The words that had this fashion-impaired, rushed in the mornings mama daydreaming of looking cute/professional/put together/fun every day without having to spend a ton of time doing it.
Turns out, it's kinda hard. And I'm still not good at fashion. But the minimalist in me thoroughly enjoys the fewer clothes on my side of the closet and the organizationally obsessed in me likes that most of my clothes now go together.
Most capsule wardrobe suggestions and "how to's" online just didn't work for me. The 30 item or less wardrobe so many fashionistas brag about is typically seasonal or for specific lifestyles that just didn't work for me.
I'm not a professional, so the pants suit, a skirt that matches the set and a few tank tops doesn't work for me, especially because as I wrote this I can see the yogurt stain on my shoulder from my toddler out of the corner of my eye.
I am also not business casual. I walk to work or walk my son every single day. Those cute heels that "every wardrobe needs" just doesn't work for me. I can count three times in the past few years where heels would have been nice to have. Otherwise, flats is where it's at, baby.
I live in Nebraska. This week alone it has been 105 degrees, there have been rainstorms and I have run in a wind that was cool enough that if I hadn't been doing a physical activity I may have considered a light jacket. Most wardrobes I find are for one season, and while that is fine, all seasons can hit me in a week here. So I need to keep all seasons clothing available. Meaning if I were to do 30 pieces per season, my closet would be fuller than it has ever been, which takes away from the whole minimalism aspect.
So, for interested parties who have read this far, this is how I have done my "capsule" wardrobe. I again repeat that I am not fashionable in the least. My clothes are boring at best and I'm sure there are plenty of people who look at my every day attire and could critique the heck out of what I wear. But, I'm not here to win a prize for cutest part time music store employee/mom, I'm just sharing how my wardrobe simplifies my life.
To get started, I sat down and asked a bunch of questions.
1. How often do I want to do laundry and how many times can I wear things before they need washed? I based my entire number of items off of this. I didn't want to be doing laundry every
day so my wardrobe was "simpler", because that would be a pain, a waste of water and not at all simpler.
2. What do I do in a day, what kind of clothes work for that? I walk every day and spend a majority of my time at home on the floor with a little boy playing cars. I cook, clean house, help customers, etc. Again, heels aren't working for me. Neither are short skirts or other clothing that is difficult to move in.
3. What styles do I like? There are plenty of styles of shirt to choose from, but I know the kinds I like. What neckline do I think is flattering on me? do I like long tops? Tight or loose fitting? What are things I like about certain pants? I only allow things that I like what I look like in my closet. I'm my biggest critique (ask my husband, I'm pretty terrible to myself) so if I don't like what I look like, it either won't get worn or I will feel gross all day. Might as well be something I think I look good in every day.
4. Along those lines, what do I like to wear when I don't feel good about myself? Let's be real, at least for girls, we can look in the mirror one day and think we are hot stuff and the next day wonder why we're so bloated and gross. I do my best to find clothes that I feel comfortable in, even on those days (so no super tight tops for me!).
5. What is my favorite neutral color? GRAY. Many of my clothes are gray. My main pair of shoes, most shirts, some bottoms. Gray.
6. What are two or three colors that go with the neutral color that I look good in and like? For me, burgundy and navy. If it isn't gray, it's one of these two. There is only one exception to this (a lighter blue tank top that was supposed to be navy, isn't, but still felt great wearing it) in my day to day clothing. Boring? Most likely. Easy to put together? YES.
After all that, for me, I listed everything that I own that fit these guidelines-- and ditched the rest. It worked out to about 5 cool temperature tops and bottoms and 5 cold weather tops and bottoms, or close to it.
Please note; This list does not include two types of clothing--work out gear (of which I have 2 of every kind of seasonal item [2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs winter leggings, that sort of thing]) and lounge wear, because I don't wear sweatpants every day (at least, not in public...).
My last and final question is do I feel good about it. Is it quality (am I going to have to replace this item often?), does it hold it's shape/fit well, and most importantly, does it hold my values.
Yes, I care about where my clothes come from. I want my wardrobe to be as ethical as possible-- I don't want to give into slave labor or poor environmental choices when there are plenty of other options out there. Pact, Threads 4 Thought, Prana, Patagonia, Columbia, North Face, Allen Allen... there are plenty of companies that make it a priority to provide clothing that last and that don't exploit. This doesn't mean that a few don't slip in... Silver jeans fit me best and I am not sure about their policies. And I have a skirt from Old Navy that I have owned for at least 6 years if not more that is still in good shape so I'm going to wear that puppy until it falls apart. A lot of my athletic gear, which has held up surprisingly well, is of the cheap Wal*Mart/Old Navy variety.
So if you have ever found yourself wondering why you see me wearing the same clothes over and over again, this is why. I might be boring, I may not be the cutest person in town, but since making this change I have never found an instance where I had "nothing to wear" or couldn't easily pick out a top and bottom to go together.
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