Creating a capsule wardrobe for your child

Creating a capsule wardrobe for your baby or child can make life much simpler. Getting your little ones dressed is no longer a quagmire of choice, tantrums and stress. The laundry mountain is scaled with remarkable ease. You may even save some money too. So, how do you create a baby or kids capsule wardrobe?

The benefits of a baby or kids capsule wardrobe

Need some convincing first? There are so many benefits that you’ll want to get on board with creating a capsule wardrobe for your baby or child right away. Some of the many benefits of creating a baby or kids capsule wardrobe include: 

• Shopping is far simpler when you’re sticking to some ‘rules’.
• Babies, toddlers and kids grow fast so you often need to do a complete wardrobe change.
• Decision fatigue is banished with the dirty nappies.
• Kids can pick their own clothes from the drawer and still nail a look you’ll be happy with.
• There is less laundry as the temptation for multiple clothing changes is removed.
• Seasonal changes are a breeze rather than a whole-day nightmare.
• You get more space for toys and all the other paraphernalia that babies and kids bring.
• You can buy higher quality items as you’re buying fewer of them.

How to create a baby or child capsule wardrobe

There are some differences in the items you’ll need between babies and children. However, the fundamental principles that govern your choice remain the same. If you follow this process then you’ll find making a capsule wardrobe for your little one is incredibly easy.

1. Make a list

Start by thinking about what you need for the season and life stage that your child is in. We’ve made it easy for you with these two lists.

What to put in a capsule wardrobe for baby

• 6-8 sleepsuits
• 4-6 bodysuits
• 3-5 leggings/ soft trousers
• 2-3 outfits (rompers, dresses, dungarees)
• 2 cardigans 
• 5-6 socks or tights
• Autumn/winter additions: another jumper/cardigan, coat, pramsuit, hat and mitten set
• Spring/summer additions: sun hat

What to put in a capsule wardrobe for kids

• 5-6 tops or t-shirts
• 5-6 bottoms
• 1 nice outfit
• 1 pair trainers
• 1 pair fashion shoes
• 5-6 socks and underwear
• 2 sets pyjamas 
• 2 jumpers/sweatshirts/cardigans
• Autumn/winter additions: wellies, warm coat, rain jacket, hat and glove set.
• Spring/summer additions: sandals, sun hat

2. Do a wardrobe assessment

Pull out everything in your child’s wardrobe and see what they’ve got. Get rid of things that are too small, or simply aren’t ever worn. This can help you determine the gaps you’ve got. If items are too big, then package them up and save them for a later date. You can even earn some extra money by selling the baby clothes you no longer need, or you can donate them to others who need them more.

3. Choose a colour palette

The trick with any capsule wardrobe is to choose a colour palette and stick with it. This allows easy mixing-and-matching. Older children can choose their favourite colours. A couple of neutral items in the mix always helps too.

A word about whites: White works fabulously in an adult capsule wardrobe but it’s much harder in a child’s one. Children are inherently mucky beings, especially if you have a mud-attracted tree climbing active soul. White makes it harder to shove everything in the wash together. Remember, with fewer items, they are going to be worn more and harder too. For a capsule wardrobe for a baby, white can work when paired with other neutrals, or even entirely on its own. Just make sure you’ve found a brilliant stain remover!

4. Choose your brands

Keeping to a set colour palette works best when you stick to one or two brands. Often the brands offer a range of clothes in a palette, so this makes it easier. Brands also vary in sizing, so you may find that your child suits a particular brand better. Alternatively, mix brands by choosing clothes from Reliked.

5. Buy everything together

Capsule wardrobe shopping works best when you do it in one hit. This prevents impulse purchases that take you away from the principle. With a capsule wardrobe, you are aiming for simplicity, and this is the way to achieve it. Streamline your purchases.

When you’re making purchases – think comfort. Babies need soft snuggly clothes and toddlers and older children will simply refuse anything that’s not comfy. Also think about simplicity. You don’t want unusual complex items that won’t be worn very often. Instead, choose pieces that work together.

6. Think sustainable

Try to think about the whole lifecycle of each item of clothing. Older children may wear an item to death, but babies and younger children need wardrobe changes much more frequently. You can choose more sustainable options by choosing second hand clothes, like those from Reliked, and sell them on afterwards too. 

Additionally, by opting for a capsule wardrobe approach, you can choose fewer more sustainably-sourced high quality items rather than cheap unsustainable fast fashion. With the right care, you can make your child’s clothes last longer – this means less purchasing and more money saved!

7. Wash often and store well

A capsule wardrobe only works when you’re willing to be master of your laundry pile. You need to do laundry daily, but your loads will be more manageable. A capsule wardrobe is good news for managing laundry as your kids will be less likely to wear and discard clothes with quite such alarming frequency. They have to make sure their favourite items head to the laundry basket every day. 

A capsule wardrobe takes up less space. Store the items so that you can easily see every item. This makes it much easier for toddlers and older children to choose their own clothes and always come up trumps on looking good.

8. Do it all again

Keeping a capsule wardrobe is a way of life. It only works if you stay on top of it. For babies and young toddlers, you need to go through the process around every three months. For children you need to do the process at least twice a year (for the winter and summer seasons). However, this organised approach definitely creates less work in the long run. 

It’s really worth shifting over to a capsule wardrobe for your child to make so many things easier. Want to get the best bang for your buck? Choose preloved baby and children’s clothing from Reliked.