A Spring 333 Capsule for Work AND Weekends

No matter where you are, your outfit should make you feel powerful while also remaining comfortable. This has been my biggest struggle during my transition to a capsule wardrobe. I often thought I needed two completely different closets: polished for the office and comfy for the weekends. I quickly learned this just meant I was buying clothes more often while forgetting what I even had in my closet. Instead, I created one capsule wardrobe that fits my style and works for any occasion.

I decided to use the Project 333 challenge to choose my wardrobe for the spring season. I’m expecting to be back in the office five days a week, but this capsule framework can also easily be adapted for work-from-home situations that require more formal wear. Of course, your wardrobe should be carefully curated to fit your needs. This is why I’m going to show you exactly what’s in my closet, but also provide some tips on how to create a capsule wardrobe that will work from office to weekend – and your own personal style!

Establishing your Versatile Essentials

You’ll see below that I’ve decided not to organize this capsule wardrobe by clothing categories such as tops, bottoms, and shoes. Instead, I thought it’d be more useful to show you my items in the order that I picked them for this capsule.

First, I chose what I call my “versatile essentials.” In most cases, these will be items that go with everything in your closet but the most important criteria for these pieces should be that they can be worn in both a work and weekend setting.

I’ve listed my 15 versatile essentials below. You’ll find that many of them are the usual basics – such as a white tee or black booties – but I’ve also thrown in some “fun” pieces that I can wear in various situations.

• White scoop-neck tee
• Beige wrap sweater
• Green paperbag pants
• Lightweight gray cardigan
• Beige long-sleeve bodysuit
• Floral blouse
• Black skinny jeans
• Floral midi skirt
• Black booties
• Black loafers
• Floral dress
• Beige trench coat
• Leopard flowy pants
• Patterned scarf
• Black leather tote bag

Picking your “Casual” Pieces

When I say “casual” I mean anything that you can’t wear in an office setting. For instance, I work a pretty standard corporate job which means that sneakers and denim are off limits in the workplace. Because of this, I’ve limited these pieces to only 10 out of the 33 items in my capsule. The purpose of this isn’t to make a tiny casual wardrobe within your closet but instead to have a few key casual pieces that can be added to make an outfit feel more casual. My favorite example of this is a classic denim jacket and sneakers, which can quickly transform a work-appropriate dress into a more casual look!

• Black slouchy v-neck tee
• Gray graphic tee
• Beige camisole
• Gray joggers
• Blue jeans
• White sneakers
• Green anorak jacket
• Denim jacket
• Brown cross bag
• Denim skirt

Picking your “Dressy” Pieces

It’s now time to use this same logic when choosing some “dressy” pieces for your capsule. This means items that you wouldn’t typically wear outside of work, but are still good to have when you need to dress up an outfit. The perfect example of this is the classic kitten heel. These shoes are my go-to for the office but definitely aren’t casual wear. Although, I can also pair the heels with some jeans and a cute top if I’m going out for a drink. The same goes for the classic black blazer, which can instantly dress up a pair of pants, skirt, or a dress. Here are my 8 dressy pieces:

• Striped button-down
• Black sleeveless turtleneck
• Black trousers
• Black leather midi skirt
• Nude flats
• Black kitten heels
• Black blazer
• Plaid coat

Overall, your comfort should triumph over anything else. If an item is too uncomfortable to wear outside the office (or outside your house!) then it shouldn’t be in your capsule wardrobe. If you have a good set of versatile essentials to build from with a few casual and dressy items, then creating looks that go from workday to weekend will be quick and easy!