Summer Capsule, Here I Come!

Wishing you a happy day, dear reader!

For us in the U.S., the Memorial Day long weekend (bank holiday) is the big summer kickoff! So, hot on the heels of my 80/20 Capsule experiment, I am starting my summer capsule. The planning started about two weeks ago when I pulled my warm weather clothing box out of the spare room closet to see what still fits, what I still like, and what needs replacing. Well, the what-still-fits stack was not what I might have hoped. Between my mother’s broken hip last fall and watching my grandson in the mornings this past semester, I have exercised very little and put on a few pounds. I’m not beating myself up over it. It’s a season. I decided to just let go of those pieces. I will need to buy a couple of new things to fill a few wardrobe holes. When I do trim back down, my shape will likely be a bit different, and the things I let go of are not breaking my heart, so it will be fine. I’ll have a little update.

What I Need

For laundry’s sake, I want more than spring’s 20 pieces in my summer capsule. With our hot and humid Georgia summers, most tops and some dresses are worn only once before washing. I also know to choose my toppers carefully. They might seem unnecessary, but many businesses here are air conditioned to Arctic temps, so having a topper at hand to throw over sleeveless tops and dresses is a must.

When I was a classroom teacher, my summer wardrobe capsule was very casual. Mostly shorts and tops and a couple of dresses for church and dates. Now, my work situation varies from day to day. I may be at home writing, or shopping on-line for a client; that’s casual home wear. Shopping or meeting with clients at their homes is another step up. Then there are appointments and presentations, for which only professional will do, even in the wilting heat. For these events, I rely heavily on dresses, although there are many work situations for which they are not practical. That means I will need work trousers as well.

Inspiration

The inspiration for my summer capsule is coming from two different threads, and although the two don’t “go together,” the pieces I choose based on the inspirations will play well together since they are all coming from my Sublime palette. Unlike many people whose wardrobes are brighter and more colorful in the summer, I prefer more neutrals in the heat; they “feel” cooler to me, and I punch these up with colored jewelry and accessories, so there’s where my color variety will come from.

The first inspiration is the scarf above from Echo. I love the blues and greys with the shades of blush and pink. These soft pinks don’t “feel” hot to me, and often read as another neutral. Scarves are great places for wardrobe color inspo! (Any of the 4 colorways this one comes in would be amazing.) The second inspiration is a carryover from spring… I am still loving the grey and mint that I pulled together for spring inspired by a saved Pin, but most of these pieces are just too warm, and were rolled into warmer weather versions as our temps crept up. (Spring capsule post and updates here, and here.)

Last winter, I created a grey, navy, blush, and mint Polyvore that didn’t thrill me at the time, but has since been worming its way into my heart.

Obviously, these cool weather pieces are way too warm for a Georgia summer, but I love the feel of these colors together. (Now if I could just remember any of the details about that scarf…)

Pulling Together My Capsule

Looking at what still fits, and what I need outlined above, I start filling in a chart including all my can’t-live-without Building Basics.

After listing all the moving parts out on my worksheet, I pull the pieces I am considering and play around to make sure I can wear everything at least 3 ways. It’s the same as the shopping test! I already own these pieces, but they have to earn their way back into my wardrobe for the season. If they don’t it may be back into the box for another season, or time to say farewell. I know that sounds harsh, but thinking of your closet as real estate square footage is an eye opener! Yes, your closets are included in square footage. Imagine you paid $200,000 for a 2,000 square foot house; that’s $100 per square foot. At that price, my 1970’s 2′ X 4′ closet would cost $800…

This past weekend while lots of other people headed to the beach, we had a staycation here at home. Okay, maybe not a staycation, as I worked Saturday and Sunday, but part of Monday will be spent summer capsule planning, and doing something fun with Mr. Closetplay. I enjoy planning as part of the process. If you like the concept of a planned capsule wardrobe, but the thought of planning breaks you out in hives, please feel free to contact me! I’d be more than happy to help guide you through the process!  (Wink.)

So, how about you? What do you need for summer (or winter if you are south of the Equator)? Anything new? What colors are your favorites in the warmer (cooler) months? Do you dread shopping, or love it? I love to hear your perspectives! Let’s start a conversation in the comments below…

Stylishly yours,

Disclaimer: I have not received any gifts or compensation from Echo Designs in return for this post. I just wanted to share the love…

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