#281. My Winter Capsule Wardrobe
Well guys, it's taken me two full weeks to get my capsule thing locked in.
I can't wait to show you what I'm working with.
A quick recap: from now until the end of the year, my wardrobe will consist of these 36 items. I can add jewelry, hats, scarves and even an ascot if I'm feeling festive, but no other clothes or shoes (except for at my brother's wedding next week. Heeey bridesmaid dress!).
My Rules:
1) No shopping for clothes or accessories for myself until January 9. (I selected January 9 because that's when I leave for my honeymoon.)2) Workout gear, PJs & the clothes I wear while fixing up our disgusting basement are exempt.3) Come January 9, I can decide to continue on with the capsule, switch out items if need be, or give up on the whole thing.That's about it! Take a gander at what I'll be wearing for the holidays.
There you have it. Some old stuff, some new stuff, some boring stuff and some fun stuff.You can read more about my closet purge here... but a big take home point: in going through my closet, I realized I don't like a lot of the things in it. Plain and simple.Of all the crap that filled my closet, I only kept 22 items. 14 of the things here are brand new to me (mostly tees and button downs).
Dollars
I'm usually a big, fat liar when it comes to telling people how much I spend on clothes, but I'll get real with you.New stuff2 tees1 long sleeved tee1 sweatshirt4 button down shirts2 sweaters1 skirt1 dress1 pair of jeans1 puffer vestTotal cost: $500That's nothing to sneeze at. However, I sold about $210 of my old stuff. So in total, this was about a $290 expense.
How I'm Feeling
Full disclosure: I almost had a panic attack while selecting my final clothing choices.I was overwhelmed by picking just a few items... and making sure the items were the right ones! There was a moment when I'd sold 20 items, had packed up most of my duds & had eight things dangling in my closet. OH NO WHAT HAVE I DONE?!I pushed through that phase, convincing myself this is just clothes and it's just 60-ish days! I mean, come on Molly, some people have real problems! And I knew this would ultimately help me, even if the only thing I learned is less isn't always more.
But I suspect that isn't the lesson I will learn.
I've been wearing most of these clothes for about 10 days and I already feel less stressed. I barely need to think about getting dressed in the morning. My closet isn't spilling into my room. I feel way more stylish, too. It's a total delight.
Shopping Details
Here's what I'm wearing. Some of these items are older, so in that case, I linked to similar stuff.
White tee * Black tee * Graphic tee * Striped tee
A lot of these tees are boring and meant for layering, but the green & white striped number is AMAZING and pre-wardrobe capsule Molly would've bought five.
White button down * Chambray shirt * Flannel shirt * Plaid shirt
More basics! I upgraded my chambray shirt (my old one is really light-- perfect for summer, not so much for Minnesota winters). The Paul Bunyon-y plaid shirt on the far right is the bee's knees & from the GAP, which has sales approximately every day.
Green blouse * Polka dot sweater * Oversized Aztec print shirt * Striped sweater
All of these shirts were in my wardrobe already, some of them for a few years. Most of the links here are to similar items.
Cardigan * Charcoal sweatshirt * Graphic cardigan * Big-ass Sweater
The two cardigans pictured here were purchased to replace my Velveteen Sweater (you can read about it here). Love them & they both came from local Twin Cities boutique Proper & Prim, who unforch don't sell online, so I've linked elsewhere. But go visit those guys, they are great.
Black skirt * Striped sweater dress * Fancy dress * Grey sweater dress
Since it's the holidays, I went a little heavy on the dresses. Quite frankly, I've already realized I don't need this many fancy outfits. Or at least that's what I am thinking today. The grey boxy dress on the right is a steal from Old Gravy (or Old Navy... whatever) & I've already worn it three times.
Rip & repair skinny jeans * Black jeggings * Skinny jeans * High riser mom jeans
The black jeggins here seem like they'd be cheesy, but they aren't! They're fab. I wear them a lot.
Puffer vest * Vegan leather coat * Black puffer jacket * Long down coat
Sometimes a Minnesota girl just needs to be practical-- from a warmth and price standpoint. The vest and fleather (that's fake leather) coat aren't really outerwear anymore because it's like 5 degree as I write this. The shortie black puffer is my go-to when I know I'll hardly be outside.But the brown, frumpy down coat... it's not cute, but when you live here, it's necessary. I've had it for eight years and I'm definitely due for an upgrade. I just wasn't ready to shell out the cash. So come January 9, I might be looking for a new one (and maybe a fancier wrap coat, too.)Hint-hint if anyone is looking for Christmas gift ideas for yours truly. *cough* gift card to JCrew or maybe REI. Or maybe this store (great parkas!).
Grey cowboy boots * Short black boots * Brown clogs * Running shoes
I've owned all these shoes forever. The grey boots are definitely more fall to me, and now that it snowed, I am not sure I'll be wearing them. The clogs though... they are fabulous and I wear them all of the time.
Tall motorcycle boots * Tall brown boots * Mukluk boots * Black booties
Blah, blah, blah... tall boots & a black pair of booties. The real winner here are the Minnetonka mukluks. Cuter than Uggs & just as warm. Love 'em.
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So... what do you guys think? I'll be posting outfits throughout the duration. And if I see you in real life, I might be wearing the same thing I wore the last time I saw you. Can't wait!OH- & a big shout out to Caroline at Un-Fancy. I don't even know her, but she's one of the people who inspired me to do this. Thank you, Caroline!
