Capsule Wardrobe - Where To Start

I have been a total bookworm lately. Not having a phone has made a HUGE change in the reading department. A few of the books that I have finished lately that have sparked a change in my thinking have been:

Simplify
The No Brainer Wardrobe
Saying Goodbye To Survival Mode

Along with the books have been websites/YouTube channels/blog posts:

YouTube Channels:
Carrie LeighAnna
The Mommy Archives
Light By Coco


Websites:
Project 333
How To Live In The Land Of Enough - Space

All of these things combined have inspired me to *attempt* to do something pretty drastic...  I am going to create a capsule wardrobe for myself.

The main idea behind a capsule wardrobe is having a very small collection of items that are mostly timeless, high quality pieces which are completely interchangeable.  I am still wrapping my head around it all because there is a lot more to it than that but from what I have gathered, I know it is something I am going to love once I am able to truly implement it.

Since discovering this concept, the most overwhelming thing has been the same exact as any other undertaking I have taken on.  Where in the world do I start?!?  I had a very similar feeling to when I decided I wanted to cloth diaper, when I wanted to start beekeeping, when we were given 7 acres of family land and then had to choose the forever location of our house, etc.  All of these examples are varying degrees of  grand scheme significance yet they all produced that same overwhelming feeling.  So, as with everything else, I turned to research.  Everything I have read and heard says that the first step (besides a MAJOR closet purge) is determining your style.  I came across something (can't remember where... The No Brainer Wardrobe book perhaps?) that suggested looking at your Pinterest style board as a place to start (if you don't have one, make one and pin your heart out with anything and everything you like).  Another source (Light by CoCo maybe?) suggested to look at your hamper before you do laundry.  Those two places will help you determine the style/silhouette/color scheme/etc. that you are looking for.

So that is what I did.  I seem to pin a lot of pastels, florals, items with crochet details or bows, flowing skirts, etc.  I suppose my style is pretty girly...  This exercise also let me know that I hardly have anything in my closet that fits this description.  It has been a LONG time since I have purchased clothes and since I am turning 31 this month and am now a mother of two, it is about time that I build a big girl wardrobe

Another source recommended going over to a website called Polyvore and creating an inspiration board once you have an idea of your guidelines.  You are supposed to start with neutral basics (jeans, camisoles, simple v-neck T's, etc.) These basics should be of higher quality and are the "timeless" pieces.  Then you are supposed to add accent pieces for the season for which you are building your capsule in a couple of colors.  For this warmer season I have chosen mint and peach to go along with neutrals of white, nude and navy blue. These items can be a little trendy if you wish and can be purchased at less expensive stores (Old Navy, Forever 21, H&M, etc) because they will most likely be consigned/donated and replaced more often as styles change.  Lastly, you add outer layers (cardigans, jackets, etc) as well as accessories (shoes, bags, jewelry, etc)  Each time you add an item you are supposed to consider the wardrobe you are building and whether or not the item can mix and match with almost everything else.  The end result will provide you with a no brainer wardrobe with very few pieces yet tons of possibilities.  It also makes shopping easier because you keep your "rules" in mind and if a piece that draws your eye does not fit within them you simply put it back.

Faster and easier shopping trips and quick outfit selection are right up this busy mama's alley and I really hope I can pull this challenge together!  Here is the inspiration board that I made on the Polyvore website today:

Spring/Summer Capsule by sarahl0423 

I printed it out and pinned it to my Pinterest style board (for whenever I have a phone again...) so that I can reference it while I am out and about.  This is just inspiration so I am not necessarily planning on getting these exact pieces and there is always the possibility of finding other pieces that fit within my rules that could replace one of the ideas on here.  I already have several of the pieces and the plan is to collect a couple more pieces every couple of weeks (after pay day) until I have built my first capsule wardrobe.  I am going to purchase new velvet hangers in a fixed number.  My plan with those is to fill them all and if a new item comes in and needs a hanger, I have to donate an item to free up the hanger.  The Project 333 (linked above) challenge has you switch out items every 3 months.  I may do it by warm season and cold season with transition (or layering) items that would stay out all year.  Who knows where I'll end up with this but it seems like a fun challenge for now!

Do you have a capsule wardrobe?  If so, how do you like it?  If not, want to take on the challenge with me??

~Sarah

(I see that the format of this post is off.  Polyvore has a feature where I can send sets that I create on the site over to my Blog but they must not adjust to my specific format.  I will see what I can do to fix it.  In the meantime, sorry if you can't read some of it!!)

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Starting Our Orchard"
Two years ago today: "An Extra Day"
And three years ago today: "We're In Trouble"