I realize there is something slightly ironic about me writing an article essentially telling you that you need fewer clothes. I love clothes. I love getting dressed. I love finding something new that completely changes an outfit…and I will probably always be able to justify adding something to my closet. But the more attention I pay to what I actually wear, the more I’ve realized that the best outfits in my closet usually start with the same handful of pieces: a great pair of black pants, the perfect T-shirt, jeans that fit perfectly on my butt, a really good sweater, a phenomenal blazer, a crisp button-down, the jackets I can throw over anything. They’re the pieces I build everything else around. And I think I’ve finally figured out that that is what I want from a capsule wardrobe.
I’m not interested in the version of a capsule wardrobe where you pare your entire closet down to 20 pieces and suddenly decide you no longer need anything else. That’s never going to be me. I like having options. I like trying trends. I like the very specific top that only works with one pair of pants. I like the emotional purchase that makes absolutely no practical sense but makes an outfit infinitely better.
What I want is a capsule within my wardrobe. A foundation of really great staples that I know fit, that I know work together and that I can reach for without thinking. If I have those pieces right, getting dressed becomes infinitely easier (and I can be much more selective about what I add around them). So if I were building my closet from scratch, this is where I’d start.
This is probably the category I have the strongest opinions about because the perfect tee is one of those things that sounds incredibly simple until you actually try to find it. The neckline matters. The sleeve matters. The weight matters. The length matters. Even the way it falls when you tuck it into jeans matters.
I’m very into Flore Flore for this exact reason. Their Jill tee is the kind of elevated basic I mean when I talk about building a capsule. Leset’s Margo Tee is another favorite silhouette.
And I don’t think this category has to stop at the classic short-sleeve tee. A really good tank and long-sleeve serve the exact same purpose. Once you know the shapes that work for you, these become the starting point for half your wardrobe.
A really flattering pair of black pants and a great pair of trousers. The key word here is flattering. I don’t think you need five different versions of black pants. I think you need the pair that you put on and immediately feel good in.
They should be able to go from a T-shirt and ballet flats during the day to a blouse and heel at night. Add a blazer and you’re polished. Add a leather jacket and suddenly the same pants feel completely different.
I’m partial to something with a little movement rather than a super-stiff trouser. The Almina Concept's Wool Wide Leg Pull-On Pant is exactly the kind of silhouette I mean, while The Row’s Gala Wide-Leg Crepe Pants are the investment version I’d happily keep forever. (The budget friendly version of these are Clyque’s Tommy Pant, which I highly recommend pre-ordering because they have sold out 10x at this point.
A white button-down is probably one of the hardest-working pieces on this entire list. Tucked into black pants, open over a tank, half-tucked into jeans, worn with shorts, layered underneath a sweater…it can basically become whatever you need it to be.
The Toteme Garderob shirt is pretty much exactly what I want here: oversized without swallowing you and crisp without feeling corporate. I also love Attersee’s Cocoon Shirt or Comme Si’s Cotton Poplin Shirt if you want something with a little more oversized fit.
This is another category where I’d rather have two or three sweaters I genuinely love than a giant stack of ones that are almost right.
I want a black sweater when I need something sharper and cream, camel, or beige when I want something softer. Both should work with every pair of pants and jeans in the capsule, over a button-down, thrown over your shoulders, or layered underneath a jacket.
If we’re talking investment sweaters, The Row’s Nian cashmere sweater is basically the dream. Éterne’s Francis is another perfect example of how good something incredibly simple can look when the proportions are right.
I don’t think your capsule jeans should necessarily be the jeans that are most on-trend at that exact moment. They should be the jeans that look best on you.
For me, that means a really good fitted denim that feels polished enough to wear at night. The Khaite Danielle is basically my north star for this category: clean, straight, flattering, no unnecessary bells and whistles. I also have an unhealthy addition to vintage denim. Ali Grace makes some great pairs, as does Lenny (IRL appointment only).
If everything before this is the foundation of the outfit, this is the category that changes the mood. A really good black blazer might be the easiest way to make almost anything in your closet feel finished. Throw it over a white tee and jeans. Wear it with black pants and a black tee. Put it over a blouse. Wear it with shorts. The Toteme Garderob blazer is exactly the kind of slightly oversized / clean silhouette I love.
Then I want two jackets that take those same outfits in completely different directions. A trench over a tee and jeans immediately feels polished and classic. I like one that’s slightly oversized and long enough to feel relaxed rather than overly proper. The Victoria Beckham Philippa is such a good version of this.
And then there’s the leather jacket. It’s what I want when a blazer feels too polished or a trench feels too classic. Toteme does exactly the kind I love: clean and minimal enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re suddenly dressing as a different person.
This is probably the category where my definition of “capsule” gets tested the most because I will obviously never own only five pairs of shoes. But if we’re talking about the shoes that make everything else work, these cover most of the bases.
A ballet flat has become a genuine everyday staple for me. I love the Jamie Haller High Vamp because it has a little more personality than a traditional ballet flat while still going with basically everything. Then you need the summer equivalent: a barely-there sandal. A.Emery’s Viola is the type of shoe you can wear all summer and into fall without having to think about it.
Accessories are where I think a capsule wardrobe gets a little more personal. The clothes can be incredibly simple, but the bag, sunglasses, belt, or jewelry you add are often what make the outfit actually feel like you.
For the true foundation, though, I think you need an everyday bag that works with your actual life. Maybe that’s a tote, shoulder bag, top handle, or crossbody. It should fit what you carry and work with almost everything you own. The Row’s Agnes 12 is obviously the dream version, and I love the Savette Florence Hobo for the same reason: simple shape, beautiful proportions, nothing unnecessary.
Then you need something smaller for nighttime. Ideally something that works with denim and a tee just as easily as it does with a dress. The Toteme Mini T-Lock is a perfect example.
And finally: sunglasses. I don’t think there’s a universal shape everyone needs. You need your sunglasses: the pair you can put on with essentially anything and immediately feel more pulled together. Maybe that’s something substantial like the Khaite x Oliver Peoples, or something more delicate like the Miu Miu ovals.
That’s all you really need! Okay, not literally. But if I were rebuilding my closet from scratch, these are the categories I’d get right first. The goal isn’t to own less; it’s to have a foundation that makes getting dressed easy, so everything else can be the fun stuff: the color, the print, the weird shoe, the emotional purchase you absolutely did not need but can’t stop thinking about.
I pulled together all of my favorite versions of each (from the perfect tees and black pants to the jackets, flats, bags, and sunglasses) all in one place. Happy shopping!
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