My first capsule period is coming to an end and I wanted to share what I’ve learned this round!

The first month was fantastic. Maybe it was just because we were in the process of moving but what a treat it was for me to proclaim proudly, “My whole wardrobe is in one suitcase!” (It was a huge suitcase, but it was one suitcase. Just let me have my victory here.) I loved that it only took me a short while to organize my new closet and I still had a lot of extra space after. Getting dressed in the morning was exponentially easier and I was more creative when dressing. Often times before bed or in the morning before I actually got up, I’d check the weather and then scroll through the Pureple app, choosing my outfit without having to touch my clothes. In terms of shopping, I didn’t feel tempted too often. I knew the reward would be sweet in August when I got to start planning my new capsule and that kept me disciplined. I also got sale emails to flow into my junk mail. This helped a lot with avoiding temptation.

I hit a bit of a wall at the beginning of July. It was absurdly hot every day and I started feeling limited with my options. I had one pair of dressy shorts in my capsule and four pairs of pants. Seriously?! What was I thinking? It’s funny because when I look back on the capsule now, it feels quite Spring-y to me, which makes sense because I chose it then. It definitely isn’t peak Summer appropriate though. My favorite thing to wear in Summer has always been maxi dresses and yet I only included two, both black, in my capsule, which left me resorting to those a lot. Also, because my hot weather options were pretty dressy, I ended up wearing mostly workout clothes on my days off. Not exactly my goal. Oops.

I started to panic. I realized that I hadn’t made the best choices in this capsule, but I also didn’t want to feel unprepared for the rest of the Summer. I decided that this was my first capsule and it was okay that it wasn’t perfect. I’m still learning! My solution: I allowed myself to pick out three versatile maxi dresses and traded those for three of the less than appropriate items I had originally chosen. I decided to store them until Fall when they will be more useful.

In general this has already made me a better shopper. I am a lot more selective and am definitely becoming more of a “quality versus quantity” person. I also feel that I understand my own style and taste a lot better so I don’t settle for pieces that won’t suit me.

Did I miss any of the many things I donated? Two maxi dresses, specifically, but I reminded myself that although I had liked them, neither of them had fit me properly and I knew that I had done the right thing.

All in all, this way of living is incredibly satisfying to me. It has eliminated emotional shopping and makes everything, from dressing to closet organizing to packing for trips so much easier.

Things I wished I had included:

Another tank or two

A more casual pair of longer shorts

More casual dresses

Things I could have done without:

The polka dot blouse

The plaid shirt

The pants

 

Lessons learned:

Think about what you’ll actually want to wear in the season you’re planning for. Looking back on my Summer capsule choices I feel like I didn’t take into consideration the REALLY hot days, and there were many; I didn’t have enough options for those in my downtime and then I resorted to workout wear more than I would have liked. It wasn’t that hot when I planned my capsule so it was hard for me to envision what I’d need.

If you don’t LOVE something in your capsule, you will not wear it. That polka dot blouse? It was in my donation pile twice and for some reason I saved it and added it to my capsule, where it sat unworn the whole time.

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get it right the first time. If you realize you could have chosen better and it’s impacting the wear-ability of your closet, there are lots of ways to rectify things while still benefiting from the practice. Live and learn!

Now on to planning my September-November capsule.

Fall fashion is my very favorite so I am stoked!

Closet photo via Pinterest