A couple of weeks ago, I posted about my capsule wardrobe failure. At that time, I was planning on ditching the whole capsule idea. However, as I got all of my clothes out of storage and hung them back up, I quickly discovered that I desperately missed the uncluttered closet that my capsule wardrobe had provided. I then determined to use the lessons that I learned through failing the first time around and give the capsule idea a second chance. I modified the rules, re-evaluated the type of clothing that best fits my taste and lifestyle, and came up with what I feel is a workable plan.
Here are the new rules that I plan to follow:
My first capsule contained 37 items, which included clothing, shoes, and jackets. It did not include work-out clothing, pajamas, accessories, or undershirts worn for modesty. I have now lowered the number of items to 33, but I am no longer counting shoes or jackets. I wear jackets so rarely here in Arizona that they are not worth counting. I honestly don’t have very many shoes to choose from anyway, so I do not need to worry about excess there. These 33 items will be my entire wardrobe for three months, minus the exceptions that I mentioned. However, if I feel like there is something that I need to pull out of storage for a certain occasion, I will not feel guilty about doing that. These rules are more to keep me from filling my closet to the brim with things that I do not need or wear…and sometimes it is okay to break the rules.
With my first capsule experience I learned that, although I really like more dressy apparel, I also need a good selection of casual and comfortable clothing for the days when I do not feel like dressing up so much. I also learned that it is a good idea to pick many items that can be worn interchangeably so that I do not get stuck in the rut of wearing the same seven outfits every week. With those lessons in mind, I have chosen some clothing that I am really excited about. I am sharing my choices with you, not because I am a fashion expert, but for accountability on my part. Your choices will be completely different from mine, and that is what makes this whole thing so great. There is no right way to make it work. Many capsule wardrobes that I looked at online were made up mostly of neutral colors. Not mine. I love color. It makes me happy, and I would start to feel bored with my wardrobe in a hurry if my clothes were lacking color. I did, however, try to choose items with coordinating colors. You will see varying shades of blue, with splashes of pink and green. Blue, pink, and green all look good together, which will allow me to interchange many of those items, thus creating a variety of different looks with a few pieces.
Keep in mind that I do not care about brand names, but I do care about quality. These items are mostly from brands that I have come to trust for their quality, which is important when I am wearing them so often. (For more about why I gave up the clearance rack and started paying more for a few well made items, read here) Many of these things are from previous years, but I did add a few new things to make the capsule work for me.
With that introduction…here are my 33 items for Spring:
Stretch Weekend Bateau Tees in black, robin’s egg, and papaya fruit (Talbots)
Omni-Shade Tees in yellow and magenta (Columbia), Navy floral tee (Ann Taylor)
Blue dot crepe top (Limited), Black and white roll sleeve button up top (Ann Taylor), Navy floral ruffle front top (Ann Taylor)
Pink floral sheer top (Ann Taylor), Navy patterned split neck crepe top (Ann Taylor…find a similar one here), Blue crepe pleated keyhole blouse (Ann Taylor), Slate cotton tie front blouse (Ann Taylor…find a similar one here)
Lime green 3/4 sleeve cardigan (Talbots), Bright pink cardigan (Banana Republic), White 3/4 sleeve cardigan (Talbots), Black cardigan (Ann Taylor)
Pedal Pushers in tan and black with white polka dots (Ann Taylor…buy a similar style here)
Light Pink and Mint Green Crops (Loft)
Long shorts from Columbia in light grey, india ink, and black (Buy a similar style here)
Black stretch ponte pants (Ann Taylor), Dark Wash Skinny Jeans (American Eagle), Black convertible pants from Columbia (Buy a similar style here)
Grey and Black Pencil Skirts (Ann Taylor), Striped pencil skirt (Talbots)
Aqua casual skirt (Costco), Tan striped maxi skirt (Dress Barn), White linen skirt with blue flowers (Dress Barn)
So there you have it. I feel like there is plenty of variety here to keep me happy for at least three months. I anticipate that most of this stuff will also carry me into Summer, but we shall see…
Has anybody else taken the leap and tried to create a capsule wardrobe? If so, I would love to hear about your experience and what has worked for you.
