How can a Capsule Wardrobe reduce your stress?

37 - is the magic number when it comes to Capsule Wardrobe. You should concentrate on only 37 items of clothing that can be combined in different ways depending on the season. The idea is to protect both the environment and your wallet. But a study has now found out that it is also good for our psyche to concentrate on just a few items of clothing in our wardrobe.

It is a phenomenon that has long been reported not only by sustainability bloggers but also by major fashion magazines. Even Vogue talks about how you can build up a minimalist wardrobe and which pieces you absolutely need for your Capsule Wardrobe. The focus is always on quality rather than quantity. The whole idea of the minimalist wardrobe first came from boutique owner Susie Faux. 

The psychological side of building a Capsule Wardrobe 

So far, there have been only a few scientific studies on the phenomenon of the Capsule Wardrobe. This changed with the study "Finding yourself in your wardrobe: An exploratory study of lived experiences with a capsule wardrobe", which examined the effects of a capsule wardrobe on our psyche and our well-being. 

10 participants, who stated in an initial interview that they were interested in fashion, were asked to dress exclusively in items from their capsule wardrobe for three weeks. During these three weeks, the participants had an average of exactly 37.3 items at their disposal. This included: Clothing, shoes, accessories, handbags and swimwear. However, sportswear, underwear, pyjamas and cosmetics were not included. Two different interviews were conducted so that the individual experiences of the participants could be collected. In the first interview, the participants were asked about their consumer behaviour, their style and their attitude towards sustainability before they built up a Capsule Wardrobe. After the women had lived with a limited number of items for three weeks, they were asked about the same topics again in a slightly longer interview. 

Feeling less stressed

After just one week of living with only 37 items of clothing, the participants felt less stressed. Participants spent less time choosing their daily outfits and were able to make quicker and more relaxed decisions.

Don’t let new trends put you under pressure 

On social media and especially on Instagram, we encounter the latest trends every day. This made the participants feel very pressured before they had a Capsule Wardrobe. After limiting themselves to just a few pieces and not being able to shop anything in these three weeks, they felt more liberated. All participants said that the capsule wardrobe made them feel less social pressure about the latest trends. 

"The capsule closet allowed them to take a step back and assess whether or not they were following a trend for themselves or because it was favoured by society."

Finding joy in your personal style

Of course, it was also a big challenge for all participants to suddenly focus on only a few pieces. However, this challenge led to them being much more enthusiastic about their style after the study. The participants combined their outfits more creatively and paid particular attention to varying their make-up or using accessories to create variety. Creativity and imagination inspired them to re-style what they already owned. 

Change your attitude towards sustainability and consumerism

What was also particularly striking was that the participants' opinion of sustainability changed completely as a result of the Capsule Wardrobe. Before their Capsule Wardrobe experience, they associated sustainable fashion exclusively with sustainable materials and second-hand shopping. But after trying it out for themselves with only a few, selected pieces, they thought about the impact of fashion consumption on the environment. They all became aware of the large number of clothes they owned and also realised how much money they saved by not shopping for any clothes. For the participants, the Capsule Wardrobe created an awareness of the longevity of fashion, which made them pay more attention to the proper care of their clothes and also made them want to buy fewer but high-quality items in the future. 

What science thinks…

It seems that the three weeks of living with a Capsule Wardrobe helped the participants to find themselves. Also, all participants realised how much power they have through their shopping behaviour. So, having a minimalist wardrobe can reduce your stress and decision fatigue, increase the creativity of your style, help us free ourselves from the pressures of fashion trends, save money and help you find yourself. 

Sources 

Bardey, A., Booth, M., Heger, G., & Larsson, J. (2021). Finding yourself in your wardrobe: An exploratory study of lived experiences with a capsule wardrobe. International Journal of Market Research, 1470785321993743.

https://www.glamour.de/mode/artikel/capsule-wardrobe-schritt-fuer-schritt-anleitung-minimalistischer-kleiderschrank-garderobe