I will be the first to say I'm not the most fashionable. I usually stick to an old race t-shirt and leggings, which worked for me during the pandemic, but now that we are (slowly) getting back to life, as usual, I wanted to up my game a little.
I have a closet full of clothes that I never wear (some dating back to my high school days - eek), so I decided to build a capsule wardrobe.
In my search of easy outfits on Pinterest, I came across this new trend of a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothing that can be mixed and matched to create multiple looks.
The idea is that you have a few key pieces that you love and feel great in, instead of a closet full of clothes that you never wear.
I was intrigued by the concept and did some research on how to build a capsule wardrobe.
During my research I came across Cladwell, a digital app that offers a course on capsuling, styling and even has a digital closet where you can enter in all your clothes and it'll give outfit suggestions and more.
It's been a few weeks since I signed up and I have to say, I'm loving my new capsule wardrobe!
In this post I'll share with you everything you need to know about Cladwell, their course, and how I built my capsule wardrobe.
Table of Contents
Cladwell Capsule Program
I signed up for the Cladwell Capsule program on their website, and that included access to the on demand course, 3 months access to the app and the opportunity for me to add on a 30 minute chat with a stylist.
I decided I did want to do the stylist option because I feel like I really struggle to understand how to actually figure out what looks good on me, and I wanted someone to help me with that.
Within a few minutes of signing up, I got access to the online course. I also got a link to set up time with the stylist and I decided to do that about a week after the course.
I wanted to have a chance to go through the course so I'd be able to ask her any questions I had.
The course is broken up into 8 sessions, each with a different theme, video and workbook.
The course takes you through the entire capsule process - from cleaning out and prepping your closet, accessing what gaps you have in your closet and creating a shopping list, to how to set up a capsule wardrobe.
There's also style quizzes that provide you a style direction, as well as recommended colors and how to style your body based on your individual style shape.
After playing around with the website I was really impressed. It was way more detailed - and accurate - than I anticipated.
I did the style quiz and learned that my style was East Coast, Casual and Active, and that based on my skin tone warm colors like deep yellow and burnt orange look best on me.
I also learned that since I'm usually pretty pale, neutral colors like white and black actually don't look the best on me and that I should try to stick to more ivory, cream, and beige colors.
I also learned that based on my body shape flowy v-necks, fit and flare dresses, and high-waisted jeans look the best on me.
This all started making sense because as I thought back to my closet, my favorite things to wear usually tended to be that style!
Once I had my style down, I jumped into the course. Each lesson begins with a quick video and then gets into the work. The work, though, can take days to complete.
The longest task for me to complete was the closet cleanout, which is guided through the course.
They basically have you empty out your entire closet and identify what you like and don't like, and hopefully clean out your closet of the things that aren't working for you anymore.
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Cleaning out my closet has been something I've been dreading for a while but was long overdue. Cladwell made the process not as daunting and actually enjoyable.
It did take me a day to complete the whole thing (because kids), and I have to say I felt really accomplished afterward!
Setting Up the App
Once the cleanout was done, it was time to get everything set up in the app. This included either taking photos of each piece of clothing I had, or finding it on the internet.
This part did take me quite a while to do so what I ended up doing was focusing on the pieces I wear pretty often, getting those set up, then over the next few days I'd add items into my closet as I'd wear them.
Breaking down the process like that made item set up a lot easier and within a week I had everything input.
The cool thing the app does is create analytics on your closet, including average cost per wear of your clothes, percent of your closet that you actually wear, and what colors and types or clothes you tend to wear.
The next step in the process is to let the app select outfits for you for the next 2 weeks, but I ended up having to skip this step because I really didn't have enough clothes to fit.
Most of the clothes I kept were my postpartum and maternity clothes, and I am so ready to replace those that I skipped ahead to create a capsule wardrobe.
Meeting the Stylist
Thankfully, right around the time I was ready to fill my closet it was time for my stylist meeting! The meeting was held over Zoom and unfortunately, I do have to say I was pretty underwhelmed.
I went into the meeting hoping the stylist would've looked at my closet in the app and style quiz and bring recommended items, but instead it was just more of a chat. She was really nice and friendly, but I didn't get too many ideas or help from her.
She also kept mentioning for me to check her Instagram posts and stories for resources, which I later found out she's a really popular fashion influencer (whoops - see I told you I'm totally out of the loop with fashion stuff).
Either way, while she was super nice and friendly I can't say I got a ton of out the chat other than being out however much I spent on the upgrade.
Creating my Capsule Wardrobe
So after that chat, I headed back to Facebook to see if there were any Facebook groups about capsule wardrobes. To my surprise, there were quite a few! I joined a few of the mom-specific ones to get some functional ideas.
Within one of those groups, I found the ebooks that Classy Yet Trendy creates. Every season she creates style books (with links!) of capsule wardrobes.
The cool part is that they kind of build on each other, so one thing you buy for Fall you will be able to rework into Winter and Spring.
I decided to buy the Coastal Vibes fall one and have been really happy!
Wearing my Capsule Wardrobe
I've been wearing my capsule wardrobe for about a week now and it's given me such confidence to actually get dressed again. I now make it a point to wear an outfit every day (instead of lounge clothes) and I think it's actually helped my productivity.
The outfits are also really cute and not clothes I'd normally buy, but they've ended up looking really good on me. I've gotten so many compliments since starting!
I also love that I'm no longer overwhelmed when we have events or family photos. I'm able to just grab an outfit from my capsule and know it will look great.
No more standing in front of my closet for hours trying to put something together!
Maintaining the Cladwell App
Even though I decided to go a slightly different route for the capsule piece of the closet, I still love the Cladwell app and use it daily.
Whenever I buy something new I immediately add it to my closet so I have a nice stock photo to use for my outfits.
This has saved me a lot of time and made the process less overwhelming. I've also been using the app to plan my outfits for the upcoming week so I know what to pack for my kids' activities.
After my subscription ends with the course I do plan to continue on with a monthly membership to the app to keep organizing my clothes.
The Cost
The Cladwell App costs $4.99 a month, or $50 a year and the course costs $99 and includes 3 months of access to the app.
Final Thoughts
If you are considering the Cladwell app I would say go for it! It's a little work at first getting everything set up, but it's been a time saver for me in the long run.
I also love the Capsule program they have and would recommend it if you're in need of a wardrobe change or looking t get into capsuling.
I would say I'd skip the stylist part since I didn't get much value from it, but that could just be my personal experience.
I hope you found this Cladwell app review helpful! Let me know if you have any questions.
Cristina
Hi! Great review! Do you still use the app? Thanks!
Ali
Thanks! I ended up getting really into my capsule wardrobe and cancelled the app since I bought a style guide