How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe with Colour

Last Updated on March 23, 2023

There’s a common misconception that capsule wardrobes need to be neutral to work well. Many examples we see are all neutral colors or have a single accent colour but this doesn’t mean your capsule has to be white/grey/black as well. This misconception is also part of the confusion of minimalism as an aesthetic vs a lifestyle – you don’t need to look like a minimalist to have a minimal wardrobe!

How to Build a Colorful Capsule Wardrobe

Not going to lie, building a capsule with color does take some extra thought and planning compared to a neutral wardrobe. However here are some tips and tricks to make it a lot easier:

Keep Colour In One Type of Garment

For example incorporate a variety of color into your tops but keep bottoms and layers mostly neutral. This way you can have whatever colours you want because you won’t be wearing two tops together.

Use Colorful Prints to Tie Pieces Together

If you select prints that combine the various colours of your wardrobe it can make it much easier to mix and match with a variety of colours and pieces. For example, if you have blue pants and a yellow top, a printed jacket with blue and yellow will make the outfit look very intentional and stylish and can make your pieces more versatile.

Design your Capsule around a Colour Palette

It’s a good idea to have a colour palette in mind when building your capsule and shopping for pieces this way you can maximize versatility and the amount of items that will work well together. Pinterest is great for inspiration with figuring out a colour palette! If you have a large variety of colours they may not all work together, so in that case and assign the colours that don’t work as well together to specific areas, such as bottoms, so you won’t wearing them at the same time.

Don’t Forget to Prioritize your Favorite Colours

The whole point of a capsule wardrobe is getting to regularly wear the pieces you love and feel good in! So focus on ways to make your favorite garments more versatile instead of putting too much time and attention into having a really cohesive colour scheme that doesn’t include favorite items. It doesn’t matter if your capsule wardrobe looks pretty sitting together on the rack, only the pieces you actually wear together need to work well with each other.

Check out the video above for some examples of colorful capsule wardrobe planning.

If you love colour and that’s been holding you back from trying a capsule wardrobe, I really encourage you to challenge yourself to try it out! Even for just a short time. The great thing about capsules is they are there to serve you and you can always revisit and adapt things if it’s not working the best for your needs.

Looking for sustainable brands that offer bright and colourful clothing? Check out this roundup!