We can all agree that baby clothes are adorable, and, unless you’re some sort of superwoman, we can also all probably agree that buying baby clothes is more fun than buying clothes for ourselves (lumpy, deflated postpartum body, I’m looking at you). But does your child really need that fifteenth matching set that comes with a shirt, pants, socks, shoes, hat, and vest? If you’re honest, the answer is probably no. Enter the capsule wardrobe.
“What is a capsule wardrobe?” you ask. Well, it’s a small collection of versatile, essential wardrobe staples in coordinating colors. If you do it correctly, you end up with a closet of clothes that all mix and match with each other. (Mamas, you can do this with your closets, too, but that’s another project for another day.)
First, you’ll need to develop a color scheme. For my son’s wardrobe, I picked blues, whites, and grays. Why? Lots of boy clothes fit into this palette so I knew it wouldn’t be hard to find pieces that fit the criteria, but I also just really like those colors and they’re what I tend to gravitate toward buying anyway.
Once you have your colors figured out, determine what types of/how many items you’ll need. Don’t usually go anywhere fancy? Then you probably shouldn’t buy the child-sized three-piece suit that caught your eye the other day. It’s winter? Well then keep walking right by that teeny, ruffly swimsuit with a matching hat and towel. Chances are, if you’re anything like me, your child will need 9-12 tops, 4-5 bottoms, a few one-piece outfits (rompers for boys, rompers or dresses for girls), and a few pairs of shoes. Of course, adjust this for your/your child’s preferences. If your little girl (or you) loves dresses, then you’ll need more of those and less tops/bottoms. If you absolutely refuse to snap all the between-the-leg snaps while your little one thrashes impatiently, then scratch the rompers and add a few more tops/bottoms. This is your child’s wardrobe, do what you want!
That’s it! Now you go shopping, armed with a set idea of what you need. When you get to the store and are confronted with a million choices, you’ll be able to say, “I need to be looking for a navy pair of shorts that will go with my son’s blue, white, and gray tops,” or, “My daughter needs a pair of shoes to go with her primarily gray, white, and red wardrobe.” Easy. You’ll save time, money, and closet space – all wins in my book! Now you just have to decide which store to go to first…
