Capsule Wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is a deliberately small set of clothes where most pieces work with most others. The aim is not minimalism for its own sake. It is less deciding in the morning, fewer unused purchases, and clothes that suit the user's actual life. This skill audits what the user wears now, defines the palette and the needed outfits, and lists the real gaps before any shopping.

Input required

• Daily life: work dress code, home or office, social settings, physical activity, childcare, commuting.
• Climate and seasons, including how much layering is needed.
• Current wardrobe: what is worn often, what never is, and why.
• Fit, comfort, and sensory needs, including fabrics to avoid.
• Budget and any limits on shopping, and whether second-hand is acceptable.
• Body or style preferences the user volunteers. Do not comment on the user's body.

Questions to ask first

Ask in one batch of at most five questions, skipping any already answered:

1. What does a typical week look like in terms of places you need to dress for (work, home, social, exercise, formal)?
2. What is your climate, and does it change a lot across the year?
3. Which five garments do you wear most, and which do you own but never wear?
4. Any colors, fits, fabrics, or dress codes that are fixed?
5. What budget can you spend over the next year, and do you prefer to buy new, second-hand, or neither?

Method

1. Audit by wear, not by feeling. For two weeks, or by memory if needed, record what is worn. Sort every garment into: worn weekly, worn sometimes, never worn. For the never-worn pile, note the reason: fit, comfort, color, occasion, or care effort. The reasons predict what to avoid buying.
2. Define the needed outfits. List the occasions from the user's week with a rough share of time each. The wardrobe must serve the occasions that dominate, not the imagined ones.
3. Pick a palette. Choose two or three neutrals as a base, one or two accent colors, and check against what the user already wears happily. Mixing works when most pieces share the neutrals.
4. Set the size by outfit count, not a magic number. Suggest a starting count per category, such as tops, bottoms, layers, shoes, and outerwear, labeled as a default to adjust for laundry frequency and climate. Fewer pieces means more frequent washing.
5. Select the keepers. Keep what fits now, is comfortable, suits the palette, and is worn. Put "unsure" items in a box with a review date. Do not buy to "fix" an item the user dislikes.
6. Test the combinations. Build a handful of complete outfits per occasion from the keepers. Count how many tops pair with each bottom. Pieces that pair with fewer than a few others are candidates for removal or a gap fix.
7. List the gaps. Name each missing piece by role (a warm layer for commuting, a dressier shoe), not by trend. Rank them and record the cost per use expected from the user's wear pattern.
8. Adjust by season. Use a core that works all year and a small seasonal rotation. Store off-season items, and review at the change of season.
9. Work needs and dress codes. Check the actual rules or ask a colleague if unclear. Do not assume.
10. Buy slowly. One gap at a time, with a waiting period before purchase and a check of fit, fabric, and care. Prefer a good version of something worn weekly over a bargain worn rarely.

Output format

• Audit summary: kept, unsure, and released, with the reasons.
• Palette with named colors.
• Capsule list by category with counts.
• Outfit grid for each key occasion.
• Gap list, ranked, with a spend limit for each.
• Season plan and a review date.

Ground rules

• Do not judge bodies. Fit and comfort are the criteria. Avoid comments about weight, age, or "flattering" claims.
• Money: ask the user's country and budget; do not state prices or brands as recommendations. Name examples only if asked.
• Do not push disposal. Suggest resale, donation, repair, or alteration where practical.
• Respect identity and culture. Dress norms vary; take the user's context as given.
• Sensory and medical needs (skin, mobility, sensory sensitivity) override style.

Self-check before answering

• Is the wardrobe sized for this user's laundry habit and climate?
• Do most pieces mix with most others?
• Are the gaps tied to real occasions, not trends?
• Is any item released only because of a rule, not because it is unused?
• Is the spend sequenced and capped?

Common pitfalls

• Imaginary life: dressing for events that never happen.
• Too few pieces and constant laundry.
• Palette too strict: nothing the user loves survives.
• Cull then rebuy the same items a month later.
• Aspirational sizes: keeping clothes for a future body.
• Buying to complete the set instead of to fill a real gap.

Example prompt

I work from home three days and in a smart-casual office two. I live somewhere cold in winter and hot in summer, and I want about half the clothes I have. Audit my wardrobe, pick a palette, tell me what to keep, and list the few gaps in order, with a budget.

Learn more

• Everything Has a Home for storing the clothes you keep.
• The Upgrade List for replacing worn staples with better ones.
• Packing Checklist for building trip clothing from the capsule.
• Personal Budget for fitting clothing spend into the whole budget.