Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: The Absolute Best Essentials You Need 2023

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: When it comes to a capsule wardrobe, many still don’t know what it is and what it’s supposed to be good for. We’ll clarify these and more questions today and maybe also show you a little taste of the special style kind.

In addition, we’ll show you – based on the last fashion years – what shouldn’t be missing in your capsule wardrobe this winter and where you can re-shopped it in the easiest way to have less stress and less time wasted.

Here’s to a great winter full of new, exciting, and beautiful outfits!

Let’s build that Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist!

Table of Contents

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

A Capsule Wardrobe is made up of a few essential and classic pieces of clothing that serve the purpose of being able to be mixed and matched over and over again, so you can create a variety of different outfits with just a few pieces.

In addition, the timeless clothes, mostly made of neutral colors, complement each other. That makes outfit creation a lot easier. But of course, it’s not about wearing only boring pieces that you don’t like: it’s more about limiting your closet to a few pieces that suit your personal style, that you feel comfortable in and that you love.

Then it will be a breeze for you, and you’ll never again experience the stress of not knowing what to wear in the morning. That’s what makes getting ready fun, right?

Sounds perfect? It is.

Is a Capsule Wardrobe Worth it?

Yes, it’s definitely worth it!

There are many valuable benefits of a capsule wardrobe, but one of the main benefits is for sure that you’ll wear only your favorite clothes because you’ll get rid of everything you don’t like or feel comfortable in.

Besides, deciding what to wear will be faster and easier, which means that you will have less stress regarding your outfits. Trust me, this makes a huge difference in your everyday life!

For example, it has helped me to always be classically dressed. This might sound a little silly, but I used to have a hard time sticking to a fancy dress code when I was still sitting at home in sweatpants and comfy sweaters, knowing I was about to have to slip into my uncomfortable blouse. However, since having a capsule wardrobe for all seasons, I’m always styled in the best way – with less effort.

It also helps you save money by buying fewer clothes and being more conscious of the clothes you already own or buy new. It also helps to organize and tidy up your closet – and keep it tidy, too 😉

Besides these practical benefits, it can also boost your confidence as you find your personal style and figure out what suits you best and what you feel most comfortable in.

7 Benefits Why You Should Have a Capsule Wardrobe:

1. You’ll Always be Well Dressed

By not having to think about what to wear in the morning when you’re half asleep or stressed, you’re less likely to wear an outfit that’s too casual or one that might be inappropriate.

In a nutshell, it means you’re less mistake-prone. As a result, you’ll always be dressed appropriately and always be well styled.

2. You Save Money

Self-explanatory, right?

By relying on a select range of clothes you love, you don’t have to chase short-term trends or constantly buy new clothes. After all, the pieces you’d love to have, have you already – at least similar ones.

I know there are always new pieces coming on the market and even some that intrigue us, but trust me, once you own a great variety of pieces, you’ll keep thinking to yourself, “Those pants are so nice, but luckily I have similar ones like that already!”

It’ll lighten the load on your wallet, and maybe in a few months you’ll be able to use that money to make a little – or even a big – dream come true? A romantic trip, for example?

3. You Increase Your Confidence

By focusing on the clothes you love and weeding out the ones you never wore anyway or don’t like, you’ll go through life with more confidence.

After all, the famous quote, “I’m nicer when I like my outfit,” applies here.

4. You Save Time

That should have become clear now, I think: You’ll save a lot of time if you don’t have to ask yourself the same question over and over again in the morning about what you want to wear today.

Now you can simply choose from your variation of clothes, which all look good in different combinations. So you can just blindly grab a pair of pants and a top – they almost always go together.

5. You Have Less Stress

So a capsule wardrobe means less stress in your life overall.

You don’t have to fret that the clothes don’t fit you or that you don’t look good in combination.

There is also less maintenance and repair required because you have fewer garments. You’re also more likely to choose garments that are easy to care for, and they’re easier to pack when you travel or move.

6. It’s Environmentally Friendly

Another very good reason for a capsule wardrobe is the sustainable aspect.

By owning mainly timeless pieces and buying less new fashion, you usually wear your clothes for years. This leads to a much improved ecological footprint in the long run, for example, you don’t support fast fashion stores that release a lot of water, waste, and chemicals – and under miserable working conditions.

So not only are you acting in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way if you have a capsule wardrobe, but you are saving real lives that would otherwise have suffocated from the chemicals released in the factories. This is no longer an exception, but unfortunately, the pure reality and this is increasing more and more.

7. You Are in a Better Mood

Marketing is nowadays indispensable and almost exclusively responsible for the fact that we constantly think and feel that we aren’t good enough – don’t have enough.

What most consumers often forget in the process is that those new pants, that new designer bag, or those heavily discounted slingbacks won’t fill that need “for more.” On the contrary, they get you used to wanting more and more – until you eventually reach the point where you’re either broke or mentally down – or both at the same time.

And the paradox is that these aggressive marketing strategies come from people who basically want to satisfy the same need: To want more and more – not more clothes, but more money. And with that money, most employees buy a lot of clothes too. You understand the cycle.

Getting out of that toxic cycle and focusing on your own range of clothes makes you free and independent from this cycle of manipulation. Yes, it is nothing but exploitation – at the expense of your wallet and mental health.

As a result, you’ll gradually be in a better and better mood and, moreover, you’ll no longer be so easily influenced. Trust me, it’s worth it.

How to Create Your Perfect Winter Capsule Wardrobe

To create your perfect capsule wardrobe for the colder season, you need to know what clothes make up a well-organized capsule wardrobe.

You need the following clothes:

Basic Tees & Tops
Cream/White & Black Jeans
Classic Blue Jeans
Sweaters & Knitted Pullovers
Pleated Trousers
Dresses
Blazers
Wool Coat
Basic Sneakers & a Pair of Boots
Handbags
Accessories (Sunglasses, Hats & Belts)
Everyday Jewelry

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: These Are The Essentials You Need in 2022

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 2 Basic T-Shirts

Basic t-shirts are must-haves in your capsule wardrobe.

At the very least owning one white and one black t-shirt is integral to any wardrobe.

And when it comes to high-quality basic t-shirts, it’s not that easy to find good ones.

Among thousands that I have tried so far, I have always come back to the heavyweight t-shirts from COS*, because for me they simply have by far the best quality.

100% cotton and a pleasantly thick fabric have never disappointed me personally – no matter how you combine or style the shirts, they always keep their shape, and don’t wrinkle or shrink. These T-shirts last for years and then still look like the first day!

Ladies, a recommendation from my heart from someone who has already tried everything in that direction.

Don’t walk, run, girls!!!

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 3 Button-Down Shirts

Next, we’ll talk about shirts – button-down shirts to be exact.

There I would recommend having three: One white, one black, and one blue, as these three colors are simply the easiest to combine and at the same time are timeless classics that go with pretty much everything.

Either go for silk or cotton/poplin as an everyday shirt.

Linen shirts can be combined in a variety of styles and have the advantage of not letting you sweat so quickly. But they wrinkle very quickly and so you can’t easily get that ironed smooth. Thus, outfits with linen shirts often look unkempt and not well done. So in everyday life, I’d rather keep my hands off linen.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 2-3 Tops

When it comes to basic tank tops, a well-organized closet should have 2-3 of them: White, black, and potentially also one very similar to what you also go for like a beige color or grey.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 1 Trench Coat

A trench coat is another must-have piece in any closet because it goes with any outfit and enhances every look at the same time.

Due to its classic chic style, a timeless trench coat just always looks elegant and is super easy to combine.

Moreover, it’s suitable for the transition to autumn or even on warmer winter days when you want to create a casual but elegant everyday look. Because this chic coat isn’t only elegant, but also light, depending on the type, it’s perfect for the transition to autumn or warmer autumn/winter days.

Of course, the absolute classics here are those of Burberry*, who first designed the light coats, but nowadays there are also many high-quality trench coats from other brands, which are often cheaper. So if you are on a budget, you should try one from COS*, Arket, Mango*, or Massimo Dutti. From the quality, they are usually just as good – but only half the price of the Burberry* ones.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 2 Blazers

In an elegant, timeless capsule wardrobe, of course, no blazer should be missing.

The chic jackets look very good over any outfit and immediately make you look a lot more confident, self-assured, and elegant.

We have often written about the topic of blazers and those who have been following our blog for a while know that it is one of the most difficult things to find a high-quality blazer that doesn’t cost a lot of money.

In winter, it’s the wool content in the fabric mix that determines the quality and longevity of a blazer.

It’s no use walking around in winter with a cheaply put-together polyester blazer, as you’ll freeze just looking at it. And as soon as there are a bit too many synthetic fabrics in it, the blazer will lose its shape and wrinkle just by looking at it – anything but elegant!

A wool blazer is the best way to keep you warm in this case, as the soft fabric lets almost no air through and protects you from the cold. Another huge advantage is the durability of the fabric, which always cleans itself with enough fresh air.

For example, I have a 100% virgin wool blazer from my dad that still looks the same as the first day even after 30 years, and is simply unbeatable when it comes to cold. It’s never happened to me that this blazer has wrinkled or lost its shape – and I’ve never had to wash the good piece – you shouldn’t with the delicate material. As soon as you put it on, the unpleasant smell from the Asian restaurant, for example, is already gone. 😉

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 3 Sweaters / Knitted Pullovers

In winter, sweaters and pullovers are simply unavoidable. They keep you warm, always look timelessly beautiful, and are also cozy and soft, which conjure up an unforgettably comfortable look for you.

It’s best to decide for yourself according to your country and its temperatures as well as your own preferences whether you prefer three sweaters made of cotton or the thicker knitted pullovers. Of course, you can mix them.

In terms of color, there are no limits, but it’s best to go for minimalist earth tones like black, white, and beige.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 1 Black Dress

Another item that every closet needs is at least one black dress. It would be best if you have a longer and a shorter one here that you can swap depending on the occasion.

Moreover, if you choose to have two dresses, it’d be good to choose a fancier one and a casual one to match them to the occasion.

According to Karl Lagerfeld, a black dress not only suits every woman, but the strong color also has the advantage of radiating sovereignty, elegance, and mystery.

Accordingly, a black dress that you love is a perfect balance and a really nice piece for fancy dinners or an event.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 2 Blue Jeans

With a classic pair of jeans, you definitely need one lighter and one darker.

Here I would go with the ones from Levis* and choose the standard 501 models* because they are the most timeless and also very easy to combine.

In addition, I personally prefer thicker denim, because with more elastane (i.e. stretch content) the jeans wear out faster, which means that in the end you have less of your jeans and may have to buy them again.

So make sure from the beginning to buy high-quality jeans that you can wear for years.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 1 Cream Jeans & 1 Black Jeans

Also, white or cream jeans and black are absolute must-haves that you can pair with anything.

I personally wear in the summer namely most rather timeless, brighter outfits, which is why I wear most white jeans with a white or blue button-down shirt.

Towards fall or winter, I usually replace my beloved white jeans from Mango* with my black ones also from Mango to create more contrasting, darker outfits for this season.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: 2 Straight Leg Pants

You can never go wrong with black as well as beige (pleated) pants.

These pants are already more elegant and chic in nature than the jeans but are at least as easy to combine. They have the advantage of turning any outfit into a chic business outfit in no time.

But they are also great for everyday wear because the pants are usually very light and comfortable.

I’d additionally recommend the “straight leg” cut here – just like with the jeans – because they fall most casually and at the same time most elegantly.

Too tight pants, as well as skinny jeans, are in my opinion difficult to combine and are also not the most comfortable pants.

Straight-leg fit pants will slim your leg and showcase it at the same time, giving your body a beautifully feminine silhouette.

Winter Capsule Wardrobe Checklist: The Absolute Best Essentials You Need 2023

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

Is a Capsule Wardrobe Worth it?