2018 Summer Capsule (Part 2)

Happy day, dear reader! Hope yours is full of only pleasant surprises…

If you’ve not visited before, welcome! Lovely to meet you! This post is a continuation of the summer capsule intro I started last week. Yep, I am a capsule wardrobe geek, although I understand they are not for everyone.

Broad Strokes/Themes

Denim Diva

My inspiration board looks are heavily denim based. Denim and chambray are year round favorites of mine, and I decided to just throw myself into those favorites this summer. I love the vibe of denim and chambray paired with dressier pieces. I even took some of my Mother’s Day gift and splurged on a new bag; the embroidered denim chain bag on the board above… (Thank you Goody Two Shoes!) I love its more formal structure juxtaposed with the denim and frayed floral applique. This summer will be all about letting out my Denim Diva! You are more than welcome to find more of these kind of looks on my Denim Diva Pinterest board… Come follow me there!

Pearls and Metallics

Feeling pearly, not like the Pearlies (Who are amazing, BTW!), but pearl necklace-y, which appeals to the classic in me, but needs more oomph. I love the way the brand French Kande plays with pearls and antique medallions, and makes them into modern pieces with an edge! I’ve been piling on my pearls and chains and will do that as long as the weather allows! When the real heat comes (which I know it will) it will be back to a more simple style with statement earrings and not much else for jewelry. Silver and rose gold are well suited to the palette I’ve chosen, and are good for my cool complexion. (Unlike yellow gold!) If you think pearls aren’t for you, maybe that’s because you haven’t found the right ones for your pearl-sonality! (Can’t resist a pun, even if it is the “lowest” form of humor…)

The Hat

I’ve always loved hats and am determined to wear a hat more often this season. I really need to be kinder to my skin. Confession: I didn’t start taking care of my skin until I was in my 50’s… (Better late than never.) You see oodles of great hat looks on Pinterest; a hat is such a great way to add interest to a simple look. On one of our trips to Arizona, I bought myself a “good hat” (Not to be confused with a church hat.) and want to make sure to get more shade from it this summer!

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

(Or How to Get from the Inspiration Board to the Closet)

Tops

Neutrals: The Building Basics, worn year round, are not shown here. White, denim, and chambray tops carried over from spring, or were swapped out for lighter versions. (White shirt for white tee, grey sweater for grey tee, etc.) I pulled a blue and white striped top and blue tee from the out-of-season box. The blue and white wrap blouse with red embroidery (not very palette cohesive, but an outlier or two is okay…) was another Macy’s clearance rack pickup. I’m looking forward to styling it for summer and into fall. The red embroidered sleeves certainly stand out from the the rest of the mellow colors I went for this season.

Pink/Blush: The pink sweater from the spring capsule, was a great color, but the ultra casual look of the slubbed linen and deconstructed seams didn’t work well for me. (I complained about it here.) I have kept it in for more casual days, but wanted a similar color blouse in a dressier fabric for when I want to take the look up a notch. The blush silk came from storage too; it went in last fall. I got almost no wear last summer. I don’t think I was ready for the softer colors yet! Spring’s purple gingham stays in for summer, even with long sleeves, because gingham looks fresh and crisp. (Another outlier!)

Mint/Aqua: I pulled my old heart print shirt out of the donate bin to give it one last chance, and have fallen in love with it again. Two plain mint tops round out summer’s tops: a linen top for more casual, sheer for dressier. These are both new. Why two of the same color? I do this frequently. (Like with the pink above…) One will be dressier, the other more casual… This way I can take the same look (aqua or pink top and grey bottom) from:

very relaxed = linen top + grey shorts + flat sandals

up a notch = linen top + grey trousers + brogues

to work = chiffon/silky top + grey trousers + sling backs

to date night = chiffon/silky top + jeans + heeled sandals

to evening = chiffon/silky top + grey trousers + silver sandals + sparkly jewelry

Because they are all in the same color palette, they blend seamlessly through these varied levels of refinement. This kind of harmony and simplicity speaks to me, but if it’s not for you, that’s just fine, too!

Toppers

(1) Grey Cropped Cashmere Cardigan: Pulled from storage. Much lighter and more versatile than the fall/winter/spring moto cardie.

(2) Denim Jacket: Oh, your praises I sing! Twelve months of the year. Worn with everything from shorts to dresses to chiffon blouses.

(3) Navy Ruffled Peplum Suit Jacket: Also from storage. Works with jeans and dresses. Pairs with navy shorts as a funky suit. Feminine and relaxed version of a blue blazer.

Bottoms

My schedule often includes work at home days, so a few shorts are needed for those home days, weekends, and vacation. I pulled pink, grey, and a longer pair of navy shorts from the storage box. My white jeans carried over from the spring capsule. (I think these will stay out year round from now on! I missed them over the winter.) My other long bottoms are all basics carried through from spring.

As you can see, most of my summer wardrobe was pulled from the out-of-season storage box. I added three new tops in my accent colors, the dress I mentioned in the last post, and a new pair of denim colored shorts since there is no squeezing into my old ones. My old swimsuit needed replacing as well this year, but I am still well within my budget with the new additions.  I’m glad to be done with shopping for the season. (For myself… I’d love to shop for you, though!!!) I don’t have an item count for this wardrobe yet; I forgot to check, but if you are interested, I’ll try to remember to do that. I have literally hundreds of outfit choices with what I’ve listed in these two posts, so that should certainly give me enough variety for the summer!

How about you? Do you feel like it’s time to pare down for the summer? Or do you feel stifled without lots and lots of choice? Is your summer (or winter for my friends in the other hemisphere) wardrobe working like you want it to? Why or why not? Let’s start a conversation in the comments below! I love to hear from you…

Stylishly yours,

Many thanks to Nancy at Nancy’s Fashion Style for the Link-Up!