I’ve chatted up the benefits to living with a capsule wardrobe, like finding my style + having more time + having more money + finding more contentment.
But let’s have some #realtalk about the whole “more time” thing. How does this really break down? Specifically with laundry.
I hope you’ll keep in mind that the info I’m sharing is specific to my opinions + lifestyle, so not everything I say here may work for you. But I have faith that you’ll take the information presented and apply some of it to your own wardrobe in a new and creative way.
To understand my laundry habits, it might help to understand my lifestyle: I’m a photographer + a blogger + a small business coach. I work from home, and most of my daily outings are for client meetings + creative meet ups + photo shoots + regular life errands + dates with my husband. We live in a small one bedroom apartment, we don’t own a ton of stuff, and we don’t have kids.
When I took the plunge into this whole capsule wardrobe lifestyle, I was a little concerned about doing laundry. Would I have to do laundry a lot more so as not to run out of things to wear? Would my clothes wear out faster?
Now that I’m about 7 months in, I’ve got my answers.
Q: Will my clothes wear out faster?
A: My clothes actually haven’t worn out faster since having less in my closet.
Say what, now?
Here’s the deal: Even when I had more in my closet, I was reaching for the same pieces over and over again anyway + rewashing those a billion times each. Makes sense, huh? It was a lightbulb moment for me.
But beyond that, I still put a lot of thought into making my clothes last. For example, If I’m going to be outside or sweating, I plan to wear my sturdier clothes that can handle lots of washings. Like my chambray shirt. I’ve had that thing for 2 years, wearing it multiple times a week, and it hasn’t worn out yet.
Speaking of tough clothes, I never buy anything that’s dry clean only + I stay away from clothes that I can’t just throw in the washer and dryer. I buy certain pieces a tiny bit too big because I know they’ll shrink down.
I only wash my clothes when they really need it. If I didn’t get sweaty in it and it smells and looks clean — no reason to wash it. I’ve been known to wear things multiple times before washing depending on what I did that day, of course. To some of you that will be cool. To some of you that will be gross. I’m okay with that. :)
When I’m at home, I wear workout clothes or lounge clothes (fancy name for PJs) so as not to wear out my capsule wardrobe prematurely. They aren’t included in my 37 piece capsule wardrobe, but I still apply a less is more concept to them too. I have about 12 pieces of workout/lounge clothes — 6 tops (mostly cute, cheap tees like this) and 6 bottoms (half yoga pants, half running shorts).
Sidenote: I avoid buying running shorts with briefs built into them. That way I don’t have to wash them after each wear.
And finally, I wash everything on delicate and use very gentle, natural soaps.
Q: Will I have to spend more time on laundry, so I don’t run out of things to wear?
While I haven’t compared the actual minutes and seconds of doing laundry pre-capsule and post-capsule, it feels like I spend less time now. And I’ve definitely noticed a big difference in my attitude about laundry.
Here’s what I mean. Before dressing with less, I’d let my laundry pile up to the point where I needed to set aside a whole day to do it. By that point, it was a huge + annoying chore that I dreaded facing.
Now, I usually do a quick, small load of laundry once a week. There’s no piling up to the point to dread — because if I let it pile up that much, I wouldn’t have anything to wear. And because I’m doing smaller loads, there’s only about 2-3 minutes worth of folding + putting away to do. The whole task feels so much lighter. It doesn’t feel like a hassle — it just feels like a no-big-deal habit that feels good to do, like washing my face before bed.
(And we aren’t really talking about towels, but I’ll go there for a second. We have a total of 5 bathroom towels in our house — two for me, two for my hubby, and one for the occasional guest. My two towels get washed with my clothes — they aren’t separate loads.)
So there you have it. I’d love to hear any other tips you may have on doing laundry with less — sound off in the comments section!
P.S. If you have kids, here are some helpful articles on kids + laundry + living with less: 1 / 2 / 3
I really love your ethos and tips! I actually sew most of my own clothes, but I’m aiming to sew a capsule wardrobe using your tips and style as inspiration.
I do two laundry loads a week: a delicates for handmades and a rougher one for towels and easy-care items/things I’ve cycled in.
you’re awesome for sewing your own clothes!
Laundry is my least favorite part of fashion–but I’ve noticed since removing excess clothing from my wardrobe I kept pieces that were better quality and were more likely to withstand washes and lots of wear. Love your blog by the way xo Em
These are really great tips! I don’t know how well I would do on the whole laundry front though. I live in an open-concept loft space, and so when I do laundry, it’s all out in the open. So I try to limit to once a month (or until I have no more underwear. Towels and sheets excluded) because it takes up a lot of my already tiny space.
But I definitely try to invest in better quality pieces that won’t start disintegrating after the first couple of washes. Plus after they’re all worn in, I love them even more!
I love love love your blog. You’ve become my favourite daily read :)
Kris | http://www.love-loft-life.com
Love your site!! You are totally right- after limiting our clothes, I’ve only noticed benefits.
And thanks for linking to my blog!
Love this! I think the hardest part for me with building my capsule wardrobe has been the idea that I have to run out and buy super nice things. Like I got an Everlane tank for my summer capsule, it’s 100% silk and breezy and beautiful, but it’s dry clean only. And after 4 bouts of dry cleaning, I could have bought two shirts that AREN’T dry-clean only. It’s been super helpful to see that your capsules are made up of staples like American Eagle tanks and tees, in addition to some nicer things. I’m definitely going to be looking at more real-world items for my fall capsule!
Silk is actually a very washable fabric- go ahead and give it a try. Handwash or wash it on delicate with woolite, and then hang dry. Give it a little steam with your steamer, or iron it with a pressing cloth when it is dry. It might shrink a little bit the first time you wash it, bit it wont there after. I wash my silk Equipment shirts. I like the Laundress’s blog if you want to know more about washing delicate items.
I agree. Many items are dry clean only and wash just fine. I think manufacturers try to avoid liability and are over cautious in their ratings. Obviously some items will be dry clean only, and if they are expensive you may no want to try, but on a gentle cycle it may be a big cost saver not to be dry cleaning some items. We also use a washing machine with no central agitator, and that seems to have been much better for our clothes.
I own silk items and do not have my own laundry- meaning I go to the laundromat and use their heavy-duty machines on my “dry clean only” silk! I have never noticed an issue- just line dry them and you’ll be fine. I’d encourage you to keep investing in long-term sustainable pieces like everlane, or thrift your basics, rather than going back to cheaper items!
I air dry most of my clothes- especially pants, where I don’t have much margin for them becoming too short due to shrinkage. If you only have a couple pairs of pants, the only trick is to make sure you have a couple days for the pants to dry, so I generally avoid washing them all at the same time.
I wear quite a bit of “dry clean only” clothing for work- (thrifted) cashmere and knit silk tees. A quick handwash/lay flat to dry works fine when I don’t want to risk the delicate cycle- though I am not sure I would risk it for very expensive items.
you know, i was JUST thinking about this this morning. i was actually LESS stressed about having to do laundry because now my pile is like 1/5 the size it used to be! and i’m not worried about wearing my clothes down too fast because, like you, i don’t mind getting 3-4 uses out of a peice before washing it (as long as it isn’t stinky or stained). also, since there arent’s as many items to sort through, i feel like i have more time to take better care of them {like ironing/handwashing/mending}. when you have less, you’re more likely to treat it better so it lasts longer – things go strait to their hanger now instead of draped over the chair. i love it!
Same feeling here – laundry still takes a few loads to get through (husband + kid), but there are far fewer clothes in them so it’s feeling less like a chore.
Appreciate the last few links, too.
Random question, does your husband do a capsule wardrobe too? :)
Thanks for these answers! I’ve been curious about this!
Hi there, I’m really enjoying your blog. Like Katie I also sew most of my own clothes, and so take extra care to launder them. Being in Australia I’m lucky to have a bit more space, good weather (and central heating in winter) so a dryer is not necessary. I do think using delicate cycles and gentle detergents are crucial for clothing longevity, and avoiding the dryer too if you can. I like your rationale that your clothes last longer in your capsule wardrobe because you wear them all fairly evenly. The other great thing about a smaller wardrobe is it reduces the risk of moths as your clothing is getting cycled through and aired more quickly – win win win!
Love love love your site. I’ve been working on a minimalist wardrobe for myself and I love it. I actually went minimalist with about 33 pieces and then went back to a larger wardrobe because I lost a few pounds and was able to add things back into my closet from storage. I didn’t bother to take out a few pieces to compensate and it was chaos in the months after. Now I’m back to minimalism and average about 33-40 pieces each season depending on if it’s cold and I need a few additional jackets or sweaters.
I used to think that I couldn’t do it because I LOVE a lot of color in my closet but I find that even with a closet full of bright colors, my outfit options are still endless. Let me know if you want to see a picture! Keep up the writing.
Thanks for the inspiration!
And, I meant to say, when I went through that period of too many clothes in my closet, the laundry seemed to never ever stop. A capsule wardrobe definitely makes laundry more bearable.
I wash everything on delicate as well, and I do hang a lot of my clothing to try. I think goes a long way in preserving the life of clothes. Your tips are great and I love how you touch on every aspect of the capsule approach.
Great post!
XO, Gina
http://classyeverafter.blogspot.com
I am going to start following your wardrobe capsule plan, I really want to put into action. After reading this post, the particular line “reaching for the same pieces over and over again anyway” stood out to me because I didn’t really realise until now that I did that with some of my clothes! I need a complete wardrobe overhaul and I cannot wait to put your idea into action. —Stephanie
http://www.blogofjuststephanie.blogspot.com
This is a great post, and resonates. I had a ton of clothes back in the day when I didn’t have a washer/dryer at home – I didn’t want to go to the laundromat every week, so I just bought more stuff to wear. But then, like you said, I wanted to wear my old favorites all the time anyway and a lot of the time I’d make laundromat trips or even hand-wash them so I could. So ultimately, I feel like I’m doing the same amount now.
Really, getting rid of the excess clothes from my closet is a good reminder to take good care of my favorites so they last longer. I have a washer/dryer at home now but find myself hang-drying a lot of my clothes so they retain their shape and don’t wear down as fast.
As both my husband and older daughter change their shirts every day for work + school, I will just add my new capsule bits to their constant laundry demands! I am very smug about how little of mine is in the ironing pile though x
have really been enjoying your blog. i like that you mention that you don’t have kids. i used to do laundry for my husband and me once a week. now that we have two kids, i feel like i could do a full load twice a day.
this is partially just because kids create laundry (and i launder cloth diapers), but also because i sort of do a modified capsule wardrobe for my kids. it just makes so much sense, and is easier to do since we have to build their wardrobe from scratch every season/size (they don’t have t-shirts from high school and out of date cocktail dresses they refuse to get rid of!)
but it does mean more laundry (my son only has three pairs of shorts — they have to be washed every time he wears them) and that i have to be really, really good at stain-fighting.
Woa I just discovered your blog and have been going through your capsule wardrobe posts, I absolutely love them! I don’t think I can copy the idea entirely but definitely want to play around with it (especially the rule of three might be helpful…). I’m also moving to my dorm again next year, so it would be fun to only bring a capsule wardrobe each season, saving up on storage space!
I still wash my clothes and towels separately most of the time. I rent and my place comes with a really old dryer. It takes about 90 minutes to dry a load of clothes and 120 for towels. If I mix the loads that means my clothes are exposed to heat longer. Also I cook a lot, so I have kitchen towels. The avocado, coconut oil, and beets I use in the kitchen may damage my clothes.
That being said, having less clothes has dramatically reduced my laundry.
This is a really great concept and interesting post! I used to dread doing laundry too, but then I came across a great tip to use a laundry service. Using a laundry service helps save me time, and I avoid having to do large loads of laundry. Thanks for sharing!
Soap recommendations? Also, assuming that you still seperate laundry by color?
PS Thank you!!!
I’d love to know too whether you guys separate by color. I’m worried that I don’t have enough brights, light or dark colors to fill a load and I’m worried of ruining my clothes if I mix colors or not get them clean and germ free if I wash everything cold.
I love the idea of the capsule wardrobe, but what would really make my life easier would be just-wash-and-air-dry clothes, no dry cleaning, no ironing, no machine-dry-and-shrink. Where do you buy easy care (throw-in-the-wash) clothes and which fabrics are less wrinklable (fabrics you can just air dry and wear)?