32 Pieces. 400+ Outfits!

Spring Capsule Math

Happy day, reader dear!

How are you? Is it starting to feel like spring (or fall) in your corner of the globe? It’s funny, but when I ask people about their favorite seasons to dress for, the answers are often the shoulder seasons of fall and spring.

I think of them as the Goldilocks’ seasons, not too cold, not too hot, not too dry, not too wet… Just right! We’re not bundled within an inch of our lives, nor puddling in the heat. And they both represent fresh starts! Spring and new life. Fall, the start of a new school year. (That particular childhood feel holds onto us for a loooooong time.)

I’ve had a few who answer summer, but they are usually thinking vacation dressing! (Do YOU remember what a vacation is? I think I’ve forgotten…)

Speaking of vacations and holidays, did you know most people spend more time each year planning their vacation than their retirement? And even less time planning their wardrobes! Which is certainly out of kilter if you think that you will spend years (ideally) in retirement, dress every day, and spend maybe a week or two on holiday. Hmmmm. I wouldn’t suppose to give your financial advice for retirement, or plan your next holiday, but I can help you with the wardrobe planning part!

Last Friday, we chatted about how smart logistics (NOT a lot of clothes) are what creates a versatile wardrobe that gives you LOTS of options. Often we don’t think (Read: PLAN!) when we shop and buy, so we end up with more clothing and less working. I promised to share my spring capsule and run the math as an example, so if you’ve been waiting with bated breath since Friday’s post, here you go!

Spring Capsule Wardrobe: The Edit

Wardrobe Numbers: Balance

• Tops 17
• Toppers 7 (Four of which can also be worn as tops.)
• Bottoms 6 (We’re adding both jeans for fun!)
• Dresses 2

With 17 tops and 6 bottoms, I have a balance of about 3 tops per bottom. As the weather warms and I need to wash my tops more frequently, that sounds good to me. A quick count can determine your balance!

Colors: Cool, Soft, Light (Mostly)

These Spring Capsule wardrobe colors all work with my personal palette and my personality. These colors all share a cool undertone, but the intensity of the green and red really stand out in comparison, don’t they? Since those two colors are intended to be accents rather than main colors, they will still work!

The Math

Let’s math out the capsule listed out above. Supposing that I can wear each top with every bottom, we start with a base of 17 X 6 = 102 outfits. That’s already more than I need for the three months I will wear this capsule! Let’s add the four topper/sweaters that can be worn as tops: 4 X 6 = 24. Now we have 126 outfits. Add 2 more if you think of a dress as a one-and-done outfit. We’re up to 128. I have 3 jackets in my toppers that I could wear with each of those 128 outfits to create 128 X 3 = 384 outfits. And if I layer a sweater and a topper for cool weather, I could add another (ballpark) 24 outfits to the 384. Even supposing that not all these combinations would please me and that only half meet my standards, I still have 384 + 24 = 408/2 = 204 outfits. I don’t think I’ll end up naked anytime soon!

How About You?

What is your favorite season to dress for? What are you thinking for spring (or fall)? Have you ever inventoried your wardrobe numbers? What do they say about your shopping habits? Are your colors of a family, or all over the place? If you’ve counted, have you ever “mathed out” the numbers? If so, how does that outfit total make you feel? Abundantly blessed? Or needing clarity? Both? (TBPH, mine makes me feel slightly foolish.) Do tell! I love to hear from you…

Stylishly yours,