Creating a workwear capsule

My first job out of college was with an industrial supply company. It was my first professional job, but I was dealing with tools and jobsites so dressing up was not really necessary. When I started working at Special Olympics Louisiana, I started dressing up more. I was in an office daily so I really started to curate a better workwear collection. When I started working as a recruiter I really developed what I would consider a workwear style.

I was working in a high rise, so I knew I wanted to refine my style some. But going into a new job I didn’t have a ton of money to spend on an entire new wardrobe. This was the first time I started a capsule wardrobe.

What is a capsule?

Before I get too far into this I need to start at the beginning. What is a capsule? A capsule is a select number of items that will interchange with one another making the most out of the pieces. Five pieces can make fifteen outfits, or ten items can make twenty-five outfits and so on.

My first capsule had 2 pairs of black pants, 1 black dress, 2 button downs, 2 sweaters, 1 cardigan, 1 pencil skirt and a black belt. It was perfect! Everything worked well and I was able to maximize my options because all of the items worked together.

More questions? You can read all of my capsule posts here.

Where do I start?

The very first question you need to ask yourself is what is the dress code or what is the office environment like? If you are working in a corporate environment, you may need a more conservating look. When I worked in IT the environment in the offsite offices was very casual. Knowing how everyone dresses will be the best place to start your planning.

Second, how much do you have to spend? You need to know what your budget is so you can know how much you will need to pull from your closet and how much you are going to buy.

Third, what do you have that you can use in your capsule? Do you have basics? White tees or shirts? Do you have dress pants or a blazer? Start identifying the items in your closet that will work for your office situation.

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My capsule

Workwear is something I get asked about frequently. I haven’t written about because I wasn’t wearing it. While I have been working the last few years, I haven’t found the need for a professional working wardrobe. Over the summer I started taking on more clients for The Organized Social. I am in clients’ offices a lot more and I started thinking that I wanted to create another capsule for myself.

Answering my own questions:

• What is my working environment like? Casual.
• What is my budget? $200
• What do I have in my closet that I can use? A blazer, LBD, White Tee,

Outfit One

This dress is from my closet as well as the shoes. Similar here and here.

Outfit two

For this outfit I used a blazer that I have had in my closet. I invested in this about 3 years ago and it is still in excellent condition. I love the pattern and the double-breasted front. Classic piece. Similar blazers here, here and here.

Outfit Three

For this outfit I used the LBD as my top. It was light enough that it worked under my skirt and acted as a slip. For this outfit I had purchased the skirt from Cider ($14).

Outfit four

This was the outfit I spent my money on. I purchased the top from LOFT ($59) and pants from Target ($29).

How many combos can I make out of these pieces?

Once you identify the pieces you want or need you need to lay out how many outfits you can make with them until you can add more.

• LBD
• LBD with Blazer
• LBD with Sweater top
• Skirt with LBD
• Skirt with LBD and Blazer
• Skirt with Sweater top
• Skirt with Sweater top and Blazer
• Pants with LBD tucked in
• Pants with LBD and blazer
• Pants with Sweater Top
• Pants with Sweater Top and Blazer

5 items can make 11 outfits.

In Closing

Capsules are always going to come down to the styling. The more creative you choose to be, the more outfits you will be able to create.

Happy Dressing!

XO,

Tiffany