Sewing a Capsule Wardrobe for Kids in 8 Steps

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I reached into my daughter’s drawer last month–unable to find a matching outfit. She had way too many shirts but hardly any pants. And if I found pants, they rarely matched the shirt. The simple act of trying to find a matching outfit for her took way longer than it should have! Can you relate? If you know how to sew or have a desire to learn, keep reading to find out how I solved this problem by sewing a seasonal capsule wardrobe for my daughter!

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What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

I think I first heard the term capsule wardrobe from my sister-in-law. When she first mentioned the name, images of a vintage wardrobe stuffed into a time capsule started popping into my head. The name is intriguing, isn’t it?

No, a capsule wardrobe isn’t necessarily a vintage wardrobe. But, it is similar to a capsule in the sense that it is small, compact, and filled with intention.

The History of Capsule Wardrobes

Susie Faux, a British boutique owner in the 1970s, came up with the concept of a capsule wardrobe. She formulated the idea after realizing that her customers were buying excessive amounts of clothing that would not last them very long. Faux’s parents and grandparents were tailors, and she knew what quality, well-fitting, made-to-last clothing looked like.

The blog Modern Minimalism defines capsule wardrobes as “a collection of clothing composed of thoughtfully curated, easily interchangeable items designed to maximize the number of outfits that you can create. Essentially, a capsule wardrobe allows you to create a variety of different looks with a small selection of clothes. A capsule wardrobe can have as many or as few clothes that work for you, but commonly they have anywhere from 30-50 pieces.”

Many people create a separate capsule wardrobe for each season, especially if they live in places where the weather changes throughout the year. Other people interchange pieces throughout the year, adding in layers and basics as needed. I have been working on building my own capsule wardrobe over the last few years. I’m not extremely rigid with it, but I do try to stick to colors that suit me and pieces that are versatile. The most versatile pieces can be layered for different seasons throughout the year.

What is a Seasonal Capsule Wardrobe for Kids?

The same thing as it is for adults! A simplified seasonal wardrobe with fewer pieces that can easily mix and match to reduce overwhelm.

I remember first hearing about sewing a capsule wardrobe for kids from the pattern company Lowland Kids. They have a Facebook group sewing page where people share their makes and ask questions about sewing. Many moms share the capsule wardrobes they create for their kids in this group. I remember seeing these beautiful, cohesive capsules that other moms were making for their kids. I wanted to try to make my own, but I had so many questions about the process.

Initially, I had no idea how many pieces to make, what fabric to choose, how many colors to implement, and how to choose patterns. Sewing a capsule wardrobe was supposed to simplify the getting-ready-process, but I was completely overwhelmed with all of the decisions involved! As a mom with young children, I already have limited time to sew. I would rather use my free time sewing instead of trying to stay organized when creating a capsule wardrobe!

Simplifying the Capsule Wardrobe Design Process

Since then, I’ve created several seasonal capsule wardrobes. I sold capsule wardrobe basics in my shop, Elsie James Clothing, and I have made several seasonal capsules for both my son and daughter. Here’s one that I made for my son a few years ago.

When I first started sewing capsule wardrobes, I had no organizational system in place. I guessed how many pieces to make, threw together a collection of colors that seemed to match, and wrote down notes on sticky notes that got lost in my pile of patterns!

Over time, I have learned from my mistakes and found a system to simplify the capsule wardrobe design process. It still takes a lot of time and thought, but I have found ways to reduce the overwhelm that comes with all of the decisions that have to be made when creating a capsule wardrobe from scratch!

Sewing a Capsule Wardrobe for Kids

If you’re a busy mom like me, you probably don’t have time to sew 30-50 pieces per child when sewing a capsule wardrobe. I decided to sew 20 pieces for my 7-month-old daughter’s spring capsule wardrobe. Her finished capsule has 5 tops, 5 pants, 2 shorts, 1 dress, 1 cardigan, 3 rompers, and 3 headbands. I chose this number because I often get behind on laundry with all of our other projects like gardening and chicken keeping, so this number enables me enough extra pieces to go one week without doing laundry. A 20 piece capsule also means that I will have a few pieces to spare in case of wardrobe emergencies throughout the day! Because we all know that wardrobe emergencies happen with little babies!

How to Create a Smaller Capsule

If you are new to sewing or simply don’t have time to sew 20 pieces, I recommend sewing 5 tops, 5 bottoms, 1 romper or dress, and 1 accessory. You could even use the same patterns for the tops and bottoms, simply changing the fabric and color for each one. I recommend dolman tees and lounge pants/shorts. You could also sew a few pieces and purchase the rest. I just recommend 20 pieces in all if you are building a seasonal wardrobe for a child.

Here are the steps that I take from start to finish when I create a capsule wardrobe for my kids!

Step One: Taking Measurements

Before fast fashion was the norm, people had way less clothing than they do now. According to Matter Prints, “Once upon a time, people would buy 9 outfits a year, they would get their clothing tailor made (keep in mind that this was a lengthy process that required several fittings with a waiting time of weeks to months), and they would own around 12 items only. Now, people in developed nations own around 120 items, buying an average of 64 items of clothing per year, and they keep their clothing only for half as long.”

With the influx of fast fashion, we replaced the process of getting clothing tailor-made to fit our bodies with forcing our bodies to fit into clothing made with very limited measurements in mind.

Clothing Tailor-Made to Fit Your Needs

Something that I love about sewing is that you can tailor it to fit your exact measurements. Most people, myself included, fall between multiple sizes when you take bust, waist, and hip measurements into account. No wonder so many people leave dressing rooms frustrated! My kids also do not always fit into store-bought pieces of clothing. Sometimes clothes fit them in the waist but not in the length or vice versa.

If you are sewing a capsule wardrobe for your child, I recommend taking their measurements before beginning and referring back to the size charts provided with the patterns. If your child is in between sizes (i.e.height size 3-6 m and waist size 9-12 m), you can print both sizes on one page or use a sewing projector and grade between the sizes for a perfect fit. Watch this video to find out how to grade a pattern.

Sizing Up for Longevity

Sewing capsule wardrobes does take a significant amount of time and effort, so I want to make them last as long as possible. If my child is in between sizes, I size up for longevity. You could also size up in shirts regardless, because then they can just be worn oversized initially. It’s a little bit trickier sizing up for kids that are under a year old because they change sizes so quickly.

When sewing this spring capsule for my daughter, I decided to make warmer-weather pieces like the dress and the shorts bigger than the other pieces so that she can wear them throughout the summer.

Step Two: Picking a Color Palette

When choosing colors for a capsule wardrobe, I like to make sure that I have variety but also that the colors easily mix-and-match. I have found that focusing on six different colors works best. I recommend choosing two neutrals that mix-and-match with everything in your color palette, two to three colors that coordinate with each other, and one to two patterns that can seamlessly interchange with the colors in your capsule. For my daughter’s capsule, I ended up doing two neutrals, three colors, and one pattern using fabric that I had in my stash from when I operated a small sewing business a few years ago. I really wanted to use a floral pattern too, but I didn’t have one on hand and decided to just use what I already had available.

If you aren’t sure how to choose colors, I recommend looking on Etsy for color palette recommendations and then shopping for fabric within that color scheme! Here is a sample color palette made using a template from my Capsule Wardrobe Planning Guide.

Step Three: Determining Clothing Categories

As I mentioned above, I chose 5 pairs of pants, 5 tops, 1 dress, 2 shorts, 1 cardigan, 3 rompers, and 3 headbands for my daughter’s spring capsule. This gives me enough options for seven days, plus a few extras for outfit changes during the day!

We live in the Midwest and have to account for both warm and cool weather in the spring. If I was planning a summer wardrobe, I wouldn’t need any pants or long-sleeved tees for her. Consider your weather when picking clothing categories.

When choosing categories for your capsule, I also recommend thinking about what your child actually wears on a regular basis and picking accordingly. I did not include pajamas in her capsule because she already had quite a few that fit. But, you definitely could sew pajamas for your capsule wardrobe–just account for a few extra pieces.

Click HERE to get a FREE copy of this clothing category planning page from my Capsule Wardrobe Planner! If you already have clothes in your child’s current size, use what you have and supplement with pieces you can sew! You don’t have to sew everything from scratch.

Step Four: Choosing Patterns

I put a lot of thought into the patterns that I choose for capsule wardrobes. The capsule that I am sharing in this post is for the spring in the Midwest. In the Midwest, our temperatures range from cool to hot for the next few months, so I wanted to create a capsule that would be versatile enough for these changes for my daughter.

When planning this spring capsule, I considered patterns that layer easily. I love the Sunshine Dress because it looks cute on its own in warmer months. This dress is also adorable layered with a fitted shirt like the Ellie Top and Ribbed Leggings in colder months. Shorties are really versatile because they can be worn with tights in colder months or on their own in the summer. I intentionally chose patterns like the Summer Peplum Cami and the Slim Cardigan which can be layered as the temperatures change.

If you live in a place that doesn’t have much variety in temperature, focus on choosing patterns that work best for the weather that you have on a daily basis.

Here are the patterns that I chose for my daughter’s spring capsule wardrobe:

Tops:

Dolmans (x2)

Made with slub, waffle, and rib knit

Summer Peplum Cami (x2)

Made with slub and rib knit

Ellie Top (x1)

Made with rib knit

Bottoms

Slim Flares (x2)

Made with rib knit

Lounge Sweats (x2)

Made with slub and rib knit

Ribbed Leggings (x1) FREE PATTERN!

Made with rib knit

Shorties (x2)

Made with French Terry and Slub

Rompers

Sweater Rompers (x2)

Made with slub, rib knit, and French Terry

Raglan Romper (x1)

Made with slub and rib knit

Dresses

Sunshine Dress (x1)

Made with rib knit

Outerwear

Slim Cardigan

Made with waffle and rib knit

Headbands (x3)

I found some easy, free patterns online. Get the pattern links in my eBook here!

Made with slub and rib knit

Step Five: Getting Fabric

It’s also important to take fabric into consideration when making a capsule wardrobe. I primarily sew with knit fabric which is typically soft with some stretch. Here are some knit fabric types that I recommend. For pullovers and rompers, I recommend using French Terry, waffle knit, or slub. For leggings or fitted pants, try rib knit or a stretchy jersey fabric. French Terry and slub are also great options for looser pants and shorts. Rib, jersey, and waffle knits work well for dresses and headbands.

If you live in a cooler climate, choose lighter-weight fabrics like jersey, rib, or slub. For warmer climates, choose waffle knit or French Terry. And if you live in a place similar to me where the weather drastically fluctuates throughout the day, you can use a combination of the fabrics mentioned for layering pieces.

If you are sewing with woven fabric, I recommend natural fibers like linen, cotton, and wool.

My Capsule Wardrobe Planner has lots of recommendations on some of my favorite fabric companies for both woven and knit fabric!

Step Six: Cutting Pattern Pieces Out

When you’re working with so many patterns and pieces, it can be kind of overwhelming to stay organized. If you use printed patterns, I recommend keeping them in a three-ringed binder with plastic sleeves. You can store each printed pattern within the sleeves. I recommend writing the pattern name, company, and size on a small sticky note. Put it on the outside of each plastic sleeve for quick reference.

You will save a lot of time if you cut everything out at once. You’ll save even more time if you pre-plan what fabric you want to use for each piece. Then, work through each color of fabric, cutting out all of the patterns that use that fabric at once.

As I cut the items out, I put a sticky note with the pattern name and size on top of the pieces so that I can stay organized when going back to sew the pieces together.

Step Seven: Sewing Pattern Pieces Together

If you want to give your clothing pieces a really professional finish, you can match your thread to the fabric when sewing a capsule wardrobe. For this capsule, I used white thread on the inside seams to save time and matching thread for the topstitching that was visible on the outside. I like to buy my thread from WAWAK.

If using matching thread, sew all of the pieces that need the same color of thread at once. If you use one color of thread, I recommend focusing on one pattern at a time (i.e. sew all of the dolmans). This way, you won’t have to keep switching back and forth between the pattern instructions for different patterns.

You can sew so many pieces using a regular sewing machine (this is the one I have). If you want to give your garments an even more professional look, you can use a serger for the inside seams (I like this one best). I use a coverstitch machine for hems and binding (this is the one I use). These machines are not necessary, but can be helpful when working primarily with knit fabric!

Step Eight: Planning Outfits

This is the fun part! Now that all of your hard work is done, you can start planning outfits! See how many different outfit combinations you can come up with! I like to try to do a variety of monochrome outfits and mixing and matching.

If I know the day will have pretty drastic temperature changes, I opt for lots of layers! Here’s a few of my favorite outfit combinations from my daughter’s capsule wardrobe.

Simplify the Process with My Sewing a Capsule Wardrobe Planner!

If you are interested in sewing a capsule wardrobe and need a way to keep all of the measurements, patterns, and fabric organized in one place, you can check out my printable Sew Your Own Capsule Wardrobe Planner HERE. Stay organized throughout the sewing process, and create a capsule wardrobe that is completely tailored to you or your child.

Ready to make your own capsule wardrobe? These eight steps help simplify the process but still leave so much room for creativity and making it your own. If you make a capsule wardrobe, tag me @themilleracres on Instagram. I’d love to see and share your work! I can’t wait to see what you create when you sew your own capsule wardrobe!