Fall and Winter Capsule Wardrobe for Kids {Free Checklist!}
Learn all about how to create a Fall and Winter capsule wardrobe for kids by taking these simple steps. Don’t forget your free printable checklist at the end of this post!

I wrote down a list with each type of clothing they wore and numbered each one, that way I had a goal set that helped me limit how many outfits I could buy and it helped me to make sure everyone had what they needed each season.
My kid’s closets aren’t packed to the brim anymore. They have a few cute and quality items that they love and wear on repeat. I spend less time doing laundry, and less money in the long run!
Have you checked out my newborn essentials checklist yet?
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What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of clothing items that work well together, and when layered different ways can create different looks and outfits. It is usually made up of a limited number of basic pieces with classic colors and patterns.
Have you started a capsule wardrobe for yourself yet?
So how does this work with kids’ clothing since they are constantly growing from one size to the next? The same way it works for adults, but maybe with some extra fun colors involved!
Since kids are constantly growing and changing sizes, its really helpful to have less to keep track of and less to buy each season and size!
Have you checked out my simple clothes storage plan yet?
what are the benefits of having a capsule wardrobe for kids?
- Less laundry
- Saves time keeping track of clothing
- Saves space in the home
- Save money buying only the clothing your kids actually needs
- So much easier to swap out clothing with the changing seasons
Check out my 10 tips for keeping up on your laundry pile.
How To Make a Fall and winter capsule wardrobe for kids
1. Figure out how many outfits each child needs
The easiest way to do this, is to figure out a maintainable laundry routine. If you wash laundry every other day, that’s 3 days worth of clothes each of your kids needs to make it through that time.
Now you might be thinking, 3 outfits?! Well not quite. Age and gender have a lot to do with how many outfits your child needs for 3 days. For example, a 3 year old boy is going to need a few more pairs of pants than a 10 year old girl will.
Think like you’re packing for vacation.
And then add an extra outfit for “just in case”. The older your kids get, the more choices they will probably want, so the numbers will need to reflect that. Here’s what this looks like for my kids:

dressy clothes
Now this list doesn’t include dressy clothing for church and special occasions or apparel for specific sports.
Each of my kids has 2 dressy outfits for their seasonal capsule wardrobe plus a holiday outfit for Easter an Christmas. This is plenty for them to have a couple of options to choose from each Sunday but it keeps decision making easy.
pajamas
For pajamas the amount your kids need will depend on how many days it takes for you to get your laundry washed and dried.
For our family, since it takes 3 days at most for laundry to get from the dirty laundry basket back to the dresser drawers, my kids each need 3 pairs of PJs.
Little babies will need 5 or 6 since they sometimes need to be changed in the middle of the night (those little diapers just don’t seem to do the job).
2. Make a checklist list of each type of clothing your child wears
This list will vary by season, age and gender. I’ve included a free printable kids capsule wardrobe checklist to help you get started right away! All you have to do is fill in the number of items your child needs to make the number of outfits you planned out in step 1.
3. Use this list to declutter the clothing you already own
This is not the fun part. You just have to go for it though! Make a pile of everything your child currently fits. Then make piles of each article of clothing.
Using your list, go through your kids’ closets making sure you are only keeping the number of items you have “allowed”.
So say your list says your 3 year old needs 6 pairs of shorts for the Summer. Make sure you’re keeping the 6 pairs of shorts that you and your child reach for the most.
4. Use this list when buying for the next season or the next size
This is the fun part. You might think that having a list to stick to feels limiting. But, I like the freedom to be able to spend a little more on a couple of good quality items that my kids can pass from one to the other and its nice to get to be pickier about colors and prints!

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tips for Success
start with the changing of the seasons
It’s easiest to start a capsule wardrobe for your kids when you’re getting to the end of one season and about to start the next.
The reason is, you’re already having to go though their clothes to store or declutter what they don’t fit anymore and buy for the next season, so you might as well get jump right into applying your capsule wardrobe plan!
stick to tried and true brands
What styles do your kids find the comfiest? What brands do you notice hold up throughout the whole season?
Stick to a couple of brands you know and love.
My favorite places to find timeless style and long lasting quality are Hanna Andersson and Boden.
when it comes to patterns and prints
Decide whether you want your fun prints and patterns to be in the accessories or the main part of the outfit.
Leopard print is classic and fun, so are bold stripes! But a leopard print dress and striped cardigan is going to look a little crazy.
And if those two things are in your kid’s closet, you know that’s probably the combination they’ll come downstairs wearing when you’re about to head out the door to Church!

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how to keep winter outerwear to a minimum
For a capsule type wardrobe, you want to make sure you choose outerwear that matches basically everything. Here’s a list of outerwear necessities:
- 1 quality Winter coat
- 1 dressy coat (optional)
- 1 versatile jacket
- 1 neutral cardigan (optional)
- 1 warm Winter hat
- 1 pair of warm gloves
- 1 par of snow gloves
- 1 pair of snow bibs or pants
How Many Pairs of Shoes Do Kids Need In the Fall and Winter?
Every family is different and of course we all have varying weather, so this is just a basic guideline. Living in Kansas we see some snow, but not for months on end by any means. Here’s the shoe checklist I’ve been using for my kids for the last few years and its been pretty easy to stick with!
- Boots – one pair of rain boots and one pair of snow boots. I actually just buy rain boots with removeable liners that can double as rain and snow boots. Less shoes to buy and keep track of!
- Church/Dress Shoes – nice shoes your kids don’t play in the mud and snow in, that can be worn out shopping and to Church. Nice boots are great for Winter dress shoes since they keep your kids toes nice and warm.
- Tennis Shoes – shoes your kids can play in that are comfortable and durable for rough play.
creating a kids Capsule Wardrobe on a budget
Here are a few ways to build a kids’ capsule wardrobe on a budget:
- Shop at consignment events – search online for consignment sales coming to your area
- Shop used online – search for tried and true brands at places like Poshmark or eBay
- Go thrifting – remembering to be intentional so you don’t bring home more than you actually need
- Shop end of season clearance – stalk your favorite shops in August and February for deeply discounted wardrobe staples for next year

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FAQ About Having a Kids Capsule Wardrobe:
Do You Have to Have a Color Scheme for a capsule wardrobe?
You definitely could, but buying for more than one child, that’s going to be hard to maintain and keep track of. I find the best way to do it, is start with a few items you really like color wise and base the rest of the wardrobe off of that.
Keep your fun patterns to one type of clothing in the wardrobe. Maybe you keep your girl’s dresses solid colors and get her fun bows and tights as accessories. Or the other way around.
Remember the goal here is to make everything as inter changeable as possible to make it easy for your kids to dress themselves each day.
One pieces and rompers are my favorite since they can be fun patterns and there’s no need to make sure tops and bottoms will match.

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How many clothes should be in a capsule wardrobe?
I went over this earlier in this post, but the best way is to have a real laundry routine, and then keep track of how many times a day your child seems to need a change of clothes.
Babies definitely need several outfits a day, whereas an 8 year old could probably wear the same outfit 2 days in a row!
Think outfits instead of articles of clothing in the beginning. 5 outfits might end up being 10 articles of clothing depending on whether your child wears separates of one pieces.
The older your kids get the more choices they will want when they get dressed. But they also are slower to go through sizes, so having a few extra outfits in their closet is worth it.
How Many Pairs of Shoes Do Kids Need for a kids capsule wardrobe?
Think about how many types of activities your children have each season:
- mud boots – for playing in the mud and rain
- snow boots – or the mud boots can double as snow boots if you use warm liners with them!
- dress shoes – going to church or special events
- play shoes – jellies, tennis shoes or crocs
- casual shoes – nicer than play shoes, for outings and playdates
This is just a guide. The number of shoes is going to depend on your family’s needs and lifestyle.
The goal for a minimal kid’s capsule wardrobe is to choose quality over quantity, and to choose styles and colors that are multifunctional.
Be intentional. Don’t just buy the rainbow sneakers because they were on clearance. Think about how many outfits they will actually match in your kids capsule wardrobe and what purpose they will serve your child.
How Do You Keep Clothes From Getting Ruined When You Have a Small Amount?
I’ve been asked this question a lot and the answer is, the same way you do when you have a larger wardrobe!
We take care of the clothes we have and if one item gets ruined, we can replace it if we need to. Usually by the end of the season some of my kids’ clothes are worn through, so they go to the trash can, and we don’t have to figure out where to store them or where to donate them.
Check out this post for more my homemade stain remover spray that works super well on dirty kid’s clothes.

Does it Cost a Lot to Get Started with a Kids Capsule Wardrobe?
It doesn’t have to! Start by decluttering what you have, sticking to the number of outfits you’ve decided each child needs for the stage they’re at.
Then when it comes time for them to go up to the next size of clothing or time to buy for the next season, just keep your kids capsule wardrobe goal in mind. Focus on more intentional about the number and types of items you are purchasing.
You will most likely end up saving money because you will have put limits on the amount you are “allowed” to buy.
How To Deal With Clothes that are Given to You?
This is another commonly asked question that is tricky to answer. The best way I have found to deal with this personally is to be open to family about our goal to declutter.
You don’t have to bring this up at the time someone gives you something, but just mention it casually at other times.
If we are still given things we don’t necessarily love or need, I let the kids keep them for as long as they are interested. If I find they aren’t loving it after a while, we donate it.
Deal with it in the same way you would want someone else to deal with a gift you gave them that they didn’t necessarily love, and is not in line with a plan they are trying to follow to better their life. Of course you would understand if after a bit, they gave it away to someone who really loved it!
Is it a Lot of Work to Keep Track of a Kids Capsule Wardrobe?
It can take a little time to get started and get the hang of it. But its really a time saver in the long run since you know exactly what you’re looking for when you go shopping for each season (no more wasted time browsing without a focus).
And its definitely saves time when switching seasons or dealing with hand me downs!
Since we don’t have a lot in each size, its as easy as pulling out the next size up tote of clothing, filling the drawers and taking note of what I need to shop for to fill in the gaps of each kids capsule wardrobe!
Using a capsule wardrobe checklist is really helpful when you’re getting started!
This is so incredibly helpful, especially for large families! I have several questions for you. How much do you involve your older children in the decision making process? Do you cater to their style preferences or do you mostly pick items for them? What do you do if the recipient of hand-me-downs has a totally different style than their older sibling? Do you take your kids out for shopping and trying on clothes or do you just buy online? You mentioned that you use one pair of boots for both rain and snow- is there a brand that you recommend for that? I’m about to tackle all of my kid’s wardrobes this month so this is such a big help. Thank you!!
Hi Sara! Great questions! With my girls, I try to stick to a small number of brands I know hold up well for hand me downs, and ask my girls opinions before ordering to make sure they like the color. They are mostly picky about comfort and fit so sticking to brands and styles I know they reach for in their closet has helped make everyone happy. We mostly, buy online since its easier to stick to a capsule wardrobe plan and budget that way, at least for me.
The boots are Hunter brand, and I didn’t link them because we do buy they used since they’re pretty pricey. But they hold up really well, so worth the money to me.
Let me know if you have any more questions! and best of luck this month!
This is so great – thanks! I love the color combinations you chose. Question though; how do I get the free printable? I don’t see anywhere to click for it. Thanks!
Hello Billie! Have you scrolled to the very bottom of the post? The space to enter your email address is there and your printable charts will come straight to your inbox 🙂 If you don’t see it, please let me know!
I’ve been checking your capsule wardrobes the last couple season changes to get ideas for my kiddos and remind myself how little they actually need. One question: do your girls wear leggings or tights under their dresses? I remember hating tights as a child and usually go with leggings. But I’m having a harder time getting the right colors this year and they limit the shoes to only boots once you need socks. Thanks!
Hi Laura! We’ve started doing tights for outings and leggings for around the house. I totally get what you’re saying though! I found comfier tights from H&M. We usually stick to black leggings since they match the most and don’t show stains.
I hope that helps!
Hi,
Love the post, however I am looking where to enter for the checklist, but I cannot see it.
Please can you help?
Hi Louise! I’m so sorry about that! I’ve been having a hard time with these links dissappearing from time to time. I inserted them again for you. Do you see them now?
Hi! I loved this post and your family’s adorable style! I cannot seem to figure out how to get the free printable wardrobe checklist. Would you mind sending it t me? Thank you!
H Kate! I sent it to your inbox. Let me know if you don’t see it!