#16: Four Bags Every Capsule Wardrobe Needs

In this episode of The Styled Life Podcast, I reveal my top picks for essential handbags for a capsule wardrobe. Drawing from personal experience, I share how to curate a functional, versatile handbag collection that serves your lifestyle without overwhelming your closet.

Key points covered:

• The four essential handbags for a capsule wardrobe
• How to choose versatile bag styles and materials
• Tips for selecting timeless colours and designs
• Ways to incorporate personality through statement pieces
• Strategies for auditing your existing bag collection
• Sustainable approaches to handbag investment

I emphasise that a thoughtful handbag collection doesn't require numerous pieces - just carefully selected ones that truly serve your lifestyle. By focusing on versatility and personal style, you can create a capsule collection that works for every occasion.

Before adding new bags to your collection, start by evaluating what you already own. The perfect handbag capsule balances practicality with personal expression, ensuring each piece earns its place in your wardrobe.

Links:
My most worn bag - Toteme T-Lock
https://rstyle.me/+OYlg94fzmY2EOXvTK86X-w

Download the FREE Capsule Wardrobe Guide: https://learn.styledbygulinka.com/capsule-wardrobe-guide

Download the FREE Travel Capsule Guide:
https://styledbygulinka.mykajabi.com/travel-capsule-packing-guide

Work with me here:
https://www.styledbygulinka.com/personal-styling

Join the waitlist for The Styled Life Personal Styling Course:
https://www.styledbygulinka.com/thestyledlife-waitlist

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:03

Welcome to the Starred Life Podcast, where personal style meets self-development. I'm Galinka, your personal stylist. Each week, we'll explore the transformative power of style, helping you ditch the wardrobe overwhelm and discover your authentic self through style. Whether you're looking to refresh your look or completely reinvent yourself, you're in the right place. Or completely reinvent yourself you're in the right place. Let's unlock your style potential together.

Speaker 1 0:32

Today's episode is all about the essential handbags that you need for your capsule wardrobe. Now, I have had to learn the hard way, where I've had a collection of bags but only gravitated towards a few of them, and what I've learned through that process is that you don't actually need that many bags in your wardrobe, but have a few bags that you know that you can reach for for many occasions and are really versatile to fit in with your lifestyle. Now, the first bag that you may want to add is a tote bag. Now, I like to keep my tote bags a softer leather material, because I find with structured handbags, they may feel like they're more for the office, so using it on a casual basis can be a little bit tricky in terms of mixing and matching with your wardrobe. So going for a softer leather can be really versatile, whether it be vegan leather or real leather. I do find that when you go for a more slouchier feel, it can actually feel a lot more casual, especially if you're mixing and matching it with casual clothing. Now, in terms of color, I like to go for something neutral to start with, whether that be a black, a tan or even a cream, because it'll be really easy to mix and match with your existing wardrobe. Also, I find tote bags to be so useful as a carry-all. You can use it traveling, take it to work, you can put all your baby things or children's things in there as well. It will just fit everything. So having a tote bag in your wardrobe can be so versatile.

Speaker 1 2:16

The other bag that I would recommend is a crossbody bag. Now, I don't know about you, but I love having my hands free when I'm on the go and I need to get things done. So having a crossbody bag can be really useful in your wardrobe. Now, I have talked about my favorite crossbody bag, which I'll link in the show notes, which is the Totem T-Lock. Now, I love this bag because I'm able to wear it casually. I can wear it dressed up, and I can also take the straps off and use it as an evening clutch. So the versatility is amazing and I feel like that's where we're headed these days when we're adding things into our wardrobe. We want that versatility and we want the maximum cost per wear. So having a crossbody bag with removable straps is a fantastic option. Now, even if it doesn't have removable straps, just having that in your wardrobe will allow you to mix and match with a lot of your casual wear. It's going to be super versatile when you're on the run, whether you need to run an errand, or whether you're going shopping or even just for a day out. Having a crossbody bag and having your hands free can be a wonderful feeling. Now, if you don't want to limit yourself to one crossbody bag, I always like to mix things up by thinking about whether I go for one that is a little bit more fun, has a pop of color, whether it be metallic, or even having a chain as a strap, because, again, it's going to make it feel a little bit more elevated and it will really work well for the evenings. And having a cross body that is a little bit more on the casual side, so you can wear it with all of your casual outfits.

Speaker 1 4:08

The other type of bag that you may want to add to your wardrobe is an evening bag. Now, this is going to be super versatile when you're going out for dinners or you just want. Now, when it comes to an evening bag, I do like to go for something again that I feel like is versatile in my wardrobe. So, if you're starting your capsule wardrobe, going for a color that you can see yourself wearing with a lot of your evening outfits will be fantastic, because again, you'll get that maximum cost per wear for that item.

Speaker 1 4:46

Whether you go for something that is a little bit more of an investment or something that is on the high street, it's totally up to you. Now, if you are going for something that's more of an investment piece, a Chanel wallet on chain is fantastic because, again, you can wear it in the evening, but you can wear it casually if you wear it with a casual outfit. Now, if you would prefer to stick to the high street, you can definitely find some vegan leather bags or some clutches that are fantastic for evening wear that aren't going to break the bank. Now, this can be really helpful if you're trying to mix a little bit of trend into your capsule wardrobe, going for something in the high street can add a little bit of fun and personality, but if you are going for something that has a little bit more longevity, again, I would go for something that you know will go with all of your outfits, and sometimes it can be hard to backtrack and think about all the different outfits you do have in your wardrobe. So I do recommend that before you go shopping, you either take a photo of the pieces that you're looking to match this handbag to, or you just have a running list or photos of the items in your wardrobe, and I find that this is really helpful to know exactly what's in there, because when you are making a purchasing decision, you can quickly think about whether it does actually fit in with your current wardrobe and personal style.

Speaker 1 6:21

Another note on evening bags something that I have been enjoying a lot of myself is metallics. Now, often you think that metallics might be hard to mix and match, but you will find that metallics can act as a neutral, so they will go with a lot of things in your wardrobe. So consider a metallic gold clutch or a silver clutch. It can just add a lot of fun into your wardrobe and, again, just elevate an overall outfit and, lastly, a bag that I would recommend is a fun bag. Now. What I mean by that is something that is almost out of your comfort zone. In a way. It's something that is really different, could spark a conversation because it has a lot of personality, whether it be a bold color, whether it has an interesting shape or has some beading to it. But having something that's really fun helps with, again, expressing your personal style, but making an outfit have a little bit more personality.

Speaker 1 7:29

Now, recommendations for this I would say go for something that you feel resonates with your personal style and take your time to find it, because it's going to be different for everyone, so don't rush into it. It might actually be something that you do invest in, because you can see yourself wearing it for a really long time and it matching with a lot of items in your wardrobe, but it's completely up to you and it's something that you will love and cherish for a really long time. There's also some fantastic options on Etsy vintage pieces. Think about whether you want to add a bit of sparkle metallic sequins, beading there's just so many options when it comes to that fun bag in your wardrobe. So have fun with it and take your time choosing the perfect one.

Speaker 1 8:27

So, to sum up the bags that I would recommend the first one was a tote bag because you're just going to get so much wear out of this tote bag, I promise you. The second one was a crossbody bag because you want that utility. You want to be able to just pick your bag up and go and be able to fit all your essentials in there. The third one was an evening bag, something that you can see yourself matching with a lot of outfits in your wardrobe for going out or dinners. And the fourth one was a fun bag, something with a bit of personality, a bit of pizzazz, and I think that's all you need when you first start your capsule wardrobe.

Speaker 1 9:12

And you'll find even now, if you do have more bags than that, you're probably only gravitating towards a few. And if you want to actually do a bit of a bag cleanse which I totally recommend because it's always good to audit those bags that you have in your wardrobe and see which ones you're gravitating towards so if you are doing a little bit of a bag audit, I recommend that you go to somewhere like the purse affair, because you'll be able to sell your bags and recruit some of the money and also invest in something else that you feel like may be missing from your wardrobe. So doing a bag audit can be really useful, because I'm sure that there are some bags in your wardrobe that you aren't reaching towards, and maybe they've been investment pieces that you can move on for someone else to love and enjoy. I hope this episode has been useful for you when you are thinking about curating your handbag collection for a capsule wardrobe. Whether you already have a lot of bags or you're just starting, these essential handbags are a great place to start, and I think that, when it comes to your bags, I truly believe that going into a wardrobe and starting there is the best place instead of looking for something new to add, and then from there, you can see if there's anything that you're not using that can be moved on, or any gaps as well. I hope that you have a beautiful day and I can't wait to catch up with you next week.

Speaker 1 10:49

Bye, Thanks for tuning in to the Styled Life podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Join us every Tuesday as we continue our style journey. Remember, great style is personal, powerful and always evolving. Until next time stay stylish and true to you.