Upgrading to Favorites: A Chat About Capsule Wardrobes

Join me for a cozy chat with my wonderful colleague Jorunn Hernes! We’re talking about one of our mutual favorite topics: capsule wardrobes.

Jorunn and I met almost a decade ago at a color analyst meeting in New York, and as fellow introverts and lovers of simplicity, we always have something to talk about. We thought it would be fun to share one of our casual conversations with the world.

We came up with some questions for each other ahead of time, but otherwise, this video is entirely unscripted. It’s also unedited (aside from the removal of some coughing fits!) so you’ll get our real-time, honest answers and reactions. Since the video is just us chatting, you can easily listen to just the audio.

Even if you aren’t into capsule wardrobes and you’re over-the-moon delighted with your maximalist wardrobe, I think you’ll find some great takeaways about style and happiness in our conversation.

Jorunn was kind enough to create a video timeline for us, if you’d like to skip ahead to a particular section:

02:36 Jorunn asks: “What is your approach to making your own capsule wardrobe?”

09:04 Cate asks: “What about when your weight fluctuates?”

09:25 How to work with a capsule wardrobe if your weight frequently fluctuates

13:15 One of my tips for buying clothes that accommodate weight fluctuation

14:31 Jorunn asks: “What keeps us from wearing our favorites?”

25:08 Cate asks a long and meandering three-part question:

     1. What is your reason, your “why” for working with a capsule wardrobe?

     2. How do you stay out of stores?

     3. When do you know that it’s time to get something new?

32:05 Jorunn asks: “What do you do when you’re sick and tired of what you have in your wardrobe?

38:39 Cate asks: “What’s your current favorite accessory and favorite piece of clothing?”

You can find Jorunn at Nordic Simplicity, and I highly recommend checking out her Wardrobe Magic course if you’re interested in working with a smaller wardrobe. She also has a number of courses you can access for free if you’re signed up for her emails.

And if you’re not on Jorunn’s email list, her newsletter is a real treat - it’s funny, friendly, and I always look forward to reading it. You can also sign up for emails pertaining to your specific color season!

What You Truly Want vs What You Think You Should Want

Last week I was scrolling Pinterest, pinning stained glass cakes for the 12 seasons, when I discovered a board I’d started several years ago called Home. As soon as I opened the board, I wrinkled my nose: I didn’t even like most of the rooms! They were dark, busy, and the architecture was nothing like the architecture of the house I actually live in.

I started ruthlessly deleting things. If I clicked on an image and saw a cluttered bookshelf that would stress me out in real life, I deleted it. If I wouldn’t decorate my house with the colors pictured, I deleted it. The further I went, the more it dawned on me that I had only pinned most of these images because they seemed like rooms that I SHOULD like. I thought they were attractive, but I didn’t want to personally live in them. 

I love white surfaces, light wood, bright colors, and very little visual clutter. I love mosaic tile motifs, mermaids, cats, shells, and modern florals. So why did I save all these images of moody maximalist dining rooms? Why did I save so many images of tiny desks crammed with books, pottery, plants, and figurines - so cluttered that even opening a laptop would be impossible? Why did I save so many images of rooms dripping with houseplants when I know perfectly well that my cats eat plants and then throw them up on the floor? The end result was an inspiration board that not only didn’t inspire me, but actively stressed me out and clouded my vision of what I really wanted.

Home decor is a few degrees less intimate than the clothes we wear on our physical bodies. Looking at your style through this lens can create a little emotional distance, which allows us to be more honest with ourselves about our desires and motivations. When my clients first share their personal style boards with me, they’re often similar to my Home board: full of unrealistic outfits, images of women they want to look like, and styles that are all over the map, some of which they might not even truly like.

For example, if you’ve never felt comfortable in a moto jacket but you keep buying them or saving images of them online, it’s good to ask yourself why. Are you resonating with the style itself, or with a certain fabric, length, or design detail (like zippers or grommets)? Do you simply want to be the kind of person you think would wear a moto jacket?

If you’re someone who frequently lusts after beaded formalwear but you live a very casual lifestyle, it’s worth asking yourself how you can translate elements of that formalwear into your everyday life. Maybe a beaded bag or a beaded neckline would scratch the itch. Or maybe you need to create occasions to actually wear the beaded formalwear you love, like attending a charity gala or other formal event. 

This is why I like my Soul Board method so much, which encourages you to separate what you think you should like (based on your body type, lifestyle, and personal coloring) from what actually resonates with you. Once you know what you actually like, you can reverse-engineer your style to reflect those elements in ways that are practical for your lifestyle. If you’re not familiar with my Soul Board approach, you can hear about it on this episode of the Chrysalis Colour podcast.

If you look around your closet and realize that you’ve been buying clothes for someone else all this time, don’t worry. I recommend making note of the pieces that you DO like, asking yourself what you like about them, and looking for those same elements in the future. If your whole closet feels like a wasteland, that’s okay, too. You can fix this! Wardrobes aren’t built in a day. They’re built piece by piece, and being honest with yourself about what you really like is the first step in ensuring that over time, you build a wardrobe that you love.

5 Reasons Why I Prefer a Small Wardrobe

For many years now, I’ve preferred to maintain a pretty small wardrobe. I’m not strict about the number of pieces I own, and I don’t adhere to any specific capsule wardrobe framework. My goal is to wear and love everything I have, and for me, that’s best accomplished with fewer pieces.

While my mom is always shocked when she sees how little clothing I have, it works for me, and here’s why:

1. I wear everything I have. Did you read my article about why you should get rid of your clothes? I wear all of my clothing on a very regular basis, with the exception of some formalwear and seasonal items. I always know what I have, and I always know how everything fits. This greatly reduces decision fatigue, because my options are ultimately limited.

2. I’m choosy about what I buy. I already know what I like and what works for me, so I don’t get sucked in by trends. Instead, I stick with the shapes, styles, patterns, and colors that I enjoy and find flattering on myself. This gives me a lot of wardrobe confidence that chasing trends never did. And when something trendy comes along that I do like, I can indulge without worry.

3. I’m more creative with mixing and matching. With a small wardrobe, boredom is the biggest risk and creativity is a necessity. I love to pair items in new ways, even a tweak as small as wearing a sweater on top of a dress to give the illusion of a sweater and skirt. I love jazzing up my outfits with different shoe and jewelry pairings, and combining colors in fun ways. With fewer pieces, I’m more likely to experiment with what I have instead of reaching for the same outfits on autopilot.

4. I’m unfazed by weight fluctuations. If I gain or lose weight and need to purchase new items, I have far less to replace than if I maintained a larger wardrobe. I also don’t feel any guilt when I have to replace things - whether due to weight fluctuations, damage, or just not liking them anymore - because I know that I got plenty of wear out of them, and thus my money’s worth.

5. I spend less time managing my clothing. Laundry is way faster and easier with fewer pieces. I have a designated weekly laundry day, and it takes me hardly any time at all. I spend very little time organizing my closet or dresser, and even less time rummaging around to find things, because it’s all right in view. I also spend less time shopping, less time listing items on resale sites, and less time bagging up donations.

Whether you have a large or small wardrobe, I’d love to hear what makes it work for you!

Why You Should Get Rid of Your Clothes

Is your closet stuffed with clothes you don’t like? 

A common statistic says that most women only wear 20-30% of the clothes they own. I believe it - not only because I’ve lived it myself, but because I always ask my new and potential clients to estimate their own percentage. Most of them answer that they wear between 20-40% of their clothes, but if they’re already intentionally working with a capsule wardrobe, the percentage can be a lot higher.

To get clarity in your wardrobe, I always recommend paring down to the essentials. There’s no long and complicated process involved. Just take everything out of your closet, and get rid of everything you don’t like. Doesn’t fit? Gone. Needs repairs or alterations you know you aren’t doing to deal with? Gone. Color doesn’t look good on you? Gone. Reminds you of a crappy date? Gone. Pattern isn’t your taste anymore? Gone. Never worn it? Gone. You don’t feel great in it? Gone. You get the idea. Do this with your handbags and accessories too.

Depending on the item, “gone” can mean tossing it in a donation box, giving it to your sister, or storing it in a bin under your bed, as long as it’s out of your closet. If you struggle with letting go, the third option is a good one: if you need something, you can always retrieve it from the bin, but what you’re trying to do is create space. You want to remove the visual clutter and mental labor of all those pieces you shove past every morning to get to something you actually want to wear. 

If you’re not a capsule wardrobe person, don’t worry. You don’t have to commit to a smaller wardrobe forever. In fact, paring things down makes it easier to go shopping again, because the gaps in your wardrobe have suddenly become obvious. You’ll also clearly see what the items you chose to keep have in common, whether that’s a silhouette, a color scheme, a type of fabric, or a pattern.

Here’s a non-clothing example of how getting rid of stuff can bring clarity to a space:

I love being surrounded by art, so until quite recently, my living room walls were absolutely covered in different types of artwork. Paintings, mirrors, photographs, linocut prints, butterflies under glass, embroidery, weird little wall hangings - we had it all, big and small. Every time we brought in a new piece, my husband suffered with me through the inevitable rearranging of everything, only for me to later complain that I wanted to throw everything away because it was visually overwhelming (I’m a joy). Finally, during one of these interminable rearrangements, he said, “You always say you want to get rid of everything, so let’s just take it all down and see what you want to keep.” 

Once it was all off the walls, I didn’t want to put much back. I boxed up a couple sentimental pieces, gave a couple things to friends, and sold the rest online. I’ve felt overjoyed every single day since, walking into my colorful and airy living room, where I now actually notice and appreciate the art that I love the most.

Just as in my living room example, having too many clothing pieces clamoring for attention in your closet can distract you from the pieces which genuinely bring you joy to wear. You may find yourself wearing things you don’t enjoy out of guilt or obligation, thinking, “I have this, so I should wear it.” Having an excess of rarely or never-worn items can even lull you into a false sense of security. You feel like you have clothing for any scenario, yet you find yourself panic-shopping before a wedding or a job interview because as it turns out, you don’t have clothing for any scenario. Not clothing you like, anyway!

Give this method a try. You might be surprised by how little of your clothing you’re wearing on a regular basis. And I hope you’ll be surprised with some newfound creativity, too!