Summer Capsule Wardrobe (toddler Boy)

Many parents/guardians end up with a closet full of toddler items, only for them to use less than half of that closet before they grow out of them. A capsule wardrobe allows them to have a small amount of clothing, lessening the hassle as well with less clothing it helps to keep the parents clothing budget-friendly. Less clutter means a cleaner room for an already overwhelmed parent and can help lessen the fatigue that comes with too many decisions. This outline will take you step through step to creating a capsule wardrobe for a toddler that fits with the parent's and child's needs.

The materials you will need are:

• 2 separate bags or boxes (sort clothing not kept)
• Hangers
• All of your toddler's clothing
• A piece of paper
• Pencil
• Space to work in

Before diving right in make sure to have all the materials you need to create the wardrobe. The materials you will need to gather for this project are two boxes/trash bags, hangers of the correct size, all of your toddler’s clothing, a piece of paper, a pencil, and a space to work. You will be using the box or trash bags to place your donations in one and then unusable clothing in the other.

Now it is time to dive right into the process. To begin you will sit down and determine how much you want of each clothing item. You will use your pencil and paper for this. Here is a list of what might be suggested for each item in a range that you can decide which fits best for your child. For tops: 1-2 button-down shirts, 2-3 short-sleeved tees, 2-4 sleeveless tanks, 1 light jacket, 1 raincoat, 1-2 sweaters. For bottoms: 2-4 cotton shorts (or any type of softer shorts), 2-3 jean shorts, 1-2 pairs of jeans, and 1 pair of dress/colored pants. For swimwear: 1-2 reusable swim diapers, and 1-2 pairs of swim trunks. For nighttime: 1-3 pairs of separated pajamas and 1 pair of footie pajamas. For feet: 6-8 pairs of socks, 1 pair of play tennis shoes, 1 pair of slide ons, 1 pair of dress shoes, and 1 pair of water shoes. (If you live in the country then also add one pair of boots).

I have attached a PDF of my list that you may use!

Next comes the hard part, going through clothing. Instead of diving right in and grabbing 2 shirts and 3 pants and placing them to the side and calling it a capsule wardrobe, it will be easier to go through all of the clothing at once. Start sorting through the pile of clothes. Take any warm clothes or winter clothes and pack those to the side for now (unless they fit in a category from earlier and store them for the summer.) If it is something you do not want decide if it is worth donating or if you should just throw it out. Preferably if an item has stains or holes you should throw it out or find someone who recycles old clothing. If you find an item you want to keep then sort it into a separate pile according to the categories we listed earlier. While sorting not worry about only keeping a certain amount of the item. Go ahead and keep as many of the items as you like for now and the cut-down process will happen later.

As a result, you should know for sure what items you like and have a clear view of what is going to be gone through we can begin to start the cut down process. Beginning with your tops go through each section and determine which of the shirts will be the best to keep and start getting rid of the others. You may have to go through items multiple times before you only have the amount you listed within the guidelines; however, it is all part of the process and will eventually get there.

Finally, the end is near! Each category should be separated by this point. If you have a few items that you ended up with one or two extras than you had planned that does not mean you have failed the capsule wardrobe! Sometimes children tend to have a favorite shirt, while a couple of others might match better with certain pants. Or an item is a special hand-me-down. These things happen and it is better to keep the item than regret it later. Just make sure to stay within a reasonable amount. At this point, you may take the hangers and hang up the items that go in this closet as well as fold and put away the others.

Looking into the closet there should be more room then you had to begin with. This is not a space to add more clothes! Hold to your capsule wardrobe and when it comes time for presents remind family and friends books and memories are always an acceptable replacement. Your toddler’s capsule wardrobe is complete!