Over the past couple years, the concept of a capsule wardrobe has become widely popular. Capsule wardrobes consist of a limited number of essentials that you can mix and match to create a seemingly infinite number of outfits. Here’s everything you will need to create your summer capsule wardrobe:

1. Blazer

A blazer in either white or tan is the perfect way to pull together any outfit. A simple pair of jeans with a t-shirt can be elevated into a classy outfit if you throw on a blazer. Even if a more polished look is not your style, you never know when you may need something more professional, especially if you are entering college interview season. You can find blazers at pretty much every store, but I really love the cut of Zara’s blazers. Other great options include H&M and thrifting from the men’s section of your local thrift store.  

2. Neutral T-Shirts

A staple of every good capsule wardrobe, t-shirts provide an excellent blank canvas for you to mix and match with. They look great on their own or under a jacket. The three colors that you absolutely must have are black, white, and tan. In addition you can throw in some other neutrals, like navy or gray, and possibly a bright color. The softest and best quality t-shirts I own all came from Three Dots.

3. White Sneakers

Yes, you can keep wearing your AF1s and Adidas Stan Smiths, but please, please, please make sure they are clean and crisp. The purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to feed into the “clean girl aesthetic.” If your sneakers aren’t well taken care of, they will pull away from the elegance of the rest of your outfit. So whatever white sneakers you choose, please rinse them with a little soap and water every once in a while. 

4. Wedge Sandals

Wedge sandals combine the necessities of a summer wardrobe into one piece. You have both your pair of sandals and pair of heels covered in one pair of shoes. I’d say it is preferable to have your wedges be either white or ivory. A light color like that will go with the rest of your wardrobe very well and will bring in a more summery feel to year-round pieces like blazers and jeans. I got some of my favorite sandals from the Just Fab shoe subscription, which is a really great way to have your pick of styles without facing a high cost.   

5. Jeans

For the perfect capsule wardrobe you need three pairs of jeans: one ivory/white pair, one light wash denim, and one dark wash denim. You can get your jeans in whatever styles you like most, but for summer I would recommend against skinny jeans. Skinny jeans have gone out of style recently, and while you can of course wear whatever you want, I would say the best way to wear skinny jeans is with tall boots in the winter. If you are looking for a more form-fitting cut, I would recommend a straight leg. I find that straight leg jeans tend to look really good in both white and light wash. My favorite way to wear dark wash denim is in a boot cut jean. You can find great denim options on Levi’s and Amazon.  

6. Slacks

Similar to blazers, these aren’t staples in a lot of people’s wardrobes, but they will be once you discover how comfortable slacks actually are. I find slacks more comfortable than some of my jeans, and that’s because they tend to be more loose fitting and made of softer material. While denim can be rough, cotton is always a great option for comfortable pants. Slacks are a great option for when you want to dress up a look or maybe you have a professional event. I would recommend getting a pair of slacks that coordinate with your blazer so that you can wear them as a suit to any professional events you have. Ann Taylor and Zara both have great options in all kinds of styles and colors. 

7. Linen/Dress Shorts

For the most part denim shorts are out, especially distressed denim shorts. While you can style jeans to look more elevated, for the most part denim shorts make you look like you walked off the beach. While there is absolutely no problem with that, if you are going for a more elevated aesthetic you are going to need to cut them out of your wardrobe. A great replacement are shorts made of other fabrics, like linen and cotton. These will help you look put together, while keeping you cool on hot summer days. I think three pairs of shorts is a good number for your capsule wardrobe. I would get one pair in black, one in white, and then one in a fun pattern or color. To get great linen shorts you can look at Nordstrom or ASOS. 

8. Sundress

Sundresses are my go to in the summer. This year we will not be seeing the super short sundresses that many people favor, but will instead be seeing long and flowy styles. I for one am very happy about this because I find that longer dresses are actually more comfortable. You never find yourself worried about your dress riding up or getting your legs burned on a hot chair. To start, I would get a sundress in white and a sundress in black. Depending on if you find yourself liking the style, you can work on adding to your wardrobe accordingly. Revolve has a wonderful collection of dresses in terms of basics and fun patterns.  

9. Neutral Bag

You probably already have a bag you can use in your closet. You need a plain bag that can hold all your necessities and go with pretty much every outfit. A white or black bag is always a good option because it will go with pretty much everything. In a capsule wardrobe your accessories should not be the center of attention, but rather you want people admiring the whole look. Because of that, simple is generally better. When looking for your bag, I would try to match the color to the color of the sandals in your collection, so you can create a cohesive look. I currently have my eyes on a bag from Polene, but you can get a simple bag from any thrift store or brand under the sun.

10. Midi Skirt

This final item brings me back to my last DeFine column. Midi skirts are huge this season, and for good reason. They give you all of the comforts of a long sundress, but allow you more versatility. You can swap out tops and jackets to create a million different looks with one skirt. If you are feeling like you want to get a little crafty, you can even wear your midi skirt as a dress. This is possibly my favorite piece from this entire list. My favorite midi skirts come from LoveShackFancy, MC2 Saint Barth, and Amazon.

Capsule wardrobes are not for everyone. Personally, I could never cultivate a singular color scheme throughout my whole wardrobe the way capsule wardrobes require. I am too fond of bright colors and bold patterns to create a monochromatic and neutral wardrobe. However, capsule wardrobes are great for people who like a monochromatic look and are moving to college next year. College closets are incredibly small, so having a complete wardrobe of only essentials can help limit any overpacking. The goal of a capsule wardrobe is to eradicate pieces you aren’t wearing because they require a specific outfit or accessory. This way you save money on unnecessary items and lessen the average CPW of your wardrobe.