Capsule Wardrobes: ‘less is luxury’

By Elspeth Chapman

From Pexels: Photo By: Kaboompics.com  

Have you ever found yourself frantically emptying your wardrobe before an event, only to feel like nothing works? Whether it’s drinks with friends or an important business meeting, we’ve all been scrambling through clothes, yet unable to create the right look. With fast-paced fashion cycles, more people are turning to capsule wardrobes to solve wardrobe clutter and decision fatigue.  

“Buy Less, Choose Well, Make it Last” – Vivienne Westwood 

So, what is a capsule wardrobe?  

At its core, a capsule wardrobe is a carefully curated collection of timeless and versatile clothing pieces. The idea is to select high-quality items that can be mixed and matched effortlessly, creating a variety of outfits with fewer clothes.  

The short history of ‘Capsule Wardrobes’:  

The concept was coined by British designer Susie Faux in the early 1970s. Surrounded by high-quality growing up, Faux began feeling overwhelmed by the rapid pace of trends as she matured. Her goal was simple: to curate a collection of essential pieces that could work together to create a variety of outfits, eliminating decision fatigue in the process. In the 1980s American designer Donna Karan took inspiration from Faux’s vision to provide a wardrobe of well-made basics. Karan launched her "Seven Easy Pieces" collection, which displayed a handful of key items that could be switched to create countless outfits. 

By the 2000s, people began embracing the concept as a way to declutter their wardrobes, reduce impulse purchases and focus on long-lasting versatile clothing. With the growing emphasis on sustainability, capsule wardrobes have become a symbol of advocating to prioritize durability and timelessness. Today, the capsule wardrobe is as relevant as ever, with fashion enthusiasts embracing it as a more sustainable approach to clothing. 

“By building a capsule wardrobe you will buy fewer clothes of a higher quality that you will wear more often. You will look and feel confident and successful.”– Susie Faux.  

The 'Less is Luxury' Mindset 

Minimalism and sustainability are buzzwords in fashion today. "Less is luxury" challenges the idea that luxury is defined by excess. A wardrobe bursting with trendy items is often mistaken for luxury, but a luxurious wardrobe is found after curating fewer, higher-quality pieces that serve multiple purposes. As Vivienne Westwood advised in British Vogue, “We have to stick to the three R’s—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Reduce the amount of clothes you are buying, buy quality not quantity, and keep wearing it… wear the evening dress to work if you must!” 

This focus shift is about understanding the durability, craftsmanship, and versatility of mindful purchases. For instance, a handcrafted pair of leather boots is luxurious, built to last and crafted with care. Items like these elevate style while reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion’s wasteful production and disposable culture. 

As sustainability remains a priority for many, capsule wardrobes are seen as a solution to wardrobe fatigue and also as a choice against fleeting trends. With luxury brands focusing more on longevity, circular fashion is becoming the next biggest thing, services such as rentals and repairs are increasingly popular. In this ever-changing industry, the luxury capsule wardrobe offers a forward-thinking approach to fashion where less truly is more.