Have you tried living with a capsule wardrobe yet? If you have storage space for out-of-season clothes, it’s so so worth it.
Over the past year I’ve totally embraced the capsule wardrobe concept and have loved having fewer options to mull over every day and then pulling out season-appropriate pieces that I decided to keep because I love them on me. In the last 12 months, I’ve also had my third baby, and I’m still breastfeeding her and nowhere near my pre-pregnancy body shape. In light of this, my capsule wardrobe update has sort of blended fall and winter clothing because I still can’t fit into about half of my clothes, I need my outfits to have at least one layer that has a nursing-friendly neckline, and the weather here in Nashville has been crazy!
I just finished reading Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” and have slowly been making my way through the stuff in my life. I didn’t follow her guidelines for clothes exactly—she would recommend keeping all your clothes in the closet because seasons are basically null and void with heaters and air conditioning. Perhaps this is true in Japan, but I don’t think she’s ever spent a hot summer or rain-soaked winter in Nashville!
Drawing from her advice to keep only those things that ‘spark joy,’ I took a new look at the clothes I had in my fall wardrobe. I pulled out every item I had in the closet and laid them in categories on my bed. Then, I played with my creative side and started making outfits that made me happy. I knew that every piece fit me, so I just started working. Of course, layers are a nursing mama’s friend—particularly tank top and cardigan combos.
Once I had made fifteen outfits, I took all the items that I had used and put them back in the closet. Then I bagged the leftovers and gave them away. Within a week or so, the weather changed, so I pulled out my winter clothes and picked a few warm sweaters that would complement the outfits I had designed. Easy peasy. I printed out the above collage and keep a copy in my closet for those days when I end up dumbly staring at my clothes without an ounce of creative energy. (Ahh, newborn fatigue!!) Here’s what my closet (of about thirty-six pieces) contains currently:
And here are a few of the outfits I’ve worn. I still don’t claim to have fashion know-how, but I’ve really gained confidence from paring down my wardrobe to pieces that I really love and that I know fit me. The exercise of putting outfits together for a little Look Book has really helped as well. Even if my theoretical outfits pictured above don’t work out, I’ve been able to look at my ideas and easily mix and match with something that does work!
