---
name: capsule-wardrobe
description: Use when someone wants a small set of clothes that mix and match well, including auditing what they own, choosing a palette, finding gaps, and adjusting for seasons, climate, work needs, and budget. Distinct from [[everything-has-a-home]] (storage for all belongings), [[the-upgrade-list]] (replacing worn everyday items with better ones), and [[packing-checklist]] (what to take on a trip, which a capsule makes easier).
---

# 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.