Building a Workwear Capsule

FASHION · UNITED KINGDOM

Building a Workwear Capsule

What a capsule is, the pieces that earn their place, fabrics and cost per wear

A working wardrobe is judged on how many mornings it makes easy, which is a function of how well the pieces combine rather than how many there are.

What a capsule actually is

A small number of pieces that all work with each other, in a limited colour palette. The test is whether any top goes with any bottom, which is what removes the decision from a weekday morning.

Two or three neutrals plus one or two accent colours is enough. Every piece that matches only one other thing is a piece worn rarely.

The pieces that earn their place

Two pairs of well-fitting trousers, a skirt or dress if you wear them, three or four tops, a blazer or structured jacket, a cardigan or knit and one pair of comfortable shoes you can stand in.

Add a coat that works over the jacket, since that is the piece people forget until October.

Fabrics

Check the composition label. Natural fibres and viscose breathe; heavy polyester traps heat in an office. A little elastane adds comfort and shortens the life of the garment.

Check the care label, since dry-clean-only pieces in a daily rotation are an ongoing cost.

Fit and alterations

Hem length and waist adjustments are inexpensive and transform off-the-peg clothes. Shoulders cannot be altered affordably, so buy for those.

Cost per wear

Divide the price by the times you will wear it. A jacket worn twice a week for three years costs almost nothing per wear; an occasion piece does not.

Shoes for standing

Whatever the dress code, a shoe you can stand and walk in all day matters more than the rest of the outfit. Keep a smarter pair at the desk if the commute needs trainers.

Rotate between two pairs so each dries and recovers.

Laundry and upkeep

Wash less and air more, which is what keeps clothes looking new. Spot clean, steam creases out rather than washing, and use a fabric shaver on knitwear.

Repair early — a loose button or a small seam split takes minutes and prevents a garment being abandoned.

Buying sensibly

Buy for the job you have rather than the one you imagine, and avoid buying several near-identical pieces, which is what a capsule is meant to prevent.

Fabric and comfort

Check the composition label rather than the feel in a shop, since heavy polyester traps heat in a warm office and shows sweat. Natural fibres and viscose breathe considerably better.

Lined skirts and trousers hang better and last longer than unlined ones.

Dress codes

Ask what people actually wear rather than what the handbook says, and dress slightly more formally for the first week.

Second-hand and rental both work well for anything worn rarely.

WHERE TO BUY

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