How to Put Together a Style Sudoku Capsule Wardrobe

If you’ve been reading CCCH for a number of years, style sudoku capsule wardrobes probably ring a bell. I put together and wore 10 different style sudokus since I started blogging almost 10 years ago! Out of all of the style challenges, style sudokus were definitely my favorite… partially because I’m a big regular sudoku nerd. I also enjoyed putting together each capsule wardrobe and loved wearing them even more!

You’ve probably heard of capsule wardrobes, which really had a moment a few years ago. Capsule wardrobes consist of a small collection of items (tops, bottoms, shoes, accessories, jewelry, outerwear, etc.) that you can either wear for a short length of time (like for traveling) or for an extended period of time (think Project 333—wearing 33 items for 3 months). They are a great way to sort of “reset” and define your personal style or to streamline your mornings if you find yourself taking way too long to decide what you want to wear due to decision fatigue/having too many clothes.

Popular capsule wardrobes include the 30x30 (wearing 30 items for 30 days) and the 10x10 (wearing 10 items for 10 days). Like I said above, I really love the style sudoku (or wardrobe sudoku) capsule wardrobe: a 4x4 grid that includes 4 tops, 4 bottoms, 4 pairs of shoes, and 4 accessories. Every row, column, and corner square (and diagonal) contains a complete outfit: one top, one bottom, one pair of shoes, and one accessory. Of course, you can switch around the item types if needed to better serve you.

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own style sudoku capsule wardrobe but aren’t sure where to start, this post is for you! I wrote out my process when I put together a style sudoku, and I also included all of my past sudokus for reference if you’re looking for inspiration. It can take some time up front to put together your style sudoku but it’s worth it in the end!

Download a blank style sudoku capsule wardrobe!

How to put together a style sudoku capsule wardrobe | 4x4 grid wardrobe sudoku | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

How to Put Together a Style Sudoku Capsule Wardrobe

1. Finalize the logistics

Each 4x4 grid style sudoku makes a minimum of 12 outfits (4 rows, 4 columns, and 4 corners). I usually include the two diagonals even though that’s not technically part of the sudoku for a total of 14 outfits. You could also make two more outfits out of the two squares from the middle two rows, so you can easily get 16 outfits out of your style sudoku if you want!

Determine when you plan to wear your capsule wardrobe (two weeks straight? work week only? over a month?) and what activities you’ll need to dress for (school, work, weekend, travel, etc.). Also be sure to consider the weather. You can make different style sudoku capsule wardrobes for different occasions, or even multiple capsule wardrobes for the same period of time but for different purposes (workwear vs. activewear, for example).

2. Make a list of items you want to wear

Style sudoku capsule wardrobes are generally made up of four tops, four bottoms, four pairs of shoes, and four accessories (if you don’t want to include shoes because the weather is too unpredictable, you can include four third pieces, jewelry, or outerwear in their place). I always start my style sudokus by figuring out what it is I want to wear (taking into account the logistics above and the season I’m in/current weather) and just brain dumping all of these items. Don’t take into account color schemes or complete outfits just yet. I like the Stylebook app packing list feature for this; I just add all of the items I’m considering including in my style sudoku to a packing list.

You’ll likely have a number of items that are conducive to being a part of a capsule wardrobe (basics and other items that can be easily worn with different types of tops, bottoms, and/or shoes) and some items that just won’t work. If needed, try on the items you want to wear and make sure they go with multiple items (and most importantly: fits!). You will want to have more items on your list than you’ll need for your sudoku, and it’s possible you’ll remove items and add others as you continue with the next steps.

3. Determine your color scheme

Once you brain dumped all of the items you want to wear, look at the dominate colors and select one neutral base color (black, brown, grey, camel, navy, white, etc.). Typically for spring and summer style sudokus, I’ll go with a lighter color palette, and for fall and winter, I tend to lean darker. Remove the items that don’t go with the neutral base color you picked.

4. Select the group of items you want to build outfits around

I typically build outfits around the four bottoms I pick (I make sure to pick bottoms that fit and are comfortable to wear for long periods of time), but you can opt to build outfits around your tops, shoes, outerwear, or whatever other group of items you want. I find it easiest to build outfits from the bottoms because I tend to wear “boring” bottoms compared to the other items (basic denim jeans that go with anything, joggers, leggings, etc.). Sometimes I’ll throw in a fun skirt that I know works with multiple types of tops. At this point, I try to narrow down the bottoms as much as possible.

5. Put the bottoms that are most versatile and that you want to wear most often on the diagonals

Once you have the items you’ll build your outfits around, stick the bottoms you want to wear most often and that go with the majority of your other items in the diagonal spots on your style sudoku. (I do this in Photoshop because I’m most familiar with it, but you could also do it in Canva. I send the items from Stylebook back to my computer to use them in Photoshop.) You’ll wear these items in four outfits (the items not on the diagonal are worn in three outfits—row, column, and corner square).

For some reason I find these spots the easiest to fill out first BUT don’t be surprised if you end up shifting some things around to make it work. We are working on a draft sudoku right now so it probably won’t be perfect but you just gotta start filling it up somewhere!

6. Add the rest of the tops and bottoms

At this point, I consider color and outfit combinations and start adding the tops and the two other bottoms to the open spots in the style sudoku. Some of the outfits may not make sense at first. I try to add as many items as possible first and then go back and edit later. At this time, you may opt to try a few outfits on to make sure things go together like you think they will. Sometimes outfits don’t look as good in real life as they do in my head!

7. Fill in the rest of the style sudoku (shoes, accessories, etc.)

Now that you have your tops and bottoms in, add all of the other items (making sure each row, column, and corner square has only one top, bottom, shoe, and accessory). Be sure to consider color palette and outfit combinations to make sure things actually work well together. (Once again, try things on if needed! That helps me so much.)

Sometimes I opt for third pieces (blazers, cardigans, vests, etc.) in the accessory spots. Jewelry also works well in the accessory spots. I’ve also put together style sudokus without shoes; I do this most often in the winter when the weather is most unpredictable. I’ve even included a dress before (January style sudoku above)! It was a shirt dress that could be worn on its own or worn unbuttoned over a top and jeans. The more versatile an item is, the better. Have fun with it! Now’s the time to play around with outfit combinations.

8. Rearrange or switch items out as needed

Every once in a while, I’ll have a complete style sudoku but it won’t look right. I definitely like my style sudokus to LOOK balanced even if I’m not wearing every single item together. That may require switching out items completely (maybe swapping one of the neutrals for a different neutral) and rearranging items so that dark colors aren’t all clustered on one side of the sudoku. I also like making sure there is a good balance of colors. I love a good accent color or two. I’m definitely into the aesthetics of the sudoku as much as I am the outfits, haha.

Once all of the items are in your sudoku and you like the look of it, you’re all set to start wearing your newly completed capsule wardrobe! Enjoy not having to think too much about what to wear every day. That’s my favorite part! 😄

P.S. It’s also fun to document your outfits and reflect on your style sudoku capsule wardrobe experience! Be sure to drop a comment here if you blog about it or tag me over on Instagram!

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