The Capsule Wardrobe That Worked
Before we dive into today’s newsletter, I want to take a moment to send my heartfelt thoughts to everyone in LA and those with families are affected by the fires. If you’re able to donate or feel moved to help, I’ve linked a few resources, including letters and Google Docs, that are full of organizations or GoFunds you can donate to:
GoFundMe’s To Help Families Rebuild (This is a list complied by Black Image Center of Black families in need in the Altadena area.)
How To Help Victims Of The LA Fires- Victoria De La Fuente
Hi from LA- Laurel Pantin
The 2025 LA Wildfires: Resources on Evacuation Zones and How to Help Victims- Nicole Simonek
Also Ali LaBelle is buying and distributing supplies and you can Venmo her @Ali-LaBelle
In addition, I’ll be donating a portion of the revenue generated from this post via affiliate links as well as from new paid subscriptions to Welcome to Chinatown’s LA Fire Relief Sik Faan Fund, where all donations will go towards purchasing meals from small business for first responders and evacuees. If you need someone to talk to, my DMs are always open. And if you have any information or updates to share, please feel free to use the chat as a message board to help others stay informed. To all my friends and community in LA, I love you and I’m here for you.
As I mentioned briefly at the end of December, after a lovely stint upstate, Nick and I moved back to the city. The move consumed most of the month: a portion was spent searching for a new place, and once we found it, we tackled the move in three phases. We drove down twice with smaller loads (mostly clothes, haha), followed by the big move at the start of January.
To alleviate some of the chaos, I decided to streamline my wardrobe to just 20 items: five coats, four sweaters, four pairs of shoes, three tops, three bottoms, and one bag (If you’re wondering why I chose 20 pieces, it was honestly a bit arbitrary. I initially set aside around 25, but as the weeks went on, I found myself consistently reaching for just 20 of them.). Essentially, I built a capsule wardrobe to see me through packing, the move, and unpacking. To my surprise, it turned out to be incredibly effective. It simplified the packing process, helped me identify pieces I was ready to part with, and allowed me to stay focused while juggling the end-of-year responsibilities alongside the move. Most importantly, it reminded me how good it feels to truly make use of my clothes.
What I didn’t anticipate was how refreshed I’d feel after this period of constraint. Wearing the same curated selection for weeks felt like adopting a uniform, and that experience sparked an unexpected burst of creativity. Clothes that had previously felt uninspiring started to reveal new possibilities, and interacting with my full wardrobe again brought fresh styling impulses—like the urge to wear pleated skirts and floral lace tights. (Unfortunately, the weather has put those ideas on ice for now.) Coming out of this process, I’ve found a deeper appreciation for what I already own and a renewed sense of excitement when it comes to getting dressed.
That said, I’m not necessarily a fan or believer in the capsule wardrobe or better yet the capsule wardrobe mindset. To me, building a wardrobe with that mindset frames style as something finite: I have this set amount of clothes, and that’s it. But style is so much more than that—it’s not static; it’s an ever-evolving, growing entity. It’s shaped by you, the person wearing it, and influenced by the shows and movies you watch, the books you read, the music you’re drawn to, the art you connect with. It’s also informed by the time we’re living in and the impulses you’re currently chasing. In a way, building a wardrobe with a fixed end goal feels like putting a period where there should be a comma.
I truly believe there’s value in practicing restraint with our wardrobes, especially during significant life changes when simplifying can make everything feel more manageable. Similarly, in the spirit of
’s 75-day challenge, if you’re feeling stuck with your style, consider stepping back from the impulse to solve it with a spree of new purchases—which often serves as nothing more than a temporary fix. Instead, challenge yourself to work with a set number of items for a defined period. Take this time to step away from the endless scroll and liberate your mind, revisit those coffee table books you’ve collected, or even treat yourself to a subscription to the Criterion Channel (not an ad, but genuinely one of the best investments I made last year—SO worth it!). By focusing on what you already have, you might just rediscover your wardrobe—and yourself—in an entirely new way.
When selecting pieces for this capsule, my main priority was practicality—I chose items that suited the weather and the physical demands of moving. I also included pieces I hadn’t worn in a while, partly to give them some use and partly to reassess whether they still fit my style. Additionally, I made room for some newer additions to my closet. As I’ve mentioned before, I have this urge to want to wear new purchases right away. While I mostly resisted shopping until after the move, I gave in toward the end of December and bought the Lemaire coat, which became my go-to during the final week. Every piece I selected had a clear purpose, and I aimed for items that could easily work together.
The only items I didn’t limit were my basics: T-shirts (I swear by Sunspel and Uniqlo), underwear (favorites include Sunspel, CDLP, and Skims), and socks (Front Street General Store, Brooks Brothers, or Calzedonia, and they are always running fantastic deals), as well as my jewelry, hats, and gloves.
With that, here’s the breakdown of the pieces that made it into my capsule wardrobe in descending order.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Consider Yourself Cultured to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.