One of the 20 lessons she learned was that of the capsule wardrobe. She employs a ten-item wardrobe but stresses that the number is not as important as the idea. Living in California, Jennifer has a
spring/summer wardrobe and a different fall/winter wardrobe. North Carolina really has four distinct seasons, so I've chosen to have four different wardrobes. Of course each season I'll incorporate pieces from the previous season. In addition to the ten (or whatever number) core items, there should be "extras", such as layering pieces (tees, cardigans, etc.), shoes, accessories, occasionwear (like cocktail dresses for women or suits for guys), and outerwear. I've mostly completed my spring wardrobe (am still awaiting the arrival of a few pieces I've ordered), so I thought I'd share with you today so you may get started on yours if you're interested! Another thing to note is that by owning fewer pieces of clothing, you cut down on mindless shopping and multiple Target-clearance-rack trips every month, which in turn means that you will be able to afford more expensive and longer lasting clothing. In the future, as I replace needed items, I will definitely be looking for quality. For now, I do pretty much love all of my pieces, though not all are what I would choose were I starting from scratch. My budget thanks me for using up what I have before throwing it all out and beginning again. Side note: ThredUp is a great resource for new-to-you wardrobe items. They even have tons of pieces that are new with tags (my personal preference). So here's my wardrobe...
The above is a very rough picture of my closet (that I obviously share with my husband. And I do keep my winter coats in here, but only because there is no other place to store them and they are in an out-of-the-way spot for now). I'll begin with my core items:
1. White/khaki short-sleeve, knee-length Shabby Apple dress (from last year - these dresses are great quality!)
2. (Not pictured because it's in the wash) Red short-sleeve dress with horizontal piping and slightly full skirt from Anthropologie (from last year)
3. Coral/gold-ish sleeveless Vince Camuto dress (Dillard's) (from two years ago)
4. Yellow ruffle-front, short-sleeve Shabby Apple dress (from last year)
5. Green/white sleeveless Lilly Pulitzer dress (from 3 years ago)
6. Chambray/white polka dot sleeveless Keds dress (a gift)
7. Navy/white stripe lightweight, loose-fit Gap turtleneck (super duper clearance find this year)
8. (Not pictured because I'm wearing it) mint/white stripe lightweight Gap sweater (from same clearance rack as previous)
9. (Not pictured because it's awaiting ironing) grayish-purplish silky feeling long-sleeve blouse from TJMaxx
10. (Not pictured - awaiting arrival from ThredUp) navy/aqua stripe long sleeve J. Crew tee
11. Black lightweight Talbots midi-skirt (a great consignment find from last year)
*I so love the length and weight of this skirt, but it flies up in the wind. Like, really badly. So I will be keeping an eye out for a slightly heavier version to replace it
12. Coral maxi skirt from Charlotte Russe (got it the other week, a friend wanted me to wear it to her wedding so I took the tags off, but really brighter than my usual style. Soo comfy though, so it stays for now)
13. Turquoise/white polka dot Talbots midi skirt (another consignment find last year - for those in the area, you have got to go to Etc. in Winston-Salem. They have really nice clothes!)
14. (Not pictured because I'm wearing them) mid-rise darker wash straight-leg (not skinny) Levi's (a little over a year ago)
15. (Not pictured because they're drying) coral skinny Gap ankle jeans (about a year and a half ago)
I am waiting to receive a neutral colored silk J. Crew dress from ThredUp, but I'm not sure whether to add that to my spring or summer wardrobe. I will wait until I see the weight before I decide. If I do add it to spring, though, I will put one of the sleeveless dresses back for summer. As you can see, mine is not a ten-item but a fifteen-item wardrobe. The aforementioned Jennifer does say to be flexible, but I prefer to have a number. Helps keep me in line :) also, if you look at the order in which I listed my items, you will notice I organize my clothing first by type, then in rainbow order (beginning with neutrals, then roygbiv). I have found this to be the easiest way to quickly locate any item, and also keep everything neat. Now I will talk about my "extras" (some are located in my closet, and others are in a drawer). This is the area I have the most trouble paring down. March was very cold still, but by summer it will be very hot.
1. Cardigans: pale pink, and peach/navy/white. While I do like the second one, it breaks the cardinal capsule wardrobe sin by not coordinating with everything. So this may be moved to fall (perhaps it would work better then?)
2. Light jackets: black, brown leather, and khaki (have not worn the khaki one very often at all, and it was a Goodwill purchase, so I may pass it on to a friend)
3. (Not pictured because they are on a coat rack by the front door) trench coats: lighter weight 3/4 sleeve, slightly heavier long sleeve. They are so classic and I really enjoy having both of these. Still, I feel I have way too many cardigans and jackets. We'll see what happens.
4. Tanks: black, and khaki. I have found both of these to be very essential. I also have an ivory lace tank that really I can only wear under something because it is slightly see-through. I love that it adds length, which is great whenever I want to wear leggings. And it adds some femininity. But it's not quite right for spring. So, ok, I'll move it to fall.
5. Tees: indigo blue, olive green, grey, bright coral. The green and coral tees are loose fitting which I really love for a more relaxed look. The blue is tighter, and I'm not crazy about the color, but when I put it on it is so comfy and looks pretty decent. The grey one is from Talbots but I really don't enjoy wearing it. Ok ok, I will get rid of it.
See what I mean about the "extras"? I sort of feel like it's cheating to claim to have a fifteen-item wardrobe then have so many extras. Writing this has really helped me think through them though, so I will most likely be tweaking!
Some of the lighter spring items will stick around for summer, and some of the heavier ones may be moved to fall, and the rest I will put away for next spring when I switch out my wardrobe for summer. My plan is to evaluate everything I have for the season at the beginning of that season, and move around or pare down accordingly. This is my first time really being serious about doing a capsule wardrobe, so I'm kind of learning as I go. But I can tell you, even from before I did this and had just gotten rid of some of my clothing, that fewer items give surprisingly more freedom. It is ridiculously easy to walk into my closet and choose an outfit for the day. I can see everything clearly, stay up-to-date with my laundry (which never gets out of hand!), and have more emotional space cleared out by having less clutter.
Honestly, my personal style is definitely more neutral and classic than most people my age, and even compared to myself five years ago. I have been a victim of the Target clearance rack plague, but no more! From now on, when an article of clothing comes in, one must go out. So as I wear things out and begin to replace them, I will definitely stick to more of my own style (which, by the way, may very well change a little throughout the years), and not just buy something because it's cheap. A couple of cheap items become very expensive if they are tossed in the Goodwill pile a few months later.
So will you be creating a capsule wardrobe? Remember, the number is not important. Another cool thing to check out would be Project 333. What will you be wearing for spring?
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