7.22.2015

my capsule wardrobe || a romantic hipster summer


first things, first. what the heck is a capsule wardrobe. i'm using caroline from un-fancy.com's simple definition: It’s a mini wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear.


so basically for the past year i've been reading, pinning & reading more about capsule wardrobes. and it has taken me this long to really grasp where i was wanting to take this. it's been a surprising process. it started with just wanting less. cleaning out & selling items that didn't fit (check out the lovely before & during pics below). as the year progressed & seasons came & went, it became more about finding & filling my closet with quality items that are less trendy and more versatile. i've downsized & deliberated & am so much happier with where i am now with my wardrobe. it's full of only pieces i would be happy to wear any time. every day.


tip: invest in wooden hangers. it feels like you're shopping your fancy closet every time you get dressed!

before

after


so what's the point of all of this?

as caroline from un-fancy says,
To me, a capsule wardrobe represents more time and energy for what really matters (less time spent deciding what to wear / less time spent shopping / less time doing laundry or caring for clothes) more money for our dreams + helping others (less money spent on clothes that never get worn) and more contentment and happiness.
hitting nail on the head.

(honestly, follow here & read everything. she knows what's up.)

it may not seem like a big deal but there was a very real anxiety whenever i would approach my closet. indecisiveness & dread. definitely a lack on inspiration. yes, there were plenty of clothes but alas, i had nothing to wear. i know this may seem trivial. i mean, it's just clothes. but you get dressed every. day. you wear clothes all. day. while clothes aren't the only thing in life, they are a big part of it.

also, we as women spend a lot of our time shopping. or we spend a lot of our money on clothes. "let me just pick this tee up...it's on sale!" "let me grab one more pair of leggings...they have a new pattern!" we may not even realize how much time, energy & money we spend on it.

for me, the capsule wardrobe has been so freeing & honestly, exciting! here's the truth of it: we've always lived on a tight budget. hubs & i married right out of high school, went to college, got jobs, had kids, lots of kids & have always practiced frugality when buying clothes. we'd hit the clearance racks first. we'd grab basics at wally world for $5 & under. that's what we knew. but this past year, i've focused more on quality & less on quantity. reality: quality often means more expensive. but when you're only buying a few key items, you can spend a little more. ALSO, they will last longer. AND you can save up & purchase a singular piece here and there over time. i always thought i needed MORE clothes to have a better wardrobe...just one more "cute" top, just one more comfy tee. did i really need ALL of that? no. and the capsule wardrobe has made me realize this. plus, this was all really fitting into my whole living simply-ness. less is more, yo.

this past year, i've walked into stores i never would have pre-capsule. in a way, i feel like i'm finally growing up in the clothes department. learning there is more out there. exploring my style & who i am in my life right now. my style has evolved over the years with jobs, life & kids. my body has also changed many times over the past 12 years of having kids. i think it's good to reevaluate what is inspiring to you. what your needs are in everyday living.

for example: when i worked, the majority of my pants were all trousers of some sort. my tops were professional, blousy & often button up. but now, i have 3 pair of dress pants...somewhere...in the back of my closet...buried from the light of day. shy of a winter funeral, i have no use for these pants now.

goals: i want to feel good in my clothes. that means fitting well, not being too low cut & not being too short. i want the style of my clothes to reflect who i am-not necessarily what's "in".

rules: this is a great guideline to follow to help point you in the right direction when downsizing & selecting items. when selecting tops, you may want to select 3 of a kind using this style tip below.


let's keep talking numbers. in 2010 courtney carver started project 333 that challenged people to dress with 33 pieces or less for 3 months at a time. others follow a 37 piece wardrobe rule. so something around 30-40 is quite doable. i say, don't get hung up on numbers. feel free to tailor it to your own life. for instance, i rarely change out my jewelry these days so i don't include that in my closet total--some do. also, i don't include workout clothes, lounge around the house clothes/pjs or special event pieces. i plan to include coats & scarves in my fall & winter capsules.

need help deciding what to keep? i'm borrowing this directly from un-fancy.com because it's perfect:

Need help paring down your closet? Here’s 3 quick steps

Step 1: Empty your closet. Seriously, take absolutely everything out of your closet and lay it out on your bed. Don’t cheat–taking everything out at once is the secret to style clarity. As you put your LOVE IT pieces back into your empty closet, your style will practically scream at you. But that won’t be the case if your closet is still being muddied with MAYBE pieces left hanging in there. So just take it all out, mkay?
Step 2: Sort each item into one of these four piles:
  • LOVE IT AND WOULD WEAR IT RIGHT NOW!! Self explanatory. Put it back in your closet.
  • MAYBE. This is for items that don’t fit quite right, the color is a little off, have sentimental value, you can’t put your finger on it but you just don’t wear it, or you’re keeping it because you paid a lot for it but you don’t wear it. Put all this stuff in a box and store it in the garage. You can always go get stuff out of it, but you probably won’t. If it’s still in the box at the end of your season, it’s time to say goodbye to it.
  • NOPE. Self explanatory. Donate, swap with a friend, or sell it to fund new purchases.
  • SEASONAL. Wool coat in summer? Probably don’t need it handy. But you’d never get rid of a staple like that–come on. If it’s not in season, but you LOVE IT, put it in a nice under-the-bed box and store it. You’ll definitely use it in your capsule wardrobe when that season rolls around.
Step 3: Assess what’s left in your closet–aka your LOVE IT clothes. You’ll want to have 37 season-appropriate items in your closet. Do you need to supplement? Time to plan + shop. Do you need to downsize? Put a few more items in your MAYBE box.
regarding shopping: 

it's about loving what you have. it's about building a closet that you love. a wardrobe that is full of items that inspire you. it's about channeling your creativity. ultimately it's about a life lived simply & authentically.

my summer capsule style: i'm not sure how to even describe my style. minimalist hipster, maybe? i hate the word hipster. i also hate to say minimalist since i don't wear strictly black & white. i feel like i have a petty good mix of basics, patterns & florals. to give even more variety to my outfits i can add a hat, necklace or bracelet. if you're not sure what you are, look up different keywords on pinterest to get an idea of what your style may be. 

my summer capsule count: i included tops, bottoms, casual dresses & shoes in my wardrobe count. i have one basic purse that i carry everyday. i started by cleaning out items for donations/resale then i got down to business. i started by selecting items that i really love to bring into my wardrobe (not worrying about numbers but being very picky). after it was all said & done, i decided to check my count to see if i needed to downsize more...funny thing is, i was already down to 42. so for summer 2015, my magic number is 42. honestly, i was/am so proud AND ready to downsize even more. for fall i want to get down to un-fancy's 37. 

my summer 2015 capsule wardrobe (42 items):

whites collection
black & white / basic stripes collection

cool collection
warm collection
natural collection
bottoms

shoes

crossbody bag

i can't wait to build my capsule wardrobe for fall! it is, after all, my FAVORITE season. eek! also, many of these items above were purchased over the summer to complete what i was wanting for my summer capsule wardrobe. they were bought very intentionally & quite slowly over a few months. because of my strict clothing budget, i sold items i no longer intended on keeping to fund the new purchases. with a little bit of effort, it can be done!



questions for YOU if i continue to post future capsule wardrobes:

1. would you be interested in future capsule wardrobe posts?

2. would you be interested in links to where the items were purchased/brands?

3. would you be interested in me doing a daily outfit challenge via the blog (mixing only the items in my capsule wardrobe) over like a 30-day period to show how to keep variety going?

***feel free to comment here or on my instagram feed or just send me a quick email! i want to hear from you!!

 xo