My little one is all about the “capsule wardrobe” craze, and honestly, it makes perfect sense. No, she’s not concerned with minimalism or closet organization, but who better than a 4-year-old to narrow down their clothing choices to just a few items while blissfully ignoring the rest of their perfectly wearable wardrobe?
When I scroll through the capsule wardrobes showcased online, I see lists of around 30 timeless, adaptable pieces: chic black bags, gray pencil skirts, and beloved skinny jeans. Meanwhile, my toddler has managed to condense her entire wardrobe to this:
- 1 pair of fairy wings
- 1 Strawberry Shortcake nightgown, primarily worn as everyday attire
- 1 Hello Kitty dress—but only the one with a hole in it
- Pink flannel PJ bottoms, two sizes too small
- 1 unicorn t-shirt that leaves a trail of glitter in the washer
- 1 lone flip-flop (we’re still searching for its twin)
- 87 pairs of colorful plastic sunglasses
Just the essentials, right?
Truthfully, aside from the challenge of finding something appropriate to wear anywhere nicer than Walmart from her selected “capsule,” I’m feeling a twinge of envy. As a mom, I know I’ll likely never be able to streamline my wardrobe to such a simple state. I’ll never stumble upon a pair of floral pants from a decade ago and figure out how to style them as a “neutral,” nor will I ever experience the joy of having some breathing room between my hangers.
The main hurdle with the capsule wardrobe concept from a mom’s viewpoint is the frustratingly small number of items allowed.
First off, don’t ask moms to pick a favorite pair of yoga pants! Our 30-piece limit would probably be filled just with those in constant rotation: everyday yoga pants, sleep yoga pants, dressy yoga pants, and even the grungy ones for messy activities like baby feeding or DIY projects. Plus, we can’t forget the backup yoga pants we snagged on sale, saving them for when our go-to pairs finally give out.
Then there are shoes, which count towards that total, too. If you only need one pair of nude heels for all occasions, that’s great—but they’re going to look ridiculous paired with yoga pants—even the dressier ones! Shoes are one of the few items that still fit us from our pre-pregnancy days, so don’t even think about telling a mom to part with the one thing that still fits from college. I don’t care if they’re chunky-heeled Sketchers from the ’90s; they still fit, okay?
And let’s talk about those “I-Might-Get-Back-To-My-Pre-Baby-Size” jeans. Which mom in her right mind would toss those? Not to mention the “Post-Delivery” jeans that we’d rather not fit into again but also can’t seem to resist the allure of Nutella straight from the jar. And let’s not forget the maternity clothes that were a fortune—those aren’t going anywhere, either.
To make matters worse, mom wardrobes tend to lean more conservative, making it tough to find 30 pieces that can be mixed and matched into endless outfits for all occasions. In our 20s, we might see a sequined mini skirt and think, “I could rock that at the club and then style it for brunch!” Now, as moms, we’d laugh at the thought of wearing it to a PTO meeting—but we keep it anyway, just in case we ever want to channel our inner party girl for Halloween.
Ultimately, when you strip away the limitations and quirky fashion needs of motherhood, moms struggle with the capsule wardrobe challenge for the same reason we have a hard time finishing a coherent thought: interruptions. Just when we finally pull everything from our closet to figure out what to keep, someone inevitably needs a snack, gets hurt, or demands we skip ahead on an episode of Octonauts. And there goes our carefully curated pile, sprawled across the bed and floor, left there until the kids leave home—or at least until we can find a moment of peace.
I genuinely admire the concept of a capsule wardrobe; it sounds fantastic. But let’s be real—I’m a mom, not a dreamer. So for now, since I can’t pare my wardrobe down to fairy wings and Transformers sunglasses, I’ll take a cue from my toddler and leave my clothes exactly where they are, haphazardly stuffed into drawers and scattered across my closet floor—just like she insists they should be.
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Summary: Capsule wardrobes may seem like a dream, but for moms juggling busy lives and a myriad of clothing needs, they can be a bit of a joke. With countless interruptions and a wardrobe that includes everything from yoga pants to pre-pregnancy jeans, the idea of paring down to a minimalist selection can feel impossible. Instead, embracing a cluttered closet like our kids do might just be the best approach for now.