How did I come up with a summer capsule wardrobe after all this time? Well, during the #99daysofsummerstyle, I decided to take a break from tracking my clothes. Not for good, just for the challenge. I normally keep a simple spreadsheet on my desk with a list of all the items in my closet. Each time I wear something in real life, I make a tally mark next to it.
It’s been an incredibly eye-opening experience over the past 2 years. Things that I feel like I wear “all the time” still take a year (or longer) to reach 30 wears. For this challenge, I wanted to do things a little differently. So I waited until the end of the 99 days to tally up all my wears. Then I’d see what I ended up wearing the most.
Honestly, when it was all said and done, I was a little disappointed in myself. Even with my self-proclaimed expertise tracking my clothes, in my head I still felt like I was wearing the same things over and over and over. And I became really bored along the way. In turn, I ended up trying to wear ALL THE CLOTHES, instead of focusing on the key items that were working and building a true summer capsule. That means a lot of garments only got worn once or twice.
I’m certainly glad that I wore what I have, but I wish I had taken more of a capsule approach and tried to remix just my favorite items. I like to think it would’ve helped me hone in on my summer capsule style and maybe been more of a rewarding experience at the end of it all. Of course, there were certain items that got worn a lot more than others, so I’ve compiled the highlights for you here:
SOFT TEE / POCKET TEE / old white tank (SIMILAR) / CHAMBRAY
homemade tie front top (SIMILAR) / LINEN BUTTON UP / DENIM JACKET
thrifted black shorts (SIMILAR) / WHITE SHORTS / thrifted tan shorts (SIMILAR) / old cutoffs (SIMILAR)
COTTON PANTS / SKINNY JEANS / secondhand kickout crop jean (SIMILAR)
JUMPSUIT / handmade linen dress (SIMILAR) / handmade stripe dress (TUTORIAL)
TEVAS / BIG BUCKLE BIRKS / SUEDE BIRKS / SLIDES
One thing I wasn’t anticipating as I got older was that I would continue to struggle with my personal style. Since turning 40, I have been really frustrated. I am bored easily and I don’t feel like what I have reflects who I am anymore. But… who am I? That’s something I haven’t been able to answer for myself. I even went to Nordstrom Rack a few months ago to try on a bunch of things and see if anything clicked. Um… no.
One part of me wants to turn into an athleisure queen, while the other part of me just wants classic and simple grown up clothes. I actually googled “how to dress like a grown woman” the other day, if that gives you any idea where my brain is at. Maybe I need some high heel clogs and a blazer. Does that sound like me? IDK! It would be a lot easier if I wasn’t so easily distracted by pretty things in every genre of clothing — some people call it eclectic. But damn. I love clothes. All of them. For a minute, anyway.
And that’s the opposite of where I want to be! I’m not crazy about this seemingly superficial part of myself that puts so much emphasis on personal style. I’ve worked so hard to change my shopping habits and make more responsible choices. Why do these old urges to re-haul my wardrobe still come back? Why do I keep buying things that I think I’ll wear until I’m dead, only to grow tired of it in a few months? And most importantly, what part of my life and self esteem am I struggling with that makes me think shopping will help?
Regardless of the outcome of the challenge, this is where we’re at. I now just want to think about how I’ll approach Fall differently. With our warm weather, I know the summer clothes ain’t going anywhere. But I’d be curious if I went back to a capsule wardrobe, like circa 2014 (!!!) if I would feel more satisfied overall.
What are your thoughts on capsule wardrobes?
loves,
jaana
I am a big fan of Andrea’s Season and salt. I came across your name there, and opened up your site. My question is, do you ever sell any of the dresses and tops you make ? Do you accept orders ? Your outfits are absolutely adorable. I prefer loose dresses. Thank you.
Anju Chawda
Hi Anju! I do sell pieces every now and then on Poshmark. Unfortunately I don’t take custom orders because I don’t know how to make different sizes! LOL 🙂 Thanks for checking!
I don’t know if shipping always has to have a deep psychological root—low self esteem, etc. Reading the book “The Power of Habit” unintentionally gave me a new perspective on my urge to shop. I think it’s boredom. It’s the desire for a little rush. The author defines habits as having a cue, a process, and a reward (or something like that), and basically breaks down how to deal with each part. I still like to shop (too much) but it was the most helpful insight I’ve had into my shopping, and the most helpful for creating more mindful habits.
It is interesting to hear your thoughts on this. I have always felt that there were so many different aspects to my personality, that I didn’t want to be narrowed down to just one “track”, you know?
So I look at it as having different “genres” and try to pare each genre down to the best bits.
Another way to look at it maybe?
🙂 Erin