Capsule Wardrobe: an Adventure in Minimalism

As a plus-sized living in an Asian country where the clothes are tiny, I got overwhelmed by the wide array of plus-size clothing that I could get my hands on once I moved to Australia. Before, I don't even bother looking at clothes at the mall knowing they won't fit me, I have to look in the men section or for 'oversized' with a lot of stretch in the ladies department. Buying online from say ASOS is a hassle cause I don't have a credit card plus I have to calculate the custom in a pretty untrustworthy postal service. And here, I can sourced plus-sized very easily online, and bargains from ebay and even a special section at the thrift shop. So yeah I amassed a lot of clothing quite quickly. Even if I practiced 'before things go in, other things must go out system', my tiny wardrobe still chock-a-block with stuffs I don't wear. Basically, I SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY AND TOO MUCH TIME BUYING CRAP THAT NEVER GETS WORN.

The idea of having a basic/classic wardrobe sprouted, I dunno four or five years ago when I start doing pinterest, you know one of those closet-must-have-list that being repinned a thousands over. Although I never act on it, cause I just take whatever I can get that fits me, besides basic/classic is not really my style. So I never really act on it.

Afer a Labor Day/Birthday shopping binge, I kinda sobered up and have been planning to sort out my stuff, and one day I listened to an Konmari method podcast by my lovely friend Dindie.... then Bam! Eureka moment! Go listen!

However I did not buy the book, just some research on pinterest and youtube, and like my eyeliner and life in general, simply wing it. If I procrastinate a little longer, most probably it will never get done. While doing that I also encountered suggestions of Capsule Wardrobe and really like the idea. What I am trying to do is to combined the two methods together.

A typical capsule wardrobe suggestion is filled with basic and classic pieces like white button downs, breton stripes, black t-shirt, camel trench with a side of serving of black leather or denim jacket for fashion-edginess. Just try to type 'Capsule Wardrobe' and you'll see what I mean.

My problem with the suggested capsule wardrobe, is well, it is visually unappealing, it's the same 'staples' and lack of variations, even cookie-cutter-ish. And it is seasonal so you change or trade up your items every season and store the rest away. So. Much. Hassle. Besides extra storage is a no no while doing a Konmari.

But I really really love the idea of a curated wardrobe where you could just pick stuff randomly and it will work and you will love it. I ended up with 45-50 items of clothing in total. However I did not count my bags, accessories/jewelries, and shoes for my decadent heart just could not bear too much minimalism. I do however do some culling, and get rid of things I like but don't really love. I also kept all things that my friends made for sentimental reasons. This curating will be and on-going process for me, so far I really like the way my wardrobe look and feel. And reduced quite a lot of stuffs. If you are interested in trying here is a few helpful link,

How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe

Be More with Less

You're Doing the Capsule Wrong

I love the shocking impact of doing a Konmari as you perceived your mountain of stuffs. You might think you don't have all that much but when you pile them all up in one place, you will see, and you don't ever want to ever have that massive amount of stuff anymore. But since Konmari is all about how you feel, you could end-up with mish-mash sentimental stuffs that don't really work together. And I don't have time to really do everything all at once. So I did it in bite-sized portions, which works better for me. 

You  have to see the Konmari Magic by following the link below:

How to fold T Shirt
How to fold Underwear and Socks
She Could Fold Anything Really

And look what I did with my husband's tees. 

Before Konmari, I used the Army Roll. It saved A LOT OF SPACE and sounds badass, BUT my husband will just unroll it and if it's not the that he wanted, he just chuck them back in resulting in a pile of t shirt on top of the basket. With Konmari you could actually see the graphics so you pretty much know what you will be getting. It's been one week and a half, and so far, my husband's corner is still tidy.

God this is a long post..... So yeah I should wrap it up cause the dishes are not going to clean itself and the laundry needs to be hang.... Ok, here's what I learned so far

1. It is not because you have nothing to wear, but because the things you do not wear is obscuring away the things you can actually wear. By reducing the amount of clothing in your closet, you could actually see what you really have. Inspirations come a lot quicker.I think I am gonna continue to keep my wardrobe under 50 items. And try to limit buying fashion things to 5 per season (6 months since we only have summer and winter here)
2. When culling your clothes, approached it as if you are packing for a holiday. It should be versatile, comfy, and makes you feel good. Think of how many outfit combinations you can do with the items immediately, don't think too hard. Throw in an odd piece that you love anyway even if doesn't go with anything as long as you would actually wear it.
3. Don't just touch it, try it on! Especially on the 'Maybe' piles. I have this black bodycon I only wore once and almost throw it away, but when I tried it on I could pull so many combos with it even proceed doing the whole process wearing it since although a bit formal, the dress is pretty comfy.
4. Make do and mend! Ask yourself why you don't wear that anymore? Is it because the hem is too long, didn't fit right, etc. Then ask what can you do with it to make it work? How much you are willing to spend to have it tailored if you cannot fix it yourself? I have this dress that I looooove so much, on which I have been coveting for a long while that I got on a Labor Day sale, but hesitate to wear since the torso did not fit right. I recently brought it to a tailor and ask her to make it as a skirt instead, cause the bottom part fits me perfectly.
5. Now I understand the importance of a good basic and a good fit. The last time I have a plain white tee is maybe 10-13 years ago, I am a pretty sloppy person, I spill food and drinks all the time, That's partly  why most of my clothes are black. Now I have 2 white tees and they are pretty good, I just have to invest in bleach. 
6. Try to not compromise on your ideals. No more impulse buying just because it's on sale, or cheap or whatever. If it does not fit me properly and would not love in say two or three years. Forget about it.
7. To really understand quality over quantity and think in long terms.I Only done it for two weeks now and it really change how I think when buying stuffs. 
8. Color palettes and rules be damned! You do you boo-boo! Cause your personal style should reflect who you are, and you should have fun with it.