My Budget Friendly Capsule Wardrobe from Value Village

Oct 3 | Money Saving Tips

I had the opportunity to attend a pre-grand opening event at a new Value Village that has opened in the area. Not only was it really fun to attend, they challenged me to see how far I could stretch $50. Challenge accepted!

Rather than buying whatever I fancied without any thought put into it, I thought it would be fun to put together a “capsule wardrobe” for fall. A capsule wardrobe is a very small collection of clothing that you love that changes with each season. This concept appeals to me because I often find myself going for the same pieces over and over again in my closet. And I’m quite fond of (trying) to be minimalistic. Perhaps you feel the same?

I rifled through the racks and pulled out anything I thought would work for me, being sure to pick out a good assortment of tops and bottoms. I didn’t find any shoes because I’ve got pretty small feet and the selection in my size wasn’t very abundant. (Like at most stores!) However, I do have shoes at home that will work. 😉 It was fun filling my basket to the brim!

I’ve been craving colour in my wardrobe lately so I was trying to pick out some good fall colours that I liked. Value Village didn’t disappoint in the colour department. I ended up with a bit of a theme. Cobalt/navy, beige/gold and plum for tops. Bottoms are a neutral denim.

As I mentioned, I was challenged to spend $50. I tried my best to stay within budget, but I went a bit over. Here’s the break down:

• Beige H&M sequined top  $3.99
• Cobalt blue Simons sweater  $7.99
• Gold Banana Republic sweater $9.99
• Navy Hollister ruffle top $7.99
• Purple Old Navy tank $5.99
• Cobalt button shirt (omitted from the tally because it’s from Amazon.ca)
• London skinny jeans $7.99
• Banana Republic denim skirt $11.99
• Gap jeans (omitted from the tally because I owned them already)

TOTAL: $55.93

Here are some pieces that I already owned that I’m incorporating into my fall capsule wardrobe:

• Teal dress from Walmart
• White sweater bought from a friend
• Sweetlegs leggings

Accessories are generally a big part of capsule wardrobes, (I think, I’m no fashionista) but they’re honestly not really my thing. I wear my wedding rings all the time, but that’s it! However, I do have one accessory that I have been wearing because the baby likes it. It’s the hot pink teething necklace pictured below. I think it can go with all the colours I have in my wardrobe, except for the purple tank.

So now, if I were to add everything together that you see above, I spent under $130 for an entire wardrobe. (I’ve have to purchase other new things recently because I’m losing weight and everything was falling off of me 🙁 ) Not bad! Especially since everything was bought over a span of a few months.

Now, you may be wondering how to create a capsule wardrobe with stuff you own already. Here’s how:

1. Do a purge. Empty out your closet in it’s entirety and lay everything on your bed.
2. Sort each item into three piles: Keep (you love and regularly wear the item), Maybe (item may not fit quite right, sentimental…etc. Put it all in a bag then store away. If at the end of the season/year you don’t “rescue” anything from the bag, donate the bag.), Donate (self-explanatory).
3. Assess what you have left. These are the clothes you love and wear regularly. You should see your “style” pop out at you with what you have left.
4. Fill in the gaps. Perhaps you need a new pair of jeans. Or a black tank top. Shop for one item at a time and get them on sale. However, I recommend quality over price, within reason, especially since most items in a capsule wardrobe will be getting frequent use.

The amount of clothes you have in a capsule wardrobe depends on your personal needs/desires. I’ve seen some people stick to 50 pieces, others with 37 and others with less than that. Maybe you need two capsule wardrobes. One for work wear and one for weekends. Do what works for you.

Have you considered creating a capsule wardrobe for each season? I bet you already own quite a few pieces you could incorporate!

Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post brought to you by Value Village.  All opinions are 100% my own.