How to start a 2022 capsule wardrobe for your unique personal style

Make a capsule wardrobe in 2022 to get the most of your wardrobe (while using the fewest items in it). You may never want to go back to the clutter!

July 8, 2022

If your wardrobe is jam-packed with items you hardly wear, you’re not alone. It’s common (and easy!) to feel overwhelmed by your closet. Whether you have an impressive college sweatshirt collection, or an overflowing closet of shirts you wore once,, you know something needs to change. Creating a capsule wardrobe in 2022 might be the perfect first step to curated closet ease.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

Your capsule wardrobe for 2022 is a subset of your closet you’ll wear every day—and then you’ll store the rest!. Put your less-worn and less-needed items elsewhere this year. You might be surprised by how little you actually miss them and how refreshing it is to work with fewer items.

A capsule wardrobe is the perfect way to begin paring down your closet, honing in on your style, and simplifying your daily dressing. Capsules can be a way to rotate out your closet for a short duration of time (like a single season or year), or can be set as your permanent wardrobe.

You might use a capsule wardrobe in 2022 to try out a smaller closet without the commitment of actually getting rid of the rest of your clothes. A capsule helps you explore new creative outfit combos and reduces decision fatigue from having too many choices.

What pieces do you need for a capsule wardrobe in 2022?

Here's a capsule wardrobe secret: there's no magic number of pieces to include, no "classic capsule wardrobe essential pieces" you have to buy, and no requirement that your capsule is black, white, and neutral. The "rules" are up to you!

OK, OK, I know, you want the rules! Well, typically, capsule wardrobes include core closet pieces, such as:

Tops
Bottoms
One-pieces (like dresses or jumpsuits)
Shoes
Layers
Outerwear

Most people don't count intimates like socks or undies. And things like workout gear, pajamas, accessories, or special gear (hiking, biking, work uniforms, etc.) might or might not be included—it’s really up to you!

If you want to pare down your entire closet, then including lounge items, workout clothes, and accessories in your capsule wardrobe makes sense! On the other hand, if you’re having weird weather, you can exclude outerwear and shoes to give you more flexibility. (This is what I like to do!)

Afraid of getting bored and not having enough variety in your capsule wardrobe? Try giving yourself a “rotating” or “wildcard” slot to wear something else if the mood strikes.

Want to create your own Seasonal Capsule? Get the last Capsule Wardrobe Planner you'll ever need.

For capsule wardrobe beginners and experts alike, the Capsule Wardrobe Planner will guide you through the creation of a thoughtful, intentional, and yes, fun, capsule! This free worksheet guides you through everything you need to plan a capsule and make it actually work for you.

How to do a 2022 capsule wardrobe the right way

If you’re ready to try this “less is more” wardrobe theory, you’ve come to the right place! Capsule wardrobes can help you pare down your closet, stress less over your outfits, , and still work with your unique personal style!

You should experiment with a capsule wardrobe if you want to…

Save time and stress getting dressed every day
Free yourself from the overwhelm of a stuffed-full closet
Reduce mental overhead and decision fatigue
Help uncover your preferences and get to style clarity
Experiment or reconnect with your current closet
Take a shopping break

Here are four tips to get started with your capsule wardrobe in 2022!

1. Know that there are no rules!

Despite what you may have been told, there are no classic essentials that you need to buy for a capsule wardrobe. After all, you’re paring back from your personal collection—what’s left should be whatever brings you joy and confidence.

For example, black, white, and neutral colors might have no place in the capsule wardrobe of someone who thrives only in bold patterns or bright shades. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another, right? The entire point of creating a capsule is to simplify and enhance what you already own, so you still feel like you.

2. Don’t use a capsule wardrobe someone else put together

The Internet is swimming with perfectly-curated capsule wardrobe graphics… and you can ignore those entirely. You need to build your capsule wardrobe based on what you love to wear every day.

None of those pretty Pinterest capsule graphics are likely to match your exact style or needs. Use them for inspiration, by all means. But don’t rush out to the store in an effort to duplicate exactly what you see online.

The goal of a capsule wardrobe is to cut back on the excess, leaving enough to carry out your daily life. It’s not to look like a carbon copy of everyone else who is using a capsule wardrobe. Nobody else in the world is you or has your unique style! So you need to get personal and strategic with your 2022 capsule wardrobe plans.

3. Experiment and challenge yourself

Living with fewer clothes might seem challenging, but how much of your full wardrobe are you actually wearing? There are a few ways to experiment with new boundaries to help you make the most of your capsule wardrobe for 2022.

Reframe the limitation to a positive choice and introduce creative constraints into your process! Suddenly, you'll find that limiting your wardrobe becomes freeing and inspiring. As long as you focus on what you're gaining instead of on what you think you’re losing, then your creativity is free to run wild!⁠

Different Types of Capsules

If you operate better with some rules, there are a few you can put in place for yourself. There are different types of capsules that you can tweak to suit (or gown!) your needs.

You can try:

Challenge: Do a 10x10 (ten items for ten days) or 30x30 (thirty items for thirty days)
Seasonal: Create a new 30-50 piece capsule every season
Supportive: Make a one-week or one-month capsule for busy times in your life to eliminate everyday dressing decisions (Check out sales coach Katy Prince’s “micro capsule” she does every week!)
Travel: Use capsule logic to pack a versatile set of clothes for a trip or event
Minimalist: Reduce your entire wardrobe down to a 50-100 piece capsule.

But none of these are what a capsule wardrobe “is”—they’re just options!. Use them only as inspiration for your unique capsule!

4. Focus on your personal style

What good would a capsule wardrobe be if it didn’t capture everything necessary for you to live your life and feel comfortable doing so? Think about the clothes you love and wear most frequently. That’s a great way to start building your capsule wardrobe for 2022.

Put aside the items you rarely wear (or wear but strongly dislike). A period of experimentation with limited wardrobe options is the perfect time to steer clear of discomfort or impracticality. If you’re not 100% sure that you want or need it, put it aside for now!

Feeling ready to put together your capsule wardrobe for 2022? It’s time to make the most of your wardrobe while using the fewest items in it!

You may find that you enjoy a limited wardrobe so much you can never go back to the old clutter routine. Start planning your 2022 capsule wardrobe now with an epic Capsule Wardrobe Planner!