The Capsule Wardrobe: 1,000 Outfits from 30 Pieces

by Wendy Mak

De-clutter your closet, maximize your fashion choices, and reinvent your own personal style.Cluttered closets create cluttered lives. Too often we are left rummaging around an overflowing wardrobe, ironically at a loss for what to wear. However, owning a capsule wardrobe, which consists of a limited amount of clothing, will-believe it or not-set you free!The Capsule Wardrobe introduces thirty wardrobe essentials-tops, bottoms, footwear, and accessories-that will create the ultimate mix-and-match wardrobe for the working woman. Professional stylist Wendy Mak instructs readers on how to use different pieces together to achieve one thousand different unique looks from work to weekend. Learn • Curate and build a true mix-and-match wardrobe• Create unique everyday looks specific to body type• Pick the right pieces to stretch your fashion dollar• Transition from the office to after dark in a flash• Reduce fashion mistakes and impulse buying• And more!With detailed descriptions and illustrations of each of the thirty pieces, plus a list of all one thousand outfits in a handy table, The Capsule Wardrobe will revitalize the way you use your closet, make dressing easy and worry-free, and help you reinvent your personal style.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion, Self Help, Adult, Lifestyle, Personal Growth, Reference

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2017

Reviews

[Malou · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in return for an honest review. After about 11% i couldn't keep reading it, something went wrong from the Netgalley or Amazon end and for this i am grateful. I already practice a Captule wardrobe and was looking for additional ideas, but this was complicated and didn't suit a variety of people..No sneakers?? Is this written for frumpy old biddies? No sneakers, no read.

I also didn't enjoy Wendy's constant chirpy referrals to things like 50 shades of grey and exclamations: "we all love chocolate". It made me feel quite squeezey.

And there was nothing new as far as i skimmed.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are like me, you have a closet packed with clothes and more shoes than you care to count. Wendy Mak’s The Capsule Wardrobe: 1,000 Outfits from 30 Pieces, does what’s promised. It shows those of us that cannot even comprehend a wardrobe of 6 tops, 6 jackets/blazers and sweaters, 6 shoes and accessories and turns it into a detailed plan of providing 1000 outfits.

For those who wish to downsize The Capsule Wardrobe would help provide a guideline to help provide a basic closest of clothes that will work for your life.

For me, I can’t even pack for a weekend away without bring that much so I was completely intrigued by the ingenuity to create so many options out of the basics. I can see myself using The Capsule Wardrobe as a guideline for travel but not as a lifestyle change.

I received this ARC copy of The Capsule Wardrobe: 1,000 Outfits from 30 Pieces from Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication Jan. 3, 2017.

[Shelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Right on the heels of today's popular "minimalist" movement comes The Capsule Wardrobe: 1,000 Outfits from 30 Pieces by Australian mentor, speaker, and coach Wendy Mak, who appears to have evolved into something of a jack of all trades these days, but who started as a personal fashion stylist in 2004 after leaving an unfulfilling career in telecommunications and commerce.

Now, mind you, I am not enormously captivated by the aforementioned minimalist movement in general. Sure, just like everyone else, I'd like to pare down some, but I am not inherently adverse to having lots of "stuff". Why on earth then, you may ask, did I want to read a book offering to reduce my wardrobe down to a mere 30 items? As it turns out, I tend to take long trips. Like everyone else, I also of course take easy-to-pack-for short weekend jaunts, but I also take yearly month-long visits home to Colorado, famous for having weather that can go from a 100° high during the day to a bone-chilling 40s the very same night, by nature of its semi-arid, mountainous climate. Obviously, packing for such a stay requires a bit of finesse and cleverness, or one winds up lugging an oversize, 75-pound behemoth of a suitcase with them (trust me, I know this from firsthand experience!). I'd hoped that The Capsule Wardrobe would help me figure out how to pack the minimum amount of mix-and-match pieces to get the maximum number of combinations in a travel wardrobe. And it did indeed give me some good ideas. Also not expressly targeted, but definitely another potential group that this book should appeal to, are fresh-out-of-college Millennials who are trying to assemble their first professional work wardrobe but have no idea where to start.

Those compliments stated, I'm afraid I have some pretty harsh criticisms of this book. What you need to know going into it is that just a few pages shy of half of the book's 240 pages comprise page after page of spreadsheet-looking tables of possible wardrobe combinations, enumerating all the possible ways you can combine your 30 items, with no organization based on season or occasion, no images or descriptions, nor anything else that would make these tables even remotely practical. What are you going to do – staple 110 pages full of rows and columns of tiny text and put it in your closet? That does not make it a "handy reference", even if you "highlight your favorites", as the text helpfully suggests.

The shame of it is that the author could've done so much more with this wasted half of the book! In no particular order: Rather than reducing putting an outfit together down to looking it up on a computer-generated table, Ms. Mak could have used some of those pages to get into the practical theory behind successful fashion, guiding readers up the learning curve to creating smart, inspired ensembles rather than automatic ones. The concept of having a few timeless, well-constructed, and classic pieces in one's closet has been around for many decades; since this particular capsule wardrobe include them, it would've been a great opportunity to educate aspiring fashionistas as to what makes an item of clothing a classic and how to shop for high-quality separates that fit their budget and style. What kind of cuts and tailoring are best-suited towards different body types? What effects do different accessories and pieces of jewelry have, overall, on an outfit? One short chapter addressed some of the "rules" about mixing and matching shoes and bags with the rest of one's clothing – the development of that skill could've used a lot more elucidation and expansion. And there is not nearly enough guidance on shopping (or retaining out of your existing hoard) your base of 30 items.

What could've been a really solid contribution to the body of introductory fashion education in a minimalist age is instead literally half the book it could've been. I feel like I'd have a hard time recommending even checking The Capsule Wardrobe out from the library for most readers, because even the worthwhile information that is found within its pages comes off as disappointingly incomplete. If you're already competent and confident with fashion, you'll be too advanced to need this book to put together a capsule wardrobe, but if you're more of a beginner (or just fashion-disabled, like me), you'll only be satisfied with what this book offers if you're happy with making automatic, uncreative daily wardrobe choices without really understanding why they work. But as I mentioned in my second paragraph, if, like me, you already have a rather overstuffed closet and you'd like to put together a temporary capsule wardrobe for an extended trip, you may find some helpful tips and strategies, and again, I also think the book will benefit young women just entering the workforce who want to look smart and professional but have no real interest in fashion per se.

I received an advance electronic copy of this book via NetGalley, courtesy of Skyhorse Publishing, in exchange for my honest feedback and review. My initial downloaded copy had some issues, but Molly from Skyhorse was immensely responsive and helpful, and quickly made sure I got a readable copy. Kudos to Skyhorse and Molly for outstanding reviewer response and an obviously awesome culture of customer support!

[Olivia S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disliked this. I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe from the perspective of minimalism and buying less, but higher quality goods that last longer, rather than embracing the wastefulness of fast fashion and consumer culture. I found the fact that about 7 of her 30 required items were purses and high heels to be verging on offensive. I'll take an extra pair of jeans instead, thanks. It did inspire me to try to come up with my own capsule-style wardrobe, but since the capsule wardrobe concept is not her idea, I'm not giving her any credit for that. The majority of this book is a text-based list of the different possible outfits you can combine the items into.

[marlin1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book intrigued me when I saw it. It states all you need is 30 pieces which must mix and match together. I found it goes into quite a bit of detail for each category ie, pants, tops, coats etc.

It does make you think about your lifestyle and that's where it lost me a bit. I have a uniform for work and when I don't work I'm quite active either going to gym, walking the dog, housework etc, so I live in yoga pants and tops. It didn't cover those situations/lifestyles but I can see the 'capsule wardrobe' concept working in most situations with a bit of tweaking.
It also has drawings of the different combinations and a huge list at the back, with all the different ways you can mix and match. I thought pictures of the specific items would have been good if they were in with the relevant chapter, as well as all to together much further on, as it sort of lost it's punch when you came it them.

All in all, I found it a fun, informative book and if nothing else it made me go through my wardrobe and have a spring clean and let go of those sentimental items that I haven't worn for twenty years!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

[Carmen Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall solid advice but peppered with the average gendered BS, the cloying, over-precious Carrie Bradshaw-esque writing, and the specious "dress for your shape" nonsense that's actually fatphobia wearing a fake mustache and monocle. A few of the suggested outfits are truly ugly, but there are more hits than misses. Still, I can't help but feel the author was really reaching for those 1,000+ outfits with some combinations, but there's no accounting for taste. Some of the drawings are utterly bizarre in the way that only fashion illustrations can be, and that was amusing. A good jumping off point if you're looking to go back to the basics and put together a worry-free wardrobe with lots of variety.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but 1/3 of it was just a list of different outfits (no pictures). I was excited to learn about capsule wardrobes, but this book was not thorough enough.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Much Sparkle

As much as I want to have a succinct wardrobe, I’m too much of a sparkling sally to get there just yet.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book. And I especially like the idea of a capsule wardrobe, something I've been sort of experimenting with for a few months now. But I can tell you right off the bat that some of what the author is proposing absolutely wouldn't work for me. I have to have close toe shoes for work and 5 of the 7 shoes she says you must have--all have open toes. Additionally, I really want to know how you would make all of the sandals and heels work with the pants because they are different heights. If you have pants long enough for heels, they don't generally work with anything else. This sticking point was hard for me to get past.

Last third of the book is a bunch of pages just listing all of the different combinations in an index, so not really meant for reading. I browsed the middle third. I still really like the idea but this book didn't really help me figure out anything new.

[Leigh Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is "how to dress like an adult" 101, and it's lovely. You might not agree with all of it -- lord knows, I didn't -- but if you're just not that into spending thousands of hours fussing with clothes, this book will help you assemble a nice basic wardrobe that will get you through the workday AND weekend. If, like me, you refuse to give up your yoga pants, pajamas, and other comfy clothes that make fashionistas gasp in horror, you can cheerfully ignore some of the items in this book. For the most part, however, it's perfect as it is, and you should have it in your library collection.

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been intrigued by the idea of paring down my wardrobe to a "capsule wardrobe" but I don't think that this is the book to guide me. The advice is apparently geared towards the working professional woman - so if you're a SAH mom or retired or even someone that works a blue collar job, it is likely to be less helpful. The author *does* suggest that you vary the suggested outfits based on what your life looks like...but if I'm going to do that, why am I going to read this book?

She suggests to first clean out your closet of anything that is excessive or doesn't fit or is uncomfortable or unflattering. One idea that is good is to be sure that everything in your wardrobe has a "friend" - something that you wear it with. You know that item that you like but it's too dressy for jeans and too casual for pants and it's in the wrong color for everything else. Another suggestion was to think about how you spend a typical week and look at what you need to function. If you spend 40% of your week at work, then obviously your wardrobe should reflect that. Unfortunately, her suggestions are geared towards that person - her plan is not great for anyone that doesn't fit in that box. It's not to say that there's nothing there, but it's mostly not something I can use (since I am retired and don't need an extensive work wardrobe).

She has color suggestions for her 30 pieces - and I mostly hate them. Years ago I figured out that - because I am fashion-challenged - I did better with just a few colors that coordinated (black, gray, navy and in the fall maroon) and only bought things that worked with those colors. You basically only had to vary the weight of the fabrics between winter and summer and it worked.

So what are the basic 30 pieces?

7 Bottoms: 2 tailored pants (black, stone); 1 casual pants (taupe/mushroom); 1 jeans (dark wash); 1 tailored skirt (black); 1 casual shirt (denim or linen); 1 shorts (stone)

6 Tops: 2 long sleeve tops (black/white and accent color); 2 tank tops; 2 dressy blouses (accent color)

2 Dresses: 1 LBD; 1 casual print dress

6 Blazers/Jackets/Coats: 1 trench; 1 winter parka; 1 lightweight jacket; 2 blazers (black and stone); 1 cardigan (black)

3 Bags: 2 totes (black and tan/beige); 1 clutch (black)

6 Shoes: 1 pump (black); 1 scrappy sandal (black); 1 boots (black); 1 dressy flat sandal; 1 ballet flat (black); 1 wedge (tan)

The last third of the book is a spreadsheet with the ways to take the above and combine them into 1000 outfits. No pictures. And where there are pictures (as she's describing the 30 pieces), some of the suggested outfits are not exactly flattering - and if you can't make an outfit look good on an imaginary person, well an actual person is going to look hideous.

I may try to figure out how to adjust the above for my life and color palette - but gee, the book then is less helpful. So my advice is stick to a few colors and pare down the bottoms and tops to what you're comfortable with and forget the book. Unless you are just starting out as a professional woman and have nothing but your college jeans, it is not going to assist you much.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was wandering through the library hoopla and found this.

A-I'm glad that I have most of the pieces recommended here. Yay, adulthood and accumulating a decent wardrobe over the last 10 years.
B-I actually really liked some of the combinations suggested that I hadn't thought of.
C-I am more colorful than this book suggests, and I'm okay with that. (FYI my accent colors are purple, green and blue.)
D-Since two of my dresser drawers are filled with t-shirts touting my town and alma maters (+UNT) that I spend most weekends in, I am not quite the target audience for this. I don't have many cute "casual" dresses that I just chill in on the weekends. I'm much more a tee + medium wash jeans + tennis shoes when I don't have to be dressed up kind of gal.

Also, I have no black or tan purses. Go for the colored accessories, always. :P

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was tired of opening my closet and seeing a bunch of clothes that either did not fit or that I no longer liked. So, I looked for a book about what to do about the situation and found this delightful and quick little read. I took the advice of the author and built a wardrobe which included the items on her suggested list. I cleared out my closet back in January. Bought some items to fill in the gaps on things that did not fit or that I was tired of. Six months later I can say that I have let a few additional pairs of shorts and shirts back in to my closet, but for the most part have stuck to my basics and I feel so much calm and ease about knowing what to wear each day and having fewer choices in my closet. I have not gotten as sick of wearing the same things over and over again as I thought I would. I don't know that I will stick with this process forever, but it is definitely working well for me right now.

[Em · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. I wanted it to be the holy grail to fix my fashion/wardrobe woes. Sadly, it was not.

This book seems to be for the young and thin (and tall). I had hoped it would be more inclusive, but it is not.

When I went to the author's website, she had an update from 2023 and stated that she'd had many changes in her life, including her changing body at age 45. That said, perhaps she'll write an update.

All that said, I'll keep borrowing library books and looking online for tips on upgrading my "woman of a certain age" wardrobe.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Gave me some of the information I was looking for. I wish it didn’t have so many appendix pages that pretty much just list the different ways that one could pair the 30 clothing items together. I wish there was a little more practical info for the everyday shopper/woman.

[Stef (Noveltea Corner) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My closet is currently overfilled and yet I have nothing to wear. Desperately lacking in basics, worn, with too many party dresses, it's reaching a crisis. Enter the capsule wardrobe. This isn't going to solve my problems overnight, but it made me realize I need to make 2 trips: one huge one to the charity shop to unload the vast amount of weird things I bought online that kind of fit and another to a more upscale retail establishment than I usually visit.

[KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read but super useful.

[Elma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for tips and some reasonable ways for decluttering my wardrobe, then found this book and read it quickly. Unfortunately, I did not get what I was expecting except for long lists of mixing&matching like making mathematical permutations and combinations. Anyway, I am so glad to read previous reviews so that I can benefit from the book when getting ready for a long trip.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked it not as much as I hoped to but not bad

[Romany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cute, but nothing that Pinterest and a spreadsheet can't give you.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A capsule wardrobe is a mix-and-match wardrobe that creates multiple outfits from just a handful of pieces.”

This book caught my attention immediately because my clothing situation is a mess. I have terrible shopping habits, so many of my clothing items still have price tags on them years later. Sometimes I buy clothes for the body and lifestyle I want, rather than body and lifestyle I have. Other times I buy things without thinking about what I’ll wear them with. Honestly, I only wear about 5 pieces out of my entire overflowing closest. The Capsule Wardrobe is about simplifying your life with thirty pieces that can be worn over one thousand different ways.

The focus of this book is clothes for work, going out, and casual weekend activities, so pajamas and gymwear aren't included in the thirty items. The first section addresses bad habits and gives helpful hints for decluttering your closet. If you need to add some basics to your closet, Wendy also includes helpful insider shopping tips, such as what type of fabric to look for or how to buy versatile pieces that can be worn for work or leisure. She encourages you to be realistic when shopping. For example, my habit of buying fabulous winter coats doesn’t suit my Texas Gulf Coast lifestyle! There are no strict rules with this method; you can adapt the suggestions to fit your own body, lifestyle, and locale. There's a link to a printable pocket guide that you can bring with you while you shop.

The important points are summarized in featured sections throughout the book, which makes it easy to reference later on. There are full-color images of all the fundamental items. I wish that these had been placed where they were relevant, rather than all gathered together at the second half of the book. But even with the flipping back and forth, I really appreciated having the visual! The illustrations of possible outfits show how a few simple changes can create a whole new look. To take the guesswork out of creating an outfit from your capsule wardrobe, there’s a table of over one thousand outfit combinations using thirty items discussed.

The Capsule Wardrobe is a great guide for simplifying your wardrobe, staying in style, and extending your budget. It will be especially helpful for budget-conscious women who want to look great and add variety to their wardrobe, but have no clue where to start. You can visit Wendy Mak’s website for more information.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The publication date is January 3, 2017.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this
book.

In a quick definition, a capsule wardrobe allows you to create multiple outfits from a few basic pieces. If you are like me and the idea of looking in your cluttered closet is getting a bit overwhelming; the capsule might be the next step in a wardrobe makeover.

Wendy Mak goes on to explain her vision of thirty necessary items, from 7-bottoms, 6-tops, 6-top layer items (blazer, sweater, jacket, coat, etc.), 3-purses, 6-shoes, and accessories. Work wear, weekend wear and going out are all included. This does not include loungewear or gym wear. This book is designed as a jumping off point and not something that is set in stone. Work with it and make it personal. Remember that each part must work with the whole.

Ms. Mak then goes into the specifics of style and color to add a bit more flare. She did lose me a bit here when she talks about skinny cuts. Not everyone has the body type for skinny so you will have to adapt. Presto change-o and you have a fast new wardrobe of 1,000 options.

Wait, not so fast, simple math tells you that the numbers do not add put. After a couple of pages of item suggestion and a few mix and match drawings of outfits you begin to realize that you are still not seeing 1,000 options.

Then you hit the appendix and this is where the whole idea fell apart for me. Changing an accessory or shoes or purse is not a new outfit. The same jeans and basic tank are used for the first 50+ outfit suggestions. Nope, I just knew that this was too good to be true.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Capsule Wardrobe is not a book for which I'd normally have reached; however, my wardrobe is in need of an overhaul, so when I saw it on NetGalley, I thought I'd give it a try. On the whole, whether or not this book is of use may depend on your needs. For example, it focuses a bit on work attire, which is less of a thing for someone like me who currently works from home. That said, I did find some of the suggestions interesting, particularly regarding cleaning out old stuff that's outdated, no longer fits, or you only keep for sentimental reasons. In addition, several of the ideas for making simple switches to change outfits from smart to casual and vice versa were inventive. The focus on black was hard for me since I've had my colours done and black is one I should arrive. Switching to charcoal is fine, so long as you can find those items in that colour. Overall I'm giving this three stars. It was interesting and gave me some food for thought, but it would not 100% work for me personally.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
A good idea! I'm looking forward to putting some of her ideas into practice!

Unfortunately, the book itself was a bit short and underdeveloped (she could have written a few more examples or added some "umph" to her chapters). I can see this as a better blog; there wasn't too much point to the book if you take it at face-value. It's kind of just..."meh." The author spent most of her time making the list of all the possible combinations you could make with the 30-articles she recommends. Kudos to her for taking the time to do that, but next time she should focus on richer content.

Conclusion: It's the type of book you forget about after reading it.

[Amanda Sexton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a horrible shopper/stylist. I picked up this book because I thought it might help me get my closet to a more grown up look. I believe it can! This short book uses pictures to show me what the author means, and I like that she broke it down into very basic terms. There is even a handy "shopping guide" that you can download to take with you to the store! It seems like it might get boring wearing the same colors or same pieces over and over, but the author does a good job explaining how to mix things up, and she also encourages updating every season with a couple of new "pop" pieces.

[Suetr · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first career was in the apparel business so I am always interested in books about clothing. I’m also fascinated by the capsule wardrobe concept... and the book was on my library e-book service so I thought why not. Glad I did not spend money. The prose is trite and condescending and far too chatty. The illustrations are terrible and honestly as someone not-a-size 0. I was taken back at how skinny the models were drawn. Some variety would have been a good idea. The vibe I got from this book was of the ‘80’s not 2017.

[Cathleen Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

That was quick. Have a few pieces. They need to match. 1/2 the book is a huge chart showing that wearing a dress, shoes and a purse is one outfit but change the purse, it's another outfit. Kinda bogus. Also, laundry???? do you wash small loads every day? Not for me thanks.

[Candace · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pop culture references were really annoying and unnecessary.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's the thing. I hate shopping, and I hate trying to decide what to wear. As a result, I tend to buy dresses so I can just pull something out of the closet and go. I own two pairs of work shoes and one pair of jeans. I'm pretty minimalist. But I figured there must be a world beyond dresses that would help me stretch my clothing dollar. 30 pieces for 1000 outfits? Yes, please! So the concept is great. And I did enjoy parts of the book. There are some good ideas here.

However.

Changing a purse is not going to make a new outfit for me. I have one purse, and I only use it long enough to throw into my locker at work, if I bother to carry it at all. So all those options are out for me.

I'm not a skinny girl. I'm never going to be a skinny girl. And while the item descriptions SAY there are alternatives for plush bodies, all the drawings are of scrawny women. This does not make me feel very good about the options being provided. it just made me feel like I didn't belong. Variety in body shape would have really helped.

And, speaking of the drawings...drawings? Really? In this decade? Seriously, folks. I don't want sketches. I want photographs. Of women in all shapes, sizes, and colors all looking as put together as the book says we should feel. I don't live in a watercolor world, and the wardrobe pieces are not going to look like that when I find them on a shelf somewhere.

And apparently those of us who can't wear sandals to work are just out of luck. What? I also don't wear pants? Uh, oh. There go most of the outfit combos!

Which brings us to the combos. Lists and lists and pages and pages of them. I get the purpose. Really, I do. But spreadsheets are useless. I want pictures. Examples. When to use each combo. You know. A page for going out at night. A page for lunch with the girls. A page for hanging out at home with my sweetie. I don't need half a book full of charts. Give me tips and tricks on how to mix things up. I trust you on the multiplication. You don't have to prove it to me. Really. And wasting half the book with this info makes me feel like we're killing trees for no reason. Link to a website where I can print it if I want. That'll do jut fine.

And ditch the pop culture references. I didn't get half of them, and the rest were more annoying than funny. Feels like the author is trying too hard.

But I still gave the book three stars, because, despite all it's failings, I did enjoy reading it. There are some good ideas here, and I plan to implement some of them. Overall, it's a read, not a buy. Check your local library and just make a few notes on some scratch paper for yourself. That should just about do it.