8 capsule wardrobe essentials for your closet

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of versatile clothing pieces that work together to create a variety of looks. Think of a capsule wardrobe as the basic building blocks of your closet, with pieces like shirts, trousers, jackets, skirts, dresses, and more.

Aside from having more control over your closet’s contents, having a solid capsule wardrobe means getting dressed in less time and avoiding decision fatigue. No more emptying drawers on drawers to put together an outfit for brunch — getting ready can go from drag to brag in a snap.

Read on for our list of 8 capsule wardrobe essentials for your closet.

1. Tailored Trousers

Nothing beats a form-fitting pair of trousers. A timeless piece, trousers are relatively easy to make with the proper guidance. A Stylish Guide to Classic Sewing is a guide through thirty timeless garments to make for yourself, including patterns and instructions. With a conversational narrative, the authors have created an engaging, informative guide to sewing by tracing the origins of each garment, along with styling and sewing tips, charming fashion illustrations, and a modeled photo gallery.

2. Fitted for You Shirt

Never underestimate the power of a perfectly-fitting shirt. All you need are a few basic options — white, black, grey, plus a few of your favorite colors — and you have endless outfits. Pair that shirt with a blazer for a professional look, and easily use that same pairing with white sneakers for a put-together brunch outfit. If you prefer to learn by following along, Creative Spark has an online course called Stress-Free Shirt-Making. As the name suggests, the course shows you how to make a classic shirt using the most straightforward, stress-free techniques possible. Use the skills taught in this course as a stress-free foundation for making wardrobe basics and other sewing projects.

3. A Tunic

Well respected in the sewing industry for their pattern reviews and online garment challenges, Sarah Gunn and Julie Starr make the tunic accessible and exciting for those with basic sewing skills and beyond. Their book, The Tunic Bible, shows you to sew the perfect tunic to express your style—from simple and modest to daring and chic! Mix and match collars, neck plackets, and sleeves for an endless variety of professional, store-quality results. Stitch up a sharp bodice pattern, designed to fit sizes XS to XXL, in assorted lengths, styles, and trims.

4. A Black Dress

You knew it was coming. A little black dress is absolutely a must-have. And can we give a little commotion for this simple dress pattern? The best part is that this pattern is so easy to make, and the instructions use what’s already in your closet. The secret is using Karoline Dahrling Hughes’s Stylehacking, Sew a Creative Wardrobe. The book shows you how to take the essentials found in every closet (a camisole, a tee, a jumper, a pair of trousers, and leggings) and learn how to transform them into something new. Advice ranges from hemming and elastic techniques, stitch and fabric guides, and basic sewing principles.

5. Pretty Patterned Dress

You can draw attention to your favorite printed garments by pairing them with solid fabrics. Take the image as an example. The dress, the neckline is *chef’s kiss*. Whether you have basic sewing skills or are a confident dressmaker, The Savvy Seamstress makes it so easy to add or remove pockets, adjust the neckline, or swap a zippered back to a button front on any dress pattern! If you enjoy thrifting, you can use a dress as a base and use the book to make all the modifications you need to fit your shape and style.

6. High-low Skirt

She’s fun, she’s confident, she’s casual. We present to you: the high-low skirt. It gives traveling across Europe or a day trip to the beach and farmer’s market vibes. The point is that high-low skirts are a wonderful addition to your capsule wardrobe as it is a versatile piece that is easy to dress up and dress casually. With the recent trending 2000s/Y2K statement pieces making a comeback, this skirt will likely keep rising in popularity. You can make your own with Patternless Sewing Mod Style, which has this skirt as one of its many patternless projects.

7. A Coat

Fall fashion means layers, boots, and (best of all) coats! Having the perfect coat makes putting outfits together effortless. Whether you are making a coat from scratch or looking to modify a coat you already own, Barbara Emodi’s Stress-Free Sewing Solutions shows sewists of all skills surprising new ways to make pockets, zipper openings, and more.

8. A Reliable Garment Planner

While a planner is not necessarily something you can wear, having a reliable space to organize your projects can make a HUGE difference. Especially if you’re planning on making your way through creating all the essential pieces in this blog post. This Garment Maker’s Project Planner helps you set your project goals, track progress, and manage your time and works-in-progress (WIPs). Take a look at this sample page, and you’ll see a space to jot down your garment bucket list.

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