It's been three months since we embarked on our capsule wardrobe experience and we have absolutely come a long way. As a final roundup, we want to share our final thoughts with you! Comment below if you have tried this simplified wardrobe and your thoughts on the process
Juli:
Not only did I create a capsule wardrobe for these three months I also embarked on a no-spend quarter to help me on my path to minimalism. This meant I could not spend money to buy myself clothes, shoes or accessories. I thought this no-spend would be really tough but in reality, it was quite liberating. I didn't think I would have enough willpower to not "click to purchase" since I'm a sucker for trends that I see online or while scrolling through Instagram but somehow knowing that I was on a spending freeze, I was not as tempted. I was able to look and appreciate what I was seeing but did not feel the overwhelming urge to buy. I actually unsubscribed to a few sites to streamline what I get in my inbox which in turned helped to eliminate excess temptation.
Here is what I else I learned from my last three months:
1. I could purge even more than what I did at the beginning of the year. Spring cleaning will entail more closet/wardrobe purging for me as well as the other areas of my home and office.
2. Limiting myself to a few items allowed me to be more creative with my clothing choices. There were a few outfits that I put together that I probably never would have if I had more options but that didn't mean I didn't love it. This limited wardrobe allowed me to cultivate my own personal "style" rather than just follow the trends.
3. This whole experience was an eye-opener for me. It made me realize how much I really didn't need and how getting rid of clutter allowed me to breathe and be more creative. This is something that I will definitely something that I will want to incorporate in the other aspects of my life. Including tackling the kitchen and garage during spring cleaning.
Now that this is over, the big question is will I be rushing online or to the stores to buy?? At the moment, I don't think so, but we'll see. There were a couple of things that caught my eye but now it'll go through my "do I really need it" filter before I click. However, since I will be rotating out my winter sweaters and swapping in lighter sweaters and tops for spring, we will see if I need to augment with anything. Maybe a new pair of flats to replace the boots that I've been living in all fall and winter.
Kristin:
If I were to summarize my capsule wardrobe experience in one word, it would be “streamlined.” If I were to describe it in 5 words, it would be “SUPER hard, then super easy.”
If you’ve read my past capsule wardrobe blurbs, you’ll remember that the first steps weren’t the easiest and even now I struggle to get rid of certain items. But after a few months of removing unnecessary items both from my wardrobe and the rest of my life, everything feels much simpler! I find that picking out a well-composed outfit and heading out the door takes me about half an hour now (if I pull out all of the bells and whistles – makeup, hair, outfit…) This used to take me at least an hour because I had to machete through shirt after 10-year-old shirt.
But this experience didn’t only help with getting ready faster. It helped me save money, recognize quality over quantity, and appreciate what I already have! The most surprising of these was saving money. After getting rid of piles of clothes that were damaged or didn’t fit, I thought I would have to spend the rest of my paychecks re-stocking my closet. On the contrary, I only had to buy a few essentials.
After that, it was much clearer to me that my past shopping habits were ridiculous. I would see an Instagram photo of someone with my OPPOSITE body type wearing parachute pants on top of a unitard and immediately NEED THEM, UGH! To no one’s surprise, I would buy them, try them on twice, and then shove them to the back of the closet. Why? Because I am not a 5 ft 11 in model like in the photo I saw! And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. It just means that I don't have to copy everything I see on social media!
With this in mind, I will probably continue shopping more now that our experiment is over but I will keep the lessons learned in mind through this experience – 1. Buy quality items that don’t need to be constantly replaced 2. Shop for my body type and for what I like, not just what’s considered stylish this week 3. Buy items that will go with other clothing that I already own (unless I’m feeling adventurous for an event – then borrow something!)
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