Less is more; minimalism is grabbing attention and turning heads all across the globe. People are rushing to listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, and follow influencers on social media who have embraced, talked about, and taught minimalist ways of living. So why this sudden shift towards owning less? The simple answer is simplicity!

But there are other factors, such as the fashion industry’s environmental impact, the shift towards sustainability, etc. This is where a capsule wardrobe comes into play.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how to build your capsule wardrobe with the latest styles from 2023, all with a touch of convenience offered by Amazon.

What is a Business Casuals Outfit?

To design one, we first need to understand a business casual capsule wardrobe. It’s something in between a full-on suit and a dress and flip-flops. To put it more easily, it’s like pairing some key elements of a business suit, for example, a blazer or pants or a shirt, with outfits such as denim or a simple top or block heels. So basically, you’re not in your full formals, but the HR can’t point you out with the dress code policy.

It’s a collection that will help you stay a lot more relaxed and easy throughout your day at the office than you’d be with a full-fledged formal suit; business casuals are preferred by the ladies of the corporate world today for their sheer comfort and style.

In today’s professional world, it easily helps you blend in while having the look and style of your choice.

Outfits Prefered for Capsule Wardrobe

Outfits that have a deep neck are somewhat transparent or too translucent, reveal the midriff, and are baggy or sports-related. They are all strictly not business casual and should be avoided in an office setting. Hoodies, tights, short skirts, and compressions are also not examples of business casuals. When it comes to color, too bright or loud colored garments with too many abstract prints should be avoided, as in a business setting, dressing appropriately is very necessary, especially when you want people to listen to you rather than keep noticing how out-of-place you’re looking in that black and yellow polka-dotted blazer.

When you dress properly, you tend to check your words before you speak them; this is because, subconsciously, you’re reminded that you are well-dressed and should not speak inappropriately. This is exactly why you shouldn’t be at your office in pajamas and go to sleep wearing a business suit and a tie.

Now that we have clarity on dressing in a business setting, let’s move on to some casual capsule wardrobe examples for men and women.

For Men

The top selection for business casuals for men are:

1. Chinos
2. Blazer
3. Oxford Shirt
4. Polo Shirt
5. Smart Trainers

For Women

In your recommendation, these are the best and the most basic picks that make business casuals for women:

1. Blazer
2. Suit Skirt
3. Flared Pants
4. Striped Top
5. Dresses (A-line, pencil, or pleated)

Business Casual Capsule Wardrobe – The Basics

When it comes to business casuals, a capsule wardrobe of the same would consist of the items that you consider to be versatile, like a pair of denim or chinos that you feel looks good with both a shirt, tie, and coat and just as good with a polo t-shirt. Your decisions on what to keep and what to lose will be closely centered around the fact that you must create new and different looks and styles with significantly fewer items. In this regard, cardigans, polo t-shirts, chinos, dresses, skirts, etc., are highly advised to be kept around and thought over, as well as how many versions of outfits can be curated.

If you can tweak your perspective a bit, you’ll begin to realize the many underlying benefits of having a capsule wardrobe, including but not limited to:

• You don’t have to get up in the morning and decide; it’s already there, ready and simple.
• You can be assured that your decision to go with a capsule wardrobe contributes to your planet’s breathing a little easier. Basic maths: You start buying less, and they start producing less; it’s a win-win!
• How about getting that latest smartphone? Or a home theatre? Or going for that long overdue holiday? Yes, you’ll begin to realize that you’re saving a lot of money that was earlier spent on buying clothes, so now you can go ahead and focus your funds on other indulgences.
• Maybe spend more time with your parents and loved ones, or go for a hike, or take that piano lesson you’ve been thinking about for so long. When you go with a business casual capsule wardrobe, you’ll realize that there’s a lot more you can do with your free time now that you don’t have shopping to do, both online and offline. So much of our time is consumed shopping or going through online shopping websites, trying to find that perfect piece of garment, not anymore.
• Mindfulness can be achieved. Yes! With the clutter of shopping and caring for so many garments gone, not having to get up in the morning and decide what to wear to the office or to buy a new dress for an upcoming party, you’ll feel much more relaxed and at zen with whatever pieces of garments you currently have. If this isn’t a piece of mind for you, you might be doing something wrong.
• Buying less, but buying better! When you don’t have to buy a lot of items, you can focus your funds on buying better-quality items. This makes you look much more stylish and refined.

For such a wardrobe, some things absolutely should not be missed, like a collared shirt (can be a polo), a blazer, and shoes of your choice, but they should cover your toe. So, pretty much the things that are already in your wardrobe, but if they aren’t, don’t worry; by the end of this article, you will have them, trust us.

We don’t have to look far and hard; Amazon has your back when buying certain garments that can be called ‘all-rounders’. Amazon Fashion has become the go-to website for shopping the latest trends of 2023; we have 356 Billion reasons (net sales) to believe that Amazon Fashion is gaining a lot of popularity in the United States as well as in countries across the globe.

Mixing-And-Matching for Fluidity

Versatility is greatly valued when designing your very own capsule wardrobe. The best way is to grade your clothes on a scale of versatility; this will make it easier to figure out which ones are more versatile and which ones cannot be mixed with a lot of other outfits. This makes the pick-and-choose process much simpler, allowing you to let go of the clothes you don’t need much easier.

When you’re operating out of a capsule wardrobe, you are left with few options. Hence, you need to get creative; for example, the pants you’re deciding to keep should be of a fit and color that can go with both a shirt and blazer and at the same time doesn’t look out of place if worn with a cardigan or a polo t-shirt.

One very important decision that you have to make is letting go of the pieces that you don’t need. After you’ve had an outline or a rough idea as to what the things you’re going to keep in your business casual capsule wardrobe, you need to put the rest of the stuff in a place in your house that would get them out of your sight, for example, the basement. This process helps you get rid of things easily; if you don’t require anything from the things you put away for more than 30 days, you can safely donate or sell those clothes. It’s not easy, we know, but this way, it doesn’t sting as much.

Picking the Versatile Items from Your Current Wardrobe

• Step 1: Put everything into categories and start from there; your first step is sorting. Anything that doesn’t fit anymore, you don’t like anymore or is damaged should either be donated or disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
• Step 2: For all the things that are left, put them into further categories according to material, topwear or bottomwear, dresses, suits, denims, etc. This will make a clearer picture, and you won’t have to work your brain too much after this.
• Step 3: The basic way to judge your outfits is by picking them up, one by one, and asking yourself, ‘Can this easily be mixed and matched with other clothes I have?’ and ‘How many occasions can I wear this to, apart from the office?’. Two, ‘yes’ means keep. One ‘yes’ means should not be kept, but exceptions can be made. And two ‘no’(s) mean it definitely has to go.

Accessories and Personalisation

Watches, bracelets, rings, sunglasses, belts, earrings, necklaces, and the list of accessories that can make your outfit look personalized and stylish is never-ending. We believe when accessories are introduced, personal touch is evident in the style and look of your outfit. So we need you to remember the accessories, too, when you’re designing your business wardrobe, as these accessories will help you style things up a bit if you’re running out of ideas at any point.

When we talk about a business casual capsule wardrobe specifically, there are some accessories that we’d highly recommend; these include:

1. A watch (nothing too fancy, leather buckle strap, simple dial)
2. A Tie (Again, nothing too flashy, solid or striped)
3. Oxford Shoes (Elevates the entire look, makes the outfit look sharp)
4. A bracelet
5. Sunglasses
6. Scarf

Care, Maintenance, and Regular Updates

Yes, we understand that you’ve achieved the perfect casual capsule wardrobe for yourself, but occasionally, regular maintenance and updates will be required. The better you care for your outfits, the longer they’ll serve you by making you look stylish. Too frequent washing or washing too little will eventually spoil the outfits, and you’ll be running off to the store every other day, and that would not be a pleasant thing to do. So, read the wash and care instructions on the tags and follow them.

As for the updates, we believe a good time to update your capsule wardrobe is once every six months; this frequency can vary from individual to individual, but the figure we’re providing is by keeping the average life of a garment objective. And it’s not too difficult also, now that you know Amazon Fashion is there to take care of this part. Quick, Simple, and Easy, that’s how clothing should be, and with the help of a capsule wardrobe, that’s exactly what it becomes.

Conclusion

By now, you too must be convinced of the idea that ‘less’ is actually ‘more’ and why not, when you can have so many outfits to choose from, made from so few clothes, then why buy more than you can wear? Instead, wear more of whatever you buy of great quality.

In this article, we discussed the business casual capsule wardrobe, its benefits, how to make one for yourself, which items to keep, and which to let go of—the importance of attire in a business setting, the foundation of the wardrobe. We learned about the role of versatility, mixing and matching your outfits, and how accessories provide a personal touch and give an instant fresh look to your outfit.

Lastly, we also discussed the care and maintenance of your wardrobe.

Until Mars is habitable, Earth is our only planet; let’s preserve it!