With a new season on the horizon, we may be feeling the itch to reorganise our lives. A great place to start this process can be with our wardrobe, swapping spring and summer styles for cosy autumn and winter ones or vice versa, especially if getting dressed is starting to feel more and more stressful than it should be.

Mindfulness isn’t just about meditation and incense burning. Applying the principles of mindfulness to what we wear can not only reduce stress, but also a surplus of unloved, unworn, or unwearable clothing. With the state of the environment on a steady decline, adopting a mindful approach to our relationship with fashion and shopping can also play an important role in helping to reduce our impact on the planet; focusing on quality over quantity, considering how often we will wear an item, and investing in the right pieces that will endure season after season.

Embracing a more considerate, practical and versatile wardrobe is what it’s all about!

Simply speaking, a ‘capsule’ means a refined edit of pieces that complement each other. Traditionally, a capsule wardrobe would also stick to a simplified colour palette, typically neutrals and similar hues so that everything coordinates.

10-20 pieces such as staple jeans, a classic tee, a trench or similar coat, blazer, and dresses that can be styled up or down and comfortable knitwear is the sweet spot, but a capsule wardrobe looks different for everyone. Choosing to fill your wardrobe with items like these, in any variation that suits your lifestyle, helps to ensure that nothing goes unused or unworn.

Despite what you might think, you don’t need to set fire to your wardrobe and start from scratch to create the perfect capsule. It’s all about working out what items you wear the most, or want to keep, and then identifying the missing pieces to buy.

But, if your wardrobe is overflowing with too many impulse buys that you neglect or forget about, styles you haven’t worn in years due to body changes, or pieces you want to wear but just haven’t quite gotten the chance to, it can be overwhelming and hinder the process. Take the time to identify these styles and decide whether you can and will wear them before clearing out any that don’t make the cut.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you can never buy anything new again. What’s important is being mindful about what you’re purchasing, what purpose it serves and how often you foresee wearing it. Doing this before you put your credit card into the EFTPOS machine will not only reduce reckless spending but ensure that what you’re buying is an investment with ensured payoff.

If you love making a statement and have filled your wardrobe with loud, impression-making styles that you’re not getting enough wear out of, consider supplementing them with staple basics like t-shirts, jeans, and trans-seasonal footwear that will ultimately make them more wearable. Conversely, if you’re a minimalist and your wardrobe is full of simplified neutrals, try investing in a stand-out piece like a statement jacket, dress, or bold coloured accessories that will make those basics look fresher.

The key is to identify the styles that you already own and love then find complementary pieces that allow them to look new.

At Replay we specialise in thoughtful, considered clothing; whether you’re a maximalist or like to keep things simple, we have all the pieces to help you begin to build your perfect capsule wardrobe online and in store now.