I’ve been mentioning that I have been working to move towards more of a “capsule” wardrobe. Really ever since I read Seven I’ve been on a continual purging focus, especially when it comes to my clothing. And with Jen’s “Wait-No-More” Organizing Challenge I decided to get my “capsule” wardrobe organized once and for all!I have specifically been focusing on trying to pare down my clothes so my closet reflects the following:
- Only clothes I love (and wear).
- Tops and bottoms that GO together.
- Overall less clothes, but more outfit options, with quality pieces.
Recently I spent time googling more about capsule wardrobes. I was intrigued as to what a “Capsule Wardrobe” really looked like. I mean the pictures on Pinterest had me at hello…
Capsule wardrobe is a term coined by Susie Faux, the owner of a London boutique called “Wardrobe” in the 1970s. According to Faux, a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that will not go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. ~ Wikipedia
I loved the idea and the concept, but I knew I needed to make it work for me. I don’t dress up for the office, instead I need a variety of clothing, from teaching yoga to cleaning house to going to work functions with my hubby. And honestly, I’m less concerned with being fashionable and more concerned with being in clothes I like to wear, fit well, and make me feel “put together.”
Therefore with more searching, I discovered Caroline’s site, Un-fancy, and afterreading through many of her posts I realized that I had found a plan I could work with.
Caroline’s rule #1…(Caroline from Un-fancy.com)
“Pare down your current clothes situation into a happy little 37 piece capsule wardrobe. Your 37 pieces should include: tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear, and shoes. Your 37 pieces should not include: workout clothes, jewelry, accessories, purses, swimsuits, pajamas/loungewear, underwear, and the jeans you wear when you paint your living room.”
I was like – “I can do that, well…sort of….”
What I didn’t concern myself with, was the actual number of pieces (forget 37) and I also decided to focus on two 6-month wardrobes versus, four 3-month seasonal wardrobes. (As Caroline’s capsules are done seasonally, four per year.)
I started my process by pulling everything (every.single.thing) out. Then I enlisted my kids for advice and I spent time working through every piece of my clothing one by one. After two bags marked for donation and affirming my three goals were met, I created two “Capsule Wardrobes.” One for Spring & Summer and one for Fall & Winter. Today I’m giving you a BIG reveal of my…
Capsule Wardrobe – Spring & Summer
This first rack hold my tops. Total number: 35 (yikes that could almost be an entire “capsule” wardrobe!)
*UPDATE TO POST 11/3/2015 – with my actual numbers below in red (after the Spring & Summer Season), my new total number of tops = 30! (I was brutal with what I kept, and only kept the things that I loved and wore, and also based on what hangers had not been turned around.)
- 4 casual tank tops (for HOT summer days) – 4
- 12 casual tee shirts (my go-tos in the summer for day-to-day) – 9
- 3 dressy tank tops (for date nights) – 2
- 4 dressy short sleeve shirts (for lunches with the ladies) – 5
- 2 3/4 length dressy shirts (for cooler days) – 2
- 8 cardigans (that’s a lot of cardigans, but they help to finish an outfit!) – 6
- 2 light jackets (1 denim and 1 grey) – 2
This second rack holds bottoms and dresses.
I bought acute dress in Italy and my sister Haley gave me a black and white dress that I heart! I also decided to only keep my white skirt. I’ve had a total skirt epiphany that I’ll share in my Capsule Wardrobe Fall & Winter 2015.
- 7 dresses – 9
- 3 pairs of dressy pants – 3
- 2 skirts – 1
Then I have 4 (5) pairs of shorts, not counting my cut offs! 🙂 I’ve moved to four basic pairs, these colors all go with anything!
I realized in the spring and summer, I am more apt to wear my skinny pants/jeasn as they go well with slip-ons and flat shoes. So I kept my skinny jeans and pants in my Spring & Summer Wardrobe. Total number is still6 pairs. (These will probably all be mixed in with Fall & Winter too.)
Then my shoes…what I realized in snapping this picture is that I’m a huge fan of Target Merona shoes. I have four pairs and had never realized that!
Total number: 9 pairs – 9
- 1 pair of flip-flops (not pictured)
- 1 pair of sneakers
- 1 pair of cowgirl boots
- 1 pair of dressy sandals
- 2 pairs of flats
- 1 pair of wedges
- 2 pairs of dress shoes
OK, so let’s look at my newnumbers a little more closely: new numbers as of November 2015.
- 35 tops – 30
- 15 bottoms – 15
- 7 dresses – 9
- 9 pairs of shoes – 9
*This list does not include: workout clothes, jewelry, accessories, purses, swimsuits, pajamas/loungewear, and underwear.
That’s a total of 6663 pieces of clothing, 37 times two equals more than that, so I’m doing well! With this new plan I’m only keeping clothes which I know I like AND each piece has a match.
Now I’m looking at a closet of outfits and in the morning I won’t be asking myself, “What should I wear today?!?”
Lastly, while I was re-organizing everything I made a short list of items that I need to purchase to help complete outfits. It’s a deliberate shopping list that I’ll work to check off over the summer. The only reason to add these items to my wardrobe is to truly help to create more outfits, with what I already have. Having a shopping list is key to keeping your shopping on track and to keep you from buying clothing you don’t need. Shop with intention!!!
Need to buy…
- neutral wedge shoes
white denim pantspurchased 10/20151 more pair of shorts (color?)purchased 7/2015
As I went through my closet I was reminded of my {M}organized Fashion tips, feel free to check these out! These are all tips that I believe in and have found very helpful in maximizing my wardrobe.
As I set up my Spring & Summer Wardrobe I turned all of the hangers backwards. My seasonal Wardrobe is designed for May – October. So on 10/31/15 I am going to see which hangers are still not turned around and address those items. Then at that point I’ll transition my Wardrobe over to a Fall & Winter focus! Stay tuned for that reveal in the late fall.
TELL ME: Have you tried to pare down your clothes? Do you follow a one in one out rule? Are you intrigued about the “capsule” concept? Share with me, I’d love to hear!
And…if you’re wondering where I shop…mostly Target, Old Navy, H&M, Nordstroms Rack, TJ Maxx, and my newest fave is JCrew – I invested in two pairs of fantastic shorts. #buyoncecryonce #theywereonsale
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