Tag Archives: capsule wardrobe

Fall/Winter 2016 Capsule Wardrobe

September 24, 2016

New project = Capsule Wardrobe Project

Have you guys ever heard of a capsule wardrobe?  If not, I recommend you learn more about this method of planning your outfits.  A capsule wardrobe is collection of about 30 pieces (including pants, tops, jackets, skirts and shoes) that you wear for a defined period of time, for example Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer.  You choose your outfit combinations only from this group of clothes.  And when the season changes, you review what you have and change out a few key pieces to have a fresh wardrobe for next few months.

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I challenge you right now to go into your closets and count up how many articles of clothing you have.  Go.  Right now.  I bet it’s a lot more than 30 pieces right?  I bet you have clothes from when you were skinnier.  You have clothes that were for a “one time” event.  You have clothes that were a “trend” 5 years ago.  And let me guess, you stand there more than half the time and think “I have NOTHING to wear!”  Well this capsule wardrobe project might be your solution.

The other things I am hoping this project will do for me is:

  1. Better define a more polished style for myself.
  2. Allow me to think more critically about purchases I make.
  3. Always feel good in everything I wear.
  4. Getting rid of clutter in my closet.
  5. Save myself time, money and heartache.

For me, it’s that last bullet that is key.  I am not really the kind of person who enjoys spending hours on end in a department store shopping and searching for clothes.  Especially if I am not sure what i am looking for.  I don’t have the time for that.  Also, I think this will save me money in the long run allowing me to purchase fewer, but better quality items that will last longer.  And finally, I don’t want to have any more heartache/regrets about owning something that I only wore once because it was a trend, or it “would do for now”.  I feel bad looking at that sad lonely piece in my closet that goes with nothing else.  What was the point of the purchase?  I think with this capsule wardrobe plan, I can be more decisive about the clothing choices I make.  I can make better quality choices and only purchase those items that I love to wear.  And what does that do?  It adds to your joy, and more joy means you feel good.

So what have I chosen?  Let me walk you through some of the things I would like to wear in my everyday life (outside of work) this Fall/Winter Season 2016.  I think it maximizes the possible combinations of outfits because almost everything goes with everything else.  It’s new look every day.

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I think a great pair of black jeans, like those up there ^^ are important.  Depending on how you dress them they can look softer or edgier and go from day to night.  Along with black jeans, I also like a classic chambray button down, a red buffalo check button down for that pop of color and of course the classic black and white striped tee.  Very français don’t you think?  Mais oui.  And I really like that black leather moto jacket up there too.  I am feeling like I want to be edgier this season and I think a black leather jacket will work.  Also, it’s a memory of my youth.  The official uniform of Greek people, LOL.  I think every Greek person I know owned or still owns a black leather jacket.  You would think we were a people of Arthur Fonzarellis.

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Next, I think a great pair of blue jeans and 2-3 blazers will add to that pulled together feeling this fall.  I like a great tweed professor blazer, maybe with elbow patches.  In this image you can see it paired with that chambray top I mentioned earlier.  It just makes me feel so smart.  I like a classic navy blazer, alà Kate Middleton.  Look at her up there ^^ in the center.  She is wearing jeans, a striped tee AND a navy blazer.  It all works.  And I also like a grey wool or corduroy blazer to wear with jeans and white tee.  It makes this look feel more “finished”.

The Rule of 3 suggests that things that comes in a set of 3 are always more powerful, aesthetically pleasing and memorable.

The Rule of 3 is something every woman should think about when dressing.  This rule is very easy for guys and is more often than not why they can look “complete” let’s say wearing something as plain as khaki pants, a button down and a tie.  It’s 3 pieces.  It’s complete.  I recommend you try it.  Next time you wear that skirt and button down or jeans and plain white tee shirt.  Think about it for a minute.  How do you feel?  I bet you feel it looks like it’s missing something.  It is!  It’s missing that third piece.  Add a chunky necklace to that button down and skirt.  Add a blazer to that white tee and jeans.  You will immediately feel transformed.

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Other things I want to add for this capsule: long necklaces and brown booties.  I think long necklaces add some interest and details to a grey or white tee shirt.  It can also help you with that “Rule of 3” rule.  Necklaces are the female equivalent of men’s ties.

I also love brown shoes.  Any shade of brown in fact is A-OK with me.  Beige, tan, honey, butterscotch brown, it’s all good.  I think it adds a softer and more natural look than the austerity of black.  The perfect neutral.  Also important for fall I think is a great greenish khaki utility jacket for tooling around town when you run errands and of course the classic white button down.  You can’t go wrong with that and it goes with almost any pair of pants or skirt, ready to be dressed up with a necklace or blazer…mmm-hmmm.  Rule of 3.

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And I can I talk a minute about this woman’s style up there ^^ with the chambray shirt?  Wow.  This is the ultimate in flexibility of a piece and shows you exactly the point of a capsule wardrobe.  So you can take this chambray shirt and “dress down” with a khaki or tan colored skirt, or make it more “professional” with a great pair of trouser pants or “dress it up” with a skirt in a surprise pop of color.  Very unique and stylish.  I like this.  A lot.

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Finally, I really love grey jeans or grey cords.  It’s different, a little softer, kind of like a very washed out black jean.  And it’s neutral enough to change up your look when let’s say you are matching it withe other pieces in your capsule, like a white or grey tee shirt.  It can also match well with you blazer and leather jacket.  Love all of these options.  I need a cardigan too.  That cream colored one up there in the center matches some nude heels and works great.

If you are looking to work on a similar project to make your fashion life easier, Caroline Joy from Un-Fancy is the QUEEN of this method.  I recommend going to her website for inspiration and tips.  Also Pinterest is a great resource when trying to scout out different pieces and see how they work with different looks.  That’s how I was able to make the image trios in this post.  If I print out the images and tack them on the inside of my closet I have an immediate reference to how the inventory of clothes I have work together.  I think it’s worth the effort.

So let’s build a Capsule Wardrobe recipe.  Here is what I am looking for this Fall/Winter season of 2016.

What will you include in your capsule wardrobe?  What’s your style?

Tell me in the comments below =)


Fall/Winter 2016 Capsule Wardrobe

Ingredients

  1. Black pants/jeans
  2. Blue jeans
  3. Grey jeans or cords
  4. Tan cords/khakis
  5. Trouser pants
  6. Chambray button down
  7. Buffalo check button down
  8. White button down
  9. Navy button down
  10. Black and white striped tee shirt
  11. White tee shirt
  12. Grey tee shirt
  13. Black tee shirt
  14. Graphic tee shirt
  15. Tweed blazer
  16. Navy blazer
  17. Grey cord blazer
  18. Brown booties
  19. Black wedge booties
  20. Animal print flats
  21. Green chuck tailors
  22. Tan skirt
  23. Bright color or print skirt
  24. Black pencil skirt
  25. Cream fisherman’s sweater
  26. Dark grey fine wool knit sweater
  27. Long beige cardigan
  28. Black moto jacket
  29. Khaki utility jacket
  30. Navy pea coat

Mix, match, combine and enjoy a season of no worry fashion.

-Kallie

New Year, New Blog…

January 4, 2015

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A New Blog for the New Year

Today, it’s snowing in Chicago.  The first snow of the season actually.  A perfect day to put on your heavy winter coat, hat, gloves and boots and march over to a cozy cafe to hang out with some friends, read a book or start a new blog over a cappucino or two…or three.  My plan is to start blogging at least once every week and right now seems to be as good a time as any to start this practice.  However, please take note:

THIS IS NOT A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION.

I never liked making new year’s resolutions.  They were always a set up for disappointment because they are too easy to break.  Plus, resolutions are never really original ideas are they?  Isn’t it annoying to go to the gym and find out that hundreds of others had the same resolution as you did, to work out in the new year?  I say skip the resolutions and show up to the gym in mid-February.  Most people will have given up and the gym will be all yours again.

Instead, I say spend the first weeks of January making a list of things or practices that you would like add to your life throughout the year to enhance it and bring you joy.  You might start on the first day of the year with both feet on the ground running.  But what if you started a couple weeks later?  So what?  I say resolve to sit down and make your plan and figure out how to tackle it logically.

Do you want to learn to take better photos with a DSLR camera?  Learn to paint or draw?  Now is the time to research and sign up for a class that will get you there over time.  Do you want to work out more?  Instead of pounding yourself at the gym every day on the treadmill or lifting weights (which is great if that’s your thing), why not commit to a yoga or zumba class once or twice a week.  Small steps are less offensive, more flexible and you are more likely to keep up.  Why burn out by the end of January?  Success comes from having a plan and being consistent.  Also, it comes from not beating yourself up when you miss a workout, or ate something you didn’t plan on.  Accept that you are not perfect and know that tomorrow is a brand new day.

RESET!  Now go!

So, what kind of things should be on your list?  It can be anything, but there is only one rule:  IT SHOULD BRING YOU JOY.  =)  If it doesn’t bring you happiness or make your life better, why do it?

Here are a few things I would like to tackle in the 2015:

1. Learning Italian – I have already taken about a  year’s worth of Italian classes and made some really good friends in class, but now the hard part begins.  The grammar is getting more complicated.  The rules are getting more rigid, and the exceptions to the rules are plentiful.  But I LOVE IT.  It’s always good to keep your mind busy, and learn new things.  It’s how to stay young.  My classes start January 17th on Saturday afternoons.  It will be 4 hours of Italian immersion.  What a great way to escape every day life once a week.

2. Build a Capsule Wardrobe – I saw this concept on Un-fancy and let me tell you, it had my name written all over it.  What a great idea!  How many of us have a closet full of clothes that “will fit in 10 lbs”?  Or a closet full of trends, that are no longer?  Or you just feel like “I have nothing to wear?”  The capsule wardrobe is about minimalism.  It allows you to have about 30-40 pieces of clothes (tops, pants, dresses, jackets and shoes) that you LOVE for every season, with some overlap.  You should be able to mix and match these items and always feel put together and stylish.  I started purging my closet on Friday.  I already feel better.

3. Quitting Sugar – I tried Sarah Wilson’s “I Quit Sugar” program last year and LOVED it.  I lost 12 lbs with hardly any effort.  When has that ever happened?  More importantly, it made me feel good and in control of what I was eating.  It was orderly, well planned and delicious.   I never had to worry about what I was going to eat for breakfast or stress about lunch or dinner, there was already a plan in place.  Eating this way takes out the guess work and reduces the likelihood of making poor choices.  I’m starting the new 8 week program on January 22nd!

So, let’s all have a great New Year and I hope that you will enjoy reading about me as I start on my blogging adventures.  I promise to keep you posted on my 2015 list.  I would love to hear about yours.

Wishing everyone the best for a 2015, full of love, adventure, health and happiness.

– Kallie