Spring Capsule Check-In
March Outfit Review
Whew! It’s been a busy week Chez Closet Play. The last few days of March and first few of April are always exciting. We have two family birthdays, and this year, Easter to plan for. Garnish that with the local Augusta insanity we call Masters’ Week, and I’m ready for a day off! After getting sorted for spring and the events of the week, it dawned on me that I have been wearing my Spring Capsule Wardrobe for a full month.
Surprise! Which means it feels like a good time to do a quick capsule check in! Today I’ll be sharing March’s 29 day’s worth of outfits (No, I’m not sure what happened to the other two days! I must have skipped two selfie days… Blogger demerits noted.) and taking a moment to check how many of my capsule pieces were worn this first month. History tells me that this will often inform the rest of the season, so I want to take away as many lessons as I can from March.
Another April surprise? The guest post I wrote for Carolyn Arentson and her blog My Chic Obsession went live yesterday. So it’s been a busy week! Thank you, Carolyn, for the opportunity to meet your readers. Please take a moment to visit Carolyn over on her blog. I’m sure she’ll love you as much as I do!
Note: I haven’t done any unusual wardrobe challenges this month. No 10X10, or Bakers’ Dozen Capsule. March was just about wearing what I felt like out of my capsule. And being thankful that I had what I needed for our wildly swinging weather. It is spring after all, and boy was March working it!
What I Wore
These 5 days total 9 pieces: Jeans, White Blouse, Green Skirt, Grey Short Sleeved Sweater, Striped Sweater, Cropped Sailor Jeans, Blush Silk Blouse, Grey Merino Sweater, Grey Plaid Narrow Trousers
What did I add this week? Graphic Tee, Lilac Cardie, Green Pullover, Chambray Tunic, Grey Blouse, Green Jacket. That brings the total pieces worn to 15.
Five more days added 7 more pieces: Green Blouse, Pink Dress, Ivory Shell, Mint Cardie, BF Jeans, Green Gingham Top, Floral Blouse. Which brings our total up to 22.
All Repeats!
Nothing new added. All these pieces are repeats remixed from the previous weeks! And yes, I wore the same outfit just two days apart. I’m okay with that! If you’re not: I did change my shoes. Does that makes it better?
Warmer Weather Hits
This week warmed up, so I added three lighter pieces: Striped Tee, Grey Jacket and the Floral Dress. Which brings us to 22 + 3 =25!
We had two bizarrely warm (almost 90 degree) days, which required the addition of a pair of shorts. Here’s where it gets a little sticky: I also pulled in my jacket from my special occasion capsule for a little outfit emergency. (I’m not counting it toward my total.) I finally broke out my favorite denim blouse that took an unexpected break for the first part of the month. So, let’s say Add two. 25 + 2 = 27.
Basically, I’ve worn 27 of my 32 (plus shorts) pieces from my Spring Capsule Wardrobe. That number is more than I expected and makes me really happy! Twenty-seven tells me that I made versatile choices for my capsule that should EASILY take me through the next two months. If the scarf tied on the bag handle piques your interest, pop on over to my YouTube channel for a quick ‘tute on how to tie it! Please subscribe while you are there. I’m working on multi-media domination, you know… ROTFL
What Haven’t I Worn?
My denim jacket? How odd. I must have. Maybe I grabbed it to go out on a day I was expecting to stay home so I didn’t include it in my outfit snaps? A quick peek in my closet shows me that I haven’t worn two warm weather tops, (Not a big surprise!), two blouses, and a very lightweight sweater. Makes sense. I expect you’ll be seeing those (If you follow me on Instagram) as the weather warms…
How About You?
Do you capsule? Or is a capsule wardrobe only for travel packing in your world? Have you ever tracked what you wear? If so, did you learn anything interesting about your sartorial habits? This is where the science geek in me goes all happy… Because it’s all about the data! Measurement is a powerful tool. If you’d like to track what you wear for a month and don’t take selfies, tie a ribbon front and center on your closet rail. As you wear items, move them to one side of the ribbon and at the end of the month you’ll know what you’re actually wearing. I’d love to hear!
Stylishly yours,
8 Comments
Yurika
Found you and I am happy …. I have changed size… not weight (turned 60). So I am going for a more relaxed not to tight kind of clothes.This summer I have taken out all my black- white summer clothes out and all colorful clothes (the ones that are in trend this year). I have to see what I wear and what I don’t. And start purchasing new basics that are more appropriate to my new me!
Liz K
Glad to found, Yurika! Thank you for letting me know! Often we do change size and shape as we age, even if the weight stays the same. I don’t know how tall you are, but a word of warning if you are petite, be careful that your more relaxed doesn’t veer into baggy territory! Especially if the item has stretch.
Sally in St Paul
So much day-to-day variety from so few pieces, amazing. It seems you maybe don’t include accessories in your capsule (or at least, you didn’t count them up here). I think capsules with limited accessories makes me feel a edgy about it, but if I think of having access to all my accessories, a capsule feels more doable. (Of course I have been playing with capsules on my blog, but I am not dressing from one.) I’ve pinned some of these looks so I can refer back to your layered necklaces, which I always admire. And wardrobe data? Oh yes. All the yes. I actually maintain a few different spreadsheets, one of which tracks purchases, wears, and calculates cost per wear, etc.
https://www.withinaworldofmyown.com/
Liz K
Your spreadsheets make me jealous! You’re a better woman than I, Sally! I simply look over each day’s selfies and do a quick count. Each season I also pull out clusters of accessories that I want to wear along with my capsule. That gives me the variety I want without all the clutter in my dresser drawer. Years of observing my habits and preferences led me to realize that I usually wear more neutral clothing during the hot summer months, and compensate with more colored accessories. Conversely, I wear more color in the cold months and my accessories tend toward neutrals and metallics. Brass and gold usually only come out for fall and spring. Putting away the pieces toward which I do not gravitate makes them fun and new again next season!
Carol Karl
What a great capsule. It always amazes me how many outfits you can make with just a few items. The standout piece for me is the pink dress.
Liz K
Thank you! I’ve not gotten bored with it yet! And yes, the pink dress was a find. I’m glad I paid to have it altered to fit properly. It didn’t get the wear it deserved last fall…
NATALIE K
Liz, I’ve never done a Capsule Wardrobe but I do keep track of what I’m wearing by simple turning the hangers around in my closet. This helps me wear more of my wardrobe. I’m more interested in a Curated Wardrobe at this time. I do love how you use a Capsule ardrobe to dress for three months. My shopping fast is going ell!
Liz K
I know the hanger trick works well for many people! Good for you for tracking, Natalie. Data is powerful. Not because data changes our minds, but it can certainly shift our hearts! Glad to hear your fast is going well. Any aha moments yet?