Living out of a capsule wardrobe

According to Google, originally a capsule wardrobe is defined as a "compact wardrobe made up of staple pieces in coordinating colours, usually in the realm of 30 items or fewer, including shoes and sometimes even accessories".

While the original idea requires you to stick to it for the whole year, I decided to tone it down to around a dozen items to experiment for a month. 

WEEK 1 

It is advised to bring your wardrobe down to pieces that you really love and clothes that can be worn by mixing and matching. I stowed away most of my clothes at the back of the closet and made room for some new ones. Since I already like to strip away colours from my life, my closet too is mostly devoid of hues that speak happiness, attractiveness and all that crap. I learned that this is a bonus because it means my collection is more cohesive and I have a greater combination of outfits. If my knowledge from permutation and combination is still intact, I have calculated that I will have 3859 different outfits. 

The first week was easy; I just grabbed whatever top and pant that was just within my reach. I had begun with enough items to wear for the entire week without repetition of a single item. 

WEEK 2

I thought this would be easy but every day I have to remember what I wore before so that I don't accidentally wear the same outfit in a span of few days. 

WEEK 3

I realised one major perk of this whole thing, I can go about a fortnight without washing any of the clothes, given that I didn't get caught up in a waterlogged street caused by torrential Dhaka rain or the pool of sweat induced from sudden 38 degree weather. 

However at this point coming up with outfit combinations is like the algebra lady meme - a lot of brainwork. Repetitions are practically unavoidable.  

WEEK 4

My calculation was wrong. I can't seem to come up with any new formula for a socially acceptable outfit. Someone asked me if I really love my already fading pizza emblazoned T-shirt so much because he has seen me wearing it to class too often. 

I also have a party coming up and I discovered I have no party wear in my current collection. My entire capsule wardrobe has made too many guest appearances on people's Snapchat stories for me to be photographed in. 

Verdict: The original idea is a really good idea. Having around 30 items mean you can rotate your outfits without wearing something too frequently.  

A capsule wardrobe won't necessarily fit into your lifestyle but it is an attractive option nevertheless due to the fact that it allows you to invest less time and energy buying, choosing or caring for clothes. It represents a minimalist and less materialistic approach to life and in the long run saves you a lot of cash that can be used for a greater cause. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not anti-fashion and you can make this work just as well if you are fashion savvy.