My mum once told me if you can think of at least 3 different ways to wear something then it’s something you should add to your wardrobe.
Now I LOVE fashion and clothes. I grew up with a fashionista mother and she imparted all her wisdom on me. It truly is part of my identity and self expression. Over the last few years I’ve found that the way I shop for clothes has shifted. I definitely spend more money on clothes that I really love but don’t buy nearly as many items as I used to. I’ve found that this has streamlined my wardrobe and instead of fast fashion I have quality pieces that I wear year after year. Of course I add in a few bits every season to keep up with what’s trending but I find myself shopping from only a handful of brands and thrifting more than ever.
When it comes to toddler clothing it’s not quite as simple to curate your wardrobe over years. In fact it’s almost inevitable that you will be updating their wardrobe almost every season. This is simply because they grow and the clothes that fit them last year just don’t fit this year. So how do we streamline this never ending clothes buying process? Well, capsule wardrobes are increasing in popularity. Parents are loving this minimalistic approach that not only saves time and money but also lessens the laundry overwhelm. You heard that right! No more mountains of dirty clothes or weekends spent folding laundry.
So how to go about building said capsule wardrobe. It’s really easy when you know the basics.
Firstly, you will want to choose 2-3 brands or shops that speak to your style and aesthetic. This will make it much easier to ensure that all the pieces you choose will go together seamlessly. Most brands will choose a colour palette for the season and most of the products will consist of that in some way. This means that the pieces you choose will all interchange with one another perfectly. Shopping big brands like Old Navy and H&M can be overwhelming and often you will find that you add a bunch of things to your cart which ultimately don’t go together at all.
Once you have an aesthetic and colour palette in mind then you’ll want to have what I like to call a style blueprint. This basically means that you have a few key looks that will work with many of the items in the capsule. For example, pants with a long sleeve t-shirt and a zip up fleece, knitted beanie and sneakers. This blueprint can be replicated over and over by changing the pants and long sleeve but keeping the additional layers. Those long sleeve tees can then be used to layer under overalls or a dress. Add the long sleeve tee to leggings or shorts to transition to the next season. Like I said previously, think of at least 3 different ways one garment can be worn. Voila, early morning dressing decisions made super simple.
Let’s break it down to exactly what you need in your toddlers wardrobe for the upcoming winter season. You really only need 10-15 core pieces.
- 5-6 tops (sweaters, hoodies, crew necks, flannels)
- 5-6 bottoms (we love comfortable cotton sweat pants, leggings and a nice pair of jade I’m jeans or cords)
- 3-5 undershirts or onesies (a good mix of short and long sleeves is great for layering and transitional outfits)
- 3-4 pairs of shoes (this includes snow boots, a pair of nice/fancy shoes and a couple pairs of shoes or rain boots for outdoor play)
- 7 pairs of socks, and 7 pairs of underwear (one pair for every day of the week is a good rule of thumb)
- 5 sets of pjs or sleepers (we go through one a night so you could always throw in a couple more if you wanted to)
- 1 rain jacket and/or snowsuit (climate dependent)
- 2 jackets (I opt for an insulated jacket and a heavy fleece which can the be used to layer)
This doesn’t seem like a lot of clothes. So when it comes to laundry it’s important to note that you will be doing it more often but it will be smaller loads and less time folding mountains of clothes. So spending a little bit of time every other day instead of hours of my time once a week is way more how I like to roll.
Now we have that all down I would encourage mixing in some thrifted or consignment pieces too. Not only good for your budget but great for the planet. There are some seriously good places to shop pre-loved and consignment. Little Wilder offers a small pre-love section and then a couple of go to shops for me would be Oh Baby Consignment in Kelowna and Millie’s Little Closet in High River. They offer flat rate shipping and have a huge selection.