My Capsule Wardrobe Summer 2016 + lessons I learned while creating a capsule wardrobe

"You can make any article of clothing work with the right ______ (accessories, pants, shoes, hairdo, etc)".

I fully believed this way of thinking in high school and college.  Now, as an adult, my views have changed drastically.  I currently subscribe more to the idea of finding your own style and purchasing things that fit that style and look fantastic on you, even if it means owning less.

I first heard about the capsule wardrobe a few years ago, and felt sort of claustrophobic just thinking about it!  It sounded so restrictive!  Then a year and a  half ago, when I was pregnant with Fox, I wore basically the same thing every week for about 4 months, and I was surprised at how much I liked it!

I had gotten a number of maternity specific clothes that all worked together and fit in with my style, and I wore them again and again without getting tired of them.  I often hear from pregnant mothers who they can't wait to pack up those maternity clothes, but I kind of missed the consistency of my closet during those months.  That is when I first started to think about a capsule wardrobe.

But then, I kept thinking about the stress of deciding on one style (I have always camped out between two or three styles), and the expense of purchasing a bunch of new clothes, etc.  It all sounded like too much effort.

I am not sure what the motivating factor was for me, but a few months ago, I decided to bite the bullet, buy a few new things, and try out a capsule wardrobe.  After all, it seems to fit my minimalist lifestyle pretty well. Here are a few things I learned from putting together my first capsule wardrobe.

5 lessons I learned while making a Capsule Wardrobe

1.  Don't think of it as a destination, think of it as a journey.  You don't have to keep this capsule wardrobe forever, and three months is just not that long. Pick some things that you really love right now.  If you don't love them later, that is okay, but pick things that you feel great in now.

To begin,  just look in your closest and take out all the things you really feel great in.  Put everything else in a storage box and put it away for a while.  Then take a look at the pieces you love and start from there.

2.  Buy second hand.  I have gone in and out of loving second hand clothing.  A lot of times it smells or looks dirty.  But because I purchased a number of items for my capsule wardrobe, and my husband is in school, I was not interested in buying new clothes.  I found a lot of great pieces via a clothing swap and ThredUp.

3.  Go for neutrals, but add a little color.  I remember looking at Caroline's capsule and seeing that she had a red top for one season.  That seemed so brash, with all her neutrals, but it ended up being a beautiful statement pieces.  I chose clothing that would work well together, but I also picked a few fun colored pieces, and they have been some of my favorites.

4.  Pick clothes for your lifestyle. A few months ago, I was talking with Adam about what a capsule wardrobe is, and he mentioned that the nice thing about it is that it can be whatever you want it to be. It is easy to pick clothes that work for someone else but that don't work for you.  I had to be super careful that I was choosing clothes that really work for my lifestyle as a mom and frequent cook.  No silk in my closet (I really wanted a silk piece!).  

5.  Be flexible.  I really wanted a pair of those cute sandal clogs that are really big right now, but most of the places that I looked were too expensive, so I opted to wait until I can find a reasonably priced pair (if you know of any place, let me know!). It is my capsule wardrobe, so I feel like if I want to add an item, I totally can! I am not planning on adding anything besides that, but if I wanted to, I could.

Have you tried out a capsule wardrobe?  What did you think?  Do you have any suggestions of things you learned?

See the sources for my pieces at the bottom!  

Sources:  

Tops: 

Pink Top: H&M Via ThredUp (similar + similar) || Navy Top: Elyse + Esme via ThredUP || Green Top: H&M via ThredUp

White Shirt: Everlane || Striped Shirt: Forever 21 via clothing swap || Button Down: J Crew via ThredUp (similar + similar)

Grey Sweatshirt: Everlane via ThredUp || Striped Shirt: Target (similar) || Grey Shirt: Cynthia Rowley via ThredUP

White Sweater: Old Navy via clothing swap || tan sweater: Old Navy via clothing swap || Chambray: J Crew Outlet

Bottoms: 

Dark Jeans: Madewell via Thred Up || Cropped jeans: Madewell via ThredUp

Distressed Jeans:  Gap via clothing swap || white jeans: J Crew via ThredUp || black jeans: Old Navy via Plato's Closet

Skirt: clothing swap || Black and White skirt: Target || Chambray: Cloth + Stone via clothing swap

Blue Dress: Made by me (similar) || Tan Dress: H&M || Striped tunic: Charming Charlie's via Clothing Swap

Shoes: 

Boaters: Bass + Co via clothing swap (similar) || Wedges: DSW || Black Strappy shoes: DSW

Blue Shoes:  Bass + Co (similar) || Booties: Mint Julep Boutique || Sandals:  Target

Heels:  Gift from Mom

Other places I have been this week: 

Check out 7 Eco-Friendly Things I Just Won't Do
by Landen McBride at Mode