Can a capsule wardrobe contribute to your well-being? Well, in The Happiness Lab podcast, Season 1, Episode 8: Choice Overload, Dr, Laurie Santos chats with Courtney Carver. She started the minimalist fashion challenge, Project 333. The idea is to dress with less, as in wear just 33 items for 3 months.
This really caught my attention because Raquel Beesley, Family Law Lawyer, Mediator & Collaborative Practitioner, who’s a COKANNA Coffee Shop member and customer, has taken on this challenge. In fact, she wrote a blog post article about it back in September 2020: Raquel’s Story: Creating a Capsule Wardrobe.
So, all of this led me to think about how many decisions we make in a day. Many are inconsequential while others could have more serious repercussions. And, as new technologies are developed, things keep moving faster. We are constantly bombarded by choices, often at lightning speed. Looking for something? Just Google it and boom, pages of options appear instantaneously.
As a result, we often suffer from decision fatigue. Simply put, the more decisions we have to make, the more difficult it becomes to make a good one. And, contrary to what we may think, the more choices we have, the less satisfied we are when we finally make a decision.
Decision fatigue; Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
Case in point, did you know that President Obama wore the same colour suit, shirt and tie almost every day in the Oval Office. Why? Because he had so many hugely critical decisions to make each and every day that he didn’t want to expend extra brain power on something as trivial as, What colour tie am I going to wear? He was lowering his decision fatigue.
So, let’s think about that in our own lives. One of the first decisions we make each morning is, “What am I going to wear today?” I remember, back in my professional accounting days, making the conscious decision to wear a different outfit every day for a month. No repeat outfits. As you can imagine, I had a closet filled to the brim. Of course, being an accountant, I would pick out my outfit the night before and have it all ready to go. At least, this cut down on the early morning stress of getting dressed and out the door on time. But, how often, did I stand in my closet and think, “I have nothing to wear!”
Fast forward to today, and my, how things have changed. When I look back, I realize no one notices or cares what you wear from day to day. Everyone has too many other things to think about, and their own decision making to contend with. What really matters is what we feel good in. And, the less time we have to spend deciding what we’re going to feel good in each day, the better. We can save our energy for more pressing matters like, “What am I going to eat for breakfast?”
So, my contribution to less decision fatigue and greater well-being is offering fewer styles in fewer colours. That means 2-3 pieces per season with 2, maybe 3 colour choices. For this Fall/Winter, you have the choice of the Pamela grown-up style hoodie in a light or dark charcoal micro stripe or if you like more colour, a forest teal.
Pamela Hoodie in light charcoal micro stripe with forest teal as the backdrop
Pair that with the easy fitting Joan bamboo trousers in black or charcoal grey.
Joan bamboo trousers in midnight black
Then there’s the matching cropped bamboo cardi also in black and charcoal.
Cropped bamboo cardi in charcoal
Each piece mix and matches well together, and will easily integrate into your current wardrobe. No stress dressing. And btw, you can pre-order each of these 3 pieces with delivery mid to late November.
Which reminds me, I should do a follow-up with Raquel to see how her capsule wardrobe is coming along. I know she has since downsized to a smaller home, and moved to a smaller town. Seems to me like a less stressful, more relaxed lifestyle. All the more reason for a pared down wardrobe.
Until next time,
~ Colleen
I’m a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer. My COKANNA Canadian-made bamboo clothing is all about comfort and style. Giving back to the community is important to me so I support local breast cancer organizations who treat the whole person and not just the disease.
