-around for sweat is, of course, using a deodorant. Scrubbing your armpits once or twice a day works, too.
And now, for a REAL challenge!
You may have come to this article thinking I was going to issue a challenge to try out a micro-capsule wardrobe. (Or even just a plain-old capsule one.)
Far be it from me to disappoint you. 😉
So, here’s the challenge: spend a couple of hours going through your closet. Locate your favorites. Out of them, find a maximum of four tops and four bottoms that are season-appropriate and that can go together.
Then, see if you can wear just those items for the next week. Maybe not, but perhaps it will inspire you to declutter your closet. And even find ways to simplify your entire home.
*That’s proper grammar somewhere, I’m sure.
