A Capsule Wardrobe?

You’ve probably all heard about de-cluttering your closet, even to the extreme. Some people are down to less than twenty items in their wardrobes, besides shoes. Everything is black, gray, and white, and it’s easy to mix and match. Just pull something out, put it on, and go!

About a year ago, I even considered making up “ A Christian Woman’s Capsule Wardrobe” to feature here. But I’ve since come to my senses. Why do I say this? Because we’re women! We just can’t indefinitely wear exactly the same ten pieces of clothing.

Having said that, there are certainly some basics that you might you might want to wear for many years. They can be in black or any other basic color (brown, navy, taupe, beige, white). You’ll use them as long as they look nice.

Let’s say you have an all basics, capsule wardrobe now. What do you wear when you’re tired of wearing one or two colors all the time? What do you put on for a special occasion? What if you need something bright to pick up your spirits and help you start the day?

How can you keep from spending beaucoup bucks on clothing? I suggest finding a happy medium—your happy medium. Start with a capsule wardrobe—basic pieces of modest clothing in a color that works with your skin coloring.

How do you figure this out? Color Me Beautiful was perhaps the first book on this subject. To simplify and find out what kinds of colors look best on you, choose two colors: mustard yellow and a medium-range cool blue. The color sample should be a cloth or colored paper wide enough to hold across your shoulders and under your face. First, try the mustard yellow. How does this affect your skin color? Are you glowing? Do you look gray-green and dead? Now, do the same with the blue. Does your skin look beautiful? Do you look sick? Based on these two colors, you can tell whether or not you need to wear warm or cool colors. If the mustard is great, wear warm. You can probably wear olive, brown, gold, orange, etc. If blue was your better color, you need to go towards cooler colors: cherry red, blue, purple, cool greens, etc. When you know your best colors, you can look great all the time. People with black hair usually wear icy cool colors—and black and white—very well. People with red hair are usually best in warm colors. If your hair is brown or blond, what are its natural highlights? If they’re reddish, you’ll probably wear warmer colors. If your highlights are more ash blond or ashy brown, you’ll wear cooler colors.) Pick your basics, and then add a few “happy clothes” in colors that suit your skin tone.

Do you just love a shirt, jacket, blouse, or top? Does the color make you glow? It’s a good choice! Will it combine with your basics? Buy it!

I recommend a few sweaters and tops—from dressy to casual, depending on your lifestyle—in bright, happy colors and soft prints.

A word of advice: never buy without trying something on. Make sure it fits beautifully and is modest on you. Find out if it’s comfortable, too.

As good stewards of God’s blessings, it’s important to be careful how much we spend on clothing. It’s difficult to get it right all the time. But, if we’re more deliberate, we’ll make better decisions and look prettier, too.

In the Bible, we have several examples and instructions about dressing. What can we learn from them? 

1. The Virtuous Woman—She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised (Proverbs 30:22, 25, 30). Her clothes were beautiful, fine—and homemade. Her most distinctive “clothing,” however, were her spiritual attributes of strength, honor, and respect for God.
2. Jesus—Do you remember that the soldiers gambled for His coat and didn’t rip it up? Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it (John 19:23-24a). Jesus wore a nice outside garment, one that was special enough that the Roman soldiers didn’t want to ruin it. We have no idea if He owned more than one coat, but the one He wore when He was captured was of good quality.
3. God’s instructions for women in the early church: In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works (1 Timothy 2:9-10). Here, you see that women are to be modest in their choices, not ostentatious, but modeling their clothing after godly women. Notice, too, that character is every bit as important as cloth! Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves (1 Peter 3:3-5a). These verses go a step farther: one’s “adorning” comes from the inside, from a woman’s attitude in her spirit, which is of great price. The spirit—pleasing God and being meek and quiet—shows in a woman’s outward appearance. Again, our clothes models are holy women ... who trusted in God.

A woman who truly wants to please God is one who has mastered the sweet spirit of a committed Christian. She will shop with the Lord in mind. She’ll pray about her clothing choices. She’ll be careful with her money, but more than that, she'll look for clothing that actually glorifies God instead of herself. She’ll be sure she’s not overdone, but she doesn’t want to look dowdy, either. She wants people who see her to be pointed to her Lord.

It’s interesting that God actually wants to provide our clothing. Read these verses: Jesus said, Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Luke 12:27-28) God promises to supply all our needs. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

A capsule wardrobe? Yes—and add some happy garments to it.

Strength and honour are her clothing;

and she shall rejoice in time to come.

(Proverbs 31:25)