Why a Capsule Wardrobe Is Perfect for Kids
Have you heard about the capsule wardrobe craze? Perhaps you’re on board, or perhaps you think narrowing your wardrobe down to 37 items, restricting your shopping, and switching out items each season seems like too much work. But think about this for a moment: there’s one group of people a capsule wardrobe works for, better than any other. For whom, you ask? Your kids!
Here’s why:
1. If you don’t find a system for restricting kids’ clothes, soon enough, they take over. I’m not sure how it happens exactly, but kids’ clothes seem to multiply faster than anything else I’ve ever known. At one month old, my baby girl had a few cute onesies, and at three years old she already owns 14 pairs of jeans. Washing has become tedious, as has cleaning up. Something has to be done about this! Restricting the amount of clothing my kid owns to an arbitrary number, and scheduling seasonal clean-outs, may do just the trick.
2. You are changing their clothes every season anyway. Unlike the wardrobes of parents (who seem to wear the same clothes for six years), kids’ clothes only last 12 months, and in some instances, less than 12 months. If we’re changing up their wardrobes that often anyway, why not do it in style?
3. For kids who are just dressing themselves, it makes choosing an outfit that much easier. You know that choosing what to wear in the morning is hard. How much harder is it for a four year old! We can help them with the decision-making process by eliminating non-seasonally appropriate clothing from their wardrobe, as well as making their wardrobe full of mix-and-match items. Both of these are essential parts of the capsule wardrobe system.
4. It will help you know what they need next time you go to the store. If your kids’ wardrobes are overwhelmingly full of stuff, sometimes it’s hard to work out what you actually still need when the next season rolls around. With only a limited number of items, identifying that key missing ingredient is so much easier. And it’ll save you money too, preventing you from buying yet another t-shirt when your kid already has 10 perfectly good ones at home.
5. Kids need space, and a capsule wardrobe offers just that. Kids need space to play and to rest and to store all their other fun stuff like toys and craft supplies. Do you really want to fill that with dressers full of rarely worn clothes? Imagine what opportunities a half-empty wardrobe could present in your kids’ room!
Convinced? Perhaps start by reading more about how our own Eleanor began her very own capsule wardrobe, and get going on cleaning out that closet!