My Toddler’s Capsule Wardrobe

My son Bryce has a capsule wardrobe. It sounds fancy, but it’s not.  That means he has a selection of carefully selected clothes that are simple to mix and match, and there isn’t a special number of shorts, pants, tees, etc. that make it a capsule or minimalist, in my opinion.

I fully support capsule wardrobes for children. Curating one is one of the most helpful things you can do in the way of buying clothes for your littles.

And although I’ve been trying to carefully curate one for myself over the past couple of years, it’s even easier to create for a little one since they are building from scratch essentially.

Now that we are well out of the hand-me-downs stages and baby shower outfit gifting, etc. I knew I wanted to start to build an effective small wardrobe by being intentional about what I added to it.

The first thing I did was narrow down a color palette. For my two year old, that is neutrals plus blues (his favorite), greens and reds. Style-wise, I also try to stay away from graphics, slogans and logo wear. Since his clothes all fall within this color palette, they are easy to mix and match shorts and tees and pants and tops. And that means it’s easier to get out the door in the morning…and when Bryce picks out his own clothes, he’s bound to make a semi-presentable outfit. Win.

When I do need to add to his wardrobe, be it for growth spurts, holes/rips/tears, seasonally appropriate items, etc., I try to buy smart, simple, comfortable, flexible, affordable and when I can- sustainable.

Here’s some of the places I consider for Bryce’s clothes:

–Gap and Old Navy: affordable, trendy and basic items…and their credit card has some great rewards/perks if you shop there often. Their outlets are great too.
–Target, specifically their Cat & Jack line: a stellar one year guarantee on their clothes…so if something wears out after a couple years, you can get a refund!
–Everlane: sustainable, simple basics for kids (and women and men)
–Primary Clothing: no logos, slogans or sequins…all solid basics under $25. Use code AFF20PCT for 20% off and free shipping on your first order.
–Hanna Andersson: their return policy is one of the best around. And they have an outlet in Indiana that has some amazing deals.
-Local kids consignment shop: shop local, and at great prices

So what does his wardrobe look like? Below are photos of items from his year-round capsule wardrobe.  This includes about 90% of his wardrobe that currently fits. I included links to several items as well.

The remaining 10% was in the laundry, or is an item I wouldn’t necessarily say is part of his capsule, like his Packers jersey (a wardrobe staple for our family). It doesn’t include essentials like underwear, socks, pajamas, outerwear, swimwear, hats or shoes.

In looking at the photos, I do see a few things he will need going into fall…like a pair of dark khaki casual pants and a sweater, perhaps a vest. But having his wardrobe nailed down helped me identify the holes each season all the quicker (and resist impulse shopping).  So here it is!

Tops
Row 1: quarter zip fleece // sweatshirt (similar) // raglan baseball tees
Row 2: navy stripe pocket tee // gray striped pocket tee // solid tees (red, gray)
Row 3: white button up // denim button up (similar) // gingham button ups (similar) // chambray button up (similar)

Bottoms
Row 1: Terry shark shorts (2 pk similar option) // mint shorts (similar) // chambray shorts //gray shorts // dark khaki shorts
Row 2: Khaki pants (similar) // Jeans (similar) // Olive pants (similar)// Joggers

A few other helpful how-to resources to get you started:
How to Declutter Kids Clothes
How to Create a Kids Capsule Wardrobe
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe

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