The Lazy Genius Podcast - #147 - Should You Do a Capsule Wardrobe?

Episode Date: March 2, 2020

In today’s episode, I’ll give you some ideas on how to move forward with a pseudo-traditional capsule wardrobe, but you’re a really smart person. If you pay attention to what matters, what doesn’t, and you create a few guidelines around those things, you can create your own process for building a capsule wardrobe. Helpful Companion Links My book is about to be a real, physical thing in the world! You can check out the cover and preorder it here. Join the Lazy Genius VIP mailing list here to stay in the loop on all things The Lazy Genius Way and to get this month’s newsletter (that goes out Wednesday). And if you’re into vulnerable Kendra, check out The Lazy Sisters Podcast over on Patreon. Here’s that old blog post called Baby Steps to a Capsule Wardrobe. I’ll be on Instagram on Thursday to answer your capsule wardrobe questions LIVE around noon EST. Download a transcript of this episode. This podcast is hosted by Kendra Adachi and executive produced by Kendra Adachi, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi there, you're listening to the Lazy Genius Podcast. I'm Kendra Adachi, and I'm here to help you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. Today is episode 147. Should you do a capsule wardrobe? Capsule wardrobes have been pretty popular for a while now, but I think as seasons change, which is what's happening now, we start to reconsider whether we want to actually do it. Or if you're like me and you have done a capsule wardrobe, you might be having like living in one right now, you might be might be considering how to approach your closet with the changing weather and building your next capsule. So today I'm here to help. We will talk about whether or not it's a good idea for you, as well as some ways to get started if you're up for it. Okay, first thing, I have some news, though. If you've been listening for a little while, you know that I have a book coming out this August. I'm so excited about it, but I haven't talked about the book itself much here, even in my newsletter. I've shared about the process of writing it, stuff like that, but not really any details about the actual book. Well, today is the day for details. Some of you have already

seen this because you're amazing and have searched for the book and for me and already preordered it. But in case you have not, the book is officially in the internet world. It is called the lazy genius way. Embrace what matters, ditch what doesn't, and get stuff done. It is a start right now guide to being soulful and efficient at the same. time. And it has a cover and everything. If you have looked at it already, I would actually encourage you to look at it again. It is a very long story that I will not share now, but we actually changed the cover last minute just a couple of weeks ago. So if you think you've seen it, make sure you have seen it because the one right now is different than maybe the one that you saw. So go to the lazy genius

collective.com slash book and you'll see the cover. And there are links to all the book retailers. if you like if you just know you're going to want it and you can go ahead and pre-order it. Okay. So a couple of questions I've been getting. We will be doing a launch team. So keep your eyes open for that. And I will offer like if I do say so myself like a pretty baller pre-order bonus as a thank you to those of you who are willing to like take the plunge on the book that you can't

open before you actually buy it. That bonus though, it won't be available or even announced until the summer. So I would just keep like. don't delete your order confirmation email you get if you do pre-order now, just so you can have that order number in a few months to enter into our like pre-order machine, whenever that happens. I'm just, I'm so excited about this book. I cannot wait for you to read it. Golly Day. And so for those of you wondering, because this is another question I get, if it's like the podcast, it's actually not. I will be able to share way more details about the book later. I don't want to

overload you with book talk for the next six months. But for those of you who are, you know, wondering and you're like OG lazy genius podcast listeners, you've, you know, been here a long time, you make change your life chicken, you have laundry day, all the things. This book will still be an incredible, incredible tool for your life. It is not, it is not the same as the podcast. Okay. So if you would like to stay up to date on on book news, maybe info about like book tour stops, behind the scenes stuff about the entire process, you should just just, you should just join the VIP mailing list. Once a month, I send out the latest lazy letter, which is a newsletter I'm really proud of. There will be a link in the show notes that you can click and add your email

address to be added to that list. I work really hard on making that email valuable and something that you look forward to reading. I share detailed recommendations for stuff like books, podcast episodes, anything fun or helpful I've consumed. And it's also where I share my thought processes on various things, especially when they're in their infant stages, I guess. It's the place I'm the most vulnerable. Well, actually, that's not true. Patreon is where I'm the most vulnerable. I have a secret podcast with my sister called The Lazy Sisters Podcast.

That is the most unfiltered Kendra. But the latest lazy letter is pretty darn close. And every announcement or new piece of content or place I'll be, all of that is in that newsletter. If you get it, you're going to know everything. The next one actually goes out this Wednesday, like in two days. It's like almost always the first Wednesday of the month. So be sure and sign up if you're interested in getting that. And thank you for being excited about the lazy genius way. It's just too fun. Okay. Let's talk about capsule wardrobes. First, let's like loosely define what a capsule wardrobe is. The internet has lots of definitions, but for the sake of our conversation today,

it's just a limited closet full of clothes you love and that work well together. Some people put limits on how many of each item you can have. I see the number 37 floating around often. Others say that under no circumstances do you buy new clothes once a capsule was created. I've seen a lot of folks buy a lot of new pieces every single season to create a new capsule. Here is the thing. You get to create a capsule wardrobe concept that work. for you. You get to lazy genius your closet however you want to, which leads us to the second thing.

You have to ask yourself why, as we always do. Why are you drawn to a capsule wardrobe at all? Is it the simplicity of not having to think about what to wear every day? Is it like to do us laundry? Is it to save money? Is it to invest in a few quality pieces you love and then wear them out? is it to create better clarity on your style? Is it because it sounds like the thing that organized thoughtful people do and you want to be an organized thoughtful person? Please, please, name why you think you're interested in the idea. Otherwise, you'll build your capsule wrong or you'll build it when you don't even have to. A capsule wardrobe is not for everybody. So you have to start with why before you know if it's right for you.

the why has to come before the how your reason will show you if the approach is worth it to you like if you want to do it because you like the idea of being someone who has a capsule wardrobe that might not be enough to make it happen so name why you want to do it name what matters name what doesn't once you know those things you can move forward better okay so um our third thing here today is just to give yourself some rules right um the reason that capsule wardrobes are often powerful and helpful for the people that use them are because they follow a certain set of rules that work well for that person's priorities. If you're building a capsule wardrobe because you spend too much on clothes, because maybe you buy like a new shirt or two every

single time you go to Target, having a rule of no new purchases is probably a good rule. It's supporting what matters to you if spending less does indeed matter to you. So think through what matters and what doesn't and see if there is a rule or two or three that can support how you approach your closet buying clothes, getting dressed, et cetera, et cetera. Okay, so once you name that stuff, and in a second, I'll share my own approach to this, by the way, you can actually decide whether or not to move forward in like actually creating your capsule wardrobe. You know what your rules are. You know what your priorities are. And you can make your own decisions about where to shop, how much to spend, how detail to be, how minimalistic.

to be, all that stuff. That's usually where we start and that's why you don't go anywhere. I can't really give you info on all of that either because it's all personal. That's why most capsule wardrobes, they feel overwhelming and they don't feel practical. They don't take into account what matters to you. And most of them are black and white and blush pink and maybe you love bright colors and you feel really hemmed in. So I'm going to give you some ideas on how to move forward with like a pseudo traditional capsule wardrobe. But you're a really smart person. If you pay attention to what matters to you, what doesn't matter to you, and you create a few guidelines around those things, you can create your own process for building a capsule wardrobe. You don't need me to do it.

Okay, so let me just give you my personal take on this with my own closet, and then we'll go into a couple of details on how to maybe build your wardrobe. So first thing, my why. Why do I want to have a fairly limited purposeful closet? The first reason is because, I hate trying on four different outfits before I find what feels good. I want everything to feel good the first time. It can actually send me into like a mild tailspin if I try on something that doesn't fit or doesn't feel like me or is falling apart or cost money that feels wasted because I honestly don't love this shirt. Why did I buy it in the first place? Like I don't like starting my day with that vibe. Another reason.

that I like the idea of a capsule wardrobe is because I love well-tailored quality clothes a lot. I feel good in them. They fit me well, and I wear them over and over again without being weird about it. Because those clothes, well-tailored clothes, generally cost more than what I could buy at Target or Old Navy, I can't have a packed closet full of quality. We don't have the cash for that. So it serves me well to have a limited, purposeful wardrobe so that I can actually buy clothes that cost more, but also feel better and last longer and go together. So knowing that, what are my rules? My first rule is only by what I absolutely love. If I don't love it, I won't wear it. And it is rare that I absolutely love something, I find at Target. Now, not always. But my body shape isn't terribly friendly

with like fast fashion. Clothes at Target and Old Navy and places like that are made for the masses. And my body is not really a mass shape. I tend to like things that are tailored a little better so that they sit on my body better. All that to say, if I don't love an item, wherever it's from, if I don't love how it fits, if I don't love how it feels, if I don't love how it looks, I don't buy it. I want a closet of items that I absolutely love and will not take off for the sake of something else every morning. Because remember, putting something on and keeping it on is something that matters to me. That means I only buy it if I absolutely love it, even like a plain white t-shirt. I have to buy it.

okay so my second and final rule i only have two rules really is to not feel badly about spending money on an item of clothing if it's something i'll wear all the time and love i am slowly creating a closet full of quality pieces that i enjoy reaching for even if there's repetition in fact i would rather repeat i keep reaching for the things that are higher quality and repeat them rather than having variety every day um so it is okay for me to spend a hundred and $20 on a pair of jeans that I wear literally every day versus a pair that has like saggy butt and wears out quicker and only costs $30. I'm not going to feel badly about that. Now, if there is no money in the budget for that for you, I understand that challenge.

We used to live that way too. But that's a time to ask for money for Christmas and your birthday and save it to invest in something that you will love. You might want to make your morning coffee at home instead of getting what at Starbucks and you use that few bucks a week to save for a pair of jeans. Everything is an exchange. It doesn't have to feel like heavy or moral, but if you're on a budget, you know that every penny counts and it is okay to make some of your pennies count for a couple of items that are going to enhance your life, even if it takes a little bit longer to get there. Aw, isn't something we need to travel for. It's something waiting for us in everyday life, whether in a city street or a moment.

with a work of art. I'm Dr. Keltner, host of the Science of Happiness podcast. Join me for Cities of Aw, a special series on how our public spaces can spark awe, wonder, and enhance the quality of public life. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. Okay, so my rules are to only buy if I totally love it and to not feel badly if it costs more money, maybe than I'm used to spending. So now I'm not buying shirts. I'm not buying shirts that cost $500. Like, you know, but I might spend $35 on a t-shirt that I will wear constantly versus buying $3, $7 t-shirts that I don't really reach for because they don't fit me like super great.

So I want you to notice that none of my rules have to do with the number of items in my capsule wardrobe or how things go together. They're really just about spending and choosing. You can be thoughtful about your closet without feeling like you have to limit your items and make it pretty enough to share on Instagram. I just want to make that clear. Okay. Now let's say you do want to limit the number or you do want your clothes to talk to each other a little more and you want them to go together well.

You want more of a traditional capsule wardrobe in that regard now that you've decided like, oh no, this is for me. And these are some rules for that. Here are a couple of ways to approach building those clothes. The first thing is to name your style. Like actually name it. If you put a few words to how you want to feel in your clothes, not necessarily how you look. look. But how do you feel? It'll help you create a wardrobe that talks to each other. For me, my style is Kathleen Kelly from You've Got Mail, but if she was on a roller derby team.

I love classic, monochromatic, tailored clothes, but I like an edge. Now, I usually get that edge, not for my clothes, honestly, but for my glasses and my lipstick. True story. So remember, you don't actually have to have your style depend solely on your clothes. But try and name your style. You can use whatever words you want. It doesn't have to be style words that other people use. Also, it might be helpful to name what your style isn't. Or maybe name certain things that are consistent about the clothes that you don't choose or you don't reach for that are already in your closet. I know that there are certain silhouettes and patterns that I just never feel like myself in. I don't usually wear a lot of bright colors. I don't generally like patterns that are not stripes or dots.

I love stripes and dots. But other things I don't really do. I don't love dresses. I don't love flared pants, that kind of thing. I also know that I like tops that have a cuff at the waist. I like wide cropped sweaters. I like soft colors. I don't do off white or beige. I don't do wrapped tops or dresses. Like wool makes me itchy. You know, you get the idea like you can, it's kind of like how, it's kind of like how you might choose recipes. Like, I know what works for us right now and what doesn't in our life in terms of food. So naming those limits and sticking to them, it makes decision making so much easier for me. We don't eat artichokes right now. You know, it's just not on our list of ingredients that we're like entertaining. So if a new recipe idea has artichokes in it,

I just skip the recipe. The same goes for my clothes. I skip wool. I skip wool. I skip beige. I skip most dresses. Name what you can skip. Name how you want to feel. Name what your style is and what it isn't. Having some parameters will make your choices so much easier. I will put a link in the show notes to this, but I wrote a post a while back, like a couple years ago, I think, called Baby Steps to a Capsule Wardrobe. And I talk about utilizing Pinterest to try and name your style. That can be a helpful way to start. so you can sort of notice patterns and what you're drawn to. Basically, you just like pin a bunch of outfits that you're like that. Oh, I like that. And it's not that you're trying to copy those

outfits, but you're looking for patterns. You're looking for things that you didn't pin, things that you skipped. You're looking for like different, you know, things that are going together, that kind of thing. Again, that's in the blog post. So you can check that out in the show notes. Okay. So now to the choosing. Choosing what's in your closet. I would start with what you have for sure before you buy new things. But the first step is to start with a base neutral color, a dark neutral color. Most people will likely choose black or navy, I would think. I actually like both because I really love a navy top with black pants. You know, dark denim could count as navy too, but essentially choose a base dark neutral or two. Then choose a light neutral or two.

white, off white, light gray, blush pink. See how the colors you choose are talking to each other in those two neutral categories. Start there. Now, ask yourself what accent color you want or if you want one. And depending on how much you love color, your accent will be small in a pair of earrings or it might be big in an entire top, right? You decide how much you want to accent that color based on how big the piece is, the surface area of the piece. Okay. So choosing one or two accent colors at most, I think, if you want to go for three, I think that's great. But you want them to go with your chosen neutrals. And you want every single combination to pretty much like more or less go together. So the pieces that you choose, they're based on what you like in terms of like the actual makeup of the closet.

You're likely going to need like two or three bottoms. right, at least a week's worth of tops for the season that you're in, a couple of layering pieces maybe to change things up. Again, it sounds kind of simple. But I think the stress that we feel over a capsule wardrobe is starting with what closed by and not with why we're wanting to do it in the first place. So I think if you go through this process, you're going to feel a little bit more confident in how you're starting things. So as long as you're choosing colors that feel like you, that you really, really like and that go together, whatever combination, whatever ratio of those colors exist in any given outfit, it's going to work, right? It's going to work because you,

you picked it that way. And you can see what already exists in your closet that fits your rules and fits your color palette and then pull out everything else and look at what you have left and say, huh, what do I need to be on the lookout for, right? Okay, so basically you're asking yourself, why? Why do I want to do a capsule wardrobe? And is it worth it? Is that why worth it? If it is, name a couple of rules to help direct you and your choices. Next, put some words to what your style is and what it isn't. You can continue to set those more specific guidelines around what you buy and wear. And then, and only then, do you start shopping for clothes? It is really nice to think in terms of a dark, neutral or two, a light neutral or two, and an accent color or two, all that talk to each other well,

but just don't do that until the end. Otherwise, you're just going to be back where you started, filling your closet with clothes that might work before figuring out what you need to make it actually work. And that's it. I hope that this is an encouraging start to your capsule wardrobe process. And remember, though, this is slow. You know, like take your time. You don't have to figure all of this out now. You don't have to do it the way the internet says. You get to decide how to do this. But I also want to remind you that having a closet like this, it does not make you better. This is not a badge of honor. You don't like not have to dress and shop this way unless you really, really want to. That is so important for me to say and for you to hear right now. So I give you

permission to just like take ownership over how you dress and shop no matter what it looks like. It does not have to match the traditional way that a capsule wardrobe is done. Okay, cool, cool. That is all for today. I will be on Instagram this Thursday around noon Eastern to talk about this more if you have questions. I might actually bring the phone like into my closet and I can show you some things. Remind me, I might forget that in a couple of days. We're together. So you can say in the comments when we're live like, I want to see the closet and we'll see if we can make that happen. The lighting in my bathroom is kind of garbage like in most bathrooms, but we will figure it out. But you can follow me. If you don't follow me on Instagram already, I am at The Lazy Genius. And also don't forget to join the mailing list if you're interested in getting my monthly latest lazy letter. Thanks for all your excitement about the book, about the lazy genius way. You can find information about that at the lazy genius.com.

The next newsletter is going to go out on Wednesday. Just a reminder. And I'm going to be sharing two of my favorite books I've read this year in that newsletter. So if you're interested, links in the show notes. Or you can also go to the lazy genius collective.com slash join to get on that newsletter list. Okay. Thank you so much for listening. Until next time, be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. I'm Kendra, and I'll see you next week.

Have you ever felt like you were living just a B or B plus life? It's so dangerous to live that. more dangerous than a B minus or a C plus life because when you're living a B or B plus life, you don't change it. You think it's good enough. Is it? I'm Susie Welch. I host a podcast called Becoming You.

People think, okay, an A plus life is not available to me, but there is a way. We are all in the process of becoming ourselves. Listen to Becoming You wherever you get your podcasts.