I’m a big believer in creating a wardrobe strategy yet I know that many women don’t even know where to begin. While color may seem like the obvious place to start, learning how to leverage the power of color to work for you – not against you – and to guide you in knowing what to buy and how to pull it all together offers an easy blueprint and helps you to create endless options in your closet from just a few pieces.

While you may have heard of a wardrobe capsule, my strategy involves creating a Color Capsule made up of five of your best colors – your Fab Five.

Discovering what your best colors are is incredibly helpful, but I found that giving my clients their 40 or so best colors could be a little overwhelming. I developed this strategy to help them hone in on just a few of their best colors and to build from there.

Creating your own color capsule is meant to bring focus to just a few colors, while helping you create maximum versatility in your closet. The result? More outfits than you know what to do with! No more standing in your closet wondering what to wear. No more one hit wonders that don’t go with anything. With your Color Capsule, you have a plan that’s not only easy, it can be fun too!

Recently in my Style Made Simple Course I was thrilled to see so many a-ha’s around this philosophy, and see everything just ‘click’ when my clients discovered their Fabulous Five and how to put them all together. Here’s how to discover your very own ‘Fabulous Five’ Color Capsule:

1/ Find Your Core Neutrals

First, choose 2 of your very best core neutrals. You know, least memorable and most neutral, meaning they go with everything! Dare I ask you to forget black? Even if black is one of your best colors, let’s find some other neutrals that tie into your personal coloring such as your haircolor and/or your highlights. These 2 will be your foundational colors and where you invest the bulk of your wardrobe budget.

2/ Find Your Wow!

Colors Next, choose 3 of your best Wow!, or accent, colors. These are those lights and brights that really make you stand out. They could be your eye color (especially if your eyes are blue), your favorite bright or any other non-neutral color that makes your hair, skin or eyes look amazing! These should be colors that are memorable and make a statement about who you are.

3/ Mix and Match

The key to creating your Fabulous Five is that each neutral goes with each of the Wow! colors, so they can be interchanged and all work together. This mix and match approach allows for maximum versatility in your wardrobe, giving you more bang for your buck and making it EASY to know exactly what to bring into your wardrobe.

4/ Pop it with Prints

While starting with solids gives you a good foundation, I strongly encourage you to bring in prints, patterns and textures. Ensure that the prints contain at least 2 of your Wow! colors so theywill coordinate with your solids. Jackets, cardigans, scarves, handbags, shoes, accessories, etc. are a fun place to bring these in.**Textures, while not prints themselves, sometimes ‘read’ as prints. Be mindful of coordinating these with prints so they don’t create a frenetic look.

5/ Choose Your Metal

To keep things simple, choose one metal and stick with it. This will ensure that your jewelry is neutral and goes with everything, and make it easy to finish off your look with the polish of accessories. Shoes, handbags and belts are also great places to bring in metallics to uplevel your look while also being very versatile.As you create your color capsule, don’t be afraid to experiment with some different colors to see what resonates with you. You want it to feel natural and all you. Then try and create another color capsule or two. Once you get this formula down, you’ll marvel at how easy getting dressed, not to mention shopping, can be!

Your Assignment: Determine your Fabulous Five colors for your spring/summer wardrobe and make a list of what items you’d like to add in which colors, and of what you already have. As you create outfits, take pictures of them. Then count how many pieces you have and how many outfits you can create! Chances are you’ll be very surprised!

Then let me hear from you! Join us in the Style Made Simple Group and post your pictures. We want to see how many combinations you come up with and how this formula works for you!

Need help? I help you get to the essence of your style and dress in a way that makes you feel more like you, whether you’re a corporate executive or a stay at home mom. Email meat Michele@shopstylefinder.com to set up a complimentary get acquainted session and learn how you can look your best every single day!