Glitter & Grace

Today, I’m stopping in to chat about how my capsule wardrobe experiment is going. I’ve been wearing my summer capsule for about 6 weeks now, meaning that this season is already halfway over! I hope you’ve been enjoying my outfit posts. I’m certainly having fun writing about my favorite items of clothing. Through the process of choosing the pieces for my capsule, assembling each outfit, and writing these posts for you, I’ve already learned a lot about my own sense of style. Here are a few things I’ve realized, and what’s surprised me most about this process.

• Getting dressed in the morning is so much easier. I knew that limiting my wardrobe to only 29 pieces would give me fewer options, but the truly remarkable difference comes from the fact that I really like every item I’ve included. I look forward to wearing each piece, so I no longer debate or fret about what to wear. This makes it easy to choose an outfit in just a couple of seconds: I simply scan the items, grab whatever strikes my fancy, throw on a pair of shoes, and head out for my day.
• I’m not bored yet. With only four pairs of pants, I was afraid I’d get tired of my selection in just a week or two. But even six weeks later, I’m still not bored. Maybe it’s because I’m a creature of habit, but I’m actually really enjoying wearing just a few clothes often. In fact, I reach for the same pair of blue jeans practically every day. At first, I worried that I might be over-wearing certain pieces, like those jeans, my white cardigan, or my black ballet flats. But I’m realizing that this simply means I choose my items well. It’s exciting to feel like I’m really putting my purchases to good use; for the first time in quite a while, I’m actually wearing some things out.
• I’m realizing what I love. With fewer options available, I’ve developed a few mix-and-match uniforms that I often turn to, like a cardigan with skinny jeans or a slouchy sweater over a sundress. This has given me a better sense of the items that I love to wear and feel great in. Before, when I had many more pieces to choose from, it was harder to see these patterns and really understand my own preferences – all the so-so items simply got in the way. Now, with a better sense of the items I’ll get the most use out of, I know future shopping expeditions will become easier and more successful.
• And, I’m realizing what I don’t love. To be honest, a few of the pieces I included in this capsule haven’t gotten much wear at all. That’s ok though, I don’t regret including them. This has helped me gain a better sense of what might be appealing in the abstract, but not exactly practical for an ordinary day. When devising my next capsule, I’ll be sure to think long and hard about exactly why I haven’t gravitated towards some of the items in this one.

I’ll definitely be keeping these lessons in mind as I plan my fall wardrobe. I’m just beginning to think about this next capsule – starting with Pinterest inspiration and shopping lists. This time around I’ll share with you some glimpses into my process, in case you’re interested in experimenting with a capsule wardrobe yourself.

*This post is part of a series about my summer capsule wardrobe. Read more about it here.*