10 Bloggers Who Will Inspire Your Capsule Wardrobe
Keeping a lean closet is a personal choice.
And like all personal choices, we each have our own reasons and rationales for committing to our lifestyle decisions. While some may prefer capsule wardrobes for their simplicity and ease, others might see owning less as a creative challenge. And although one might edit their closet simply to save money, another does so to reduce the harmful environmental and social costs of ownership.
Enter VETTA’s favorite lean closet bloggers, each with their own idiosyncratic philosophies behind their wardrobes. And while it might be intuitive to think minimal wardrobes equate to a single, particular aesthetic, these bloggers' styles range from classic-prep to European tomboy. These women will provide you with capsule wardrobe how-to's, brands to shop, daily outfit inspiration, and most importantly, proof that curating a lean closet is a personal choice worth making.
Caroline Rector of Unfancy
With her "mix and match and repeat" philosophy, Unfancy's Caroline Rector went a full year with only 37 pieces in her closet. While Caroline's structured capsule experiment is over, she still maintains a small closet filled only with intentional purchases and continues to share her clean, classic looks on her site. We love Unfancy because it’s essentially a capsule wardrobe playbook, with piece-by-piece inspiration for any season or special occasion. For those looking to adopt a leaner closet, check out Caroline’s post, "How To DIY a Capsule.”
We asked Caroline why she continues to populate her closet with only the essentials. “I do it because it's calming. It's a way to invite peace into my life, almost like meditation or yoga. It reminds me that I don't have to chase; I can be happy with a lot less. Practicing contentment with something small, like my closet, allows me to get better at it in other areas of my life, too.” For Caroline, keeping a lean wardrobe goes far beyond the clothes themselves. On Unfancy, a capsule wardrobe makes for a calm and clutter-free mind.
Lee Vosburgh of Style Bee
In 2013, Lee Vosburgh began her blog Style Bee (http://www.stylebee.ca), which has evolved into one of the most influential lean closet websites online today. Based in Guelph, Ontario, Lee has gained recognition from fashion influencers like Refinery29 and FLARE for her relaxed-chic style and timeless ensembles. Minimalists credit Lee for the booming popularity of the “10x10 Wardrobe Challenge,” in which participants pick 10 items from their current closet and style those exclusive items for 10 days.
When asked why she keeps a lean closet, Lee tells VETTA, "I keep a lean closet for peace of mind. Having only functional pieces I love to wear makes getting ready a pleasure instead of a dilemma!" Style Bee works to inspire readers to get creative with what they have, reminding us that getting dressed should be both fun and effortless.
Toronto-based Candice Tay’s eponymous site is one of our go-to blogs for slow-fashion style inspiration, sustainable lifestyle tips and additional resources for building a capsule wardrobe. As she started her own journey to be a more conscious consumer in 2018, she writes that “Beginning this blog has taught me so much about the fashion industry and how detrimental it has been to our earth and to humans in the past decades. I want to be a part of that change”. Her minimal aesthetic shows you that you can create unique looks with a smaller closet. We have found her reviews of slow-fashion brands and categories extremely helpful for making thoughtful, new purchases.
Maria Lee of Gold Zipper
Taking the 10x10 challenge to new heights, Maria Lee wore one simple black dress for one month straight. Although she lives in New York City, Maria's extended capsule wardrobe looks like that of a polished Parisian girl. Her blog, Gold Zipper, aims to be a resource for anyone interested in becoming an owner, rather than a consumer, of clothing. "I believe that we buy more clothing than we could possibly ever need or use,” Maria tells VETTA. “We're so far removed from the lifecycle of a garment from raw textile to landfill that we don't realize the amount of responsibility we assume in clothing ownership.” Maria’s rationale for a capsule wardrobe is two-fold - she’s conscious of the social and environmental impacts of owning an excess of clothing, in addition to keeping a lean closet for stylistic purposes.
Maria also creates stunning, narrative videos in the city, chronicling her outfits and creating deeper, almost philosophical, dialogues around fashion and personal style. “I also keep a lean closet to curate aesthetic unity in my wardrobe,” Maria explains. “I was drawn to this idea because I'm fascinated by personal identity and self-presentation through clothing. When I have a lean wardrobe I know my clothes intimately, and consequently, I feel more comfortable in them."
Andrea Hartman of Seasons + Salt
Passionate about both ethical fashion and capsule wardrobes, Andrea Hartman of Seasons + Salt shares VETTA's mission - and we love it! Encouraging readers to "get off the fast fashion carousel" and think about how and where they get their clothes, Andrea's wardrobe ideology is centered around simplicity and quality pieces. The minimalist-with-a-twist looks on Seasons + Salt will give normcore-lovers new ideas for old pieces.
Andrea also does really helpful product reviews on essential wardrobe staples, like her “Leather Tote Review” where she compares three leather totes from Madewell, FashionABLE, and Cuyana. "For me, a lean closet is a vehicle to define my style, increase simplicity in my life, and buy responsibly-made items," Andrea shares with VETTA.
Deb Shephard of Clothed in Abundance
Deb Shephard encourages her readers to redefine living in abundance by making space and having appreciation for what we have. She covers topics ranging from minimalist fashion, mental health and money, while also providing downloadable worksheets and guides to help you on your journey to capsule wardrobes and minimalist lifestyle. Deb defines minimalism as ‘simplifying your life to live out your core values without societal pressure’ and is a huge advocate for de-cluttering your mind in order to focus on what matters most. We love her daily outfit posts and her 5 x 5 challenges featuring ethical fashion and her thrifted finds.
Allison Karaba of The Thoughtful Closet
With her blog The Thoughtful Closet, Allison Karaba hopes to encourage others to refrain from shopping for the sake of shopping and start doing more with what's already in their closets. “You don't have to keep buying clothes to evolve your style; sometimes it's just looking at what you already have a little differently,” she tells us. Allison's professional meets industrial aesthetic makes for endless cool girl looks for us to steal. The Thoughtful Closet features Allison's "10x10 Challenge" looks, styling tips, and our favorite -- her holiday guides and wish lists full of simple and versatile gifts and pieces.
From the first time she considered a lean wardrobe to the present-day Thoughtful Closet, Allison walks us through the evolution of her closet philosophy. “I first decided to try living with a minimal wardrobe after I looked at my closet, which was overflowing with clothes, and felt like I had nothing to wear. It was made up of tons of mediocre pieces and I honestly had no idea how to describe my style because everything was so random. I decided to cut down and focus on pieces that I truly loved and go from there. I also wanted to focus on a lean closet to help me with my shopping habits. I would always go shopping if I had a special event or trip coming up. But now with my lean closet I try to look at what I have and create something that feels new. A phrase that keeps floating around is ‘creativity loves constraint’ and I am a 100% believer in that statement.”
Jasmine Hwang of The Pleb Life
In 2017, Jasmine Hwang and her boyfriend Brandon set out to live a more sustainable and ethical lifestyle. Inspired by reducing her wardrobe by 70% in the first year alone, Jasmine uses The Pleb Life to document her on-going journey of building a capsule wardrobe with honesty and authenticity. She is not afraid to redefine her capsule rules, find new ways to implement low-buy/low-spend initiatives and makes an excellent case for having 5 black jumpsuits in her wardrobe. We love her 30x30 challenges, where she selects 30 items to wear for 30 days (including loungewear and shoes!) all photographed in sunny Southern California.
According to Jasmine, "Decluttering is the act of removing unnecessary clutter from your life; while minimalism is the act of living with enough and whatever 'enough' means to you. Minimalism asks you to challenge all the should’s of success and to find your optimal amount of possessions to be happy." We couldn't agree more.
Jessica Doll of Hej Doll
San Francisco blogger, Jessica Doll synthesizes her passion for travel and a simple capsule wardrobe to create her blog, Hej Doll. Jessica's sleek, utilitarian outfits lend themselves to great inspiration for those who are always traveling or on-the-go. Our favorite posts on the blog are Jessica’s city guides, each one showcasing her jetsetter looks.
Jessica tells VETTA that she keeps a lean closet to maintain a simpler life. “I save time, money, and energy by limiting my clothing to only those items that I love, feel great in, and know work well together.” Jessica is also a professional photographer, making Hej Doll is an endless archive of beautiful style and travel imagery.
Want to create a capsule wardrobe of your own but don't know where to start? Download our guide below!
