I do, I do! {both hands raised high!}
Truth be told, we have a rather large, walk-in closet, with more than enough room for Mike and I both to have hang-ups, shelf space, room for shoes/boots/flip flops, and accessories such as caps, scarves, and bags/purses. That's the reality, and the dream.
The day-to-day reality is that, even though I can probably be labeled a "neat freak" when it comes to the visible portions of my home, if you open a closet door uninvited, you better jump back, Jack! There is just no telling what may fall out or down and conk you right on the noggin!
I have truly great intentions about keeping an organized closet each and every time I clean it out. I have a friend who has a stool that sits in the middle of her closet; a place where she can sit as she leisurely picks out her day's attire. Doesn't that sound dreamy, and so Lisa Vanderpump?
Um, no...just no. First, there is no room for said stool in my closet. Second, there is nothing "leisurely" most days about picking out my clothes. It's more of a hunt and scramble type thing. Let's call it "search and rescue." I summon a deep breath, recall what that item of clothing looks like, and then I go in head-first, throwing, tossing, and moving things about until I manage to locate the precious piece. Usually to find it needs ironing.
Which is another um....no.
So, in an effort to simplify my clothing life to match the simplification we've made in virtually every other area of our lives, I began to research wardrobe capsules about a year ago. The premise is that you pare down your wardrobe to just a collection of a few essential items that never really go out of style, and that you can mix & match to create a nice ensemble of outfits.
Depending on your lifestyle, what type of geography in your live in, and your budget, this collection can range in number from 9 items up to 25 or so. The idea is that you spend a bit more on these essentials since they are "classics" and will last you season after season, and then each year (or season, for those who have a capsule for each quarter) you can add 2 or 3 items that are trendy or popular. This is also often where you add your pops of color.
I decided that our trip to NYC during this Christmas break was the perfect opportunity to try this out. Kind of like an experiment; a smaller capsule to practice with and see if I think it's something I could do on the daily. The plot twist was that I not only wanted a capsule, but I wanted it aaaalllll to fit into my carry on bag, because I detest checking bags at the airport just. that. much.
To prepare, I did cheat a bit (okay, maybe more than just a bit) and consulted a stylist at Front Door Fashion, a group of in-house stylists based in Dallas, who get "to know you" via your online portfolio, phone calls, texts, emails (really, whatever works for you - they are super flexible). They ask about what you are needing, wanting, etc. and then they hand select a group of clothing and accessory items that they hope are just what you are looking for, pack them into a box, and ship them (usually next day) to your front door. You have several days to try on the clothing in the privacy of your own home, decide what (if any) that you want to keep, and then you ship what you don't want back (free of charge) to your stylist. You pay for just what you keep.
***Brief caveat*** This is not a cheap service and the items they send tend to be really quality items and at a price point that you (me, anyway) would not normally pay. Keep an open mind and remember that these are pieces that are here to stay.***
However, since I had a plan, and I knew I needed some really good "essentials" I decided to give it a go. I got lucky with my stylist, Rachel, and we hit it off right away. You do have the option of choosing your own stylist and you can read their profiles here, but since I didn't know any of them and - really - didn't have a clue as to what my style could be categorized as, I took a chance on whoever picked me up:) Thankfully, it was Rachel!
Rachel listened to what I wanted to do with a capsule wardrobe and I tried to convey my style preferences, but I didn't do a very good job. The first box that I immediately received from Rachel was one where I returned every single piece. Every. Single. Piece.
I almost gave up at that point. But Rachel reached out and asked more questions and - this time - I just let it flow about what I wanted. It wasn't in "fashion terms" or probably even anything that made sense...except she got me that time. Knowing that we were about to travel to New York City for the holiday, the next box was filled with 9 things that I wanted to keep forever and ever and ever.
But I'm a teacher and a thriving entrepreneur; I can't afford that:)
Instead, I picked out five items that I knew I could wear again and again, through the next several years, and I splurged. Yes, splurged, a word that isn't usually in my vocabulary. (I'm tagging Rachel in this post, so I hope she either plugs her ears here or gives me a "thumbs up" sign of approval:) But y'all remember that old show that used to come on called "The Look for Less"?
I performed my own version of that, taking what I had learned from Rachel, and then shopping at Old Navy. It was that easy. I didn't even go into the store; merely ordered online and got REALLY lucky that everything fit! Score.
Below, you'll see the items that made the cut for the trip. 19 total items for me (minus undies and TSA-approved toiletries), including outerwear and my duffel and cross-body purse! Mike and I DID, very successfully, pack compactly and precisely, and each boarded the plane with 1 personal item and 1 carry on! Y'all, I lived out of that one weekender bag for an entire week. It. Can. Be. Done!!!!
1)Navy TART wrap dress (Front Door Fashion)
2)Floral/geo print thin Debbie Martin Designs scarf (Front Door Fashion)
3)Black Stevie Ponte pants (Old Navy - also great for under the gray dress; thicker than leggings)
4)LINDA black/cognac suede bootie (JustFab - 2nd winter to wear these)
5)Black & Gray long sleeve T (Old Navy)
6)Boyfriend Jean (Old Navy)
7)Blue/cognac print poncho (Chico - gift from Amy last year)
8)Heather Gray Jersey Crew Neck Tee Dress (Old Navy)
9)Taupe long car coat (Old Navy - carried this on the plane so I didn't have to pack)
10)Packable cold weather coat (Old Navy)
11) Cognac cross-body purse (Old Navy)
12) Rust beanie & gloves (Jane.com)
13)Navy/Cognac monogrammed rain/weather boots
14)Black buffalo plaid duffel with cognac straps (Jane.com)
15)Cognac earrings (Front Door Fashion)
16)Gold cuff (Target)
17)Multi-colored infinity plaid scarf (Jane.com)
Each item was easily mix and matched and paired with at least one, if not two, other outfits. My go-to colors (obviously) were the neutrals (black, gray, navy, cognac) with pops of color (rust, gold, and various shades of blue) thrown in. I never repeated an outfit for the entire 7 days!
Mike and I each purchased a set of "packing cubes." Mine are shown here (red) and his are blue. This set (from Amazon) came with 4 cubes plus a handy matching "dirty clothes" bag. If you match your cubes to the bag you wish to carry on, fill only those bags, then you are good to go! This experiment was not only useful and beneficial, but also super fun!!!
Tomorrow morning is "clean out closet while binge-watching something interesting" in order to scale down my closet, make it more manageable, give really great clothing that I know I'll never wear again to folks who will, and come up with the perfect Winter into Spring Teacher Capsule Wardrobe. (Photos on that after it actually happens:)
***If you decide to give FDF a try, please use my referral code!*** ALSO, they accept appointments at their Dallas location. So if you're looking for a fun and different "girl's day," this just might be it! I plan to make an appointment myself in the near future!
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