How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe That Makes You Feel Confident Every Single Day

What is a capsule wardrobe?

The way I look at transformation, at the ultimate glow up, the unrecognisable kind, is that it falls into three categories. The biggest, most important thing you work on is your mindset. The second is your physical transformation. The third is your environment: your exterior life, all of the elements around you.

A lot of women try to skip the steps and do the outside transformation without the inside work. Here is what happens. Most self sabotage before they ever get the result. And if you do somehow battle your way through, you get there and it means nothing, because you don't feel that inner peace.

I know this from my own life. When I first became a PT I was obsessed with being skinny. That was all I cared about. I got down to around 45 kilos, which for my height is very underweight, and I was miserable. I pulled myself to shreds and hated the way I looked, because I had never done the internal work. Strong is the new skinny, as far as I'm concerned.

So this one sits in the environment piece, and it's a non-negotiable for every woman: your outfits, your clothing, your styling. A capsule wardrobe is a really strong base framework that you can add pieces to, but that you can also style at any time to make you feel f***ing amazing.

Can what you wear change how confident you feel?

No one can ever tell me that you hold yourself the same way when you don't feel fabulous in your outfit. Every single woman knows the feeling of an outfit that makes her feel put together, styled and polished. Even better, it makes her feel like she's acting like her future self.

That is the bridge between where you are right now and where you want to go, and it loops straight back to mindset. Your clothing can quite simply be the bridge that lets you act like the woman you are becoming.

How do I start a capsule wardrobe?

It will look different for every woman. If you work in an office, work from home, are a mum, a beautician, a hairdresser, a doctor, whatever your season is, it's going to be unique to you. That is the whole f***ing point.

Here is my order:

1. Clear out. Remove anything that doesn't align with the woman you are becoming.
2. Get a vision. Make a Pinterest board of outfits that speak to you.
3. Build the base. The core pieces below, in neutrals.
4. Make a list. Shop from it, not from your mood.
5. Try it on at home. Mix new with what you already own and take self-timer photos.

It doesn't need to be all high end, expensive pieces. What I recommend is investing in the core pieces, the things you rinse and repeat, because they carry you through every season. I'm a hoarder of clothing, but for a good reason. I'm not an impulsive buyer. I curate, I'm strategic, and every time I buy something I ask how versatile that piece is and how it will sit inside my wardrobe.

What pieces should be in a capsule wardrobe?

My base list comes to about 15 pieces. You probably own a lot of them already.

Bottoms (four):

• A really good pair of jeans. Find a pair that fits you extremely well, not whatever is trending, and that suits your shape. My ride or die pair is a baggy fit from Pretty Little Thing. I can wear them casual with dress sneakers (not dad sneakers), put heels with them, wear a bodysuit with them and layer them.
• A second, dressier pant. Mine is a leather trouser. It's a little hot on the Gold Coast for those, but a leather trouser or a black pant that works with other textures is so useful.
• A pair of shorts. My leather shorts are another ride or die.
• A skirt or skort. A big layering piece.

Tops (two to four):

• A nice fitted bodysuit. It carries you through any season, with the leather pants, the jeans, the shorts, even track pants. It is the foundation you build layers on. I've got my eye on the Skims one.
• One hero top, something a bit more of a statement. I recently got a little black lace one from Princess Polly that goes up the neck, and I wear it with everything.

Make sure you're comfortable in every single one. There is nothing less attractive than a woman fidgeting because she doesn't feel comfortable in her clothing.

Jackets and layers (three or four):

• A really good trench. I have one in leather and one in tan. I wear it with activewear, with dressed-up outfits and going out.
• A bomber. Mine is leather, but any texture works.
• A black blazer. Zara has incredible basics for this.
• And because it's me, a fourth: a little faux fur, for texture. A denim jacket works here too.

Shoes:

• A simple pair of heels, stylish and basic, in black or nude.
• A nice pair of slides.

The one I nearly forgot, and probably the most important: sunglasses. A good pair, or a couple of pairs, because they're cheap and they will elevate any single outfit. Find your face shape, try on a million, take selfies. Jewellery, yes, stack it up. But a good scent and a good pair of sunglasses will never let you down, no matter how sh*t you feel.

What colours should a capsule wardrobe be?

Go for your neutrals. Your capsule should sit in neutral tones because it makes everything easier to build on: blacks, nudes, creams and whites. I own a lot of black, because I can layer different colours into it. It's that high value woman, black cat energy. When I wear black, I feel put together and styled.

And maybe you're not a monochrome girl. Maybe you love colour, the bright stuff. F***ing pop off, sis. Just have a clear vision before you shop.

How do I dress for my body shape?

Style for your body type, not for anybody else online. Ask yourself: does this look good to me? Does this enhance my shape? If you've got beautiful hourglass curves and you're not flaunting them, what are you doing? If you're straight up and down and want to create curves, start looking at the styles that do that.

I have tiny hips that curve slightly outwards, the dreaded hip dips everyone hates. I'm like, well, it's just part of who I am, so I style to my body. When I was younger I dressed so badly, because I kept trying to wear what someone else was wearing. Dress for you. Understand your body. Take the time, try the clothes on, return what doesn't fit. This is your body, your terms and your life.

How do I dress for the woman I want to become?

If you don't have a clear vision of your style in this season of life, start with the future version of you and how she dresses. Get on Pinterest and start pinning outfits that speak to you and inspire you, the ones where you think, "that could be my style".

If you want to take it up a level, download those images, jump onto Canva and make a mood board. You can ask Claude to help too: tell it what's in your capsule and ask what you should be buying. Now you walk into the shops with a list and you know exactly what you're getting.

I'm a notorious holiday packer. Before a trip I photograph every outfit, then build a full Canva mood board for each location: my hero items, my cheaper items, then jewellery and styling. It is the best feeling ever. And to the woman tearing around the house going "I don't know what to wear"... girl, you should have your capsule wardrobe and your reference board.

What clothes should I get rid of?

You need to clear out to make space. Pick up every single item in your wardrobe, hold it up to yourself and ask: "If I died in this outfit today, would I be okay with that?"

If it's not a f*** yes, it's a f*** no. Get rid of the old manky outfits. Remove the comfort outfits. They're not an option for you anymore. You need to be your highest, hottest, most f***ing fabulous version of self.

Why do I have a wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear?

Because you're dressing in outfits that belong to an old version of you. They don't make you feel amazing, so you shrink into the room. When the outfit is styled, curated and feels like you, you walk into every space and feel like you own it. You deserve to feel f***ing amazing. You deserve to walk into spaces and feel like a premium puss. You know I love to talk about the premium puss.

So go and clean the wardrobe out today, make space for this high value woman, and remember: stop saving the good outfits for the good days. Wear them on the bad days and make the bad days good.