My Capsule Workout Wardrobe
Cultivating a capsule wardrobe is not a new idea. You can see evidence of it everywhere! Just google it. No really, go ahead! I will wait. See what I mean? Unfancy has an entire blog dedicated to it. Courtney Carver has Project 333 -- a challenge to reduce your wardrobe to 33 items of clothing for 3 months (basically a season) at a time. For some folks, rules really help. For others, not so much. I find that I don't need the rules as much. I love having a curated closet.
Why, you might ask? For so many reasons!
It saves me time in the morning.
It saves me energy.
It saves me money.
It makes me happy to have a few high quality items versus a bunch of cheaply made ones.
It makes me feel good to wear what I have consistently. Nothing is just sitting in a drawer somewhere.
I thought it might be easy to begin with fitness clothes as it is less overwhelming than considering one's entire closet of clothes. But we will get there!
So let's begin! First of all, it is important to be aware of what workout clothes you actually need. My exercise routine usually includes hiking, yoga, or running. I also do some weight bearing routines. My clothing choices reflect what my routine includes. Yours should too.
Some other factors to consider when trying to decide on what you need?
*the weather/seasons where you live if you exercise outside
*how often you exercise
* your budget
*your personal preference for color and options
Below are my summer staples. I have three pairs of shorts. Black ones (at the very top left). Blue ones. Orange ones. I have two exercise bras that I can mix and match easily. They are on top there. I also have three tanks (on the right side of the picture). A blue one. A black one. An orange one. I can mix and match easily from this set all summer long. My tanks go with my capris and leggings too. As you shall see. Being able to mix and match can make it so much easier to get ready for a quick run or gym session.
My spring/fall/winter additions are below. On the top left are my capris. I have two pairs of capris. One with a burst of color. The other is next to it--with stripes. I have two pairs of leggings (located on the left bottom). Black ones and grey ones. The grey ones have a bit more weight to them so they are nice to have when it is downright chilly. On the right, I have three long-sleeved, half zip pullovers too. A grey one (top right). A purple one with orange accents (see how the orange shorts and tank can pair with that??). And a black one. Again, all interchangeable.
Now clearly in the winter, I may need to add another layer to be warm outside. So the last part of my capsule workout wardrobe are my jackets. I have four total.
From the left, I have a black sweatshirt with a hood. I have one black fleece jacket. A white water resistant jacket. And a black, light down jacket for a run in the winter. I must add that I do have a heavier black coat (not pictured here) that I will wear for hikes in the winter if it gets below 30 degrees. It is so crucial to have items of clothing that work for the weather as it allows for the exercise session to be more enjoyable. I can exercise all winter long in full comfort with this set of options.
Now, my colors tend toward black and grey as that is my preference. I do have a couple of pops of color. You may be a total color person. Go for it! Just make sure they are fairly interchangeable.
Maybe a capsule exercise wardrobe stresses you out. No worries! It may not be for you. But if it excites you to simplify a bit or if it intrigues you to try to save time and energy around your clothes--give this a try. Test it out.
I will be sharing more of the capsule wardrobe in blogposts to come. What do you think of having a more minimal wardrobe? Would it work for you? Please share down below!
