Ahh, I’ve missed this. The last capsule I planned and shopped for was for Fall 2015. I had a lot of fun with that one and it really solidified the benefits of the practice itself for me. Choosing outfits from a streamlined closet of coordinating pieces that you love just makes life easier. Fall was fun; then Winter came. I had a Ton of Winter-y clothes in storage and decided that I could get through the season with what I already had. However when I actually pulled those pieces out of storage, I wasn’t excited about many of them and the majority didn’t work together at all, with mismatched colors, random patterns and a ton of grey. This made for a season of limited outfits I wasn’t super happy in.

Now it’s Spring. We’re in the throes of wedding planning and a new capsule hardly seemed like a priority. I pulled out all of my clothes again at the beginning of March and did another mini overhaul with what I had but I knew I needed to just bite the bullet and buy a few things. It may seem superficial, but fashion is a form of self-expression for me and I’ve learned that if I neglect it for whatever reason I just end up down in the dumps. The good news? Capsule wardrobes have made me a much smarter shopper and it didn’t take me long to decide on a short shopping list, keeping in mind what I already had and looking back on my 2015 capsules as a reminder on what did and didn’t work for me previously.

Here’s the thing; I could pretty much choose 30 maxi dresses for this capsule and that would be all I need. I love them. They are comfortable, easy to wear and work in a multitude of ways. Hot day? Throw it on and go. Cooler weather? Put a cardigan over it. Beach day?  Wear it over your bathing suit. Wedding? Put on heels and throw on a blazer in the evening. That said, I still like a little variety, especially because our weather is unpredictable and so I chose a few bottoms and tops. A big lesson to keep in mind here; do what works for YOU. I love the look of capsule collages filled with separates but that just isn’t what I like to wear myself and I’ve learned that if I don’t love it, it doesn’t get worn.

After looking at what I had to work with I decided I could use 2 or 3 new dresses, a few basic tanks and a pair of capri leggings. I had one super successful afternoon of shopping and I found everything I needed. I will still keep my eye out for one more dress though. I had a harder time with the color story for this season because most of the maxis are colors and prints that don’t coordinate. That said, I don’t ever wear a maxi dress with anything but a neutral topper of some kind so I didn’t worry about that too much. Here is what I came up with for a color story:

And here are the pieces I’ve chosen. Keep in mind that for many of these items I had to choose the closest looking image I could find. The visuals are a bit painful to create but I also find them helpful for outfit inspiration, so until I find better way, here it is:

Dresses:

• 3/4 Sleeve Black Maxi
• Army Green Shirt Dress (purchased for this capsule)
• Black Caftan
• Grey Tank Maxi
• Chambray Shirt Dress
• Sleeveless Black Maxi
• Blue Ikat Maxi
• Blue Floral Maxi
• Pink Floral Maxi
• Cobalt Blue Maxi (purchased for this capsule)
• Black and White Printed Maxi

Toppers:

• Lightweight Black Cardigan
• Jean Jacket
• Black Shrug
• Green Print Kimono
• Black Drape Blazer

Bottoms:

• Black Capri Legging (purchased for this capsule)
• Distressed Boyfriend Jean
• Dark Skinny Jean
• Printed Soft Pant
• Black Full Length Legging
• Hot Pink Midi Skirt
• Black Midi Skirt

Tops:

• Nirvana Concert Tee
• Gray Tank (purchased for this capsule)
• Navy Graphic Tank
• ¾ Sleeve Black Graphic Tee
• ¾ Sleeve Gray Tunic (purchased for this capsule)
• Army Green Tank (purchased for this capsule)
• Black Tank
• Fleetwood Mac Concert Tee

As usual, I took photos of everything and uploaded it in my Pureple app and now I’m all set! I’ll let you know how I make out this time around.