Plus Size Capsule Wardrobe – A Guide for Creating a Wardrobe You’ll Love!

You want a plus size capsule wardrobe that is inexpensive, practical, versatile, and most of all, makes you look good, and that you LOVE wearing! Today, I’m going to give you a few simple steps to get you to that place where you always have something to wear, and that you feel great about how you look in any circumstance.

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Rule Number One

The first rule for your plus size capsule wardrobe is, don’t follow someone else’s rules! Your rules are for you only! They are designed to keep you from spending money on clothing that you are not going to wear, or that you won’t be comfortable wearing. That’s all. You will be setting up rules that make you happy, and you are going to ignore everyone else’s rules.

Considerations for Creating Your Rules

Here are the aspects of your wardrobe that you should consider when setting up the rules for your plus size capsule wardrobe:

Comfort– Is it itchy? Do you like the color? Is it too short? How about too long?  Too revealing? Is it not revealing enough? Are you too hot when you wear this item? Or are you too cold? Was there some reason why you don’t like wearing it? If so, then you don’t need it in your plus size capsule wardrobe.

Look and fit-Do you look good in it? Does it fit? Are there style aspects that bother you? Is it too plain or to loud? Here, I will give you an example of look and fit that doesn’t work for me: I don’t like peplums. They hit me in exactly the wrong place and I feel like they accentuate the wrong part of my body. So…one of my rules is, no peplums. You may look cute in a peplum and might want extra peplum outfits, but they sure don’t work for me.  Another look and fit that not everyone likes, is the skinny jean.  I love them!   So I have several pairs in different colors and materials.

Climate and Environment

Climate and Weather– What is your usual weather? Hot and dry? Mild and humid? Cold and blustery? Rainy? All of the above, all in one day? Choose pieces for your plus size capsule wardrobe that accommodate you in all types of weather.  For me, it can be below freezing when I come to work, and sunny and 70 degrees when I go home.  I need a sweater, jacket, or completer piece that keeps me warm in the morning and can be taken off in the afternoon.

Environment– What do you do all day? Are you working in an office, where you never see mud and snow? Do you work on a ranch where there is nothing but mud and snow? Perhaps you are working in a retail store or a diesel shop. Or maybe running around all day, or sitting at a desk. Are you a mom at home with the kids, or a grandmother chasing the grandchildren? When putting together your plus size capsule wardrobe, keep all of this in mind.

More Considerations

Revealing or Modesty– (no judgments here…remember we are putting together rules FOR YOU and we don’t care what other people think of it!) Are your clothes too revealing or too modest for you? Does the situation you are dressing for, call for more or less revealing or modesty? Remember, we are going for COMFORT in your plus size capsule wardrobe.

Appropriateness– Is what you’re wearing fitting in with the situation? Are you wearing a revealing dress to a funeral? Or did you wear a long black frumpy dress to a wedding? Maybe you wear skimpy stuff to work, or are you wearing an uptight turtleneck on a date? A good mix of appropriateness is called for when assembling a plus size capsule wardrobe.

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Fabric Care and Price

Fabric Care– How much time are you willing to put into caring for your clothing items? Are you a busy mom, who barely has time to get the laundry done, let alone any special care items? Perhaps you a working girl who can afford to have all your laundry done professionally.  Are you somewhere in between? You can have a beautiful plus size capsule wardrobe made up of either wash and wear items or special care items, or anything in between. It’s up to you to decide the time you want to put in.

Price– It is important to consider “Cost Per Wear” when you are buying items for your plus size capsule wardrobe. You will be buying a mix of classic neutrals, colorful separates, hard-working foundation pieces, and fun accessories. It is best to consider how often you will be wearing the item, how many other pieces they go with or can be worn with, factoring in to how much the items cost.

For example: You find a beautiful jacket, but it’s expensive. Decide if it goes with anything else in your plus size capsule wardrobe (my rule of thumb is, it must go with at least three items, but there again, this is up to you to decide). Can the jacket be worn in several situations, like dressed up with a black skirt or dressed down with jeans? Is the item too difficult to care for, and will it cost you to take it to the dry cleaners? All these things must be considered when buying items for your plus size capsule wardrobe.

For more detailed discussion on your rules, read onto the next post.

Sorting Your Current Closet:

Once you get YOUR rules in place, it’s time to go through your current closet, to decide what stays and what goes in your new plus size capsule wardrobe.

“In the face of constantly cycling trends and disposable fast fashion, taking a step back and downsizing can be a healthy way to refresh your closet and your perspective.” by Mariah Carrillo, plus size fashion expert.

As you take out each item, consider all of the above, and also consider the following:

• Does it follow my new set of rules?
• Do I love, tolerate, or hate this item?
• Have I worn this in the last year?
• In ten years, am I going to remember this piece?
• Does this piece have sentimental value?
• Have people complimented me when I wear this piece?
• Is this piece a color that I like and looks good on me?
• How often has this piece ended up in the reject pile when looking for something to wear?

All these considerations are there to make sure you LOVE your clothes and WILL WEAR them, and won’t waste money buying things in the future that don’t meet YOUR rules and criteria

For each piece, put it in one of three piles: To Keep, To Donate, To Trash. Then follow through RIGHT AWAY. Hang up your Keep items, Donate and Trash the others as soon as possible.

(Remember, you are going to do “all of the above” with your accessories, including shoes, jewelry, scarves, hats, etc.

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Adding In New Items:

Now, you are going to add items into your plus size capsule wardrobe. I am going to give you a starting point, but there again, you need to do what works for you. We are going discuss the amount and types of pieces you will need here:

• Neutral Foundation Pieces: These include pants, skirts, dresses, shirts or blouses, sweaters or jackets, and shoes. Neutral colors include Black, Gray, Brown, Tan, Khaki, White, Navy Blue, Olive Green, to name a few. Also included are plaids, pin stripes and patterns that look solid from a distance, such as Glen Plaid.
• Solid Color Pieces: Here you will have mostly shirts and blouses, but you can include pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters or jackets.
• Character Pieces: These pieces promote your personal taste and style. They are items that introduce color, texture, pattern, and shine. Included are pants, skirts, dresses, blouses or shirts, sweaters or jackets, and shoes.
• Completer Pieces: Obviously these are items that “complete” your outfit. They include jackets and sweaters, overpieces, scarves, accessories, sometimes camisoles, and even shoes.

Don’t Forget Accessories!

• Camisoles (Cammies): You may wish to wear cammies or you may wish not to. A cammy can be worn as a blouse or shirt on its own, or worn under other shirts or blouses, or under sweaters or jackets, or even under dresses. I use them mainly for modesty, where the original piece is cut too low at the top. They can be worn mostly when the weather is cool to cold, or I wear them on their own when it’s hot out. I also wear them to lengthen a shorter shirt or jacket at the bottom. If you haven’t worn cammies in the past, you might try adding one or two to your plus size capsule wardrobe. It is recommended to get long cammies that have lace or detail at the top and the bottom.
• Shoes: I am not the stereotypical woman that has hundreds of pairs of shoes. My environment forces me to wear practical shoes, and I’m OK with that. However, you may be a shoe-buying kind of girl, and that’s OK too. Remember, we are creating a plus size capsule wardrobe for YOU! So, how you do your shoes is up to you. I like to have neutrals in oxford style, ballet flats, and athletic shoes, with a few “character” shoes thrown in.
• Accessories: This is where you add the FUN into your plus size capsule wardrobe. Here, anything goes. Add in jewelry, watches, hats, scarves, sun glasses, purses, vests, socks, and anything else you feel like wearing, in any combination, big or small, understated or outrageous, whatever makes you feel happy and beautiful!

The Foundation Garments for Your Capsule Wardrobe

Of these items, for your plus size capsule wardrobe, you will need the following items:

• Neutral Pants, 3 pairs
• Jeans, 1 dressy pair, 1 casual pair
• Neutral Skirts, 2
• Solid Color or Character pants, 1 pair
• Solid Color Skirt, 1
• Character Skirt, 1
• Add in Shorts, both neutral, solid color, or character, if you are a shorts wearer
• Dresses, 1 shiny cocktail dress, 1 Solid Color dress, and 1 Character dress
• Neutral shirts or blouses, 2-4 (I have 4, a white tee, black tee, white blouse, and a black blouse)
• Solid Color Tops , 2-4
• Character Tops , 2-4
• Cammies, 4, a combination of black, white, off-white or pink, and a character or solid color,
• Completer Pieces: Jackets or sweaters, 3 neutral, 2 solid color, and 1 or 2 character pieces
• Accessories, any number of neutral, solid color, or character pieces.

You can increase or decrease the number and variety of your items for your plus size capsule wardrobe. This is meant to give you an idea on where to start. Of course integrate what you already have in your closet.

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Remember! Your plus size capsule wardrobe is a “work in progress”

It will take time to set up your plus size capsule wardrobe. You will always find things that need changing, such as the type and amount of clothing, the colors, the styles, even the rules! So don’t be afraid to make changes. Be ready to chuck out an item you thought would work. Allow yourself to add in more items. And by all means, DO NOT get down on yourself if things aren’t working. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! If a few pieces aren’t working, chuck ’em. Make this plus size capsule wardrobe your own!

Wear It and Love It!

So go through all these steps: Create your own rules for clothing items. Go through your closet and get rid of items that don’t follow those rules. Buy items that stick to the rules you’ve set for yourself. Then you will have the plus size capsule wardrobe that works for you. You will feel beautiful every day, and you will feel confident that you have the right outfit for every occasion. And you got it all on or under budget!

And most of all, have FUN with your plus size capsule wardrobe.

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Read on to the next posting for more elaboration on the plus size capsule wardrobe.

And please comment below!  I want to hear your ideas for how to build a plus size capsule wardrobe!

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