When I first heard about capsule wardrobes, I was intrigued by the idea. Having only items that you love and could wear every single day in your closet sounded too good to be true. My closet had been full of clothes that I kind of liked, or used to like, but didn’t quite fit my style anymore, or that I really liked, but just didn’t fit right. I would often spend a lot of time going through outfit options in the mornings, wasting so much time, and leaving a big mess in my room. And on top of it, it didn’t exactly make me feel good when I tossed pretty things to the side because they just didn’t look right on me, only to default to my favorite pair of jeans with a basic black shirt. Not that there’s anything wrong with that outfit – it’s what’s comfortable and fits my style, but going through the process of seeing things on me that I wished looked good but just didn’t was often frustrating.
So one day, a few weeks after Ava was born, before I fit back into my normal clothes, I decided to get rid of everything that I didn’t absolutely love and make room for a few new basics. The goal was to have a closet full of items that fit me well, are my style, and are easily combined with other items in my wardrobe, so that I could make quicker decisions in the mornings what to wear, and be happy with whatever outfit I chose.
I went through my entire closet and made three piles: one for items that I absolutely love, one for items I wasn’t ready to give up on, and one for things that I hadn’t worn in a long time and even though I wanted to like them, just weren’t right for me. I was amazed how quickly the “no” pile grew. I was in the right mindset and had no problems adding things to the pile I’d be donating to the Goodwill. There were a few really nice pieces of clothing in there, and thinking of whoever would find these treasures at the Goodwill made it easier to say goodbye. I wasn’t afraid of getting rid of things even if that meant I would have a gap in my closet – my plan was to just buy new things if it turned out that I had given away almost all of my pants. If the goal was to love every item in my closet, I had to be committed, and who doesn’t love an excuse to go shopping?
At first I did have a few things on my “maybe” pile as well, but after I had gone through everything, I was able to make a quick yes or no decision on those as well (and most ended up going to Goodwill). I ended up with six large trash bags full of clothes that I took to the Goodwill right away before I would change my mind. I have yet to regret any of my decisions except that I probably could have donated even more. When I’ll be putting my winter clothes away to make room for my spring wardrobe, I’m sure I’ll get rid of even more things.
After I pretty much emptied out my closet I started to think about what items were missing. The awesome thing about a capsule wardrobe is that while it limits you only to items that you absolutely love, it also gives you an excuse to buy new things, as long as you’ve identified a gap in your wardrobe and you’re not shopping for clothes just because.
So as I was getting ready to go back to work I went on a big shopping trip to the outlet mall to get some basics for everyday work outfits that not only fit my new more grown up style, but also my new post baby #2 body. It was great, because I had a very clear idea of what I still needed to buy to fill gaps in my closet and I didn’t end up making any stupid purchasing decisions (I save those for the kids now; they have way more than they need, but I just can’t resist sometimes).
Here are some wardrobe ideas that inspire me:
The main thing that’s still on my wish list is a basic casual blazer. I’d also like to have a new pair of gray jeans, black flats, and a pair of white converse, but some of these can wait until spring or summer.
It’s been great to be able to get up in the morning and just pick the first best thing out of my closet and be happy with it. I’m no longer wasting precious time going through different outfit options and feeling bad when things don’t fit right.
What’s your all-time favorite item in your closet that you could wear every day?
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