By The Cap bets on curated wardrobes as shoppers tire of endless choice
By The Cap is a new styling-led fashion platform that addresses growing consumer demand for practical styling guidance.
Launched by two industry veterans, Emma Watkinson and Charlotte Dare, the platform sells pre-curated, limited-run capsule wardrobes rather than an open catalogue to scroll through, and it has just launched its second limited seasonal edit following a sell-out debut.
The launch follows research from ASOS that revealed how 64% of UK consumers believe fashion offers too many options without enough advice on how to wear them.
The research also showed that while consumers are finding fashion inspiration more easily than ever before, many still struggle to translate it into outfits they feel confident wearing to express their personal style, with 86% of consumers saying they are more interested in clothes that reflect their personal style than in following trends.
Watkinson, the former CEO and co-founder of the online fashion marketplace SilkFred, says she sees that gap as the foundation for a different retail model.
“Never has there been so much choice, but somehow deciding what to wear has never been more overwhelming,” she said. “We want to give our customers their valuable time back by providing complete, styled looks that save time, reduce friction and help them feel more confident in what they wear.”
"With By The Cap, we're starting from the point of let's build a wardrobe system our customers can rely on. And really, we want to give our customers their valuable time back by providing complete, styled looks that save time, reduce friction and help them feel more confident in what they wear."
Watkinson previously scaled SilkFred to more than £500 million in gross merchandise value while working with over 2,000 independent fashion brands. The retailer entered administration in November 2025, following difficult trading conditions.
Three looks per seasonal CAP
While By The Cap stays true to SilkFred's vision of introducing customers to independent brands, its model is a lot more curated.
Only four 'CAPs' or drops are released annually, with one arriving at the start of each season. Each one contains three complete looks built from approximately 15 to 20 styles, all bought in limited quantities without planned restocks.
Customers can purchase a full outfit, select individual products or combine pieces from across the edit, while a 'Finishing Touches & Mix-ins' section provides additional items intended to extend the combinations available from the core looks.
CAP 002 launched on 1 September after the platform's debut capsule, which launched in May, sold out.
Brand selection starts with the outfit
For its initial two drops, By The Cap sourced contemporary and premium products from established and emerging labels.
Its brand roster included Los Angeles-based AGOLDE, Bulgaria’s By Far, London label Realm, Copenhagen-based Organic Basics, Parisian brand Flotte and UK company Arkitaip, whose products are made in Portugal. Australian labels Studio Amelia, Issa Turner and Faithfull The Brand also featured, alongside Italian brand Flowze.
Watkinson noted that the platform begins each season without a fixed brand list and that its buying process starts with the customer and the outfits required for that season, before considering previous purchasing behaviour and the collections available from brands.
Over time, the platform aims to learn what individual customers wear and use that to recommend future pieces that complement past purchases. If a customer bought a jacket in the second drop, for example, the platform could flag complementary pieces in later drops designed to work with it.
Another future plan will see the platform looking to layer in new "aesthetic tracks" to suit different customer profiles and their styling preferences. For now, however, the business will focus on growing its core aesthetic edits.
