I actually follow a capsule wardrobe for work and it is the only way for me to manage or else I would become overwhelmed. I try not to pay attention to what people may think of my repeated outfits. Simply put, clothes were not made to be worn once and then thrown away, so the idea that you shouldn't repeat outfits at work is a bit silly in my mind. You won't look like you wear the same thing all the time unless, for example, you actually wear all black all the time, and even then it just becomes your signature look and that can be a good thing, too.
You asked for the specific number of items in each category, so I'll list mine below which I hope will help you, but I have to preface this with the fact that I never wear skirts or dresses to work (I think because I worked with mostly men and I didn't want to be overtly feminine and draw attention to myself). I also never wear jumpsuits- not even ones that would look professional- due to impracticality when using the loo.
So, that left me with 3 main categories: trousers, tops and suits. You may want to add dresses and skirts to your 'work' wardrobe. Within the categories I have:
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2 suits: 1 black, 1 colour- usually blue or grey.
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5 trousers: 3 black, one of which is from my suit, and 2 in colour (in summer this would be white, blue or purple. In winter it would be grey, navy, bottle green or burgundy).
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16 tops: That is enough tops to wear a different one for 2 weeks, plus a few extra in case I need to switch out tops for any reason (spilled coffee or something). I like tops in a variety of colours, so I have one of every colour I enjoy wearing, along with multiples in white and black because I wear those more than anything else.
- I don't buy additional blazers. I use the jackets of my suits with different trousers. This way I fully utilize the suit as a full suit and as separates. It also means my suits wear out evenly (usually the trousers wear out faster than the jacket).
For accessories:
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3 pairs of comfortable work shoes. 2 flat and 1 with a low block heel. They match all my other pieces and can be worn comfortably on long days.
- I switch between
3 purses for work and all of them are minimalist, with no obvious logos.
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10 pieces of jewelry, including 2 of each: watches, earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets. All of these pieces are minimalist and a mix of metals.
For instance, right now I have in my rotation 1 rose gold necklace and 1 silver necklace. 1 gold bracelet and 1 oxidized (black) silver bracelet. So even though I have only 2 in each category, they are all different from each other and that brings variety to my outfits in itself.
I usually wear only 1 piece of jewelry and 1 watch per day. I like to keep my look clean so I don't stack a lot of jewelry.
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2 scraves- silk in the summer, wool in the winter.
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1 reversible wool coat for the winter (black on one side, patterned blue on the reverse side) and
1 lightweight fold-able rain coat.
This makes a total of 40-45 pieces at any given time of the year, including shoes, bags and accessories.
I can get 6 months of mixing and matching, working 6 days a week, before my pieces start to wear out. I rarely repeat an entire outfit in 1 month because there's enough there for different combinations.
Twice a year, I look through the wardrobe and pull out anything that looks worn out or that I'm just bored of, those may get replaced by a new piece if needed.
This is also the time I'll switch out my summer/winter clothes, swapping lighter colours for darker ones, taking out my winter coat, swapping out my summer flat shoes for ankle booties, etc.
I also switch out my jewelry during this (in the summer I may wear opals and pearls, in the winter more oxidized pieces), this way I don't get too bored repeating my jewelry and I get to use my entire collection.
I don't know if this will be helpful to you and hope it isn't confusing in the way I have laid it out. Hopefully this gives you some ideas at the very least.
