The idea of the capsule wardrobe, as useful as it is for adults, makes even more sense when applied to kids.
“Less is more” has become a recurring theme as the sweeping trend of minimalism invades the fashion scene, and this applies not just to what a person is wearing, but also to one’s whole wardrobe.
Simply put, just as it’s better to have a few simple but well-coordinated pieces in one’s attire, it’s also better to have only a few “evergreen” fashion picks in one’s wardrobe.
Here, we’ll help you sort out the advantages of a capsule wardrobe for kids and babies.
What is a “Capsule Wardrobe”?
A “capsule” wardrobe is a very small wardrobe, containing only few pieces of well-curated clothes.
These are the clothes that are good to wear for any season or situation.
Another way of putting it is like a go-to wardrobe:
- Do you need to spend a day at the office? Pull out something from the capsule wardrobe.
- Off to a weekend soccer game? The capsule wardrobe has your style.
- Planning a romantic dinner date? Your capsule wardrobe still has the answers.
As you can see, this makes the capsule wardrobe a product of a two-fold effort.
First, one must choose which clothes are fit to be mixed and matched for daily wear.
Then, one must get rid of all the rest — not always an easy feat when you consider how sentimental clothes can be!
What are the advantages of a capsule wardrobe for kids and babies?
1. It is easy to manage.
Being a parent is already hard enough without having to constantly figure out what you want your kids to wear.
Having a minimalist wardrobe helps a lot with this!
Have you ever walked into your kid’s closet, trying to decide what your little one should be wearing today?
With a regular wardrobe, you’re likely to end up pulling clothes out, shaking your head, and putting them back in.
With a capsule wardrobe, you just have to take one, then mix and match.
This is also a great idea once you’re letting your kids choose their own clothes.
Any kid would just want to use the first thing they pull out, and in the case of a capsule wardrobe, this just works.
As a nice bonus, they’ll start learning how to “dress right” early.
While a fashion sense might not be the first thing on your mind for their formative years, they’ll end up remembering how they dress so that they grow a preference for a simple wardrobe in the future.
2. It’s easy to clean up.
Kids are innately messy!
Having their clothes in a constant queue in the laundry is a regular thing.
With a capsule wardrobe, there are less clothes to soil, less clothes to wash, and overall less clothes to worry about.
3. It takes up less space.
A capsule wardrobe, especially for kids and babies, takes up minimal space.
You won’t even need a real wardrobe — almost any small container would work, and you can then dedicate the area that would otherwise be covered by a wardrobe to other items.
Because it takes up less space, it’s also easily mobile, and you can take it pretty much anywhere.
Is your little one starting to become picky about clothes, and you don’t want to run into problems when traveling?
Just pack the entire wardrobe. Done.
4. It’s cheap and practical.
By having to shop for clothes only once per season, you are able to invest in clothes that are of good quality and will last for a pretty long time.
There’s a very real temptation to buy every single outfit that looks cute on your kiddo, but you know this is not really sustainable!
Sticking to a minimalist wardrobe helps you funnel the funds into better things.
After all, kids grow up really fast, and they’ll likely grow out of their clothes in another season or two.
The less clothes they grow out of, the more practical it is.
Now that you know the advantages of a capsule wardrobe for children and babies, let’s take a look at some easy steps to build one!
Building the Wardrobe
Plan a set of “core” clothes that your little ones should wear.
For example, common tops and bottoms, and a few accessories.
Check if these clothes would go well together.
Staple items like white tops, denim bottoms, and a jacket or coat are essential, though you can be fancy in the color choice (again, as long as they mix well).
If you’re selecting these from an existing wardrobe, you can just donate the others that don’t fit into the new system.
Use these as your kid’s go-to clothes for at least one season.
You may swap out the current set for a different capsule when the next season comes, but remember not to splurge.
You can only maintain the advantages of a capsule wardrobe for children and babies if the wardrobe remains minimalistic at all times.
Always plan before making a purchase, and always stick to the less-is-more philosophy.
Minimalism is all about paring down the clutter to get to what really works.
Not planning before buying will likely see you bringing home lots of non-essential clothes.
With the advantages of a capsule wardrobe for kids and babies, parenting becomes a little bit easier.
Those moments you don’t have to spend thinking about what your children will wear next can be a welcome breath in your hectic schedule.
And, knowing that they are on the road to learning how to dress well without excess is also a huge plus.
So, if you are looking for smoother mornings, less laundry, and fewer arguments over outfits – simplifying your kids' clothes into a capsule wardrobe just makes good sense.
Build Your Own Capsule Wardrobe!
I create a free guide on just how to build your own capsule wardrobe, and wanted to share it with you.
I go into detail on the simple steps of creating one, as well as some even more great reasons on why you want to build one.
Download it below!
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I love love love this idea for children to teach them that more is not always more. Sometimes too many choices can create complexity and confusion in life. There is, however, one conflicting thought (as a parent). My kids love to experiment with lots of styles until they find what they most enjoy. Granted, they are 11 and 9. I think the idea of capsule wardrobes create a bigger lesson though. They teach children how to really weigh choices at a young age and work within certain boundaries. It was a nice read. Thanks for the post. 🙂