80/20 Capsule Update (Two Months In)

Happy day, dear reader!

Well, I am two months into this 80/20 Spring Capsule experiment, so it’s time for another update!

Caveat: The pictures you see here are all just me and my iPhone. No fancy lighting. No editing. No filters. No Instagram husband. Sorry! Real life. Not lifestyle. Clearly I need to spend some time working on my photography skills!

My 20 (Clothing)

Having only 20 pieces of clothing in my capsule has made me more conscientious about keeping up with my laundry! It has also gotten me into the habit of donning an apron every time I go into the kitchen! (I’ve even taken to wearing it as an enormous napkin at meals. Because food and I, well…) Another aspect of a small capsule is that you very quickly become aware of quality. Cheaply made pieces do not take frequent wearing and washing gracefully.

I think that people often shy away from the idea of a capsule wardrobe, thinking they are boring. Most capsule wardrobes you see are extremely neutral heavy, some ignore color completely! My chosen 20 is quite colorful, especially with the dresses thrown in. (In fact, it’s about 50/50. 9 Colors, 11 Neutrals + Colored Handbags!) In spite of all the color, I have not had any troubles dressing with my colorful capsule. This colorful 20 has made me much happier than other more neutral capsules I have experimented with in the past!

Weather Effect

This has been the loveliest spring I remember since our move to Georgia. (Now I’ve gone and ruined it!) The days have been warm, and the nights cool. Like spring is supposed to be. I am afraid to mention the humidity level, and how it has been nothing like our typical subtropical swamp. I didn’t even feel a need for an iced coffee until this week. Normally, those start in March and April! Layers have been key. A light jacket or sweater is perfect in the mornings, and then by afternoon, everyone is in their shirtsleeves. This cooler than usual spring means that I have not worn my sandals nearly as much as expected. No worries… Summer will sort that right out!

Swaps (Rolling Capsule)

Since the last update, I traded my striped sweater for a striped tee, and stored away my dark green floral dress. Instead of bringing in another dress, I added in my new purple gingham consignment find. My trusty Levi’s have also seen their last wear until the cooler weather returns; they were replaced by my much lighter weight skinnies. The red wool skirt, and grey v-neck pullover nipped off to the cleaner’s and a pair of shorts took over for the skirt, and a tee for the pullover. My grey moto cardie is just too warm now, but a replacement piece has not been selected.

Special Occasions

My daughter-in-law is graduating from uni today! (Woo-hoo! Go, Megan! We are so proud of you! Insert arm-waving, booty-shaking happy dance here.) The graduation ceremony is in a huge arena, and I will be helping wrangle our two grandsons, so anything dry-clean only or too spiffy would be a poor choice. The party is a cookout, so no special occasion wear needed for that, either. Nor for Mothers’ Day, since we will be having dinner at home. (I am a Mothers’ Day party pooper. Eating out that weekend is madness. We’ll do something on another less busy weekend!)

Surprises

The chambray wrap dress so far has been a wardrobe fail. I love it in concept, but every time I put it on, I take it back off again. More about this in another post. The dress made way for the gingham shirt. I am disappointed in my lavender 3/4 sleeve tee. It has already needed the pills shaved off twice. For the price, I expected it to wear much better, but it may be due to how very lightweight it is. My animal print pants are a new favorite! They feel like they were custom fitted, and make me feel more slim than I am. My short sleeved pink linen sweater has been a double surprise. I was unsure about the color, and that has been a pleasant surprise. I love the color, and have enjoyed combining it with other pieces in unexpected ways. It is incredibly comfortable, but the slub texture makes it more casual than I like; it feels sloppy combined with some of my dressier pieces, limiting its versatility for me.

My 80 (Accessories)

At last evaluation, I had not yet chosen all my accessories. A quick count of jewelry shows I am at 35. I did add a straw hat, and a ridiculous pink flower to my collection this past week. Don’t ask why. The flower was a complete “capricho”. And looks fab on the hatband! I have 7 of the 10 scarves that were allotted, and 2 of the 5 belts.

My handbag crisis (ridiculous) was averted. I included the casual tote as one of my 40. (I am still working on my control/inventory/counting issues. Professional help is probably needed!)

Carrying many of  my winter capsule shoes into spring created a challenge as I have had to take at least four pair to the cobbler for new lifts. I am hard on heels. This has left me with fewer choices than I might like from week to week, especially when it comes to pumps. Also on the shoe front, I fell off the shoe wagon and bought a new pair of athletic shoes that I have been lusting after since finding them for a photo shoot last December.

Looking Forward

There are only a few more weeks with this capsule, and I am already looking at what needs to be pulled out for summer. I am unsure if I am going to repeat the 80/20. Tracking numbers has been tedious, but thought provoking.

I do know that many of the swaps will carry into any summer capsule. More dresses, I am sure, and another pair of shorts for casual wear around the house. I can’t wait to wear my very casual summer dresses with my new rose gold sneakers! More sandals are needed. I expect to paint two pair of shoes in the coming weeks: a pair of nude-for-someone-but-not-me pumps will have a new life in magenta, and a pair of acorn colored ballet flats will go heavy metal in pewter.

My warmer weather clothing skews more casual. This will be a challenge heading into summer…

How about you? Has this season taught you any lessons about yourself or your wardrobe? Are you happy with what you have, or is there room for improvement? Let’s start a conversation in the comments below! I love to hear what you are thinking…

Stylishly yours,

Many thanks to Catherine at Not Dressed as Lamb for the Link-Up!