Now that the Phoenix valley is experiencing lows in the 70s and highs in the double digits, I was itching to make an
update to my capsule wardrobe.
{Summer 2017 maternity edition appears at the end of this post}
I explained in my post about starting my capsule wardrobe that part of my intention was to purge and simplify my wardrobe.
I knew I couldn’t do that without actually wearing the items for a season to figure out what I gravitate toward and what I consistently pass up.
Trying out a capsule wardrobe for a season is the best way to determine what you love and what you can part with.
I’m so happy that I decided to try this, it was incredibly enlightening!
I wanted to adjust my summer wardrobe before putting it away, and move items into my fall wardrobe that I knew I’d actually wear.
UPDATE! March 2016
I’ve been playing with my capsule as winter is giving way to our six months of summer weather. I created this visual to represent what a working spring or summer capsule looks like, based on what’s in my closet (read below to see many of the actual pieces). Six bottoms, six tops, three jackets and one dress.
Of course you can have several more tops, another dress or skirt and more completer pieces (I have many but hope to phase them out), but the idea is to have…
- a color palette (blue and pink/peach)
- neutral basics (mine are denim, white and brown) and
- prints that mix well with all the colors (for the scarf, pants and dress).
I can do shorts and a tee shirt for a casual day or the dress and blazer for a speaking gig. I can fancy up the dress for a wedding or throw the blazer on for a girls’ night. The point is, the pieces mix and match for maximum versatility.
[tweetthis]Effective #capsule wardrobes have pieces that all mix and match together easily.[/tweetthis]
Now on to what happened with my summer capsule wardrobe.
I started out with 9 bottoms, 15 tops, 2 dresses and 2 jackets. I’ll show you the math after the adjustment as we go along.
Here are the before and after photos of my adjustment. Top is before, bottom is after.
Here is the breakdown. Photos below.
Of the bottoms, the items I wore the most were (top row)
- white jeans
- skinny jeans
- green cargos
The items I wore a few times were (middle row)
- printed palazzo pants
- brown shorts (for a road trip)
- black skirt
The items I didn’t wear at all were (bottom row)
- turquoise linen pants (too heavy for desert summers and too bulky–I didn’t have a top to wear with them)
- black capris (I thought I’d wear them for dressy occasions but I wore a skirt or dress instead)
- white shorts (do I even need to explain?)
That’s 3 bottoms that won’t be returning.
Of the tops, the items I wore most were (top row)
- black tank
- white blouse
- sleeveless print top
- off-white tea with lace trim
- printed blouse
The items I wore a few times were (middle row)
- brown printed top
- sleeveless sheer tunic
- white cardigan
The items I didn’t wear at all were (bottom row)
- striped blouse with zipper back (weird fit)
- sheer print blouse (too big)
- sleeveless blouse with ruffled front (weird length)
- two chevron blouses (weird fit–loose in the chest and too long)
That’s 5 tops that won’t be returning.
Of the dresses and jackets (below), I wore the black sleeveless dress quite a lot and wore the gray dress once and didn’t really like it (the color doesn’t suit me and it’s short enough that it makes me fidget). I wore the denim jacket a few times. I didn’t end up wearing the black cardigan.
That’s 1 dress and 1 cardigan that won’t be returning.
Anything that got the cut went into the “swap or donate” bag. As I type, it’s already put away.
Here’s what I ADDED to my summer capsule wardrobe, along with the items I kept.
BOTTOMS
- 2 pairs of printed palazzo pants (I lived in these paired with my black tank)
- “boyfriend” denim shorts
- Bermuda denim shorts
- an additional pair of white jeans (one I wore full length and one I rolled up)
That’s -3 of the rarely-worn and never worn and +5 that I added above for a total of +2.
TOPS
- 4 solid tees–coral, blue, green and white
- yellow blouse (I wore for “dressier” occasions)
- pretty printed sleeveless blouse I wore with my white jeans and a white camisole
- sparkly tank in a pretty print with coral accents
- 2 Lularoe tunics (turquoise and coral)
- brown tank with ruffled front
That’s -5 of the rarely-worn and never-worn tops and +10 I added above for a total of +5.
Grand total with what’s gone because I rarely or never wore it (counting the – gray dress and – black cardigan) with the addition of the pieces I needed and loved is +7.
I only added seven items. That’s a pretty good adjustment, especially for me, who’s new to capsule wardrobes!
Adding the solid-colored tees made a big difference. I lived in my white jeans and skinny jeans, too. I didn’t “dress up” much this summer…and I liked it!
Here’s how I transitioned to my fall wardrobe.
I’ll probably carry over all of the tees but for my main pieces…
I took out
- the 2 shorts
- the summer-print palazzo pants
- one pair of white jeans
I added
- 2 chevron tops
- a 3/4-sleeve black top
- 1 pair of leggings
- 1 gray dress (different than the one from summer–this one has sleeves and is a heavier fabric)
- 1 leopard pencil skirt
- 1 flowy printed skirt
I plan to purchase
- a cardigan or two, possibly sleeveless
- a pair of dark-wash jeans
So there you have it…my updated capsule wardrobe!
When the temperatures actually drop (usually Thanksgiving weekend), I’ll add a few long-sleeve tops, a jacket or two and a coat but that’s about it.
In a future post, I’ll show you the situation with accessories and shoes.
UPDATE! June 2017 MATERNITY
VIDEO
Here’s the breakdown:
SLEEVELESS TOPS
floral
black and white gingham
leopard print
blue maternity
magenta maternity
black
SHORT SLEEVE TOPS
white blouse
green with embroidery
plan turquoise tee maternity
navy tee with lace
brown print top
coral baby girl tee maternity
geometric LLR tee
black tee
SHORTS
khaki Bermuda maternity
short denim maternity
denim Bermuda maternity
SKIRTS
LLR print skirt
PANTS
black and white palazzo
crop jeans maternity
black knit
DRESSES
LLR Carly teal
navy with lace
black tank
COMPLETER PIECES
cream kimono with fringe
pink butterfly vest
royal blue cardigan
Are you using a capsule wardrobe yet? Are you thinking about it? Let me know if you have questions, I’m here to help. Comment or head over to the Facebook page.
Please pin and share!
Ing-Marie says
What about white shorts?
Do they get stains?
Or any other reason you ditched them?
Tabitha Dumas says
I just didn’t end up wearing them, I think because every time they might have worked, I was always going to do activities that white just didn’t work for. I tend to only wear white bottoms when I will be inside, not eating, and not with my kiddos 🙂