My little one has fully embraced the “capsule wardrobe” trend, which honestly isn’t surprising. While she isn’t concerned with minimalism or closet organization, no one can narrow down their clothing choices quite like a 4-year-old who manages to wear the same few pieces day in and day out while completely overlooking every other perfectly good item in her closet.
Online, capsule wardrobes often consist of about 30 timeless, mix-and-match essentials: chic black handbags, classic gray pencil skirts, and favorite skinny jeans. In contrast, my toddler has somehow whittled her wardrobe down to the following:
- 1 pair of fairy wings
- 1 Strawberry Shortcake nightgown, which she primarily wears as daytime attire
- 1 Hello Kitty dress, but not the new one—she prefers the one with a hole in it
- 1 pair of pink flannel pajamas, two sizes too small
- 1 glittery unicorn t-shirt that leaves a sparkling mess in the wash
- 1 lone flip-flop (we’re still searching for its partner)
- 87 pairs of novelty sunglasses, obviously essential
You know, just the basics.
Truthfully, while it’s challenging to find anything suitable for occasions beyond a quick trip to Walmart from her chosen “capsule,” I can’t help but feel envious. As a mom, I realize I’ll probably never simplify my wardrobe to such a bare minimum. The thought of rediscovering a pair of floral pants from a decade ago and somehow styling them as “neutral” or experiencing the joy of having space between my hangers seems like a distant fantasy.
A significant hurdle I face regarding the capsule wardrobe concept is the limited number of items allowed. For instance, how are moms supposed to pick a favorite pair of yoga pants? We’d easily max out our 30-piece limit with just our most-used pairs: everyday yoga pants, sleep yoga pants, fancy yoga pants, and those grungy ones saved for messy tasks like changing diapers or tackling home repairs. Plus, we always keep a backup pair in case the others fall apart.
Then there are shoes, which count toward that total as well. It’s easy if you only need one pair of nude heels for every outfit, but heels look awfully silly paired with yoga pants—even the dressy ones! Shoes are often the only items that still fit from our pre-pregnancy days, so don’t even think about making Mom part with the one piece of clothing that can still give her a taste of her college days. I don’t care if it’s a pair of chunky-heeled platform sneakers from 1994; they still fit!
And let’s not forget about those “I-Might-Get-Back-Down-To-My-Pre-Baby-Size” jeans. Which mom in her right mind would part with those? Or the post-delivery “safety jeans” that we never want to fit into again but also can’t stop indulging in Nutella? On top of that, we have maternity clothes to keep, which were quite an investment!
Given that many moms lean toward a more conservative style, finding 30 versatile items to create infinite outfits for every occasion can be pretty challenging. In our younger years, we could look at a sequined mini skirt and think, “This can transition from clubbing at night to daytime chic with an oversized denim shirt!” As moms, we see that same mini skirt and laugh at the absurdity of wearing it to a school meeting. Yet, we still hold onto it because, who knows, we might need it for a Halloween costume someday!
Ultimately, the biggest reason moms struggle with the capsule wardrobe challenge is the constant interruptions we face. Just when we start to pull everything out of our closet and create a chaotic mess across the bedroom, someone inevitably gets hurt, needs a snack, or demands we skip to the “not-scary” part of an Octonauts episode. And just like that, our clothing remains scattered across the bed, floor, and dresser for an eternity—at least until the kids have moved out.
I appreciate the idea of a capsule wardrobe; it sounds wonderful in theory. But as a mom, I have a more practical approach. Since I can’t pare my wardrobe down to fairy wings and plastic sunglasses, I’ve decided to follow my little one’s example in a different way: I’m leaving my clothes right where they are, mixed up in drawers and spread across my closet floor—just as my 4-year-old insists they should be.
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Summary
The concept of a capsule wardrobe, while appealing in theory, presents unique challenges for moms. The limited number of items and the constant interruptions of daily parenting life make it difficult to simplify wardrobes. Instead of striving for a minimalist closet, many moms embrace the chaos of their clothing choices, just like their young children do.