The Plus Size Capsule Wardrobe
To see every item in my capsule wardrobe, click here.
Having had minimalist tendencies since childhood, I quickly became an avid fan of all things capsule wardrobe-related. It was the stuff of dreams: a small, curated collection of clothes I actually loved to wear. I dove into the de-cluttering process with great fervor, and was surprised by many style-related epiphanies along the way:
1. I hate ruffles and puff sleeves.
2. V-necks never look good on me.
3. Dresses make me feel awkward—but a pencil skirt and blouson top make me feel chic.
I whittled things down to my favorite essentials, then began to fill in the gaps— a black sweater, or another white tee. The only trouble was, at this point, I was extremely picky about what I wanted to add to my capsule wardrobe. Among the multitude of simple, minimal, and ethical brands popping up everywhere in response to the capsule trend, none of them carried my size. While “fast fashion” brands had begun welcoming plus-size customers with open arms, finally making cheap, disposable clothing available to all, quality or designer pieces worthy of space in my capsule closet were nowhere to be found.
I started following plus-size fashion Youtubers as well as minimalists and capsule-wardrobe gurus. But the plus-size fashion mavens were all wearing Torrid, Fashion Nova, and Shein, ecstatic that the trendiest of trends now came in their size. And the capsule wardrobe crew were all impossibly, unrelatably thin. Thus, I had to find my own way: sifting through the racks at TJ Maxx and Marshalls, ordering online from Asos Curve and Lands’ End, occasionally finding that an XXL from Gap or Old Navy would work just fine. And then—as though suddenly realizing our money was just as good as thin people’s—a few classic brands started offering plus sizes. I am so pleased to report that at long last, J. Crew goes up to 5X! LOFT plus sizes are here! (though not in stores). And Universal Standard has a return policy that allows you to exchange sizes within a year of purchase if you’ve lost or gained weight!
Which brings me to another issue: weight fluctuation. If your weight loss journey has gone awry, or even turned into a weight gain journey (hey, life happens), you might hesitate to invest in higher-quality clothes for a capsule wardrobe. Having had my weight fluctuate about a hundred pounds over the last decade, I came right up against this dilemma. And for me, the answer is partly moderation in purchasing, but also have what I like to call a “Weight Change Capsule Wardrobe.” When I decluttered my wardrobe, I kept only things I loved, no matter what size they were. The ones that fit me got hung up in the closet, and the ones that didn’t went into a storage bin on my top shelf. The next time my weight changed, I simply swapped out sizes. Sure, I had to fill in a few gaps again, but having these core pieces stored away saved me from having to start from scratch. This idea of swapping out clothes from storage is often an inherent part of maintaining a capsule wardrobe, usually done at the change of season. But I see no reason that it can’t work in the same way for anyone whose weight fluctuates. Shopping for fewer items and pulling out your old favorites helps ease the transition in terms of body image and is far less wasteful and damaging to the environment. My current wardrobe is relatively small because I work from home and don’t need a large variety of styles. I have a basic uniform, and don’t stray from that. (As I said from the beginning, I do have rather minimalist tendencies.) But your capsule doesn’t have to look like mine. There is so much inspiration online and on Pinterest- have a look around to see what your ideal closet might look like. Take your time decluttering, and experiment with your existing wardrobe. Find what works best for you, and don’t settle for anything less.
To see every item in my capsule wardrobe, click here.
