How a 37-Item Closet Can Take Your Style to the Next Level

Caroline Joy Rector says editing your closet to just 37 items will not only make life easier, but will help you find your true personal style. Yes, even though shopping, fashion, and style are, like, your thing. Even though minimizing your closet makes you break out in a cold sweat.

Rector’s blog, UnFancy, is dedicated to helping you create a “capsule wardrobe” of only the things you love and will wear on repeat. And while it might not be easy to transform your closet into an organized haven, she promises that once you get there, your life will be easier and better.

To me, a capsule wardrobe represents more time and energy for what really matters (less time spent deciding what to wear / less time spent shopping / less time doing laundry or caring for clothes) more money for our dreams helping others (less money spent on clothes that never get worn) and more contentment and happiness.

She had me at less time doing laundry.

She also promises that a capsule closet does not mean giving up style as a hobby—or, as fashion bloggers, our raisons d’être. The exercise might actually make running your blog a whole lot easier.

When I started this capsule wardrobe challenge, I was afraid it was going to deny me one of my favorite hobbies (style). But I found it didn’t. In fact, I actually found my style–the real me style that makes me feel comfortable, cool, and, well, happy to be me.

In March, Rector marked year two of her experiment, and she admitted she was getting frustrated with her original approach to a minimal closet. So she rethought it, and came up with a new way that excludes workout clothes, accessories, PJs, undies and cocktail attire.

Suddenly this seems WAY more doable, right? Recently,we welcomed a new member of the family into our home, and the entire room that had acted as my closet and office became his room. My goal was to sell most of my clothes and keep only the stuff I loved—I really had no choice, spece-wise. But of course I found a way. The two empty closets in my toddler’s room beckoned, and that’s where my excess clothing now resides. I figure I have about five years of so until she starts giving me a hard time about that.

But I don’t want to wait. Because even the clothes on my current small (ish) clothing rack aren’t in heavy rotation. And I want this in my life:

So I tried out this capsule wardrobe idea I’d been hearing about. I NEVER. LOOKED. BACK. Now I always feel like I have something awesome to throw on, be it Sunday brunch or a client meeting, because every single item hanging in my closet is something I would love to wear right this moment.

How about you? Will you try the capsule closet challenge?

(Photo via Shutterstock)