Creating a capsule wardrobe for my toddler has simplified our life in so many ways. Shopping for clothes is easier, we spend less money, he can pick out outfits on his own, and laundry is never overwhelming. I find that if I take my time and keep the following tips in mind, I am able to easily curate a capsule wardrobe that contains just a few essential clothing items that are easy to maintain and still fun to dress him in.

If you’d like to take look at his current summer capsule wardrobe: Toddler Boy Summer Capsule Wardrobe

How To Create A Toddler Capsule Wardrobe

Basic Capsule Wardrobe Formula

5-7 T Shirts
5-7 Long Sleeved Shirts
3-4 Shorts
5-7 Pants
3-4 Overalls/Rompers/Matching Sets
2-3 Pairs of Shoes
1-2 Sweaters or Sweatshirts
1-2 Coats/Jackets
10 Pairs of Socks
3-4 Pajamas
1 Hat

This is the base of Jude’s capsule wardrobe, regardless of the season. This is what works for us. If it’s summertime, I’ll swap in a tank top and have less long sleeved shirts. During the winter, I’ll add a pair of long underwear to layer instead of shorts. I try to always include a button-up shirt for special occasions.

Declutter

If you are having a hard time decluttering, I encourage you to simply focus on what you want to keep rather than what to get rid of.

Pick out a certain number of items that makes sense for your family and simply put everything else in a box in the garage or closet. Do not donate it. If you are concerned about having such a small wardrobe, you can always pull from these items and donate at a later date.

I’ve done this with all of our wardrobes and nine times out of ten I’ve completely forgotten about the box and end up donating it.

Shop Smart

I keep a note on my phone and update it as needed when I see Jude growing out of a certain item or something becomes stained or ripped. When I go shopping, I specifically look for these items and swap the old one out.

I follow the one item in, one item out rule very seriously. Once you figure out the number of items that works for you, stick with it and don’t get distracted! You will always be able to find cute kids clothes that you can add in once you actually need them.

Mix & Match

This is important when creating any type of capsule wardrobe. Pick a cohesive color palette and try to stick with it. Clothes don’t have to be boring to mix and match, but having a few guidelines is extremely helpful. My goal is to keep his wardrobe so cohesive that he can grab anything from his drawers at random and everything would match.

Jude’s current capsule wardrobe color palette.

FAQs

Laundry

Yes. You have to do laundry more often, but it is never overwhelming. His entire capsule wardrobe could fit in a medium sized load and be quickly folded and put away. There’s never a mountain of dirty clothes that I have to sift through and carve out an entire day to tend to. It’s much easier to be disciplined and spend a few minutes fitting a load of laundry into our daily routine then deal with multiple loads at the end of the week. The benefits of a smaller wardrobe far outweighs the few extra minutes spent maintaining it.

One of the best things we have simplified is socks. We bought all of the same type and have them stored in a basket to easily grab. No more lost socks in the laundry or spending time matching up pairs.

Hand-Me-Downs

Besides newborn clothes, my general rule of thumb is to not store hand-me-downs. Since his wardrobe is pretty small, everything gets worn often and most of it has holes or stains by the time he grows out of it and isn’t worth saving anyways.

Occasionally, I will purchase a gender neutral item that is higher quality with the intention of saving it for Rosie (ex: winter coat, knit sweaters, boots) but I typically have just one or two things per season. It is hard to have seasons and sizes magically align. I would rather have clothes well-loved and used - so anything else that is not too worn I pass along to friends that I’ve adopted that have littles just a few months younger.

It’s made everything feel so clean and clear in their closet space. I needed to simplify that process since we do not have a ton of storage in our house.

Sentimental Items

For me, I have a few special newborn items from both kids saved in our memory box. I enjoy looking back at photos and do not need a physical item to remember a sweet memory. Since we started decluttering years ago, I’ve become less and less sentimental. This topic could be an entire blogpost for another time.

I hope this was helpful! If it was, shoot me a DM and come say “hi” on Instagram!

Chloe Rey