Opacifying pigment particles consisting essentially of discrete, substantially spherical microcapsules each having a solid, polymeric shell and a solid, polymeric core are provided wherein discrete, inorganic pigment particles are dispersed in the polymeric core of the microcapsules. The inorganic pigment-loaded microcapsules are capable of providing a high degree of opacity and a predetermined degree of glossiness to a given substrate by varying the size of the microcapsules. In addition, the inorganic pigment-loaded microcapsules are retained by fibrous substrates to a much greater extent than are inorganic pigments per se.