If you are always buying new clothes because you have “nothing to wear,” or if you are tired of seeing a mish mash of items in your closet, a capsule wardrobe may be the greatest thing to happen to your closet in a long time.

A capsule wardrobe will not only save you money, but it will also save you time and frustration when picking out your clothes. Here are a few tips to help you build a capsule wardrobe and save money all year.

Know What a Capsule Wardrobe Is

What is a capsule wardrobe? While the capsule wardrobe doesn’t have a true definition, it is considered as a small collection of fashion pieces that never go out of style. While it doesn’t have a max number of items, it will normally have 15-30 pieces, all of which you can mix and match.

The key to a great capsule wardrobe is having items that can all work together, so you are never stuck with an item that you can’t wear more than once or twice. Since you know that your end goal is saving money, you won’t buy pieces that don’t work well with others.

Pick Your Colors

Most capsule wardrobes consist of black, white, gray, and nude. While this helps you save money, you can build a colorful capsule wardrobe too. Again, the key is to build a wardrobe that will allow you to mix and match.

Some people like to create two separate capsule wardrobes, one for the spring/summer and one for the fall/winter. If you want to go more colorful in the spring/summer and darker in the fall/winter, go for it! Just make sure that the colors work for you.

Choose Based on the Season

If you live in an area where you have all four seasons, you will most likely have to add extra pieces to your capsule wardrobe. Even if you are trying to save money and time, you should choose pieces that work with the weather. No one wants to freeze just to save a little cash!

Even with buying a few extra clothing items during the different seasons, you’ll save a lot more money than someone who buys a ton of clothes every few months! If you choose the right type of clothes, you can transition them to fit all of the different seasons all year round.

Add a Little of Your Style

Once you’ve gotten the basics down ( a nice pair of jeans, simple black tee), it’s time to add in a little of your own style! While sticking to simplicity, get a few cute tops, or a graphic tee that you can wear whenever you want.

It’s important to add a little of your own style to your capsule wardrobe. If you deprive yourself of shopping or buying what you want just to save closet space, you may binge and buy more than you really need. The biggest benefit to a capsule wardrobe is saving money, so add your own flavor when you can.

Go Thrifting

You don’t have to buy all of your new capsule wardrobe clothes for full price! Another great way to save money by building your new wardrobe is to go thrifting. You can normally snag great deals on basics like jeans and t-shirts.

If you decide to go thrift shopping, make sure to pick quality clothing. While there is nothing wrong with buying a $2 t-shirt, it will be useless if you find a hole the first time you wear it. Sometimes thrift shopping won’t yield you a ton of results, but keep trying! You’ll save money and be able to build your wardrobe for a lot less than brand new.

Add/Remove As Needed

A capsule wardrobe is all about trial and error and finding what works for you and your lifestyle and needs. If you add a new jacket because the one you had didn’t work, remember to donate or get rid of the old one! Keeping your capsule wardrobe fresh and minimal will help you streamline your closet, life, and keep your wallet full.

Also, you can make money from the clothes you no longer wear! You could always try to sell them via a consignment shop or online. You may be able to buy new clothes with the money you make from your old ones, meaning even more savings.

A capsule wardrobe isn’t for everyone, but it can be super beneficial in helping you find your personal style and saving money all year long.

How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe & Save Money All Year is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.

But clothing can be expensive, and I don’t know about you, but walking into a mall to buy one thing usually ends with me spending hours in the mall and leaving with an armful.

Plus, I develop favorites. I have had some peices of my wardrobe since I was 16 and, despite not fitting for awhile, they remain my favorite pieces.

The key to being able to keep my clothes for that long is simple: I take care of them.

I didn’t used to. I’d throw my favorite jacket in a crumpled heap on my bedroom floor, only to be used as a scratching mat for the cat or a bed for the dog, and despite my denial, it would usually end badly for the coat.

I’ve learned that it’s very worth it, from a cost standpoint, to take care of my clothes. Here are some tips and tools to use to take care of your clothing to ensure that you never look dishevelled.

Don’t wash them every wear

Seriously. I’ll never understand those people who wear a top once and throw it in the washing machine. Unless you go to spin class in your work blouse, there really is no reason why you’d have to wash your clothes after each wear.

Some people’s jobs require them to be more active than mine, so take this with a grain of salt, but I can’t fathom anybody’s clothes smelling bad or looking dirty after 8-12 hours of wear. I can usually wear dresses three or four times before washing them; skirts about 3 times and pants twice (I’m short so the bottoms of pants get dirty).

It really depends on the material, color, and wearer of a shirt as to how much you need to wash it. If you’re a messier eater, like me, you’ll probably have to wash shirts more often.

Washing clothing fades the color of the garment, and is generally not great for the fabric. You can keep clothing looking newer for longer if you limit the amount you wash them.

Read the label

I know you’ve probably heard this advice before, but it really is important so is worth reiterating. I’ve washed clothes the wrong way before, and it ruined the item. Learn how to read the washing instructions and make sure to follow them. If you don’t, then don’t be surprised when the fabric pills or the seams fray. Some clothing is too delicate for traditional washing methods.

On the same note, make sure you put similar fabrics, in like colors, in the same loads. I know this is obvious but many people fail to do so. My Lululemon clothes all go in the same load, for instance. Washing Lululemon with normal, cotton fabrics can really pill the Lulu fabric, which is a no-no since it’s so expensive.

Invest in some tools

I don’t have many “tools” to keep my clothes nice, but I have three that I use on a regular basis.

A sweater shaver

A sweater shaver shaves more than just sweaters. I can use it on my Lululemon pants to get rid of pilling, my cardigan sleeves when lint starts to build up and hang out on the cuffs, and my wool winter sweater which starts to look like a Pomeranian after a few wears. If you get a decent sweater shaver, this tool is like gold for making your clothes look acceptable again. Plus, it’s fun. It’s like pulling glue off fingers.

A lint brush

Even if you don’t have pets, having a lint brush around is crucial. I shed like a crazy person, so that’s a consideration, but also dusty and lint from other fabrics can stick to your clothes. Especially if you’re wearing black, this is not a good look.

I even have a lint brush in my car, just in case.

An iron or steamer

I was a late bloomer on this one; I never used to buy clothes that needed ironing, so I avoided having to buy an iron. Lots of work clothes, though, has the tenancy to be made in wrinkle-attracting material, so I invested in a clothes steamer last weekend.

I use it every day and I can’t believe I got on without it.  Every time I needed to get rid of wrinkles, I’d just wash my clothes and hang them up before. How ridiculous of me!

My steamer was only $79 and I love it. It works beautifully. Remember: when it comes to clothes steamers, the higher the wattage, the better it will work.

Do you have any tips on how to make clothes last (without sacrificing how they look)?

3 Must-Know Clothing Care Essentials to Make Your Wardrobe Last is a post from: When Life Gives You Lemons. Did you like the post? Follow me on Twitter, like me on Facebook, or hop on over to my blog and leave me your feedback.