What Is In A Capsule Wardrobe?
Do you know the 12 closet essentials every woman should own in 2024?
According to ClosetMaid, the average woman says 21% of her closet is unwearable. Today’s post goes through all 12 wardrobe staples. This is the ultimate closet guide for building a Capsule Wardrobe and never feeling like you have nothing to wear again.
Related: “How To Find Your Style Course“
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12 Closet Essentials Every Woman Needs
More On Your Closet Essentials
The Best Clothing Brands For Wardrobe Basics | Free Guide
The Closet Essentials Every Woman Should Own | Video
Wardrobe Basics FAQs & Expert Tips
Capsule Wardrobe Checklist | Free Guide
The 12 Closet Essentials You Need
1. ELEVATED WHITE TEE.
The first essential is a white t-shirt. It’s not an ordinary white tee. I call it the elevated white tee. The reason the perfect white t-shirt is an essential is that you can easily dress it up or down. You can wear it with a pair of jeans, a leather jacket, and a pair of heels and look great to go out. It’s also one of those items you can style with a pair of joggers and sneakers and do errands. Either way, you’ll look chic and put together.
2. BLACK TURTLENECK/MOCK NECK OR BODYSUIT.
Every woman needs a black turtleneck, mock neck, or bodysuit in her wardrobe to make getting dressed easy. A classic black turtleneck will do wonders in your wardrobe. It’s an easy piece you can style in so many ways. You can wear it for day or night. A lightweight turtleneck pairs with dress pants, a leather skirt, a pencil skirt for work, with jeans, or even joggers. Silk or cotton joggers with sneakers and a turtleneck are a great put-together look for fall. Add a cardigan and wool coat and it works for winter as well.
3. SOLID NEUTRAL COLOR BLOUSE.
A must-have top for women is a neutral blouse in silk or a silk-like fabric. Neutrals can be blush, gray, beige, taupe, or ivory. You want something that is a solid color so that it will go with a lot of things in your closet. A classic blouse can be styled with a mini skirt and over-the-knee boots, or with jeans and heels. You can also wear it with a pair of white sneakers. It’s an extremely versatile piece in a woman’s wardrobe.
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4. NEUTRAL SWEATER.
The next closet essential is a neutral classic sweater. A solid color knit can be styled in so many ways. From jeans to a leather skirt, or leggings and joggers, it gives you a lot of options. While I recommend cashmere, one that is 100% cotton tends to be more affordable and holds up well.
5. BLACK AND NEUTRAL CARDIGAN.
Another closet staple is a cardigan. While cropped and oversized cardigans may be on-trend, I suggest investing in a classic black and neutral cardigan. One that is open, tailored, and slightly longer than the waist tends to be one of the most versatile styles. A great cardigan is probably the easiest layering piece in your wardrobe. You can wear it over a blouse or a t-shirt with jeans. It’s chic when styled with a skirt.
6. CLASSIC BLACK PANTS.
Moving onto essential bottoms you should own. Again you want to look for a classic black pant that you can dress up or down. It will look chic when worn with a white t-shirt and effortlessly dresses up blouses or sweaters. I typically suggest the classic slim-fit black pant. My favorite is the rag & bone Simone pant. All of my Personal Styling clients that have tried it love it as well and agree that it’s worth the investment.
7. DRESSY BLACK LEGGINGS.
A dressy or elevated black legging is my next wardrobe essential. It’s not a regular cotton legging that most of us have in our closets. I’m recommending one that maybe has a bit of sheen or it’s faux leather. You want to look for a pair that will dress up an outfit. You can style them with oversized sweaters and over-the-knee boots for winter. I also suggest wearing them with heels and a slightly longer blouse for a night out.
8. MEDIUM TO DARK WASH JEANS.
The last closet essential bottom you need is a great pair of denim that you feel amazing in. The fit can be based on preference, but I still think skinny jeans look flattering on most women. I also recommend a pair that’s high-waisted to help cinch everything in. You also want to invest in having a medium to dark blue wash. The darker wash styles easily from day to night.
9. BLACK LEATHER JACKET.
Having a black leather jacket that you love is my next must-have piece. You want to look for a style that is fitted, classic, and has “barely-there” hardware. A leather jacket is a versatile item in your closet. It can be draped over your shoulders like a cape with an evening dress. It’s an easy piece to wear with a simple tee or sweater for a perfect going-out look.
10. STRUCTURED KNIT OR TWEED JACKET.
Another must-have outer layer is a structured knit jacket. This type of jacket reminds me of the modern take on the Chanel jackets. My go-to is the IRO Shavani. A little black jacket that has more structure than a cardigan will work wonders for your wardrobe.
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11. NEUTRAL WOOL LONG COAT.
Next up is a neutral classic single-breasted wool coat. Navy is a great neutral color for a wool coat, as is a camel. Both of these colors are not the typical black and work with so many things. A beautiful classic wool coat can be worn over anything even joggers and sneakers. It pulls even the most basic outfit together and is definitely a closet essential.
12. BLACK BLAZER.
The last type of jacket I feel is a wardrobe essential is a black fitted classic blazer. I have a black one and an ivory one. You will probably get more use out of a black one but if you wear your black one a lot also having an ivory one will be helpful. Those two colors go with so many things. I’ve had my black blazer for 8 or 9 years. When I first got it, I had it tailored to make it fit perfectly. Many years later I still wear it all the time.
13. BONUS ITEM. AN EASY DRESS.
One last item that every woman needs in her wardrobe is an easy dress. Your closet essential dress is one that can be styled with outer layers, opaque tights, and boots in the winter. It would also work with a sweater over it. But you can also wear it in the summer with a pair of open-toed sandals flat or healed. I find a lined silk dress tends to be easy to style for all seasons.
An alternative to a silk dress is a lightweight sleeveless sweater dress. I recommend one in a neutral solid color. You don’t want one that’s a heavy knit that will only work in winter. But you also want to avoid a style that’s too thin and would only be appropriate for summer. A versatile sweater dress can be worn in the winter with a cardigan or a sweater over it. You only need to start with one classic essential dress that you can wear when you want to feel a bit more put together.
More On Your Closet Essentials
What makes an item a wardrobe staple is that you can wear it dressed up or down. They are the most versatile pieces in your closet and can work across seasons. According to Important Enough, “A timeless wardrobe with a reliable selection of basic essentials will make day-to-day dressing infinitely easier. Little guesswork is required if everything you have in your wardrobe has been carefully selected and always in fashion.”
What I also want to emphasize about your essentials is that they are in good condition, fit you now and that you love. If those three things don’t qualify each of your essential pieces, then I recommend putting them on your shopping list.
This list of closet essentials is basically a Capsule Wardrobe. You can work with just these items in your closet or you can build off of these pieces as well. Investing in wardrobe basics is not about eliminating your personal style choices. It’s about having the pieces you need as the foundation of your wardrobe so it’s easy to create outfits that reflect your personal style.
Related: “How To Declutter Clothes Virtual Workshop“
The Best Clothing Brands For Wardrobe Basics
If you want to know my favorite brands that I use for closet essentials, grab your free guide to The Best Clothing Brands To Shop For. You’ll not only learn the wardrobe staples I recommend at every price point for women, but also the wardrobe basics and essentials I recommend for men and teens.
The Closet Essentials Every Woman Should Own
Wardrobe Basics FAQs & Expert Tips
What are the basic principles of a perfect wardrobe?
Here are the 14 basic principles of building the perfect wardrobe.
- Always choose quality over quantity.
- Invest in your closet essentials.
- Only purchase items you love.
- Avoid fast fashion.
- Never buy items that are final sale.
- Focus on wardrobe basics over trends.
- Skip occasion shopping.
- Shop with a list.
- Define your personal style in 3 words.
- Choose items that work for your current lifestyle.
- Think about what your perfect wardrobe uniform is.
- Ask questions about what’s already in your closet.
- Look for versatility in your wardrobe items.
- Buy items for your current size, not the size you used to be.
What is a Capsule Wardrobe 2023?
The idea behind a Capsule Wardrobe is to have wardrobe basics that can be worn in so many different ways. You want to be able to wear all of your closet essentials dressed up or dressed down. That’s what makes them closet staples, they are super versatile and can be styled in multiple ways.
A Capsule Wardrobe consists of the classic items in your wardrobe that never go out of style. These clothing staples are investment pieces that will save you time and money in the long run.
How many items are in a basic wardrobe?
While the actual amount of items that are in a basic wardrobe varies by personal preference, I recommend 13 clothing staples that every woman needs as a foundation. These closet essentials are versatile pieces I recommend having across the seasons. You can also choose to build on these wardrobe basics by season.
Related: “10 Essential Shoes Every Woman Needs“
How many pieces should be in a good wardrobe?
The number of pieces in a good wardrobe varies and is based on asking yourself these 7 questions.
- What percentage of your clothing are you wearing?
- Do you need to wear different clothes for your personal and work life?
- What is your personal style? Someone who defines their style as minimal will need fewer clothes.
- Are the items in your wardrobe versatile? Can you style the pieces in different ways?
- Do you have a Capsule Wardrobe?
- Do you declutter and clean out your wardrobe several times a year?
- Have you gotten rid of things that are outdated, don’t fit, or that you received as gifts but don’t wear?
Capsule Wardrobe Checklist | Free Guide
The Ultimate Capsule Wardrobe Checklist For Women provides you with the wardrobe basics and closet essentials every woman needs to build a capsule wardrobe.
Follow this wardrobe checklist and you’ll be on your way to creating the Ultimate Capsule Wardrobe.
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9 Comments
Erica, your post is outstanding! Streamlining your clothes helps you to simplify your life. A compact wardrobe eliminates the feeling of having nothing to wear. With a capsule wardrobe, it’s comforting to know that you only possess stuff that can be simply matched and always look stylish. My all-time favorites are the striped sweater, the camel trench coat, and classic jeans with sunglasses.