Capsule Wardrobe Update
I've written a little in the past about my experiments with a capsule wardrobe and thought it was time for an update (see here for past posts). I guess this update starts as far back as last winter, which is further back than I realized! I was considering the state of my clothes. And the fact that I was still thinking about it a decent amount was an indication for me that things were not going as smoothly as I wanted. I wasn't completely comfortable with the clothes I had, I felt like I still had some things I wasn't that interested in, and missing things I was interested in. Although, what exactly I was missing was not clear to me. It turns out it can be difficult to choose exactly what you want without trial and error, and I was getting a bit tired of that part. I just wanted it all to be settled.
In my frustration and quest for something even simpler, I started thinking about wearing a uniform, which is an idea I came across while reading about capsule wardrobes. It doesn't necessarily mean wearing the exact same thing every day, although it can, but wearing the same style of thing every day. A lot of people wear jeans and a t-shirt as a uniform. They wear that same idea every day. For a lot of reasons, I am not a jeans and t-shirt kind of person. Which begged the question, what sort of person am I?
Finding this question was much more difficult than finding the answer, which was hanging in my closet. I just consulted my most favorite outfit to wear, which was a black and white polka dot shirt dress that I wore with leggings. I realized I would wear that every day if I let myself. So I did.
That was probably six months ago and I'm still feeling pretty good about my breakthrough. I only wear dresses now, and my life is so much easier, and I'm very pleased about it. I don't have to worry any more about matching things, I just pick whatever dress I feel like wearing. As it gets cold, I can add leggings, long sleeves and sweaters. And SCARVES!!!
Packing for our road trip was super simple. I never once felt like I had forgotten to pack something, or that I had over-packed. I actually didn't know that this was a possible state to achieve.
A note about buying dresses: When I first started this experiment I just rotated through the few dresses in my closet, to get a feel for things and see if I really liked it. It became clear pretty quickly that this was my meant-to-be path. I've found that the Goodwill (our local thrift store) is the best place to get dresses. It's easy to shop there, all the dresses are on one rack. Plus, they aren't limited to whatever is currently in style, so you get a choice of lots of styles and colors. I've been very successful in finding dresses that fit well, mostly I think because I've tried on such a variety, a variety you wouldn't find in any store.
Now that I've tried on so many I know what I'm looking for and can weed out most options without a second glance. I don't do strappy or strapless because it's too stressful. I prefer above the knee, the shorter the better, either with a straight shift cut or with a high waist. Pockets are key. Why anyone bothers to make anything without pockets is a mystery to me.
So that's my story, for now at least. Although, I'm feeling pretty content, and I would be surprised if things changed anytime soon. I know several of you experimented with various things after my last posts, I'm curious how things are going for you now. Leave a comment below, or if you want to have a bit more involved conversation, meet me here.
Blog By
About Me
Hi There! I’m Marisa Lerin and you’ll see me around at DigitalScrapbook.com a lot. I started this site in 2010 soon after I discovered a new love in digital scrapbooking. DigitalScrapbook.com has gone through some significant changes since that time and it’s grown into this lovely community site you are seeing now. I am daily surprised by the turn of life’s events that has led me down this path. If you're new to the site, welcome! Here are a few tidbits about me that I hope will help you get to know me better!
I’m originally from Minnesota, USA, but spent a good chunk of my childhood living abroad (in Bolivia and Hong Kong). I returned to Minnesota to attend university, got married and then moved overseas again (Korea, then Jordan and 1 year of traveling). My designs are heavily influenced by these many nomadic years. I am currently back in the USA, now living in the great state of Oregon!
I have no official training for what I’m doing, since I decided very wisely (haha) to study physics in university. I am always learning new things about digital scrapbooking, and this community has been immensely helpful for that!
If I manage to stop digital scrapbooking you will probably find me watching TV, reading or baking. I also enjoy writing for the blog here at DigitalScrapbook.com where I talk about whatever happens to be catching my fancy at the moment.
Monthly archive
- November 2012 (9)
- December 2012 (37)
- January 2013 (17)
- February 2013 (13)
- March 2013 (20)
- April 2013 (26)
- May 2013 (29)
- June 2013 (9)
- July 2013 (8)
- August 2013 (13)
- September 2013 (16)
- October 2013 (14)
- November 2013 (16)
- December 2013 (12)
- January 2014 (15)
- February 2014 (9)
- March 2014 (15)
- April 2014 (11)
- May 2014 (4)
- June 2014 (9)
- July 2014 (8)
- August 2014 (7)
- September 2014 (8)
- October 2014 (13)
- November 2014 (6)
- December 2014 (3)
- January 2015 (13)
- February 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (14)
- April 2015 (13)
- May 2015 (12)
- June 2015 (11)
- July 2015 (10)
- August 2015 (8)
- September 2015 (7)
- October 2015 (10)
- November 2015 (8)
- December 2015 (10)
- January 2016 (7)
- February 2016 (6)
- March 2016 (8)
- April 2016 (7)
- May 2016 (8)
- June 2016 (8)
- July 2016 (6)
- August 2016 (5)
- September 2016 (8)
- October 2016 (8)
- November 2016 (11)
- December 2016 (7)
- January 2017 (6)
- February 2017 (12)
- March 2017 (10)
- April 2017 (7)
- May 2017 (9)
- June 2017 (9)
- July 2017 (10)
- August 2017 (7)
- September 2017 (11)
- October 2017 (8)
- November 2017 (9)
- December 2017 (8)
- January 2018 (8)
- February 2018 (8)
- March 2018 (8)
- April 2018 (4)
- May 2018 (9)
- June 2018 (9)
- July 2018 (4)
- August 2018 (5)
- September 2018 (13)
- October 2018 (19)
- November 2018 (18)
- December 2018 (14)
- January 2019 (23)
- February 2019 (20)
- March 2019 (17)
- April 2019 (14)
- May 2019 (17)
- June 2019 (14)
- July 2019 (8)
- August 2019 (3)
- September 2019 (14)
- October 2019 (17)
- November 2019 (16)
- December 2019 (6)
- January 2020 (14)
- February 2020 (20)
- March 2020 (16)
- April 2020 (18)
- May 2020 (19)
- June 2020 (16)
- July 2020 (8)
- August 2020 (5)
- September 2020 (8)
- October 2020 (10)
- November 2020 (10)
- December 2020 (7)
- January 2021 (4)
- February 2021 (9)
- March 2021 (8)
- April 2021 (7)
- May 2021 (7)
- June 2021 (7)
- July 2021 (10)
- August 2021 (7)
- September 2021 (8)
- October 2021 (5)
- November 2021 (7)
- December 2021 (6)
- January 2022 (5)
- February 2022 (7)
- March 2022 (9)
- April 2022 (6)
- May 2022 (7)
- June 2022 (4)
- July 2022 (2)
- August 2022 (1)
- September 2022 (3)
- October 2022 (6)
- November 2022 (4)
- December 2022 (6)
- January 2023 (4)
- February 2023 (5)
- March 2023 (6)
- April 2023 (5)
- May 2023 (5)
- June 2023 (5)
- July 2023 (5)
- August 2023 (5)
- September 2023 (5)
- October 2023 (4)
- November 2023 (4)
- December 2023 (5)
- January 2024 (4)
- February 2024 (5)
- March 2024 (5)
- April 2024 (3)
- May 2024 (3)
- June 2024 (1)
Recent Comments
I love this! I definitely want to reduce the amount of clothing I have (part of the problem is I have so many costumes, dress-up, Burning Man style clothes and they're hard to let go of - "But what if someday there's a Western themed party and I don't have my cowgirl outfit?"). I still like jeans and t-shirts for weekends and traveling, but for work it has been huge to switch to only dresses. All my dresses are so comfortable and easy to wear, and not having to match skirts and tops has been revolutionary!
Thanks @Marisa, I'll definitely check it out and chime in :) I love this topic.
Thanks for all the comments ladies!
@Ania: I actually just mentioned my accessories in the forum post: https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/forums/general/chit-chat/capsule-wardrobe
This was great to read. My capsule wardrobe doesn't feel quite right yet either. I love the idea of a uniform. Mind you, I do wear a uniform to work everyday as a nurse, but at home I would love to figure out my favorite type of outfit and start fresh from there. Thank you for sharing your insight and motivating me to try again.
I have also wanted to create my own capsule wardrobe but have also had difficulties figuring it out. This is a great approach (picking one favorite thing to wear and starting from that point). Thanks for the post. I'm going to give this a try!
I've kind of been in the same boat as you...and my capsule wardrobe has grown, just a little....I can't do as few as the original concept wants BUT it is still much smaller than it has been! And I probably could parse some more out. I do find myself still wearing the same things and never have been a dress wearing girl!
Sunny, I don't think there is such a thing as age appropriate wardrobe anymore. You should dress for comfort and make sure it makes you happy.
Great post, Marisa. My Capsule wardrobe became so tiny since I work from home most of the time, or work with pets who don't really care what I wear when I come to visit. I live in LA at this moment and my uniform is shorts and a top. If I could I would wear shorts and tops every day. Unfortunately, I get cold easily so I do have to on cooler days wear jeans (I love jeans) I work with dogs and other animals on a daily basis so long pants are the way to go for me to protect my legs from all those happy jumpy puppies. I have a set of clothes for more special occasions such as going out for nice dinner or an event. I always reach for the same things anyway. Last time I bought clothes was over 2 years ago and I got them from a thrift store. They are my favorite till today. I can see that you wear fun accessories with your outfits, how did you decide which pieces are your favorite and how much of necklaces and earrings and etc do you have? Did you just chose your favorites that go with everything, or do you have some pieces that match only certain outfits.
This post REALLY made me stop and think - first of all, my wardrobe for the last 10 years has consisted of jeans, corduroy shirts and Merrill loafers. Both at work and at home. I hate shopping for clothes, and would really prefer just wearing a pair of yoga pants and a oversized shirt everyday. But your post made me stop and think - there have been the occasional event in which I had to wear something more upscale, and I was really comfortable in a long skirt and shirt. I might have to reconsider. I don't always believe in the "age-appropriate rules" that society has imposed on us, so at my current age of 65, I just might start being comfortable, instead of just casual.
@Judith: Hope I'm not one step away from bankruptcy, but I do love Goodwill!! :)
I ended up reading thru your other posts and the forum chat. I had not seen those posts before today and had not heard of a capsule wardrobe even tho I do Pinterest - but apparently not enough lol! Being simplistic is always my goal. And frankly it does keep things less stressful when we have less. :) Kudos to you! :)
This is the first I've heard about capsule wardrobes, but then I don't really follow fashion at all. I like the look you've created and especially like that you have found Goodwill. Everyone is on the recycle bandwagon, but if you mention Goodwill or thrift shops, people think you are one step from bankruptcy. Thank you for sharing. I'm going through my closets today!!!