I love color. My husband says my style is a crayon box exploded. but I am being considered for a position for the Attn General’s office in my state and I want what you have. simple and planned out. Maybe mix up jewelry and scarves for interest. I’m on a huge budget ( I make 22k a yr as Executive Admin assist) so even some of the budget choices are out of my league. I do fins a lot of barely wore Ann Taylor in my size at the thrift store, so that’s an option too.

While I agree with above posters that “capsule” wardrobes are best for people like me, who find that looking pulled together is more of a responsibility than a pleasure, I still have a hard time picturing the way other people here say they dress. Do you really wear new outfits every single day, with no repeats? In other words, don’t you tend to fall back on known combos? To me, the big idea in a capsule is that everything goes together, so I end up with more combination than if this shirt goes with these bottoms and I can wear this jacket with a couple of things, but not most of my stuff. I can’t imagine trying to figure out what to wear every day. I sometimes don’t wear the first thing I grabbed, because the thing I always wear with it needs to be washed (I rarely buy dry clean only) but instead of breaking my head over something else to wear, I just grab a different outfit, one that I probably put together ages ago.

I think the opposite of capsule wardrobes is “Barbie” dressing, where every item is part of a set outfit, and nothing can be mixed with anything else. That would drive me nuts too.

You are cleaning the same number of items, whether you do them in several small batches of fewer big loads. Unless you get volume discounts, there is no reason you’d pay more for cleaning a smaller wardrobe.

Your second point sounds to me like an argument in favor of a small wardrobe with a limited number of pieces, all of which you love, and which all fit you well.

Yup, this is me. I don’t get the attraction, unless you are starting out in a career. I think there are certainly must have items in a woman’s work wardrobe that she should have and they should be workhorses, but I also would be bored to tears to wear the same things constantly.

If I were to think about must haves, all professional women need:
– Professional dresses. They are so easy to just throw on when you are not sure what to wear. Separates are a hassle.
– At least 3 pairs of black pants. More is better.
– At least 1 pair of gray pants.
– At least 1 pair of beige pants.
– At least 1 black pencil skirt.
– 2 dress and/or skirt suits.
– 2 pants suits.
– Dressy material shirts/blouses that match black, navy blue, gray and beige.