My little one is fully embracing the “capsule wardrobe” trend, which isn’t surprising. While she may not be concerned with minimalism or closet organization, no one does it better than a 4-year-old when it comes to narrowing down their clothing choices to just a select few, completely disregarding every other perfectly good item in the process.
Typically, online representations of capsule wardrobes display around 30 classic, versatile pieces: think black purses, gray pencil skirts, and favorite skinny jeans. In contrast, my toddler has managed to condense her entire wardrobe into this delightful selection:
- One set of fairy wings
- A Strawberry Shortcake nightgown, primarily worn as outerwear
- A Hello Kitty dress—but only the old one with a hole in it
- Pink flannel pajama bottoms, two sizes too small
- One unicorn t-shirt that leaves glitter all over the laundry
- A single left flip-flop (we’re still searching for its twin)
- 87 pairs of novelty plastic sunglasses
You know, just the essentials!
While it’s amusing, I can’t help but feel a twinge of envy. As a mom, I realize I’ll likely never be able to streamline my wardrobe to such a simple form. The prospect of rediscovering a pair of floral pants from years ago and making them work as a “neutral” seems far-fetched, not to mention the bliss of having some actual space between hangers.
The main challenge for moms attempting a capsule wardrobe stems from the limited number of items allowed. For starters, asking a mom to pick her favorite pair of yoga pants is a recipe for disaster. Just one type of yoga pant could easily fill up that 30-piece limit: everyday yoga pants, sleep-friendly ones, dressier options, and the grungy ones for messy tasks like baby feeding or home repairs, plus backup pairs bought on sale for when the originals wear out.
Then we get to shoes, which count toward that total too. Sure, if you only need one pair of nude heels to match everything, that’s fine. But heels don’t pair well with yoga pants—even the dressy variants! Moreover, shoes are one of the few things that still fit post-pregnancy, so don’t even think about making mom part with those college-era shoes, no matter how out of style they may be.
And when it comes to pre-pregnancy sizes, which mom is willingly parting with those “I-Might-Get-Back-Down-To-My-Pre-Baby-Size” jeans? Not to mention the post-delivery jeans we hope never to fit into again while also indulging in Nutella straight from the jar. Toss in maternity clothes that we’re still holding onto because they were a steep investment, and you can see the dilemma.
Moreover, our daily wardrobes tend to lean towards a more conservative style, making it hard to find 30 items that can be transformed into endless outfits for every occasion. While we might have once thought a sequined mini skirt could transition from club wear to day wear, now it just makes us laugh—yet we hold onto it, because who knows? We might dress up for Halloween someday.
Ultimately, the biggest hurdle in completing the capsule wardrobe challenge is the interruptions that come with motherhood. Just as we begin to sort through our clothes, someone will inevitably get hurt, have a diaper emergency, or need a snack—leaving our clothes strewn across the bed and floor, probably until the kids move out.
I genuinely appreciate the concept of a capsule wardrobe; it sounds fantastic. But I’m a realist, not an idealist—I’m a mom. So for now, I’ll take a page from my toddler’s book and leave my clothes exactly where they are: haphazardly stuffed into drawers and scattered across the closet floor, just like she insists they should be.
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Summary:
This article humorously explores the challenges moms face when attempting to adopt a capsule wardrobe. While the minimalist trend may appeal to some, the realities of motherhood, including the need for versatile clothing and the interruptions of daily life, make it difficult to adhere to such a limited wardrobe concept.