Stylist Leoni Huisman developed the ideal capsulearderobe

The desire for a capsulearderobe

Huisman worked at G-Star Raw for eighteen years where she was responsible for the brand-and-feel of the brand. She did shoots as stylist and Fashion Weeks Abroad and collaborated with big names such as Pharrell Williams. In those eighteen years she saw how the fashion world changed, among other things due to the arrival of social media and e-commerce. From now on, clothing also had to be seen on a very small screen. The designs, colors and logos were therefore pronounced more. The production speed also increased. When she started, they made two large collections a year, then four and eventually produced monthly drops. At G-Star, large budgets were also released for research into sustainable denim, in which the brand is still at the forefront. Yet she felt more and more that split in which the fashion world is.

When she also got sick, so she was glued to home, she started to think about fashion in a different way. She had just moved and had already said goodbye to a large part of her wardrobe. In all those years as a stylist she had collected so much clothing, it just got too much. ‘I sometimes came to fashion store Rika at the time, and everything hung on a small stretch there. I thought: if that is your cupboard, everything on one such a rack. I wanted that too. Most people may be happy with a lot of clothes, but if you do not deal with yourself three times a day, then you just don’t be able to wear everything. I had a Walkincloset before the move and was confronted every morning with what I all not Wore. That made me a bit sad. I also noticed that I was less and less happy with new things. I found to find a few new boots more fun than actually wearing them. “

CapsuleGarderobe Code

Leonie Huisman had already started clothing logs, in which she peat how often she wore which item. She had also googled to the ultimate capsulearderobe, but she could only find one American who called it, and it did not tell what the ideal capsulearderobe consisted. But when she was sick in bed, she suddenly thought: but I am a stylist myself. I can think of what the ideal capsulearderobe could look like, one that is also fashionable. And: what if I can crack that code for everyone? What if
I can ensure that more people are happy with less? She made her first capsule of thirty items of clothing. ‘I was very proud, because I only had nice clothes in my capsule. Until I went to my sister -in -law, who has three cats. Then satin blouses are not very useful. And if you give a birthday party for your daughter where a lot is being crafted either. Fortunately, I didn’t put anything away in the beginning; I had all the clothes that were not in my capsule in those trays with mothballs. That way I was able to make mistakes and adjust a little. ”

To further refine her method, she tested it on others. As a result, she gradually became simpler and more effective. Huismans CapsuleGarderobe consists of seven bottom and fourteen tops. Plus Seven Blijmakers where you really can’t do without Five pairs of shoes and Three outdoor coats. And you will do that for three months. When changing the season, you get the clothes that you have not worn for a while and put together another capsule of 36 pieces. Few? No, Huisman says firmly. In fact, you become creative of less choice.

‘The starting point of my method is: you don’t need a lot of clothes to look nice. The most important thing is that you have garments in your capsule that match well. Because then you will also wear them. It’s a bit like packing your holiday suitcase. Then you also come up with smart sets in advance. If you ensure that every top can do just about any pants or skirt, then you need even less. “

Creative with your capsulearderobe

It is less boring than you would expect, the same items on repeat for three months. That is because you are forced to make new combinations and style the items slightly differently. ‘I regularly get DMs from people who try the method and are surprised about the compliments they get about clothing they already had. This is because of those new combinations, but also because you get a somewhat clearer personal style with fewer clothes. That will also notice others. ”

Another advantage of such a capsulearderobe: you get very well in the bulls of what you Wardrobe Gaps And be pitfalls. That you have a lot of white T-shirts, for example,
Many the same type of jeans or little variety in different materials. That is why you also go shopping smarter. Although there is also a good chance that you will go shopping less, because well, you ‘can’ only 36 items. And then you don’t have to do three big blazers, one is enough. And six jeans is also too much in a small capsule, because you don’t feel like jeans every day.

But what if you feel like something new? How do you understood that with a minimalist capsule? Huisman: ‘It is in our DNA to renew ourselves. Our brain rewards that through the release of dopamine and endorphins. Buying clothes is one of the easiest ways to renew yourself. Add to that all the stimuli you get from social media and such about things that you should all have – and it’s not
So strange that your wardrobe is expanding very quickly. But you can also be very happy with a sweater that you have not worn and brought out for six months. It is not entirely the same as a brand new sweater, but you can train yourself in that. ‘ And that is not only good for yourself and your wallet, but also for the planet.

Know what to pay attention to at a capsulearderobe

In the twenty years that Huisman has been working in fashion, clothing has increasingly become a disposable item. Huisman: ‘In the past, clothing was something you invested and which sometimes lasted for generations. But over the years, clothing has not only become much cheaper, but also much worse. For example, the threads of which clothing is made have become thinner and shorter, which means that clothing lasts less. The mattresses, the stack of fabric from which clothing is cut, have also become higher with cheap brands to save costs. The higher those mattresses, the less spacious the fabric is cut and the closer the fabric is on the seams. This gives you holes faster in the seams. ” So you can pay attention to that before you purchase an item.

Huisman also pay attention to the fit, such as a sweater. ‘Most sweaters have a simple collar, but really good sweaters have a triangle in the board. That comes from the rugby, that triangle made sure that the sweater easily crossed your head. If all goes well, that triangle is ribbed, that causes extra stretch. If a manufacturer invests in it, the rest of the sweater is also of good quality, I think. ”

Another thing that is often cut: bags in pants. ‘If pants have no bags, I don’t trust the rest of the garment either. Because then they just don’t pay enough attention to how it was. Sometimes it has to do with the model, but certainly with cheaper brands it is often just a money issue. That is why we often find vintage cool, because there is still an eye for those details. Then you have an inner pocket with a small fabric lip over a button. One of the middle segment brands that is doing well is Uniqlo, that works neatly off his pattern parts with piping, you can see that on the inside of their clothing. Well -made clothing does not necessarily have to be expensive. As long as you know what to look out for. ”

The coming songs, Leoni Huisman in Elle writes a column about fine tuning your personal style, with tips on what to look out for when you buy clothes, what smart investments are and how you can mix and match what you already have.