Stylish finance expert spills her simple formula for building the perfect capsule wardrobe: 12 pieces, 64 looks

An Australian financial guru has shared the secret to building a capsule wardrobe from scratch – and you only need 12 of them.

Capsule wardrobes have been a must for fashion fans for some time now, but many have no idea where to start when creating them.

Simply put, a capsule is a collection of essential pieces that won’t go out of style and work well together to form multiple (and versatile) looks.

The key is to avoid buying anything too ‘trendy’ as you don’t want to spend too much on an item of clothing that you won’t wear again once the season is over.

One of the biggest fears people have is that a capsule wardrobe will lead to repetitive, boring outfits, which isn’t the case.

Queenie Tanfrom Sydney, has recently started investing in fewer high-quality garments and is encouraging more women to follow in her footsteps.

“I’m in the era of my capsule wardrobe,” she said in one video. ‘It’s good for our finances, better for the planet, and it feels good to wear high-quality clothes that we love.

“Here’s the simple formula: four tops, four bottoms, two outerwear and two pairs of shoes – and you have 64 looks.”

Here’s the simple formula: four tops, four bottoms, two outerwear and two pairs of shoes – and you have 64 looks

For the tops you need a casual top, a semi-sporty piece with a collar, a stylish white or cream knit and a chic going out top.

While everyone is different, a general guide to choosing capsule wardrobe pants includes blue jeans, black jeans, tailored work pants, and dark ones with a relaxed fit.

You have to be picky when shopping for outerwear because you only have two places.

Women usually opt for a casual yet chic corduroy jacket with stylish buttons and lining, then a sleek overcoat that can be paired with work outfits or to take a simple look to the next level.

Queenie’s recommended shoes are a pair of sneakers and a pair of heeled boots.

“To make the capsule work, it’s a good idea to use 80 percent neutrals and 20 percent colors so you can easily mix and match the pieces,” she advised.

‘It’s also important that we are aware of the clothes we buy and ensure they are timeless, high-quality pieces that we can wear in a variety of ways.’

Some people also have seasonal capsule cabinets that they change out a few times a year.

While everyone is different, a general guide to choosing capsule wardrobe pants includes blue jeans, black jeans, tailored work pants, and dark ones with a relaxed fit. Queenie’s recommended shoes are a pair of sneakers and a pair of heeled boots

Claudia Curacfrom Jervis Bay, NSW, tried it herself and was amazed she could create 11 different outfits by reusing seven basic pieces from Kmart.

The mother of four told FEMAIL she spent just $147 after shopping at the store on September 1.

She bought: a linen blend blazer worth $38, a pair of wide leg ankle pants worth $25, a pair of linen blend pull-on pants worth $15, a sleeveless luxury open back top worth $12, $22 slingback kitten heels, a $10 white oversized short-sleeved boyfriend T-shirt, and a $25 sleeveless V-neck mini dress.

The 27-year-old said the neutral pieces are “absolutely to die for” and great for mixing and matching.

“I love repeating outfits, I’m not someone who goes shopping often, I found these pieces and I thought they were such cute staples,” Claudia said in a now viral video.

“I love Kmart and I will say that until the day I die.”

First, she paired the ‘buttery’ soft sleeveless luxury open back top with the ‘cute’ wide leg ankle pants and black kitten heels.

The 27-year-old said the neutral pieces are ‘absolutely to die for’ and great to mix and match

Claudia then swapped the pants for the Linen Blend Pull On Shorts (left) and wore the Slingback Kitten Heels (right)

Claudia said the look is comfortable to wear to work and to school for pick-up or drop-off. The blue top is also the favorite garment of the entire crop.

‘It’s so flattering and the fabric is incredibly soft! The quality for the price is great,” she told FEMAIL.

To add even more style, she threw on the lightweight linen blazer on top.

She then swapped the long pants for the brown shorts for two more looks and then put on the white T-shirt.

Finally, she tried on the sleeveless V-neck mini dress and paired it with the blazer. Then she realized that the dress is thin enough to tuck into the pants for another option.

Claudia demonstrated how you don’t have to spend a lot of money when buying new clothes.

She said she loves that Kmart pieces are “so affordable, but still trendy and easy to get.”