Something for Sunday--Capsule Wardrobe

Before I get started, I want to share a couple of pretty, snow photos. We had 4 inches last night. That's pretty unusual for us--especially in March. The temperature is going to remain in the 20's all day today, then up to the 50's tomorrow. 60's by Monday. That's Nashville weather for you!

It's so pretty. It won't last long. The ground is too warm. I hate that it's probably ruined all of my early blooming flowers! Okay, on to my post.

Have you heard of a "capsule wardrobe?" I've heard the term here and there, but never really thought about what it meant. 

Recently, I read an article about it. I think I get it now. A "capsule wardrobe" is a small, curated collection of clothes--usually 30-50 pieces. 

Apparently, there's something called "decision fatigue." Some people just have a problem or are tired of figuring out what to wear. So, the "capsule wardrobe" was invented.

I don't have a problem with deciding what to wear. I don't know about you, but often, I choose my footwear first. Maybe I want to wear my cute red shoes today--which totally depends on what I'm doing as one pair is not all that comfortable--I guess they should go, but they are so cute! The uncomfortable ones are the Talbots on the right. I wear those when I'm not going to be walking a lot. The others are very comfortable. 

If I choose them, then I will build my outfit around them. 

Or I might start with my earrings. If I'm in the mood to wear my new, London map earrings that are a light aqua,

then I'll go from there. My outfit comes together pretty quickly after that. Of course, it's easier since I have my closet sorted by color.

In creating your "capsule wardrobe", the first thing you are supposed to do is pare down your closet and keep only the things you really love. That happened automatically for me when I lost weight. 

This is what I'm down to in the way of jeans and pants. It's really enough! They say that by paring down, you save time and money. I get the time, but the money was already spent. If you can resist--ahem, like I've done--and not buy more, then that saves money!

Supposedly, cleaning out your closet gives you a sense of relief from brain fog. I'm not sure about that, but I know it gives me great joy! I like things neat and organized. 

So in a nutshell, here's what to do:

1. Take stock of what you have. By taking stock, you'll see right away if you have a penchant for a particular color. 

2. Pay attention to what you wear. A good idea is to put all of your hangers in the same direction. Then, when you wear something, hang it backwards. After a month, you'll see what you wear most. To be clear, I've never done this, but I keep saying that I'm going to. I'll let you know if I do.

3. Challenge yourself to pare down to that 30-50 pieces based on what you actually wear. Do you really need 20 pairs of black pants/jeans? Or 15 pink tops?  Okay, I might be able to pare down to 30-50 pieces if I only count pants, tops, and sweaters. 

I probably have 30 scarves alone! Do I need 30 scarves? Probably not, but I do wear them. I need to do the backward hanger thing on my scarves. There are plenty I don't wear. Still, I'm not sure I'm ready to part with them. Plus I have the space. Remember what I always say--"if you have the space, you will fill it up. You'll keep things you wouldn't if you didn't have the space!"--and that's the truth!

Sidenote: Okay, I had to stop and go count the scarves. OMGosh! I have 43. And I'm not getting rid of a single one! When I decided to put them on hangers in order to see them better, I went through them. I don't remember how many I got rid of, but I'm glad I did. I should definitely do the hanger trick on my scarves. 

4. Discover your style. By paring down, you'll see how you prefer to dress. I know that I prefer the layered look--jeans or pants, tops, sweaters, jackets and scarves. In fact, I actually have some outfits already put together. That way, I don't forget I have a particular scarf that works perfectly with certain things. Please, just don't tell me your style is all t-shirts!! I mean logo t-shirts--not knit shirts. Those are a staple in my wardrobe!

5. Determine the ratio of what you need based on your lifestyle. Do you stay home 80% of the time in loungewear? Then 80% of your wardrobe should be loungewear. 

Oh hell, no! I think that would be way too depressing to have a closet full of sweatpants. I have knit pants that I consider my "around the house" pants. Still, I'll put a nicer top on with a sweater and earrings--most of the time if I'm staying home. Really that depends on whether I put makeup on for the day. Sometimes I don't if I'm not going anywhere. I DO NOT want to look at a closet full of knit pants!

6. Keep on top of your "capsule." Whatever you find that you no longer wear, you need to discard it rather than keeping it. You need to make an effort to just keep what you use. 

Okay, this sounds all well and good. But, I do admit, I like to have choices. I don't have a problem, deciding. Nor does that make me fatigued. I'm stronger than that!! There's no way I would let my closet get the better of me!