Design your perfect handmade capsule wardrobe!

What is a handmade capsule wardrobe?

A handmade capsule wardrobe is a well curated collection of clothes, featuring items made by you, that you wear, cherish and love. The term ‘capsule wardrobe’ was coined in the 1970s by Susie Faux, owner of London boutique, Wardrobe. For Faux, the capsule wardrobe contained essential pieces that never go out of style.

Since then, we’ve had Marie Kondo’s decluttering bible make waves around the world, and we’ve all said hello to the minimalist aesthetic. These days you’ll find bloggers everywhere talking about how to design a capsule wardrobe for every season - ‘capsule wardrobe’ has become the buzzword of the fashion world.

But what’s the actual deal? For us modern makers, the minimalist, pared down aesthetic doesn’t always cut it. A handmade wardrobe is about celebrating you and your unique style. Making intentionally, wearing intentionally, and finding joy in what you wear. Bring it on.

Handmade capsule wardrobe

/ˌhændˈmeɪd kæp.səl ˈwɔːr.droʊb/

noun A small-ish, curated collection of handmade clothes you rely on and love. synonyms: happy wardrobe, curated closet, joyful clothes. example: “their handmade capsule wardrobe made them dance a happy dance every day”

How to create a capsule wardrobe

Some capsule wardrobe enthusiasts work to a specific number, but you don’t need to. A good rule of thumb is under 50 pieces, but you can go as few or as many as you like. It’s all about creating a collection of great pieces that feels right for you and your lifestyle. Plus you have to love it! That’s a must. You can create a capsule wardrobe for each season, or have a larger continual capsule that will see you through all kinds of weather. Capsule wardrobes are all about quality clothing that fit well, and bring joy to the wearer.

Not sure where to start on your capsule wardrobe journey? Need some help deciding what your true style is and best pieces are? We’re here to help! Our FREE printable capsule planner is the essential tool to help you create your perfect capsule in no time! We’ll guide you through exercises to determine your personal style, help you work out what colors you’re drawn to, and highlight what favorite items in your wardrobe will form the foundation of your capsule.

This level of commitment and organization will leave you feeling fresh and fab! Marie Kondo will be so proud.

#IndieJune patterns to create the perfect capsule wardrobe

To celebrate our incredible knitwear and crochet designers for this year’s #IndieJune, we’re bringing you some fabulous patterns you need in your capsule wardrobe with an exclusive discount! For the month of June only, you can save an amazing 30% on these talented designers' pattern collections. Use the code IndieJune at checkout.

What are the must-have pieces for your capsule wardrobe?

While all wildly different in style, all of our designers agreed on one thing: the must-have essentials for a handmade capsule wardrobe. All of them mentioned a classic pair of jeans, because they go with all of the knitwear and crocheted beauties that your capsule is bound to include. So jeans are a must!

On the yarn end of the spectrum, they again all agreed that sweaters, cardigans, accessories, and a few personal favorites (no matter what they are), are all absolutely essential. Here are some of their handmade capsular wardrobe picks to inspire you!

7 capsule wardrobe tips you need to know

A good chat over a cup of tea, a slice of cake, and a WIP in hand is complete bliss to us. We sat down with the 7 designers who will be sharing their favorite capsule wardrobe essentials to talk about all things clothing, wardrobes, and colors!

1. Always wear colors you love.

Stephanie Earp says, “Wear the colors you love, even if it means you only knit in purple or orange, or what have you. If you love it, wear it.”

2. Choose quality over quantity.

Toni from TLYarnCrafts says, “Choose a finite amount of space that you want your clothing to take up and fill that space with the nicest clothes you can afford. Go for pieces that will stand the test of time and make you look fabulous. When making your clothes, choose quality fibers like mohair, merino, and luxurious cotton blends.”

3. Timeless style over fast fashion, every time.

Jennifer from Wood House Knits says, “I try to make timeless designs that travel from season to season and year to year. That way they can easily fit into changing capsules.”

4. Spend time organizing your wardrobe to save time later.

Janne from Joy of Motion Crochet’s collection says, “I keep my clothes on hangers to get a quick overview of what I have. I also prefer to sort my clothes by type, and then color. Makes it quick & easy to get dressed!”

5 Cherish each and every item in your wardrobe from basics to statements.

Jess from Make and Do Crew says, “I'm always trying to design versatile pieces that are basic enough to be really wearable, but that have some special element that makes them feel worth the dozens of hours you'll invest in making them. I think you should really love each piece in a capsule wardrobe.”

6. Use neutral yarns for garments. Splash out on color for accessories.

Noma from Bigger Than Life Knits says, “I love using neutral colors. Knitting is a very slow process, particularly garments and investing in neutral colors enables you to wear your knits with different outfits. When it comes to accessories, I play around with a whole lot of colors since they’re much quicker to knit and they are a great way to spice up neutral outfits.”

7. Organize by color and category.

Alexi from Two of Wands says, "I keep my entire closet in “rainbow” order – all of my hanging pieces are arranged in ROYGBIV order, which I think helps when selecting something to wear both from a styling perspective and also being able to quickly assess all of the pieces available to you. When everything is just shoved in at random, it’s hard to tell what’s in there and what will work with your current outfit because everything is out of context and hard to find. I generally fold all of my hand knit and crochet pieces because hanging them would stretch them out of shape, but I also try to organize my folded items first into different categories (pants, sweaters, tees, etc) and then in order of either light to dark (as most of these items tend to be all neutrals) or lightweight to chunky."

Now that you’re feeling full of inspiration to create your own capsule wardrobe this June, it’s time to get creating! Knit your essential staples, get ready to crochet that oversized scarf to tie multiple looks together, sew a pinafore to take you from summer to winter. Make and create the capsule wardrobe of your dreams! Don’t forget to download our FREE capsule wardrobe printable planner to get you started in only the best way!