Capsule Wardrobe - I Did It!

Do you remember my Capsule Wardrobe "Failure" a few years ago? Well, I decided it was time to try again as the closet needed another purge, and I'm feeling the need for some FRESH outfits for the upcoming months.

Honestly, I've been feeling a little frumpy lately, like I haven't been dressing my best and am just wearing whatever I can find that fits and is comfortable. I've ended up wearing the same few pieces over and over, which is actually a benefit to a capsule wardrobe. The problem, however, was that I wasn't taking time to create new combinations with those items.

I really like wearing layers. In fact, one of the things I enjoy most is adding a nice jacket to an outfit to give it some structure or a pop of color (depending on which is  needed), but many of my jackets either no longer fit or just didn't make me feel happy and confident anymore.

So, I've pulled together items that I'll be mixing and matching in new and FUN combinations for the next three months. I chose three colors - red (because I have two red jackets that I really like), blue (because I have a FUN blue flowered jacket), and yellow (because it's my favorite color & I recently purchased a  new happy blouse that I want to wear a lot). I also included white as a neutral (because I have a great white vest). I pulled all the things that fit and that I like in these colors and placed them together in the closet - this just makes me so happy!

On the left, I have the outer pieces - three jackets and the white vest. Then I have all the shirts/blouses in those colors, followed by t-shirts and camisoles that I can use as a base layer but won't necessarily wear by themselves. Finally, I have my jeans, capris, shorts, and a pair of black slacks.

I didn't actually follow the suggested guidelines for a capsule wardrobe. For example, I'm not trying to limit the pieces to a certain number. I simply pulled everything I like (or if I wasn't sure, I pulled it to at least wear once & give it a chance) in my capsule colors and put them together. I also am not doing this experiment because I'm becoming a minimalist or anything like that; rather, I want to feel excited to get dressed each day, knowing I'm wearing clothes that are comfortable and help me look my best as I go about my everyday life, teach illustrated Bible journaling classes, and journey through my FRESH year!

So, I have no guilt about placing three orders that I'm looking forward to receiving in the next couple of weeks. First, I chose three shirts and a pair of sandals (all blues) from Coldwater Creek. Second, I ordered a blue denim jacket (because the one I've worn so often over the past several years is just a little too tight) and two red shirts from Amazon. And, third, I've scheduled a Stitch Fix to be delivered with what I hope will be FUN additions to this capsule - maybe some tops that incorporate several of my colors or a comfortable skirt (as I have zero skirts in my wardrobe at the moment) or a great pair of capris that fit this not-as-small-as-I-used-to-be-but-still-FUN body or a new favorite jacket. [I'm sending a link to this post to my stylist, so I'll let y'all know what I get, ok! ] Of course, I'll have to evaluate all the items I've ordered based on fit and comfort and how well they go with the items already in my wardrobe, so it remains to be seen what the final number will be.

The other "rule" I didn't follow is that I did not remove all the other clothes from my closet; I simply put them on the other end of the bar farther back in the closet. Honestly, I'm so excited about the way my capsule looks together that I'm not worried about being tempted to grab something else for quite a while. I also have another small section for t-shirts that I'll wear on days when I'm just hanging around the house.

Robbie and I actually went through all the clothes, shoes, and accessories in the closet this past weekend as I was pulling these items together. We have six bags (over 100 items) filled to be donated to our local outreach center. Most of the items we saved after our last purge and the items that were still on backwards hangers went directly into the donation bags. (Yes, all the hangers in the closet are now backwards again!)

I'm so excited to try out this FRESH wardrobe and will be reporting in over the next few months with how it's going. My plan is to re-evaluate and update the capsule wardrobe during the first half of July. What will you be wearing these next three months?