Capsule Wardrobe Saga: Part 3

If you're just joining us, you may want to read Part 1 and Part 2 first.

This is my last post about this idea, for a little while at least, I promise. I've got a little digi talk to share with you next week: I've had another obvious observation, so prepare yourselves. Also I have a new bundle coming out Monday. Yay!

To sum up my introduction to the capsule wardrobe I have three things you can consider if you're interested in getting started yourself.

1. Your Signature Look or The Uniform
The first thing that helped enormously was identifying my daily uniform, or my signature look, which sounds a lot better. Let's go with that. She really covers the idea in that link, so go read that if you want the real information. For me this meant a few things:

I work from home, so I don't need anything fancy and I won't put up with anything even slightly uncomfortable. Since I have the pajamas option, I needed to find clothes that were as comfortable as my pajamas, otherwise I would not wear them. Even if you don't have the pajamas option, I would still suggest acting like you do and finding clothes that are that comfortable. I loved over the holidays that I could both look cute and be comfortable all the time. I love it still right now. Yay!

Comfort is one thing, but I do like to feel put together even if I'm just at home by myself. It gives you a boost. That's the whole reason for moving beyond my pajamas, because let's face it, I really don't need to. So...

To find my signature look I did some thinking about my closet and the outfits I like to wear the most. Here's what I came up with: leggings (really the only pants I'll wear longer than 2 hours. If I put jeans on, it's a fancy occasion) and a long sweater. In the winter, sweaters are key because we don't use a lot of heat in our home and I need the layers for warmth. In the past I've made do with whatever wool sweaters I could find at the thrift store, but since everything was revolving around these pieces, I bought two at a real store so I could get exactly what I wanted. At the time I could not believe that I was spending money to buy a new wool sweater, but I love them so much that I have no regrets. One of the sweaters is actually an alpaca/wool blend and it is so warm and it feels like I'm wearing a robe, like a queen's robe, not a bathrobe. One of these days I'm going to pull out my wedding tiara and then I'll be set.

In my photos you'll notice I also have three maxi skirts, which I have not worn much, but I think that's because I've been at the beach most of the time and I can't wear them out there as they'd get caught up with sand/water/dead birds/etc. When we head back to town I think I'll wear them more, and also as the weather warms up (summer uniform, I'm looking at you).

So, to sum up, find your signature look and embrace it.

2. Choose Your Colors

I'm sure many of are familiar with Carol Jackson's Color Me Beautiful, it's been around for a while and I grew up with my mom talking about it, so I've always been aware of what colors I look best in. Since the capsule wardrobe is so limited, that means there's no room for either colors that don't match each other, or colors you don't look good in. You'll notice my clothes were almost entirely black and white and gray, which are the neutrals for my color season (winter). Black and white are so easy to find and coordinate, that it was hard to branch out, especially since I really needed basics. I'll be working on mixing in my few chosen colors in the future (hot pink, bright blue, green and yellow). But also, take note of the coming point...

Resources for finding your colors, Carol Thompson and Your Colors Matter.

3. Accessorize

Did you notice in my previous post when I said accessories aren't included in the capsule? And that's not even a rule I invented, it's pretty standard with the capsule wardrobe idea. Accessories are where you can find the fun and variety (and color) you may be missing in your small capsule. It's a great place to try trends or something new without too much commitment. Yay! Scarves! Earrings! Other things!

So, that's it! For now...I'm really happy to read all the comments about people cleaning out their closets. I want to come have a party with you! Instead, let's have a party here. Tell us about your signature look, or your preferred colors, or your favorite accessory. I can't wait to hear!