Tic-Tac-Toe Capsule Wardrobe

If you've been around my blog for a while, you probably know I have a slight addiction to minimalism and simple living.  One concept that has always intrigued me is the capsule wardrobe.  I have experimented with them in the past, usually inspired by Courtney Carver's Project 333.  Today, I'm trying a new method, sometimes called a Tic-Tac-Toe Capsule Wardrobe.

You might ask why bother with a capsule wardrobe?  It reduces decision fatigue, helps you prioritize the clothes you love, and simplifies your closet space.  Note: we don't get rid of the clothes you aren't choosing. Instead, we stick them away so we can truly experience a non-cluttered space.  Pack them in bins, move them to another closet, or push them to the side, leaving our current items front and center.

Watch Me Create My Autumn 2026 Capsule

Recently, I found this method for creating a capsule wardrobe or travel wardrobe called the Tic Tac Toe method, sometimes called the Sudoku method.  I don't know where Sudoku came from, because it is clearly Tic Tac Toe.  You will see why soon. I have seen it explained on paper, but recently I watched a video where someone laid out their clothes on the bed to show how it works, so that's what I'm doing in the video above.

The idea is to choose 9 clothing items that coordinate.  For me, this is easy because I tend to buy a lot of neutrals and similar colors.  Depending on your current wardrobe, you might have to stretch a little to find items that coordinate well, unless you have lots of clothes to choose from.  Before you worry too much about that, let's go over how this works.

You choose 3 bottoms, 3 tops, and 3 layer pieces, and from these 9 pieces you can create up to 27 outfit combinations.  If your clothes don't coordinate perfectly, you might not like all 27 looks, but I bet you can find at least 18 outfits that look great.

My Pieces

Pants - blue jeans, black leggings, green pants

Shirts - grey T-shirt, black long-sleeve tee, purple long-sleeve tee

Layer - Blue Button Up, Linen Striped Button Up, Black Cardigan

The Layout

Start by laying your nine items out in a tic-tac-toe grid like this:

The First Nine Outfits

You can make 9 outfits from this layout: 3 rows, 3 columns, 1 diagonal, and 2 corners.

Then move each pant by 1 location to make 9 more outfits, and move the pants again to create the final 9 outfits, for a total of 27.

The Three Layouts

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To remember these 27 combinations, you can take a photo of each layout or write/type them out and rotate through them.

Real Life Uses

Travel

This method works great when packing for travel. A small suitcase can easily hold 9 clothing items and a pair of shoes.  If you are trying to pack really light, wear 3 of the items and pack only 6.  Or, you can pack all 9 and wear an additional 3 items for even more options.  

Stay at Home

Even if you don't work outside of the home, 9 items feel a bit sparse.  Therefore, I'm creating my base of 9, and then adding a few extra pieces for variety.  As we move into winter, I will likely sub out the T-shirt and linen shirt for warmer options, and maybe add in a few more extra pieces. 

Work Clothes vs Casual Clothes

If you work in the office, consider creating a work capsule and a casual capsule. Nobody says you can't have 2 separate capsule wardrobes!  In fact, maybe you don't work in an office; you just love clothes.  Create 2 capsule combos.  Even with 2, that is only 18 items of clothing!  Extra points if all 18 items coordinate...then you have even more options.

Seasonal Issues

In the summer, you might not need the layer pieces all the time.  That's okay.  Just leave them in the closet.

In the winter, you might need more layering options.  That's okay; just add a couple extra layers to your capsule.

Shoes, Accessories, etc

There are no rules, but I suggest simplifying to 3-4 shoe options, plus a limited selection of scarves, purses, and jackets.  Again, you might need fewer options in the summer and more in the winter. 

Remember, the purpose of a capsule wardrobe is to simplify your wardrobe to what you need, not too much, not too little. A capsule wardrobe is meant to make life easier. It is not meant to be an exercise in suffering. Start with the basic 9 items, then add a few more until you feel you have almost enough. Experiment with less than you think you need. If you decide you need a couple more items, you can go pull them out. But give living with less a chance first. You just might like it!

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