This post was sponsored by Wonder Wardrobe and I received a complimentary course for review.
Wonder Wardrobe Capsule Closet Course Review
The first thing you should know about Daria Andronescu, founder and creator of the Wonder Wardrobe program and video series, is that she’s a highly skilled, credentialed stylist. The second thing you should know about Daria is that she’s an absolute delight!
When Daria reached out to me several weeks ago to introduce me to her multi-step, highly detailed plan for a customized capsule closet, I was interested, but not ecstatic, to take part. As you know if you’ve been following StyleWise for awhile, I’ve waffled back and forth on the Capsule concept and have, more recently, adopted what I’m calling a flexible capsule to maintain order and intrigue in my closet without stifling creative whims.
Daria’s video-based Wonder Wardrobe class embraces the capsule without hesitation. And surprisingly, I realized after a couple class sessions, I’m totally on board.
This Is Why
Daria understands that a wardrobe is as unique as the person who curates and wears it. Her Wonder Wardrobe class helps the viewer value herself – what suits her, what styles she prefers, what colors compliment her skin tone – and manages to tear down the cumbersome walls a typical minimalist capsule puts up, the ones that dictate what styles are “correct.” In addition to all this, Daria is a firm believer in prioritizing ethical and sustainable fashion, so the course is tailored toward like-minded individuals without being exclusionary.
Here’s How It Works
Daria leads you through a series of workshops that methodically and precisely determine what your closet needs are in terms of lifestyle, color palette, style, budget, and more. She does this in a way that really makes you think about the ways you interact with your clothes, and makes you value your own perspective rather than trying to chase the predominant trends. The series is effective, in my opinion, because it manages to get the capsule down to a science without losing necessary flexibility.
I asked Daria a few questions to better understand her perspective on the class and on personal style more generally…
StyleWise: What inspired you to start your YouTube channel and do the Wonder Wardrobe course? How did you get started in personal styling?
Daria: My fashion journey started in 2009 in Milan at the Up-to-Date Fashion Academy where I studied image consulting for women and men, fashion, personal shopping, and etiquette. After graduating, I was lucky enough to get an internship in Milan. It gave me a huge amount of experience. A year later I went back to Moscow, where I am from originally, and decided to start a personal shopping business.
It wasn’t easy in the beginning, so I had several other jobs before I became a full-time shopper. I was working as a brand specialist and VIP stylist in a fashion concept store, as a stylist in an online shop, and as a freelance writer for Cosmopolitan Russia magazine.
All this experience helped me come up with a special method for creating fully interchangeable seasonal wardrobes. After practicing it on my clients and my own wardrobes for years, I realized that my method actually solves a lot of problems and can be useful for other people as well. An online course seemed like the perfect solution to introduce it to the world. So, I recorded the lessons and put it out there. Soon after, I’ve started my Youtube channel to connect with more people interested in sustainable fashion.
Have you used this process for your own wardrobe? What did you learn through the process of paring down your wardrobe?
Of course! I’ve transitioned my wardrobe into the Wonder Wardrobe around 4 years ago. Everything I have now is fully interchangeable. I can literally get dressed blindfolded because any top I choose goes well with any of my bottoms. It makes my life so much easier.
Although it has never been hard for me to pair clothes, I’ve learned much more about the power of color, style harmony and how they can instantly increase wardrobe functionality. I talk a lot about it in my course and Youtube videos.
The other thing I’ve learned was that it takes some time to make your wardrobe eco-friendly and sustainable. When I started applying the Wonder Wardrobe method I had lots of mass market, unsustainable items. So my first capsule wasn’t perfect at all.
But I realized that instead of feeling guilty about my previous choices I should concentrate on my future purchases. So for the past 4 years, I’ve only bought clothes that I enjoy wearing as long as they reflect my values.
I love how you incorporate different style preferences into your course. Share a bit about your opinion on the minimalist craze and how that’s not necessary in order to simplify your wardrobe.
I agree you don’t have to become a minimalist or change your personal style to simplify and make your wardrobe more functional. Most of the people that try capsule wardrobes choose simple and basic clothes and neutrals colors. I guess it’s the easiest way to combine clothes, but it’s not the only way. I believe we’re all different characters and freedom of stylistic expression would only bring more joy to ourselves and beauty to others.
Are you working on any other projects?
Yes, I do! My mother, husband and I have been working on giving kids new types of interactive books that let them have fun while learning new things. We write our own stories, personally hand-pick the materials, draw and sew our books and then sell them in our threadandstories.com online shop. So far it seems that kids are happy solving puzzles while parents are even happier that their kids want to play with something else than their tablets or phones.
My Progress
So, I’m not that far along in the paring down and coordinating process yet, but I have watched all the videos, done my color test (my complexion is Winter as far as I can tell), and have started thinking deeply about the wardrobe formulas I gravitate toward. I’m looking forward to continuing the process for several seasons so that I’ll have a fully interchangeable wardrobe in the next few years.
The Wonder Wardrobe Course includes 17 videos and several wardrobe planning handouts you can print out for a total cost of about $238 USD (converted from Euros). You can also purchase classes a la carte on the Wonder Wardrobe website.
Check out Wonder Wardrobe
Leah Wise is the founder of StyleWise Blog. She has been writing, speaking, and consulting on sustainable fashion, the fair trade and secondhand supply chain, and digital marketing for over ten years. An Episcopal priest, Leah holds a B.A. in Religion from Florida State University and an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School. When not working, you can find her looking for treasures at the thrift store.