Spring Capsule Wardrobe 2021

Woo hoo, Reader Dear!

It is MARCH! I’m celebrating! This winter feels like the longest in memory! Even if the winter weather may not be gone, I am ready to get a little spring in my step!

Now that’s out of my system, I can calm down… Four exclamation points in a row is a bit much. Even for me. And I am well known for my abuse of the humble exclamation point. Sorry.

I’m pretty excited about this spring’s capsule! (Oops.) The feeling and vibe I wanted eluded me for weeks. Yes, I start thinking about a season’s capsule about a month out. That’s mostly because I have visuals to create and posts to write. If I wasn’t sharing this with you, I’d probably start pondering a fortnight before and not be quite so concerned with having it all worked out. It would be a FAR more relaxed process! Aren’t you lucky you don’t share your process with the reading public?

The basic steps I follow each season are: Imagine, Assess, Evaluate, Eliminate and Refresh. It might sound complicated, but it’s really organic and all about getting a feeling, starting with what you have, shopping your closet, and eliminating what no longer suits you or that you don’t want to see for a few months. (No, you cannot capsule your family. Not allowed.) Then you look for a few (And I mean few!) strategic purchases, if needed, to round out your plan.

Come on along as I talk myself through spring’s plan…

Imagine

First: What kind of look do I want? For spring, Imagine was the step that was getting me style-stuck. I use Pinterest as a place to collect looks I like and inspiration, but I was still lacking focus. You’ll laugh when you find out where my inspiration came from… (If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen this.)

If you’ve never given inspiration (or a focus) a moment’s thought, you’re not alone! Most of the clients I help need to be walked through this step by step. It’s one of the most important things we do together, and is the start to wardrobe building and mindful dressing. (Versus throwing buying clothes and throwing something on.)

Composed has been a feeling I’m needing for a few seasons now, but composed does not have to equal bland! I decided to add more color to my Winter Capsule to inject some lightheartedness. (It’s been a rough year; I think we call all use more lightness of heart!) I’ll keep running with a more colorful and less tight color palette.

I definitely want Ease. I love the oversized silhouettes I’m seeing, even if they don’t really suit me. Maybe the oversized man’s shirt I wear as a bathing suit cover up might need to make its way into my closet…

Assess

Next: What do I have? Now it’s time to shop your wardrobe! I mean it. I find it easiest to take everything out of the closet, and get the out of season items out of the running. (Why clutter up your closet with wooly winter tunics when it’s too hot to wear them? Visual Space = Breathing Room.)

This doesn’t mean throwing out anything that isn’t those colors. Just clean them and give them a break. If you have another closet in a spare room, put them there, or if you don’t have another closet, store them in a box or suitcase to clear space for the things you know you want. Who knows. After three months you may decide you never want to see them again, or you may fall in love all over again! Either way, you win.

Out of what’s left, what do you have in the colors you feel drawn to for the season? I have plenty of clothes in all these colors. (Except the yellow. I’ll skip that!) I have my green skirt, a blouse and a cardie, and a lilac blouse and cardie. I have tops and bottoms in all three neutrals for a column of color in each. Even better, I can start with sweaters and trade them for lighter weight tops as the weather warms. I’ll limit the red to accents and keep out my red shoes, a bag, and polka dot scarf. Hmmm. Polka dots! I expect I’ll pull a LOT of polka dot scarves. Pretty much every one I have in any of these colors. I may even break out a beret. Yes, it’s cliche but it makes me smile…

Evaluate

What pieces? AND How many? The what should be pretty simple, right? Pieces that reflect the color palette and vibe of the inspiration board. (Or platter!) How many? Therein lies the rub. How much is enough? How much is too much? Honest answer? Much of it depends on your laundry capabilities! Most of us include WAY more than we need. The past few capsules I’ve built have had right around 30 pieces. We’ll see what happens to that number when I get into the clothes piles!

Eliminate

What to leave out? Now it’s time to clear the decks. It’s easy to add ALL the pieces. I have to be strategic about what I pull. I could put in all the jeans (because I have a serious thing for denim), but then I’d not have enough tops. Two tops to each bottom is a pretty good balance. One dress trouser should be enough. Last year’s mantra? This is 2020; go more casual. This year’s? Denim more. Dresses less.

Refresh

Finally: What do I feel like I need to add? 

I found the shoes a few weeks ago on sale and snapped them up. I knew they’d be a good choice. The blouse and green sweater are out of my comfort zone, but I think it’s time. When they arrive, I’ll give them a good looking over to determine whether they stay or go. I’d like to find a new soft white short sleeved or sleeveless shell. That’s a basic I can wear all year long. (I don’t count replacing those basics as part of my French 5.)

So How About You?

Do you pin style ideas? Do you act on them, or do they feel confused and lacking direction? I get that! It can be hard to see the connections sometimes. You are always welcome to schedule a Free Style Discovery Call! I’d love to meet you and learn about your style goals. Really! What do you want to wear this spring? (Or fall for my southern hemisphere friends?) Does anything you’ve seen this season inspire you? Could you see yourself in any of the colors I’ve chosen for spring? Do tell! There’s plenty of room in the comments

Stylishly yours,