If you have never heard of “Capsule Wardrobes” you are about to have your mind blown by this simple change, because it will have a MAJOR effect on your life. A toddler capsule wardrobe, even more so, because those little munchkins go through so much clothing!
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A Capsule Wardrobe is a selection of clothing that can mixed and match in many ways to create a large number of outfits.
But like… why?
You know that feeling- when you go to take the laundry out of the dryer and it’s only like 8 towels? And then compare that to the feeling you get when you take the laundry out and realize it’s 62 articles of children’s clothing. And you spend what feels like a lifetime folding and the pile doesn’t seem to get any smaller. What if I told you, you don’t need to feel that feeling?
With the toddler capsule wardrobe you have less clothing, but the clothes can all go together so you have a ton of options for making unique outfits. I always hated going to dress my daughter and the only clean clothes didn’t remotely match.
How To Put Together a Toddler Capsule Wardrobe?
1. Pick a brand or 2 you love
Sure you could piece-meal your child’s wardrobe from multiple brands and that would be very doable if you were doing all neutrals, but this gets a little tricky if you have colors involved because you want almost every article of clothing to be able to mix and match. I prefer to pick one or two brands that I love and commit to them for that season.
My exception to this parameter is if you are shopping at a children’s thrift store. I love, love, love doing this. They often have everything separated by size, season and color so you can make sure colors are cohesive. There are many items that are in new or like new condition that you get for pennies on the dollar.
2. Pick a color scheme/ color palette
Are you someone who loves neutrals? Does your child love color and patterns? Maybe you’re vibe is somewhere in between. Either way, look through your favorite brands to see what they are offering and decide on a scheme. You don’t want to wind up with a mixture of pastels, primaries, and neutrals with patterns that don’t go with anything. Sometimes I start with a pattern and use the colors from that pattern to build the rest of the wardrobe. The goal is to have all items interchangeable.
3. Capsule Wardrobe Size
This will depend on how often you want to do laundry and the seasons where you live. Personally, I think the following works well for my toddlers. Here is an example of what we are doing for Summer 2023 in the US- South East.
- T-Shirts- 5-10
- Shorts- 5-8
- Summer Dresses- 5
- Long Sleeve Shirts-2-3
- Pants- 2-3
- Sweatshirt-1-2
- Light Weight Jacket-1
- Cardigan/ Jean Jacket-1
- Short Sleeve PJs-3
- Long Sleeve PJs-1
- Sandals-1 Pair
- Shoe/Sneaker-1
Notice, most of the items are appropriate for the summer weather, but there are a few long sleeve items for when the weather is in flux. I’d do the same if you were starting in winter but flip the quantities and add a few sweaters and a heavy jacket.
Now, as you transition from Summer to Fall I would slowly transition with the weather by adding in (consider moving up a size) 3 more pairs of Pants, Long Sleeve Shirts and Long Sleeve dresses, then removing 3 shorts and Summer Dresses. And as Fall starts to move towards Winter remove the remainder of warm weather clothing and add in a few heavy items.
4. Accessories
Some people may find the idea of a capsule wardrobe to be boring or limiting, but adding in some cute staple accessories really steps it up a notch. My girls love dressing themselves, but they also love to add accessories to add their own flare. Try some fun hats, headbands, jewelry, hair clips, sunglasses,
- Jan & Jul Baseball cap– 100% cotton, UV protection, ethically made, size adjustable, affordable
- Olivio & Co. Sunglasses– Sustainably made from 100% biodegradable paper pulp. Polarized CATIII lenses to block UV rays and light off of water. Soft touch coating and light weight for all day comfort.
Examples of a Toddler Capsule Wardrobe
This one I have put together is entirely all from Carter’s Simple Joys- Almost every item can be paired with one another. Notice, I did not include dresses or PJ’s here because they can stand alone and don’t need to match anything specific. Just make sure that you have at least one pair of neutral shoes for the dresses.
This next toddler capsule wardrobe is built from ethical, sustainable and organic brands. Clothes by Makemake, shoes by Jan & Jul as well as Allbirds I specifically made it gender neutral to show that it can be used for multiple children even if they are not the same sex. If you want to make it more masculine or feminine you can just add in some dresses, or accessories depending on your child’s interests. This one would be great for more moderate temperatures or a transitionary season like Spring or Fall.
Benefits of a Toddler Capsule Wardrobe
So I have already mentioned reduced laundry, but it is a big enough benefit to say it again haha. Honestly, it’s not that there is less laundry but it forces you as the adult to actually wash the laundry more frequently and not let it pile up.
Since everything matches you can really empower your child to pick out their own clothes everyday. Personally, there have been many days my child has left the house in an utterly ridiculous outfit that she is incredibly proud of. And ya know what, that’s okay too. But I do love knowing that when I open those drawers, there will be multiple matching options. And maybe if your spouse is terrible at dressing your child this will be an added bonus.
Since you are not accumulating a ton of clothing it makes sustainable clothing more attainable. The same amount of money you would have spent on a bunch of cheap items can be spent on a sustainable, quality wardrobe. If you have more than one child, especially if they are the same sex, this will make a big difference.
My sister-in-law almost exclusively buys Hanna Andersson for her children, and although it can be a bit pricier than fast fashion brands, all three of her children and both of mine have worn the clothing. Some of those items even went further to friends after my youngest or to children’s consignment shops. That’s 5+ children for each article of clothing. When compared to fast fashion brands, I can barely get the items to last through my second child wearing them before they are dingy and worn.
Hanna Andersson even has a Pre-Loved page on their site where parents can sell their gently used items for a steep discount.
Mental Health
As a mom with ADHD, decluttering is essential for me to take care of myself and my family. If my home or my routine is too cluttered I cannot keep up with it and everything starts to fall apart at the seams and I will slip in to depression. Doing a capsule wardrobe really does contribute to the ease of my life and stability of my mental health. I talk about this in both my posts Self Care for Moms with ADHD and Parenting | 5 Tips To Becoming The Parent You Were Meant To Be
