Who hasn’t looked at a closet full of clothes on a busy morning, only to decide that you have nothing to wear? As it turns out, the solution to this perplexing problem might be paring down your possessions to the point that you really have nothing – or almost nothing – to wear.

It’s called a capsule wardrobe. A concept from the 1970s that was popularized by Donna Karan’s “Seven Easy Pieces” collection in 1985. While the number and types of pieces included might vary depending on the system you choose, the modern capsule concept is essentially the same.

Building a Micro-Closet

You start by clearing the clutter in your closet. Sell the items you no longer want through online consignment sites, storing anything seasonal, and selecting a handful of core pieces that will serve as the foundation for your entire wardrobe for the next season or two.

While you might need to add an item occasionally to really make a capsule wardrobe function, the idea is to not only get rid of things you don’t wear regularly, but to stop shopping for new clothes you’ll only wear a handful of times, if ever.

Sound intriguing? Here are a few basic tips to try if you’re interested in transforming your closet from cluttered to capsule:

Getting Started

The first step to creating a capsule wardrobe is clearing out your closet. Jennifer L. Scott, author of “Lessons from Madame Chic” and other titles, recommends giving many items to charity and storing anything that isn’t seasonally appropriate. This will give you a clearer look at the pieces you actually have. Scott, who maintains a capsule wardrobe of just ten core pieces plus extras for spring/summer and fall/winter, says you can then see which items you really wear day in and day out before making a list of pieces you need to round out a capsule wardrobe.

If you just aren’t ready to get rid of some sentimental items, store them for now. Take a look at them later to decide if you truly love them enough to give them a spot in your core clothing lineup.

Evaluating Extras

Scott doesn’t count items such as T-shirts, blazers, shoes, scarves, outerwear, special occasion wear and cardigans as part of her core wardrobe. Instead, these items are “extras” that can be used to add a pop of color and dress up or dress down combinations created with her ten core pieces. But your extras still shouldn’t be extraneous.

For example, Scott, who also created The Daily Connoisseur blog, has about a half dozen T-shirts in her spring/summer 2015 wardrobe in neutral colors or nautical patterns that pair well with the jeans and skirts counted in her core collection. Her shoes are also neutrals in simple, practical styles that coordinate with multiple pieces.

It’s Not About the Rules

Caroline Joy Rector, creator of the Un-Fancy blog, went from calling her guidelines for maintaining capsule wardrobe “practices” rather than “rules.” This semantic change gives people the freedom to adapt a system to their own needs. Her practices consist of maintaining a seasonal wardrobe of 37 pieces that includes tops, bottoms, shoes, dresses and outerwear. She excludes workout clothes, underwear, sleepwear, accessories and special occasion wear, such as cocktail dresses.

Part of the process includes shopping less, if at all, and remixing the 37 pieces every three months. The practices mean each piece has to be seasonal and fit both your body and your lifestyle at the moment. A set of practices should also give you the flexibility to include the number of items that work for you or even to do some shopping in the middle of the season without feeling as if you’ve broken some capsule wardrobe code of conduct.

Saving Time, Money and Mental Energy

According to financial planner Peter Dunn, you shouldn’t be spending more than 5 percent of your take-home pay on clothes, and that includes what it cost to clean, repair and replace them. Emotional and impulse buying might mean you’ve been spending a lot more, though. In that case, capsule wardrobes can help you save a significant amount of money, particularly if you only shop for new pieces once a season or even less often. Creating a list of needs for each season also makes shopping more intentional. Limiting yourself to a certain number of core pieces can help, too. After all, how often will you really wear that linen jumpsuit?

Paring down your possessions will also conserve time and mental energy in the morning. Capsule wardrobes prompt you to put away or give away items you can’t wear now. But if you don’t know where to start, Courtney Carver, who maintains the Project 333 site, suggests storing clothes that don’t fit and aren’t flattering for three months. Also put away anything you haven’t worn in a while or you just don’t love. Odds are, you’ll pull them out after a season and wonder why you hung on to them in the first place.

Try It for Travel

Writer Francine Jay had already cleared her closet clutter significantly by the time she and her husband decided to move overseas and pursue a lifestyle dominated by world travel. That’s when Jay, the creator of the Miss Minimalist blog, decided to cut her wardrobe to a set of ten core essentials to carry her through any season.

If you’re interested in following her footsteps, Jay suggests picking classic cuts, choosing a core color and a handful of accent colors, sticking to a single color for accessories, and making sure everything fits, flatters and feels good. While this might be a little too minimalist for most as a day-to-day dressing strategy, try it for your next trip to build a travel wardrobe that’s both functional and fashionable.

Would you try building a micro-closet? If so, what are your essential items? Share with us on our Facebook page!

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