Build a Capsule Wardrobe with Lo of the Capsule Closet

by Carley Lake | Last Updated:   May 29, 2020

Lo of Capsule-Closet.com doesn’t want you to think a capsule wardrobe needs to be bland. Take her own style, “Lately, it’s hard to pin down, because some days I want to dress like a 12-year-old skater kid, and some days I want to dress like a witch.” Learn how you can build a capsule wardrobe and make a statement with your capsule wardrobe while making sure it reflects the things you still feel comfortable in and love.

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Who are you? 🙂

I’m Lo! I’m 31 years old and I live in Los Angeles. I work as a VFX Producer as my day job, and much of that focuses on localizing commercials for international markets. I’m also a screenwriter and filmmaker, and you can check out my feature here! I’m passionate about fashion, so I blog at Capsule-Closet.com, which is a resource for all things capsule wardrobe, personal style, and responsibly made clothing. My hobbies include watching way too much TV, devouring mystery novels, and practicing yoga. I’m also WAY invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

How did you get started with building a capsule wardrobe and then sharing them with others?

I have always been a big reader of fashion blogs, and I would get really excited whenever I would find a blogger who would re-wear and re-mix pieces, instead of having a totally new outfit for every post. I decided to build a capsule wardrobe and document my outfit ideas on Tumblr, just as an experiment and as a personal wardrobe diary. I never expected to have a ton of outside interest, but I did it for fun. Over the years, my following grew—quite slowly and organically—and I got encouragement from other bloggers to create an Instagram. From there, I only became more plugged into the slow fashion community, and I really love that communal aspect now.

Why do you think it became such a hit?

My readership and following grew quite slowly, and I was always quite comfortable with that, but I think people just love to engage on ethical topics, and clothing is a fun visual medium for that. The slow fashion community is so engaged, thoughtful, and active, that it’s sort of contagiously inspiring. I’m also noticing my generation (millennials), can’t afford to buy houses at the rates boomers did, so we are often faced with small space challenges, making minimalism more appealing than ever.

How do you describe your style?

I usually use “tomboy” to describe my style, but my definition of that has evolved greatly since I started “capsule-ing,” because I have a much more expansive idea of what is “masculine” and what is “feminine” now. I would say my style is very relaxed and very Californian at its core. Lately, it’s hard to pin down, because some days I want to dress like a 12-year-old skater kid and some days I want to dress like a witch.

What is your go-to look?

My go-to look is a bold lip color, messy hair, and statement pants. I feel so myself in pants and I love when they have special details or fun silhouettes.

What’s a piece you wear to make more of a statement and you include when you build a capsule wardrobe?

This season, my biggest statement piece has been the snake print Celina boot from ABLE. They jazz up even the most basic combos. I think you can do as many statement looks as you like within a capsule wardrobe as long as that statement feels true to you. One person’s statement may be head-to-toe bright color-blocking, while another’s might be something as subtle as a graphic hair clip. The whole point of a capsule wardrobe is that it is customized to you and reflects the things you love and feel comfortable in.

What brands do you love when you build a capsule wardrobe?

My current favorites are Everlane, Universal Standard, Tradlands, Marais USA, and Levi’s. But always on the hunt for more!

What’s your advice for finding a style and building a sustainable wardrobe you love?

Take ruthless inventory of what you need. Be really honest with yourself about what you love to wear because the culture of outfit-sharing can make it really easy to covet things that don’t necessarily fit your life or style. And then I would just say go slow. Take your time shopping for anything new on your wish list. I like to check secondhand sources first because the impact is often smaller and the prices are often lower, and then move on to comparison shopping in general. Know that you don’t have to fill all gaps at once, so keeping a list, prioritizing, and instituting a waiting period before purchases are all good practices.

How do you think you (and others!) can do more? What other ways can we be sustainable and create change in the sustainable fashion space?

I think something we often leave out in conversations about ethical fashion is the need for size inclusion. Huge parts of the slow fashion community are simply being left out. I’m trying to highlight more brands that are size-inclusive and to also be transparent about those I feature that aren’t but I can certainly do better. I believe you can appreciate a brand that isn’t perfect (I have yet to find a perfect one!) while still asking them to do better.

Thanks, Lo! I’m excited to build capsule wardrobes more.