I have seen capsule closet’s talked about a lot recently and while I have never been tempted to actually convert my closet into one, I wanted to challenge myself with creating a ‘Mini Capsule Wardrobe’ for my trip to Chicago last week. When you take the train to Chicago, you can only bring what you can carry, so I knew I wanted to pack as light as possible, and figured now was the chance to try this.

In case you are unfamiliar with a Capsule closet or wardrobe, it’s essentially a minimalist approach to setting up your closet. There are no set rules, so you are able to customize as it choose, but you basically choose a set number of items (say 30) and only have that many in your closet to choose from when styling yourself every day. Most people change out their capsules every season because of the weather changes.

So here were the rules I determined for myself with this mini capsule challenge:

Only pack 5 items to create my outfits with for 3 days, 2 nights.
Pajamas don’t count since they are for sleeping (and grabbing donuts in my case haha).
Shoes and accessories also don’t count because 5 is a very small number!
I allowed myself one light jacket to keep in my suitcase only in case of emergency. I knew that the weather in Chicago this time of year could be very temperamental so the last thing I wanted to do was get too cold and have to buy a jacket. That felt like it was defeating the purpose of the challenge.

Items I chose:

Black Levis
Black Slip Dress
Graphic Tee (bought from my artist friend Jilly Makes
Red Blazer
Leopard Short-Sleeved Button Down Top

The really cool thing about the items I chose was that 4 out 5 of them were thrifted! I wasn’t planning to do mostly thrifted items, but I ended up loving that I was able to show you how versatile thrifted clothing can really be!

2 Daytime Outfits:

2 Nighttime Outfits:

What I loved about this challenge:

I loved how easy it was to pack for this trip! Since I wanted to make sure that I loved the outfit potential of the pieces together, it forced me to think about it ahead of time. I normally wait until the last second to pack for a trip, so this helped me plan ahead and sped up the process a little. Am I the only one who throws a bunch of stuff in a suitcase when they travel, hoping that they can create an outfit out of it when they get to their destination?

I also loved how easy it was to get dressed during my stay in Chicago. It forced me to be more creative with my outfits overall, but I loved how it took me no longer than a couple of minutes to get dressed every time I wanted to change.

Lastly, I loved how this challenge forced me to play with accessories more. Since I wanted to make each outfit unique, I loved how I was able to transform my vibe with hair clips, scarves, shoes, earrings, etc.

What I hated about this challenge:

The hardest thing for me about this challenge was that I wanted to break free of it the first day! It probably didn’t help that I bought some fun new pieces as soon as I got to Chicago, so I wanted to wear them, but I found myself not being as excited about my outfits. It was fun the first day, but after that, I was wishing I had just one more item to choose from!

I didn’t love that I chose to do the challenge during the unpredictable fall weather. It ended up being really hot the first day and I wish I had had a tank or something to swap out or my tee.

What I learned:

I learned exactly what I thought I would. Capsule closets are not for me. I love getting dressed in the mornings. It’s fun to pair different things together, especially now that I’m doing a lot of thrifting. The challenge was fun in the beginning but as soon as I knew what outfits I could wear, it lost the excitement that I normally have when creating an outfit.

Would I do it again and what would I do differently?

I would totally do this challenge again, but only if it was for another trip or a short period of time at home. I know that I would not enjoy turning my entire closet into a capsule, but I think it’s a fun way to get a little creative on a trip. I just love having options and as long as I’m not buying everything new and contributing too much to fast fashion, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a bigger closet.

If I were to do it again though, I would do it during a season with more consistent weather and I would try 7 or 8 items instead of 5, which is still really good!

Have you ever tried a capsule closet, big or small? What are your thoughts on the matter? Tell me below in the comments.

Have a great day!

Andrea

Meredith - Owner of Tiny Bits Of Happiness

Embrace being a beginner. Everything will feel new. A lot of stuff is going to feel hard or difficult and you will most likely question yourself at least a million times. You may feel like you are not enough of something, and friend, you are so so enough. Have so much grace with your heart and remember grit makes us tougher. Persist and embrace this exciting new beginning of a chapter. You will probably feel like you are lost at sea a few times, and I'm a true believer in that means you are growing. You've swam away from the shore and you are allowing yourself to get lost and you are allowing yourself to grow. Remember, growing doesn't always feel good. Seek out community. Talk about what's on your heart. And reach out and gather insights from people who are farther along. So many people have been turning around giving out advice, insight and help for free. So while this beginning is a whole lot of things, just remember you are beginning and growing and you are made to do this.

Margaret - Owner of Edgewood Place Occasions & Fortress Coffee Co.

You don’t have to have it all together and it’s okay for your business to evolve. When I started out I thought I had to have everything in place before I “officially started” and I think it hindered me in a way, because I kept pushing off just starting. I was very consumed with getting everything right the first time. Since then my business has changed about four different times and I often feel like I have no idea what I’m doing! But it’s evolved naturally and is now something that feels like the perfect fit. It’s okay to learn as you go and to start before you think you’re ready!

Kherington - Creator & Owner of Currently Kherington

There's power in saying "no" + that being told "no" is a good thing! I feel like saying "no" + being told "no" actually frees you up to focus on what's important and ultimately means you're honing in on your overall mission/vision. I can honestly say anytime I've put myself out there + have been told "no" it wasn't definite. I ended up working with those same businesses down the line or they referred me for other work that I was a better fit for along the way. + when you can confidently say "no" to a project that may come your way, never feel regret - especially if it isn't in harmony with the bottom line and future of your business. While being a busy mom, wife, + business owner - let's just say my time + sanity are valuable + have thanked me wholeheartedly for this!

Julie Wardi - Owner of 325BLVD Boutique & Blog

I started my online boutique a few years ago. I was pretty young and didn't have much knowledge going in. I think my biggest mistake then, was rushing. I was in such a rush to finish everything that I didn't take the time I needed to make sure everything was the quality that I had envisioned. I closed the site for a while and I recently re-opened it. I think that when starting a business, you'll never truly have all the answers and knowledge - those things come with time and experience. But I do think that my advice to myself would be to slow down! Make sure that things are done the correct way. If something goes wrong, that's okay, just make sure to fix it, even if it puts a bump in your timeline. In the end, you'll be way happier that your finished product is exactly how you wanted it - instead of having a half-ass product, that was finished quickly.

Thank you to all of the amazing women entrepreneurs who contributed to this post!

If you own a business and have some advice, please be sure to comment below and leave it for my readers!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea