Work From Home Wardrobe Guide
How to create a simple capsule wardrobe for one season while working from home with the clothes you already have in your closet.
Working from home can be a real blessing, but it can be a great challenge as well. One thing you can do to keep each day fresh and inspiring is to simply get dressed. And we don’t mean make the switch from jammies to leggings… we mean, be intentional about putting on an outfit that will make you feel good from the inside out! Here is a quick guide for creating a casual and comfortable Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe that will have you excited to get up, get dressed and sign on to work each day.
Step One: Laundry
Before you can start organizing your new capsule wardrobe, finish up all your laundry and put it away. You need to begin with a clean slate and all of your clothing in one place in order to build out your collection completely.
Step Two: Inspiration
While your clothes are in the wash, take the opportunity to research some inspiration for your capsule wardrobe. On a piece of paper or in the notes app on your phone, answer these questions:
-What kinds of working tasks am I completing in these clothes?
(computer work, video calls, photography, etc.)
-How do I want my clothes to make me feel while I am wearing them?
(productive, confident, comfortable, sleek, etc.)
-What’s my go-to outfit right now, AKA my uniform?
(such as, high rise jeans and a white top or black denim and a pullover sweater)
-How do I want to challenge myself with this capsule wardrobe?
(wear more color, avoid shopping, try new styling techniques, etc.)
Next, head over to pinterest and create a new board for your Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe. Pin 15 to 25 images of inspirational outfits, keeping the questions and answers from above in mind. Remember, your wardrobe can be as casual or professional as you’d like it to be so consider your lifestyle right now and make sure the outfits you’re drawing inspiration from are versatile for any multi-tasking you may need to do. Once you’ve got a good collection of pins, quickly evaluate them to find commonalities and list them out in the following categories:
-Theme words
(ie: feminine, dark, simple, etc…)
-Repeated styles
(ie: white tee, jeans, sandals, dresses, etc…)
-Common colors and patterns
(ie: tan, black, white + blue stripes, colorful florals)
Use the words listed to guide you in selecting pieces for your capsule wardrobe!
Step Three: Build Your Wardrobe
Now that your laundry is complete and you’ve done your research, it’s time to start building your Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe! Begin by clearing a space in your closet or using a spare garment rack (these ones from IKEA are great!) so you have a designated place for your collection. Then decide about how big you’d like your capsule wardrobe to be, we recommend a 15 to 25 piece collection for this exercise and remember, shoes and accessories shouldn’t be included within this total.
Next, pull your first three essentials. These should be some of your favorite or most worn items and meant as the base for your capsule wardrobe. For example, one pair of jeans, your favorite t-shirt and a comfortable cardigan.
Add three more essentials that compliment the first three pieces, such as a camisole, pullover sweater and mini dress. At this point, consider the possibilities of outfits you can create with just these six pieces. If we’re using what we’ve listed already as an example, here’s what you could wear so far:
- Jeans and t-shirt, add minimal jewelry and lipstick to complete your look, drape your pullover sweater around your shoulders if you get chilly.
- Jeans and t-shirt with cardigan, style your tee tucked in with a belt and pair of mules.
- Jeans and camisole with cardigan, add a headband and light makeup.
- Mini dress layered over jeans, add minimal jewelry and toss on your cardigan if you get chilly.
- Mini dress with cardigan, style with a headband and minimal jewelry.
- Mini dress layered over t-shirt, and minimal jewelry and lipstick to complete your look.
- Jeans and pullover sweater, style with a belt and give your sweater a little tuck at the waist.
- Mini dress layered under pullover sweater to give the illusion you’re wearing a skirt, add mules and a hat if you go outside.
So many options already! Now continue adding complimentary pieces in groups of two or three and consider your outfit options along the way. Stop once you get to a comfortable place, and feel you have enough of an assortment of outfits to get you through a few weeks. Remember to do your best to stay between 15 and 25 pieces!
Once you’ve got your apparel organized, group together a few pairs of comfortable and coordinating shoes as well as some simple jewelry and accessories that will easily complete your daily outfits.
If you’d like a few more suggestions, here’s a complete list of 18 items we recommend for a simple and casual Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe:
- Light colored lace trim camisole
- Second camisole or sleeveless top
- Basic white t-shirt
- Basic black t-shirt
- Graphic t-shirt
- Long sleeve blouse with print or texture
- Second long sleeve blouse or shirt in another color or print
- Neutral (black, cream, oatmeal) colored pullover sweater
- Light colored cropped cardigan
- Natural colored chunky knit cardigan
- Black or grey cardigan
- Duster cardigan or kimono
- Mini dress
- Midi dress or skirt
- Mid-wash destressed denim
- Black wide-leg crop denim
- Dark wash skinny jean
- Ribbed knit pants
Need some help curating your Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe? Let’s work together! Click here to schedule a 30, 45, or 60 minute virtual session with a stylist.
If you enjoyed this resource, we’d love for you to give us a shoutout on social media! Share this post to your Facebook page or tag us @CoCapsules on Instagram so we can see how you’re doing with your Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe! And don’t forget to visit us on CoCapsules.com to shop for any wardrobe essentials you may be looking for or to sign up for our membership program to receive exclusive access to our personal styling services.
