I don't know about you guys, but I've had a ton of fun trying my hand at my first capsule wardrobe over the last few months. What started as just an experiment in November quickly evolved into an eye-opening experience that I can see being a part of my lifestyle for the foreseeable future. I've developed a strong desire over the last year to live more simply, and introducing that concept to my wardrobe has been nothing but positive for me.
Lesson #1: Less really is more.
I mentioned in my first capsule wardrobe post that I was heavily inspired by Unfancy and used a lot of her outfits and capsule planner as a guide to jumpstart my own capsule. She suggests 37 items so, having never tried a capsule before, I figured that was a good number to strive for. I was surprised that not only did I not feel limited by that number of pieces in my closet, but I actually still felt a little overwhelmed by my options. I can think of at least 4 pieces I haven't even touched this season, and another 3 or 4 that I forced myself to wear and could have totally done without.
Lesson #2: Fabrics trump patterns.
I've never really been one for loud patterns or prints on my clothes, but having a capsule has limited those types of items even further for me. At the same time, I didn't want to just stick to plain, basic pieces all the time, so I found myself reaching for different fabrics rather than a bunch of different colors or patterns. This really helped me feel like my outfits were still had an interesting component to them, while allowing me to stay within my goal of being able to mix and match a lot of different pieces.
Lesson #3: You do you.
I did a lot of research before choosing items for my capsule. I looked at a lot of other people's wardrobes to see what they had chosen and how they put different things together. I saw a lot of skirts, dresses, blazers, and other items that sounded great in theory but just didn't work for me. I didn't need ten different options for bottoms - just a couple pair of jeans and some black pants were enough for me. I never wear skirts or dresses in my daily life and that wasn't about to magically change. Blazers look adorable on other people but they just look odd on me and make me feel like I'm too dressed up no matter how casual the rest of my outfit is. See where I'm going with this? At the end of the day, I'm the one who has to wear these clothes. No matter how cute it is or how great it looks on someone else, if it's not practical for my everyday life then it has no place in my closet.
Lesson #4: 3 hits or you're out.
I've heard this rule before and only half tried to make it work for this capsule. Basically, the idea is that if you can't think of 3 different outfits that include an item, you don't need it. I wish I had followed this more closely because it definitely would have helped me learn Lesson #1 faster. I plan to be a lot more ruthless with this one in my spring capsule!
Lesson #5: All neutrals are created equal.
Black and brown and tan and gray and white all interchangeable and mix-and-match-able. Who knew? I purposely included a lot of neutrals in my winter capsule, as I tend to gravitate toward them more than brighter colors, but at the beginning, I still thought of my blacks and grays in one group and my tans and browns in another group. Then one day I was out of town and realized I only had tan oxfords to wear with my black pants/white and gray top ensemble - the horror! I wore the oxfords anyway and really ended up digging the look. A happy accident showed me that I had even more variety in my closet than I initially thought.
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| Gray and white mixed media top + black pants + tan Oxfords = everything I loved about my winter capsule |
Catch up with my capsule wardrobe journey:
Cleaning out my closet
Shopping (and Returning)
Making a Capsule Work for the Holidays
My Completed Winter Capsule
Outfit Showcase (Part I)
Outfit Showcase (Part II)
Your capsule experiment has been very inspiring! I'll never really be full capsule person ( I love the choices :-)) but I have started the big process of cleaning out the older stuff.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips for anyone! Thanks for the ideas!
I know we've talked about it before, but the idea of a capsule wardrobe is just so hard for me to succeed at.. so I don't. It's interesting to me though because you pointed out how you were drawn to neutrals over color and solids over patterns, and I think that right there is part of why I struggle with having a capsule wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteIf you look in my closet? It's color and pattern EVERY WHERE. Stripes and gingham and plaid and all of those glorious patterns. And color, oh man, don't even get me started. I WANT ALL OF THE COLORS. While I do love wearing a lot of grey, it is almost always paired with something bright and obnoxious (like my pink pants yesterday.)
When I think about it, it's my pattern and color obsession that makes a capsule wardrobe so hard for me to conquer. But, as you said, you do you. ;)
YES! I can second all of these.... especially "you do you".
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be able to rock the types of outfits in other people's capsules, but at the end of the day, I like what I like... and I'm the one that has to wear these clothes. :) Your bright colored loving friend loves your neutral loving self! Haha!
I still love that outfit so much too, it makes me want some oxfords in my life! The lesson on fabric is such an interesting one that I've never really thought much about, but thinking of my own closet its something I could probably expand on a little bit! I can't wait to see what you put together for spring.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you had such a great experience with this! I definitely agree that less is more. I've never been a big shopper and am way more a purger than a hoarder, so I think this would also work really well for me. Simplicity is definitely one of my theme words for the year. My wardrobe is already quite small, but a lot of items are getting worn out, so it would be nice to start fresh and invest in a collection of pieces that will last and that can sort of transcend the seasons. I think it's so important to find what works for you and I also really like the 3 hits or you're out rule. That's an easy way to decide what stays and what goes and also forces you to get a bit creative like you did with mixing the neutrals.
ReplyDeletelove this! so interesting to follow along.
ReplyDeletei have definitely learned recently that while things look great on other people, they don't look great on me! i love the grey and white top you are wearing, i have the same one - i wish I had gotten it in a tall, because it is too big, boxy and short on me. sigh. I still wear it because I love it, and when it gets warmer I will try it with a skirt.
i love the idea of 3 hits - i have been trying to think of that each time i buy something new. i have read a bunch of people who do less than 37 as well. if i do one, for work, i'd probably have around 20 pieces which would be plenty. i think. can't wait to see your spring capsule wardrobe :)
I'm starting to ponder the idea of a capsule wardrobe, so this is incredibly helpful! Right now I have a ton of dresses that I don't want to get rid of, but some haven't been worn in over a year. Like you said, it's just not practical. I'm also a big fan of neutrals and color blocking, so maybe I'm a good candidate for this after all.
ReplyDeleteI've posted almost every single winter item of mine for sale since Spring is sooo close so that I can purge my closet in preparation for a capsule wardrobe - I only have like three things to wear over the next month! Whooops
ReplyDeleteAlso, can you just coordinate a spring capsule for me too please?! I love your style and NEED that shirt from the picture above!
I've loved all the outfits I've seen you put together in this experiment, and you rally make a strong case for a capsule wardrobe! I love your last two lessons, and totally agree and use them in my non-capsule wardrobe :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your #3 is I think what has kept me so far away from even considering a capsule. I always see these "templates" for capsules on Pinterest or whatever and they always include pieces for women who have to go into actual offices looking actually presentable and most of my work clothes are even less "nice" than anything I would wear on the weekend or out to dinner or something. (As I type this, I'm sitting at my desk in black fold-top yoga pants, a black Henley, and Nike Frees.) But that's a really good point to make. I have to rebuild a lot of my spring/summer wardrobe this year and I'm wondering if it might not be a good time to wade into a capsule-ish territory!
This is just so dang wonderful. I think we all need to simplify and definitely the "Three hits" is a rule to live by!
ReplyDeleteI am still loving all your capsule posts my dear!!! You really do have a great winter wardrobe and I am so excited to see your picks for spring! You are inspiring me to get rid of the things that just make me anxious in my closet and I have been better over the last year or two about only buying things that I am really in love with!
ReplyDeleteI did a capsule wardrobe last summer and LOVED it. I didn't do it this winter but I am definitely going to do it again this spring/summer! Thanks for the helpful tips!
ReplyDeleteI loved following along with you. As I told you before I don't know that I can fully commit to one of these but I like the 3 hits rule and I think I can try to apply that. Really such a cool concept!
ReplyDeleteI loved following this series!! I'm working on my own version, very slowly :) I'm trying to only buy new pieces I love and things that I hope to last and that are flexible. These are all great tips! Looking forward to your Spring version.
ReplyDelete