Here we are at the 4th Spring that I have made a Capsule Wardrobe. When I write it down like that, it doesn’t seem too long, but think about it, that means I’ve made 16 Capsules. Making a capsule each season is something I look forward to, and I don’t think, until I have pared down my clothes to only have 1 small wardrobe, that I’ll ever go back to a conventional closet. Spring is always a special marker for me, bc it was the first season that I ever started a capsule.
This Spring will be a weird one. We’ve had an early Spring here on the East Coast of USA (thanks groundhog!) but the weather was still rainy and grey in the beginning of April. I was all set to go thru absolutely all my clothes in the beginning of March, picking items to wear to work, wear out and about and wear at home, since those are the places that I mostly am.
Or was. Once we got our stay at home order, my idea for this capsule changed. I didn’t feel that I needed to go thru everything before the month my capsule started. I also didn’t feel the need to have my capsule complete and set my the beginging of the spring season. I’ve been slowly swapping out items, seeing what I’m drawn to wearing, and what makes me feel great now that I’m spending my time differently than I thought I would be.
One of the main ideas of having a capsule is having a complete wardope that makes it easy to get ready every day. Having a limited amount of items that all go together make it very easy to not think too hard about what one is going to wear every day. To choose these items, I go by season and weather, by where I plan to be and what I plan to be doing, and how I’m feeling at the time of making the Capsule (this might effect color and style choice). taking into consideration I might be out of work and isolating (with my husband, of course, ) for a while (perhaps the whole capsule?), here’s what I’ve come up with:
8 pants - Grey wool slacks (thrifted and vintage), green holey jeans (thrifted), everlane blue (ethical, sustainable), everlane button grey (ethical, sustainable), blue linen sailor (thrifted, vintage), tan pleated (thifted, vintage), engineer (thrifted), mens levis (thrifted).
4 dresses - grey sweatshirt (10+ years), burnout (hand me down), silver eileen fisher (thrifted, ethical , sustainable), blue denim (thrifted).
2 skirts - black tea length (8+ years), black leather (thrifted, vintage).
10 sweaters - Cropped mock neck (thrifted), confetti (thrifted), grey wool (thrifted), black and white (8+ years), black holey (5+ years), anchors (thrifted), teal (5+ years), grey cardigan (vintage, hand me down), green cardigan (vintage, hand me down), cashmere (thrifted).
5 long sleeved tops - striped henley (10+ years), blue button down (hand me down), grey lace sweatshirt (thrifted), cropped with elbow patch (clothing swap), grey waffle (8+ years),
3 tops - sheer patterned (thrifted), cropped floral (thrifted), grey waffle (8+ years).
9 t shirts - ford crop (vintage, thrifted), pachyderm (local artist, 8+ years), pizza! (work shirt, local, 4+ years), green v neck (ethical, 10+years), green crew (ethical, 10+ years), grey crew (ethical, 10+ years), minutemen (10+ years), spiritualized (band t, 10+ years, artist), happy bday sandwiches (homemade by a stanger, thrifted).
3 tanks - grey (10+ years), black crop (10+ years), TBD.
4 shoes - floran vans, flops (ethical, recycled), velcro vans (3+ years), blue/black vans (thrifted).
So this season’s capsule sits right around 50 pieces, not including outerwear, or incidentals (maybe I want to wear some boots, but prob not). Spring is a tough month already, bc one never knows what the weather will be, but factoring in the wild changes in the world, it’s almost impossible to tell what will be most used. I tried to go with a lot of my favorite items for this capsule, but also comfort was key. Sweaters, easy pants, loose dresses are all in the capsule. This Spring I also have an honorable mentions pile. This is something I have never done. It consists of clothes that I wear, but are not really in my capsule, or items that might go in it.
Honorable mention pile - Velvet skirt. This is a short skirt, and I don’t know if I’ll get to use it (hand me down). Floral top. This one needs some modifications for me to wear it. Will I do them in time for this capsule? (vintage, thrifted). Going out PJs. These are 3+ years old, and they are just sweats, but presentable enough to wear to the grocery. Grey slacks. I’m not sure I need these, but if I take to wearing them, I might swap something out of the above capsule (vintage, thrifted). Garden pants. My pants for gardening (thrifted). Silver sweater. I love this very moth eaten sweater, but not sure I’ll wear it for this capsule (10+ years).
What will you be doing over the next three months? Maybe your Spring wardrobe is all loungewear, since you know you’ll be staying home, maybe you are still working and only need professional clothes…
Whatever the case may be, a Capsule Wardrobe can keep you prepared. Are you making one this season?