Curating the Perfect Jewellery Capsule

The Finishing Touches

The phrase 'capsule wardrobe' has been thrown around a lot over the past couple of years. There seems to be a trending, almost manic obsession within the fashion world on curating the perfect minimalist wardrobe, and I must agree that I too have fallen victim. Any post on my blog roll that has the word "capsule" or "minimalist" on it generally garners an immediate mouse click, and I find myself nodding in agreement with the age-old idea of quality over quantity (quite in contrast to my old self at the beginning of this blog when I use to parade my cheap 'bargains', ha). While I'm a bit critical of the idea of restricting yourself to wearing only five or ten or a finite number of pieces of clothing per season (you did, after all, also pay for everything else in your wardrobe and they're there), I've found myself applying some of the capsule wardrobe ideas to jewellery.

It is interesting to note that most capsule wardrobes note jewellery as an exception along with undergarments, bags and other accessories. You may only be wearing five to ten pieces of clothing per month, but the exception seems to imply that you could very well wear a different piece of jewellery every day, meaning at least thirty pieces if you so choose.



I used to hoard quite an eclectic jewellery collection. I'm a fan of rose gold, gold and silver (currently in that order), as well as mixing metals at times. I was also a fan of cheap bargain jewellery, believing that paying $5 for a pack of 12 rings was an amazing deal. While I still enjoy finding a bargain every now and then, I found that amassing such a huge collection of jewellery meant that I would repeatedly only wear the jewellery that I could see. The rest would collect dust in boxes and cups, or lost behind the vanity. My room and bags were also often filled with rings that I could not be bothered putting away.

I became discontent with all the cheap jewellery that I was hoarding (some of them tangled up with pieces that I do love, which then took a couple of hours to separate. #girlproblems) and recently did a proper clear out of all the metal pieces I owned. I ended up donating a whole bag's worth of necklaces, bracelets and rings. None of them were in bad condition (save for a few), but they no longer suited my style and my clothes. They served no purpose other than to look pretty as collector items on my desk.

This year, I decided to focus on curating quality jewellery that I could and would wear daily, for any occasion. As my days will soon be spent in a corporate environment and my style is generally quite minimal and neutral, I've become more mindful of investing in metal pieces that could elevate me from "I just woke up ten minutes ago and I need coffee, pronto" (happens more often than I would like to admit) to "I've already worked out this morning, had breakfast and fed the cat, what's up".

My Tips on Curating the Perfect Jewellery Capsule

1. Note your style - As with any capsule wardrobe, figure out what your style is so you can narrow down your search for the perfect pieces that can complement your outfits. For example, do you wear mostly blacks and reds instead of neutrals and denim? Do you like bohemian or geometric pieces? Do you like to layer or have one statement item (including bags or shoes)? Are you attracted mostly to gold but tend to stay away from silver? Do you wear much jewellery at all? 


2. Wearability for multiple occasions - Ask yourself whether you can see yourself wearing the piece everyday, or almost everyday. Consider the type of occasions that you most often find yourself, be it study, corporate worklife, formal client meetings or working at home. There's no point spending your whole paycheck on a jewelled bohemian-style headpiece if you usually wear a business suit and work in a corporate office five days a week. 


3. Invest (use the cost per wear rule) - Don't be afraid to invest a little more, and don't forget to consider cost per wear, because #qualityoverquantity. Whilst $30 may seem like a lot to spend on a pair of earrings if you are on a student budget (when a $2 pair seem so much more attractive), know that the extra $28 may save your ears from being infected. Also, if you find a pair that you could wear everyday, that makes your earrings 8 cents per wear. Bargain. 


4. Develop brand loyalty - This may just be something that stems from my own personality as a creature of habit, but I love purchasing pieces based on brands that I can trust. As you can see above, most of my jewellery pieces come from only a few brands (Country Road, Shazoey, and Sportsgirl) because I know that they will deliver quality and on trend pieces every time (or I know how much to invest in that brand based on the durability of their pieces). 


5. Having said that, go out of your comfort zone - I also think that the process of curating pieces you love involves going out of your comfort zone, to purchase something that you otherwise might pass on. I recently took a leap of faith and purchased these silver Holly Ryan earrings online, and fell in love with them immediately upon their (prompt) arrival. They are the perfect statement pieces by bringing something a little different, but also small and subtle enough that I could wear them to work. 

Do you believe that it is important to have a jewellery capsule? Any other tips you would suggest?

The Finishing Touches

The phrase 'capsule wardrobe' has been thrown around a lot over the past couple of years. There seems to be a trending, almost manic obsession within the fashion world on curating the perfect minimalist wardrobe, and I must agree that I too have fallen victim. Any post on my blog roll that has the word "capsule" or "minimalist" on it generally garners an immediate mouse click, and I find myself nodding in agreement with the age-old idea of quality over quantity (quite in contrast to my old self at the beginning of this blog when I use to parade my cheap 'bargains', ha). While I'm a bit critical of the idea of restricting yourself to wearing only five or ten or a finite number of pieces of clothing per season (you did, after all, also pay for everything else in your wardrobe and they're there), I've found myself applying some of the capsule wardrobe ideas to jewellery.

It is interesting to note that most capsule wardrobes note jewellery as an exception along with undergarments, bags and other accessories. You may only be wearing five to ten pieces of clothing per month, but the exception seems to imply that you could very well wear a different piece of jewellery every day, meaning at least thirty pieces if you so choose.



I used to hoard quite an eclectic jewellery collection. I'm a fan of rose gold, gold and silver (currently in that order), as well as mixing metals at times. I was also a fan of cheap bargain jewellery, believing that paying $5 for a pack of 12 rings was an amazing deal. While I still enjoy finding a bargain every now and then, I found that amassing such a huge collection of jewellery meant that I would repeatedly only wear the jewellery that I could see. The rest would collect dust in boxes and cups, or lost behind the vanity. My room and bags were also often filled with rings that I could not be bothered putting away.

I became discontent with all the cheap jewellery that I was hoarding (some of them tangled up with pieces that I do love, which then took a couple of hours to separate. #girlproblems) and recently did a proper clear out of all the metal pieces I owned. I ended up donating a whole bag's worth of necklaces, bracelets and rings. None of them were in bad condition (save for a few), but they no longer suited my style and my clothes. They served no purpose other than to look pretty as collector items on my desk.

This year, I decided to focus on curating quality jewellery that I could and would wear daily, for any occasion. As my days will soon be spent in a corporate environment and my style is generally quite minimal and neutral, I've become more mindful of investing in metal pieces that could elevate me from "I just woke up ten minutes ago and I need coffee, pronto" (happens more often than I would like to admit) to "I've already worked out this morning, had breakfast and fed the cat, what's up".

My Tips on Curating the Perfect Jewellery Capsule

1. Note your style - As with any capsule wardrobe, figure out what your style is so you can narrow down your search for the perfect pieces that can complement your outfits. For example, do you wear mostly blacks and reds instead of neutrals and denim? Do you like bohemian or geometric pieces? Do you like to layer or have one statement item (including bags or shoes)? Are you attracted mostly to gold but tend to stay away from silver? Do you wear much jewellery at all? 


2. Wearability for multiple occasions - Ask yourself whether you can see yourself wearing the piece everyday, or almost everyday. Consider the type of occasions that you most often find yourself, be it study, corporate worklife, formal client meetings or working at home. There's no point spending your whole paycheck on a jewelled bohemian-style headpiece if you usually wear a business suit and work in a corporate office five days a week. 


3. Invest (use the cost per wear rule) - Don't be afraid to invest a little more, and don't forget to consider cost per wear, because #qualityoverquantity. Whilst $30 may seem like a lot to spend on a pair of earrings if you are on a student budget (when a $2 pair seem so much more attractive), know that the extra $28 may save your ears from being infected. Also, if you find a pair that you could wear everyday, that makes your earrings 8 cents per wear. Bargain. 


4. Develop brand loyalty - This may just be something that stems from my own personality as a creature of habit, but I love purchasing pieces based on brands that I can trust. As you can see above, most of my jewellery pieces come from only a few brands (Country Road, Shazoey, and Sportsgirl) because I know that they will deliver quality and on trend pieces every time (or I know how much to invest in that brand based on the durability of their pieces). 


5. Having said that, go out of your comfort zone - I also think that the process of curating pieces you love involves going out of your comfort zone, to purchase something that you otherwise might pass on. I recently took a leap of faith and purchased these silver Holly Ryan earrings online, and fell in love with them immediately upon their (prompt) arrival. They are the perfect statement pieces by bringing something a little different, but also small and subtle enough that I could wear them to work. 

Do you believe that it is important to have a jewellery capsule? Any other tips you would suggest?