Spring 2020 Capsule

Happy day, dearest reader!

Welcome to March! I suppose I should have said that on the last post, but since I wrote it in February, I wasn’t feeling very spring yet. Now that March is here, I am starting to wish for spring. If this is your first visit, Welcome! My name is Liz. I’m a professional Image, Wardrobe, and Color Consultant (or Coach), and I blog about style, capsule wardrobing, and a variety of other topics that touch (often VERY loosely) on personal style, midlife, and reclaiming the fun that should be getting dressed each day. (Hence Closet Play…) If you are returning, Welcome Back! It’s lovely to see you again!

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I grew up in the distinctly four-season climate of Wisconsin and love seasonal change; it feels like a new start every 3 months! Where I now live, in Georgia, we have fewer seasons: Warm to Hot, Hideously Hot and Sticky, and Cool-ish, which means I could wear the same clothes 10 months of the year. How does a season loving girl cope? Well, this season loving girl reworks her capsule! I ALWAYS shop my wardrobe first, and aim to purchase only five fashion items twice yearly (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter). NOTE: I don’t count replacing jeans, or basic tops (white shirts, neutral flat shoes, etc.) in my five. Some people call this the French 5 Method or French 5 Wardrobe, I call it setting myself boundaries for a cohesive and stylish wardrobe on a budget. (If I bought everything that caught my eye, I’d have a stuffed closet, no outfits, and a lot more stress! If that sounds like you, let’s talk…)

Each season I go through a selection process. This spring:

1. What Kind of Look Do I Want? (Imagine)

This is not set in stone, internet friends, but this spring the feeling I want is Casual Ladylike Ease. How do I define that? You might have a very different mental picture than I do. Casual for me means plenty of denim, mussed hair, natural looking makeup, nothing too arranged or precious. Ladylike? Blouses rather than tees, sparkle, heels, bag in the hand, a flash of ankle. Ease means a little slouch in the look somewhere. That could be a baggy jean, a half-tucked blouse, or a messy pile of jewels. Not the posture, though, I really need to work on erasing the slouch from my posture!

I know, there’s not a scarf to be found on my inspo board! If it looks like an end to all my neckerchiefs, don’t worry. I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon. I do see it meaning an adjustment to how I tie my scarves, but that’s where it should get fun!

I’m craving blue, all shades! (Good thing there should be plenty of blue to go around this Spring/Summer.)Especially paired with white. Since January, I’ve been playing with more color mixing and want to continue that for spring. I’m loving the simple Jeans + Blouse + Heel outfit recipe that I imagine will be my day to day repeat. I expect I’ll want my light greys again when summer comes and I want a cooler spa feeling.

2. What Do I Have? (Assess)

Shopping My Closet/Storage Box:

It was a treat to break out my warm weather storage box! I’m flat out sick of cozy sweaters. I found some old friends, and some pieces that it’s time to say goodbye to…

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The white linen top that I wore all last year is coming from togetherness. I am sad. My short sleeved white blouse could be retired, too; it’s time to start looking for a replacement. No worries. I’ll not go naked anytime soon! I am awash in blue. I carried over all my blue non-sweater pieces from winter, and will add an aqua linen top when the weather gets even warmer. My old green blouse feels new again after its winter vaycay in the box. (The joys of storing away pieces for the season!) And I’m looking forward to my pink and blush blouses finding their way out from under winter’s jackets.

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3. What Do I Need? (Evaluate)

What pieces do I need?

I have two business trips, a gala, a passel of birthdays, a wedding trip, and our oldest grandson’s First Communion in the next three months. I’m stressed out just thinking about all that! It’s a lot to keep in mind, but I’m thankful I have a Special Occasion Capsule to handle most of the events. I am on the lookout for a springy dress that would be wedding and special event appropriate. All mine are quite dark, and I’d like something lighter, but NOT ivory or white.

As I said above, I really need some new white blouses. I’d also love a pair of white pumps or loafers to wear with my two pair of white jeans. One of my white jeans now has a stain that won’t come out, so those need replacing, too. Arrgh. It looks like S/S 2020 is the season for replacements! I picked up the white sandals pinned on my board over the winter. (They were on clearance.) I wasn’t sure why I bought them, but now I am! As the weather warms, I’ll trade my heavy jeans for a lighter weight pair; I’d LOVE a light wash baggy-ish jean. That may mean buying a pair that’s too large and having the waist taken in…

How many pieces do I need?

This is always the unanswerable question! I included seven pieces (again) in my winter capsule that never were worn. Or were worn only once or twice. I included 34 pieces in winter’s video, bought a jacket and received another for Christmas, so that brought me to 36. Right now, the spring capsule count stands at 29, although I’m sure there’s something I’ve forgotten. I’ll update this later when I find out!

4. What Will I Buy? (Eliminate Options)

I’ve done a little shopping so far, but nothing extravagant. My 2020 Style Resolution to shop pre-loved first puts a healthy damper on my shopping. It requires more time and effort, and the few one-click-away pre-loved purchases I’ve made so far haven’t worked out very well. That’s okay! I won’t buy from sellers that don’t allow returns.

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I’ve ordered a white shirt from Ebay; we’ll see how that works out. I also picked up this inexpensive belt from Target. I have been looking for a light colored inch and a half to two inch belt since the beginning of the year, to no avail, so when one jumped into my cart last week, I was glad to be done. I also ordered a white Peter Pan collar to wear under my teal sweater. I wish I’d done that earlier… I might have saved a few sweaters I was tired of!

I’m on the hunt for that baggy jean. I’m pretty sure I’ll find something pre-loved that can be worked into the style magic I’m looking for. And I’m keeping my eyes open for a pair of white shoes. White shoes don’t wear well. All the pre-loved ones I’ve seen are not making my heart sing. Or the ones that do are the wrong size! That’s okay. I need to remind myself that there’s no rush; this wardrobe is complete just the way it is.

How about you? Are you thinking forward to your next season yet, or is it still too early or already too late? What colors and/or neutrals do you want more of this coming season? Is there anything you are just “done with? Does 29 pieces seem like too little, too much, or enough for a season? Let me know in the comments below… I do so love to hear from you!

Stylishly yours,

PS: If you’d like a more detailed walk through the capsule creation process, here’s a 5 Step primer to get you started.