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When I think about my wellness journey, one of the biggest things to make a positive impact was my capsule wardrobe.

I know that might seem strange if you only consider physical wellness – unless you count the activewear I added and actually started using for exercise.

But if you consider a more holistic approach to wellness – mind, body, soul – then it makes a little more sense.

I’ll explain.

When you look good, you feel good

When I started dressing in a way that makes me feel good, I noticed that I smiled more, I got more work done and I was more willing to hang out with people because I felt more confident.

I just felt better overall.

Before, I had been dressing in either sweats (something I personally hate) or clothes that felt really frumpy and shapeless because I was 30 pounds overweight.

I thought that since I wasn’t my ideal size, I couldn’t dress in a way that made me feel good (that’s a whole other conversation). When I realized that I could feel good in my clothes no matter what size I was, I started intentinally buying clothes that felt great.

Limiting our options reduces overwhelm and decision fatigue

I tend to get stressed out with little decisions – What should I wear? What should I have for lunch? Ok, so apparently just those two things.

We have so many stressful things to think about in our daily lives. Figuring out what you’re going to wear doesn’t have to be one of them.

With a capsule wardrobe, you don’t have many clothes but they all mix and match. This means that even if you just randomly pull something out of the closet, it’s going to go.

If only lunch were that easy …

Less clutter … and laundry

I don’t know about you, but clutter makes me crazy while lots of white space makes me feel peaceful. My closet is no exception.

And I don’t know anyone who would rather spend their time cleaning up clutter than doing something they actually like. Like taking a bath or a walk or having coffee with a friend.

My two favorite things about capsule wardrobes (my kids have them, too) are that they take up so little space and there’s much less laundry to do.

I have several friends with kids who say they do multiple loads of laundry every DAY and that it never seems to end. We do roughly eight loads of laundry a week, including two loads of towels/linens and my two weekly loads because my husband and I work out frequently and the activewear NEEDS to be washed.

And frankly, my kids do their own laundry unless I’m feeling generous so I just do mine and my husband’s laundry and the towels.

Laundry is easy to wash, fold and put away quickly. And those days we do have a backup (we aren’t perfect by any means), it doesn’t turn into a huge pile of laundry. It’s one little basket full. Usually towels.

Less time spent doing laundry and cleaning up clutter = more time for simple wellness practices.

A few tips on building your capsule wardrobe

Build one no matter how you feel about your body

If you want to lose weight, creating a capsule wardrobe full of clothes that you feel great in will only help. Trust me.

When I built my first capsule wardrobe, I was 30 pounds over weight and felt gross in everything I wore. When I started intentionally picking pieces that felt and looked good, though, I noticed a shift.

I went from being obsessed with how I gross I felt to feeling really good about my appearance.

The only difference was that I started dressing the body I had well instead of wishing for a different body and wearing stuff I hated until I had one I liked. I started to really appreciate and like my body. That’s when I was able to make changes that stuck – it was totally out of love.

Don’t go broke

If money is an issue, there’s no reason it all has to be brand new. A vast majority of my capsule wardrobe is second hand, either from thrift stores or consignment shops. If I can’d find something at my favorite local consignment shop, I check ThredUp. And I’ve scored a few good items at clothing swaps.

If I do buy new, I focus on getting quality pieces that will last a long time. That usually means more money upfront, but from my experience, I end up getting my money’s worth and more.

Make it sustainable

Shopping second hand is a great way to reduce waste and make your capsule wardrobe a more sustainable thing. If you buy new, look for companies that create high-quality clothing. Many of them are focused on more sustainable production.

Prana’s hemp line is my current favorite for comfortable, sustainable clothing that lasts a long time.

Want more tips? Here are some more posts:

How finding my style helped simplify my wardrobe

Minimalist tips for using StitchFix

5 tips for creating a capsule wardrobe

How to create a capsule wardrobe for kids