Experiments in Capsule Dressing

How a 12-day stay at an Airbn is changing the way I see my clothes

Our apartment building is currently under renovation and we escaped to an Airbnb in a different part of Helsinki. I mentioned in my previous newsletter that I had a hankering for a trip, and even though this doesn’t quite qualify as one, living somewhere else has almost felt like a little vacation.

I hadn’t had to pack in a long time and it was challenging to pick out clothes for almost two weeks in advance. I never plan my outfits beforehand, and on that note, I’m trying to move away from calling what I wear “outfits”. One of Amy Smilovic’s nuggets of wisdom is to think of clothes and accessories as tools rather than building blocks of outfits. The difference is quite nuanced, but it’s there: when you expand the idea of how your clothes function in your wardrobe rather than thinking about the looks you might achieve putting your clothes together, you have a better chance of feeling like yourself in the clothes you wear and you can escape the complications of one-dimensional outfit-wearing. I tried to approach packing for our stay in the Airbnb in this way.

From left: gray angora beanie, Rick Owens DRKSHDW tunic, men’s wool & cashmere blazer, wool overcoat with black cashmere scarf

While trying to figure out what to pack, I thought about my style words (despite still arguing with myself whether I think style words are a good idea or just a load of crock). I thought about life: what do I do on a daily basis, where do I go, what the weather is like. I ended up packing things I wear a lot anyway, things that are comfortable, things that hint at menswear, things that bring friction into the mix. This is what I packed:

Tops: two merino wool turtlenecks (one navy, one bright red), gray oversized cashmere sweater, vintage Burberry v-neck navy merino wool sweater

Layering pieces: colorful Dries Van Noten mesh turtleneck, Baserange long-sleeved tee (not pictured) , men’s wool blazer, black Rick Owens DRKSHDW cotton knit tunic, gray hoodie (not pictured)

Bottoms: vintage Levi’s jeans, pleated men’s vintage trousers, black wool skirt

Shoes: black leather lace-up boots, black sock boots

Coats: long wool overcoat

Accessories: two pairs of earrings, gray beanie, black cashmere scarf, black leather crossbody bag

Other: sweatpants, two t-shirts, two tank tops, two pairs of tights, socks and underwear

Getting dressed has been incredibly easy. I haven’t felt bored despite having a limited amount of clothes at my disposal. I stopped by at home yesterday to water the plants and to pick up our mail, and I had thought to bring some additional clothes to the Airbnb, to switch things up a bit. It felt lovely to reunite with the rest of my closet for a little while, but I only ended up picking another beanie (red), a pair of earmuffs and an extra pair of earrings to bring back.

Additional accessories I picked up for the second week

The experience of getting dressed with fewer clothes made me think of a time years ago when I attempted to create a capsule wardrobe for three months and failed miserably. I had so many clothes back then, and I was very much engaged in character-driven dressing and in thinking of clothes as outfit builders. I remember how impossible picking out the clothes for a capsule felt. How could I know which outfits I felt like wearing for the next three months? How could I know who I wanted to be on a given day, in advance? I ended up picking the most practical clothes I owned, and I gave up on the capsule in a matter of days, thinking that either there was something wrong with me or something was profoundly wrong with the idea of capsule dressing. Neither was true. I just didn’t know how to not think of outfits and characters when getting dressed.

I wonder what has changed. I know that I have better clothes now; I pay more attention to fabrics and fit. I’m a little bit more disciplined when I buy new things and I definitely have a better understanding of what styles are not “me”. I’m a lot less frantic about what’s trendy.

I’m still trying to work this out in my head, because as simple as getting dressed in good, comfortable clothes is, it’s also complicated. There are proportions, textures and colors to think about, there’s the need to look somewhat pulled together. There’s one’s mood to consider, and the general mood in fashion, that subtle change that lies underneath the superficial trend cycle… I don’t really know how to balance all that.

For now, though, I have my Airbnb capsule and it feels pretty good and that’s all I know.