As a Latina, I always take pride in Hispanic fashion and music.
However, a few months ago, when capsule wardrobes gained a lot of attention, I realized that I hate this trend with a burning passion and it has everything to do with my ethnicity.
Capsule wardrobes are making rounds on the internet. We have seen thousands of videos, blogs, articles, and websites claiming to have cracked the code for the perfect capsule wardrobe.
Companies have started jumping on this bandwagon by advertising their brands to be capsule wardrobe-friendly. More and more fast fashion brands are labeling their articles as capsule wardrobe staples.
With such a high demand for old money and capsule wardrobe fashion, even low-tier brands offer “high fashion” or “luxury fits”. It seems that this epidemic has reached the Latino community as well because I am noticing more people within the community dressed like “cheap” rich CEOs.
If you are also thinking of buying into the capsule wardrobe hype, here is everything to convince you it’s a failing strategy for Latinos.
The Latino Rebel Culture
Hispanics are known for their strong personal identity. They hardly try to gel in, instead, they enjoy standing out.
This is the reason the Hispanic community has worked on their personal identity and most brands have to work their way around the Hispanic culture. For instance, Cox is a reliable internet service provider company in the US with a solid reputation in the market. However, they still had to offer Cox Servicio al Cliente en español for their Spanish customers who were not fluent in English.
Loud, vibrant, fun, and funky is the true Latino motto. However, with a capsule wardrobe, brands are trying to shove people into cookie-cutter fashion statement pieces. Most of these statement pieces might look good on camera and maybe in official setups, but for Latinos who enjoy the attention and vibrancy in life, these capsule wardrobes are boring.
Moreover, Hispanics have a unique fashion sense that can be washed out by using these ordinary capsule wardrobe items.
Too Formal to Be Latino
Capsule wardrobes are designed with basic pieces like blazers, button-downs, formal trousers, jeans, and turtle necks. All these pieces make the visual look conservative, rich, and reserved.
However, the biggest issue is that they also make you look like you are going to attend a formal meeting. So, when you go out with your family or friends, you might look like you are at an official dinner.
As a Latino, formal clothes are not very common. This is mainly associated with the actual fashion sense of the Hispanics. Since the weather in Hispanic countries is slightly warmer, people like to dress slighter. In this situation, wearing a turtleneck or a blazer will also look out of place.
Moreover, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a white color job, which means the newly introduced capsule wardrobe style is slightly classist as well.
Failed At Color Theory
Latino skin is slightly tan compared to the majority of the white population in the USA. This gives a hint of their origin, as summers are much warmer in Hispanic countries.
Due to this tan, Latino skins complement vibrant colors like yellow, red, green, blue, orange, etc. On the contrary, capsule wardrobes are high in light and basic colors that can be paired with anything. Most of the staple items in these compilations include black, white, grey, and some tones of brown.
While there is no doubt these items can be paired together very easily, they do not look good on Latino skin. Most of these colors either wash down the tan or make the skin look pale. Overall, these colors are just not meant for Latinos or people with slightly tan skin.
The Hispanic Body Shape
Hispanic women have curvy bodies, which means they look better in slightly airy clothes that can slim their overall look.
On the contrary, most of the capsule wardrobes are inspired by people who wear formal clothing like CEOs, heads of companies, or politicians. While this makes anyone look polished and powerful, the downside is that it is not designed for every body type.
All the basic clothing articles included or recommended within this haul are designed for petite white or Asian women. Moreover, the majority of the clothes are either too tight or are better for a cylinder body shape with above-average height.
No Good for Hispanic Summer
Capsule Wardrobes is a fashion movement inspired by people in power, mostly working a good corporate job or someone with generational wealth.
This means that this style is designed for people who have much better control over the weather. From air-conditioned offices to trips in Scandinavian countries, these people have much better control over the kind of environment they live in.
On the contrary, anyone living paycheck to paycheck, making barely ends meet will not have the same access to resources. This means that while this style looks flattering, it is not practical. For most people, it is also inconvenient.
Simply put, everything you see and get inspired by is not ideal. As a Latino, it is much better to understand your body type and build a wardrobe by using your style. Invest timelessly, but make sure it is not a cheap copy of some luxury brand.
Also Read-How Fashion Branding in the Digital Age Using Smm Panel