How to Build a Streetwear Capsule Wardrobe

As many of us streetwear fans will realise, it can certainly be a big strain on the old bank account to keep up to date with all the latest trends and styles. With a vast wealth of brands and clothing available on the market, splurging on the new clothing can cost upwards of thousands each year, and in today's current climate, that is less than ideal. That is where building a capsule wardrobe comes in.

As self-confessed hypebeasts and streetwear fans, many of us will be under the illusion that to have a quality wardrobe we have to simply fill it to the brim full of multiple styles, but rest assured this isn't the case. Like the old saying, we can practice a "quality over quantity" approach to our clothing, and that's exactly where capsule wardrobes come in.

By having a carefully curated men's capsule wardrobe, you can discover an array of versatile benefits such as saving on space, having all your outfits to a quality standard and, of course, saving money.

Here at The Sole Supplier, we understand it can be difficult to figure out just exactly what to put in your capsule wardrobe, so we're here to lend a helping hand. In this article, we aim to provide you with all the details you need to create the capsule wardrobe of your dreams, so make sure you carry on reading for key outfit ideas and more.

To put it simply, capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothes which can be worn year round that typically focuses on a range of essential styles. If done correctly, this tightly curated selection will not only give you more bang for your buck, but it will also feature a range of looks that complement each other and your personal style.

Included within a capsule, you will usually find a few jackets, a mixture of T-Shirts and tops, a handful of sweatshirts and hoodies, a few pairs of trousers and of course a selection of shoes. Overall, you could describe a capsule wardrobe as a minimalist wardrobe of clothes you could wear every day.

Another aim for the capsule wardrobe is to cover a range of social occasions, so whether you're in the office, out for drinks or at a fancy dinner, in theory, the capsule wardrobe should be able to cover all bases.

For us, a capsule wardrobe should be made up of a selection of great basics that you will feel comfortable wearing for any occasion. Unlike statement pieces, you should be able to wear pieces of your capsule wardrobe every day and pair pretty much any items together. You may also want to use a certain colour palette for your capsule wardrobe, to get the most wear and longevity from your clothing.

One word. Neutrals. Including Neutral colours within your wardrobe is a MUST! Not only does this ensure the majority of your pieces will match and complement each other, but it will also ensure your outfits are suitable for year-round wear and styling. If you fill your wardrobe full of bright pastels and neon hues, you run the risk of limiting your styling to a season such as spring or summer, so make sure to consider this before you make your purchases.

For the unaware, neutral colours include tones such as black, white, grey, navy, olive, khaki, and brown. While for many this might spark thoughts of winter-wear, it is possible to include pops of colours amongst this bunch too. For instance, select burnt orange and aquamarine tones will also match with the majority of neutral colours, meaning they're handy to introduce colour into your wardrobe during the warmer seasons.

First up, we have our outerwear! Any UK based reader will probably agree to have solid outerwear is a necessity to endure the cold autumn and winter months, so it's imperative we get it right! Usually, the most expensive pieces within our wardrobe, it can break the bank to load up on outerwear styles, so for this reason, we recommend having two interchangeable pieces.

For our first piece, we recommend opting for a warmer style, so either a parka jacket, down puffer jacket or some kind of lined workwear style. Besides producing warmth, these pieces are often super stylish and offer a multitude of layering options. No matter your style, a winter jacket is a must.

For our second piece, we would advise opting for a lightweight style, ideal for on the move looks. You have options to choose from, such as windbreakers, trucker jackets and varsity jackets, to name a few. Each of these jackets bears a variety of styling and layering options also. A favourite of ours here at The Sole Supplier office is the Dickies Eisenhower Jacket. Simple, effective and allows for countless layering opportunities, these transitional jackets are bound to get a lot of wear during every season.

For simple styling options, you can layer your jacket with a hoodie underneath, producing a classic street-style fit. Alternatively, crew neck sweatshirts or just simply T-Shirts work as options too.

You truly have the option to choose your style when it comes to outerwear pieces, but if you're looking for something a bit more subdued, Represent offer some of the finest pieces on the market and also have a scope of styles on offer. If you're looking for more workwear-inspired pieces, you can't go wrong with Carhartt's extensive range either.

Arguably the most important aspect of your capsule wardrobe will be your upper layers. These are usually the layers we will be wearing the most, so it's key to ensure each piece is high-quality as well as exceptionally stylish. For your upper layers, we would recommend three main items: hoodies, crew neck sweats and overshirts. These pieces complement a range of different outfits and give you the option to serve both business casual and casual looks.

It's up to you how exactly you plan on choosing your trio, but for argument's sake, it might just be best to purchase one of each. When you're looking for the best hoodie, oversized and cropped editions from the likes of Cole Buxton and Represent are on-trend and offer both exceptional quality and style.

As far as crew neck sweats go, there are possibly thousands on offer across the web, so you can take your pick. For the sake of keeping your wardrobe clean and minimalist, we would recommend avoiding heavy logo designs, that way, you can keep your looks suited to every occasion. If you're looking for a sweatshirt with simple logo embroidery, the Carhartt WIP Chase range offers a robust and stylish design for a price that isn't going to break the bank.

Overshirts are a little bit more complicated. Right now, plaid and outdoor styles are one of the key fashion trends, but it's difficult to predict just how long exactly that will last. If you're looking to play it safe, you could always try opting for a simple single-toned piece. Uniqlo offers a range of block colour overshirts each season for an exceptionally good price. Alternatively, If you're looking to splash your cash a little bit more, brands such as Stone Island and C.P. Company are renowned for their designs and versatility.

While we already likely have a range of T-Shirts and tops within our wardrobe, it's hard to overstate just how important these pieces are for creating our new collection of clothes. We recommend having around 8 T-Shirts and tops in total to cover each day of the week and have a spare, of course. To keep up to date with washing, we recommend 8 as a minimum to keep your rotation fresh.

Having a couple of the same T-Shirts from your prefered neutral colours is also a smart idea, but it probably goes without saying that black and white are a must to include. Other shades such as grey and off-white are also good choices. As you'll be wearing these base layers often, it's worth investing in brands that are known for quality. We would suggest Represent's blanks range as well as Uniqlo U blanks.

Now while we could just fill our wardrobe with T-Shirts, it's important to have a bit of variation too. Anything across the lines of a football shirt, rugby shirt or baseball jersey are all welcome additions for summertime. It's also worth considering a smarter button-up shirt style for formal occasions. It doesn't have to be your typical oxford or button-down, but as long as it's slightly smarter than the others, it will do the trick.

Up next, we're moving on to lower layers and trying to solve the puzzle of legwear looks. We would likely recommend purchasing three different pairs of legwear for our capsule wardrobe. First things first, we would advise a smarter pair of chinos or a pair of jeans with a slim-fit or taper.

While these items are ideal for work and business scenarios, they will also come in clutch for when you're trying to get in that club with notoriously hard to please bouncers. We would recommend sticking to darker colours such as black, dark grey or navy if you're buying trousers, and aim for a darker wash if you're choosing jeans.

Secondly, we recommend a pair of relaxed cargo pants or work pants. These pants are ideal for those off-duty fits and enhancing your streetwear-styled looks. Paired well alongside a range of sneakers and most upper layers, these pieces are a must to ensure you have diversity within your capsule. For top tier work pants, brands like Stussy, Carhartt and Dickies are all quality choices.

Finally, sweatpants are a must! A quality pair of sweatpants or joggers are perfect for everything from those lazy day looks all the way to activewear outfits, so its key to have a good pair in your rotation. In terms of fit you can opt for either a slimmer cuffed look or a baggy open-ended style, the choice is yours. If you're looking to spend a little bit more, brands such as Represent or Cole Buxton offer extremely high quality pieces, however if you're dead set on keeping things cheap, you can't go wrong with Nike or adidas.

We might have to contradict ourselves on this one, but seeing as we're a sneaker website, we truly believe you can't have too many pairs of kicks! However, we understand that sneakers can be some of the most expensive items within your outfit so we're going to give our top 3 suggestions instead.

Firstly, you need a pair of daily sneakers. Something with a robust construction as well as style is a must. In terms of style, you can't go wrong with a classic pair of New Balance runners or something similar, but it's also worth acknowledging the versatility of silhouettes such as a Jordan 1 or Jordan 3. If none of these are your style, check out our list of classic sneakers which belong in everyone's wardrobe.

Secondly, you need a pair of smarter dress shoes for dress-up occasions. As it stands, loafers are very on-trend, so that's always a safe route to go down. Other suggestions include Yeezy as they will work with a variety of pants and also jeans. We would likely recommend avoiding military boot styles unless you're rocking a monochromatic look or you're wearing jeans.

Finally, you need a touch of comfort. Anything across the lines of slides or runners will do the trick, just make sure you're prioritising your comfort above all else! Numerous undefined styles such as Slides and Foam Runners are exceptionally comfortable, but you can find less expensive alternatives from the likes of Nike and adidas too.

Building your ideal capsule wardrobe might take time and a little bit of trial and error, but once you find the style that works for you, it's definitely worth it in the long run. A strong capsule wardrobe is the basis of developing your own personal style and allows you to make a greater statement with those louder pieces in your wardrobe!

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