What Is A Closet Audit Capsule?

1/5/2021

You've probably heard of a capsule wardrobe. And you've probably heard of a closet audit. But have you heard of a closet audit capsule? ;)

What is a capsule wardrobe?

Let's define capsule as it relates to clothing per Oxford Languages: "(of a collection of clothing) consisting of a relatively small set of key items"

Some people have a truly minimalist wardrobe and their capsule wardrobe consists of only those key items and nothing more. Their capsule wardrobe stays almost the same year round, depending on climate.

For the vast majority, though, the idea of a capsule wardrobe is a lot less intimidating and extreme. The idea is to set aside a small selection of the clothing you own and mix and match those pieces together for a period of time of your choice. During that time you can remove the rest of your clothing and enjoy a really spacious and open feeling closet.

A Few Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe:

The aesthetic of a paired down closet can't be beat! Even if you're not interested in getting rid of half your closet, you will definitely enjoy this!
At the end of each month, season, or however often you choose to rotate, you'll get to "shop your closet" (or storage) and get excited about pieces you already had that you forgot about and are now excited to wear again!
As a result of --^ this step, you will spend less $$ on new clothes and still get the same feeling of having something new in your closet!
Surprisingly, with less clothes in your closet, you'll find yourself saying "I have nothing to wear" less often - if ever!
You make new, creative outfit combinations.
Minimize decision fatigue as there are less choices to make when getting dressed!
Helps you identify wardrobe gaps
Helps you identify and refine your style

What is a closet audit?

Let's start with a definition for audit: "an official inspection of an individual's or organization's accounts, typically by an independent body"
Applying that to your closet - A closet audit entails a thorough investigation and inspection of what is in your closet! Most people will do this on their own, although you can hire help if you're in the position to.

Generally an initial closet audit includes taking out everything from your closet(s) and literally counting every item you have and how many items you have. While the end number of items in your closet is person to your needs and preferences, it can be interesting to see the total figure of items you have. Definitely write this down at the beginning so you can look back later.

After taking inventory (or during), put each item in one of 3 piles:

Keep
Hold
Donate

The Keep Pile consists of pieces you definitely love and know you want to keep!

The Hold Pile consists of pieces you're not sure about. Maybe they are really functional but you don't love them, but you can't pass them on until you have a suitable replacement. Maybe they are new-ish or were gifted/hand-me-downs you received and you're still tryin to see if you want them in your curated wardrobe - if they fit your personal style and lifestyle.

The Donate Pile consists of (obviously) pieces to donate. You've made peace with them. Maybe you've worn them a ton, maybe they're just not your style anymore. Maybe you finally came to grips with the fact that even though you spent a lot of $$, if it's just hanging in your closet causing you guilt then it's costing more than simply letting it go would. Some of these pieces you may be able to sell online or pass on to friends as well!

There's an amazing free Minimalist Wardrobe Workbook that will help you with this from encircled.
If you're Canadian your Minimalist Wardrobe Workbook is here.

Growing up

Growing up our family didn't have a lot of money, so we always shopped the super-clearance racks. By the time I moved out, I had bins upon bins of cheap clothing. It was literally a burden, but I was not accustomed to letting things go. Especially if they were "still good". It dawned on me at some point that all of those "great deals" actually added up to a lot of money, little by little, and many of those clothes didn't last long due to poor quality or weren't really my taste. Buying for the price tag instead of buying a style that makes you feel great wearing it or something that fills a gap in your wardrobe is a mistake I've made countless times.

20s

This decade started my downsizing of ... well everything, but we're focusing on clothing here. I passed on at least 60-70% of my (admittedly huge) wardrobe and swapped out tons of patterned tops for solid t's and cardigans. These worked great for casual outfits with jeans or with skirts.

The errors I made:

One in every color! Instead of having a few T shirts and a few cardigans, I now had something like 15+ cardigans and 20+ rainbow t shirts.
Buying colors that didn't suit me.
Not considering fabrics

The combination of the second and third bullet points were what made the quantity of items truly an error.
At least half of the items I bought were not colors that flattered my hair/skin tone. I loved the color, I loved the style. Still, I either never reached for them or didn't feel great in them.

Lesson Learned: You can love the color, the style, and how it looks on someone else, but you don't have to buy it!

I also started to learn more about fabrics and the need to read descriptions and labels carefully, especially when shopping on line. Although the listing images looked identical, when I bought some follow up cardigans to ones I loved, they arrived made of inferior materials - poly, rayon, spandex blend. These cardigans quickly stretched out, pilled up, and felt terrible on. They didn't breathe well at all since I was basically wearing plastic.

Lesson Learned: Don't assume every color of the same style of an item sold from the same place is made of the same material. Always read the labels.

Sustainable and Ethical Fashion

At the tail end of my 20's I started to learn about ethical and sustainable fashion, something I had never thought about before. I never thought about the "true cost" of all those unbelievably cheap clothing items. I never thought about what fabrics would be better for the environment and even feel better and safer resting against my skin! Not only did this add many layers to deciding what/if to purchase something, but it was a whole new way of thinking which required a greater investment each time. But rather than trying to do everything perfect, I'm really trying to embrace progress over perfection. The most sustainable thing any of us can do is buy intentionally and make good of what we have or do decide to buy.

30s

This decade is about letting go and refining. I'm finally ready to let go and not try to force pieces to work for me if they just don't suit me and my lifestyle. I'm excited to refine my closet capsule by capsule and fill wardrobe gaps with quality staple pieces that will last for years and years to come.

What is a closet audit capsule?

I'm merging the concepts! At least in my mind :)

It's a capsule designed to help further audit and curate your closet!
Whereas capsule wardrobes are thought of as sections of your already curated wardrobe.

I've already been through an overall closet audit (more than once). I've already removed a lot of clothing over the past several years. I'm still in an ongoing auditing phase. There are items I'm struggling with and areas I want to learn more about. I want to hone in on my personal style more. I want to understand why I love the pieces that I love - is it the fabric? the color? the silhouette? And I want to understand why I don't love other pieces that I thought I would when I purchased them. There are some pieces I don't love but haven't been able to let go of yet. I aim to get to the bottom of that.

Each month I will curate a Closet Audit Capsule. During that month I will be able to really assess if I want these pieces in my closet going forward. This is a hyper-focused, refining closet audit over a period of time rather than in one day.

You should know, while I love keeping it casual and comfy, I also love to dress up, even when I'm stuck at home 24/7 like during this pandemic. So the area I still need to refine most is my dress clothes, which is uncommon for most people. All the principles still apply to whatever style you enjoy wearing! :)

At the end of the month I will share an update of my findings! What I learned, what I released, what I'm still stumped on. I'll share wardrobe gaps I've identified and items I'm considering to fill those gaps. Feel free to share your recommendations! I hope you enjoy the journey and that it can help you in any way, but tbh it's just as much for me as for anyone who stumbles on it.

Entire Closet Audit Capsule Series:

I invite you to visit my Capsule Wardrobe for the entire closet audit capsule series, items I'mIn Search Of and Clothing reviews from 2021+ to help you make intentional decisions while you curate your wardrobe! See you soon!

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