Summer Wardrobe Capsule
I've done the whole wardrobe capsule thing for over a year now. I think it appeals to me for two reasons:
- I live in a foreign country and I have no idea how long I'll be here. There is no need to own anything extra and space is limited in this small apartment.
- For a large percentage of the year, I live out of a suitcase with limited options. I can't get home and suddenly have choice after choice. It is overwhelming and I've learned I work better with a few pieces that I love and know look good than having a new outfit every day. Let's be honest--I have few friends in Belgium. Those that I see, I see very inconsistently, so I could probably get away with owning three outfits and no one would be the wiser.
This is the second summer I've done a capsule wardrobe. I think my favorite season for the capsule is summer. I guess it is because all the clothes are so cute and fun. For anyone that knows me, you'll be shocked to see the amount of color I work into my summer capsule. When I'm on the road for work and basically all other seasons, I live in black, grey and white.
For a capsule, the recommended number is 37 items. I don't include workout clothes, workout shoes, pajamas or lazy house clothes (jeans you'd never leave the house in, what you wear to clean or paint in or that hoodie sweatshirt that is perfect for laying on the sofa watching movies on a rainy day.)
And here is this summer's capsule. When you live in a country where it rains daily and the weather fluctuates from downright cold to fairly warm in one week, layering is key. I know some people follow a rule of 3 pants, 3 shorts, 3 sweaters, etc. I don't really have any rules. As you can tell, I probably own a few too many rompers for a country that rarely reaches 90F (32C)
(Please note that some images are near replicas of what I own but aren't the exact item.)
When it comes to building my capsule, I pick clothes that I love wearing and that fit with my lifestyle. When I'm home, life is fairly low-key. Please note that none of these include my work clothes. When I'm working, I'm traveling. It could be a hot,hot,hot place or a freezing cold location.....any time of the year. I can see snow in July and 100F (nearly 40C) in January. When I have work clothes, I'm living out of a suitcase and that has a whole different approach. My work clothes are also their own capsule and one day I'll share that.