Lucie Fink is a well known producer and content creator for Refinery29’s page on YouTube. The “5 Days Challenges” is a series where she explores new lifestyle concepts and implements them across the span of five days. One such video presented is “5 Days of a Capsule Wardrobe.”

The capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items that do not go out of style and the idea is to maximize the number and the types of outfits that you can put together by using mainly staple items.

The term “capsule wardrobe” was coined by Susie Faux, the owner of a London boutique “Wardrobe” in the 1970s, and popularized by Donna Karan, an American designer, who released a capsule collection of seven interchangeable business-wear pieces in 1985. The purpose was to have an outfit suitable for any occasion with a minimal number of  items, which is achieved by having some staple items in coordinating color. There is no limit on the amount of pieces, but the minimum ranges from ten to fifty pieces. The number of clothes is dependent on one’s personal preference, but the ultimate rule is “the fewer, the better.”

Masha Petrosian, ‘20, says “minimalism… simplifies my daily dress because it allows for me to express my personality without trying to cover it with excessive detail.”

The capsule wardrobe encompasses the basic articles of clothing, such as pants, dresses, shirts, and shoes, whereas items like sunglasses, jewelry, purses, and scarves are not part of the main capsule wardrobe. They can be used as statement pieces, which can help add a pop of color to the overall outfit.

Fink says that “the capsule wardrobe can be about saving you time and helping up your fashion game [but] in a lot of ways this is more about being sustainable, ethical, and contributing in your own personal way to this large global movement.”

It is more environmentally friendly, considering how much clothing and textile waste is detrimental to our environment.

The first step to creating a capsule wardrobe is to minimize your current wardrobe; any piece that isn’t being warn can be donated or sold. Decide on a color palette; doing this will help determine clothing that will be interchangeable. The palette will consist of two base colors and two accent colors. Base colors include white, black, navy, brown or grey whereas accent colors is anything else that will add a pop of color to an outfit. Base colors will be used as pants, skirts and coats, and accents will be tops, dresses and accessories.

Before shopping for a capsule wardrobe, determine a number of items to buy. When you are shopping, get the basics that can be a part of a variety of outfits along with accessories in the accent colors. The things you buy should be things you are comfortable in.

A capsule wardrobe also  is a lifestyle. It is a way of being more conscious about what you are buying, a focus on what you need rather than what you may want. It liberates the mind, by minimizing time and energy in the morning to make decisions on what to wear. Along with that, less storage space is required for a capsule wardrobe, and it helps you in understanding what your wardrobe truly needs, especially if you are on a tight budget.