This is a prepost post! If you remember back in January I challenged myself to wear a Winter Capsule Wardrobe. Well I have been working on a Summer Capsule Wardrobe! I’m normally a dresses kind of girl when it comes to summer but that sometimes doesn’t work week to week. So I decided to go back to the capsule drawing board to see what I could come up with for a month worth of looks based on summer wardrobe staples. I was planning to publish the post on the first day of summer (Thursday) …
But I built the wardrobe using pieces from Ann Taylor and they are currently offering 50% off their entire site with the code MAKEWAVES (through 6/19). So I have opted to show you the pieces in the summer capsule wardrobe while they are on major sale but you will still have to come back on Thursday to see the looks.
Before we jump into the pieces though Let’s review the basics of a capsule wardrobe …
WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE?
There is lots of social media chatter about Capsule Wardrobes … and for good reason … they make lots of practical sense. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, they are basically mini, mixable wardrobes full of only pieces you love. “Mini” is relative depending on who you talk to. Some go as minimalist as 10 pieces but the norm is generally around 40 pieces (seasonally based). One of the reasons for their popularity is they can help keep your clothing budget in check. A second reason, they help ease the decision making burden in the morning. #NoCoffeeRequired
I like Capsule wardrobes because they encourage creativity. You will start mixing pieces in your wardrobe you would not have originally thought to pair together. While I can honestly say my closet is far from the definition of a capsule wardrobe … there is value in having go to wardrobe basics that allow you to create any variety of outfits.
HOW TO CREATE A CAPSULE WARDROBE
The first step to creating a Capsule Wardrobe is to pick a neutral base. This is generally going to be black, navy, tan or white. For summer I opted for a light tan as my neutral base.
Once you pick your base, you then choose color (stick with two or three). These additional colors are generally colors you love. Look at your current closet for inspiration. I usually stick to two or three coordinating colors to make sure all the pieces will mix and match. For my Summer Capsule I chosen yellow, red and blue as my three additional colors. I will also be adding in a second base color with some white.
The Capsule Wardrobe theory is that once you have a color palette you can mix and match within it. It also means as you expand your closet (or attempt to clean and purge) you use this palette as a guide to determine whether or not each piece works within it.
MY Summer CAPSULE WARDROBE
Having learned a thing or two from the January challenge I increased the total number of pieces to 18 and all of the pieces are currently available to purchase as I created the entire capsule using current inventory from Ann Taylor. While the focus is definitely the work week, I also included a few items for the weekend.
My capsule has 7 tops, 3 pants, 3 skirts, 1 dress and 1 suit. I also added a few accessories for fun! Some of the pieces were easy picks. A few were not! Clearly good staples are the foundation of the Summer Capsule Wardrobe but in order to remain true to my style, I also included some fun pieces (I’m looking at you blue pants!). The key is everything can mix and match whether it is a staple piece or something more unique. Below is more information on each of the pieces!
Cap Sleeve Sweater – Providing one of the pops of color this little sweater goes with everything. Comes in four colors and I sized up to a Medium.
Navy Halter – an easy piece to dress up or down … just note the special undergarment requirements so your bra straps don’t show. Comes in three colors and I ordered a Small.
Stripe Linen Tank – Just dressy enough to pull of in the office under a blazer but perfectly casual for the weekend.
Layering Tank – Five color choices but yellow or blush are the colors of summer! I actually have this in all five colors and two different sizes (Small and Medium).
Green Mock Top – For when you need to look buttoned up but don’t want to feel buttoned up.
Striped Blouse – I don’t think I could go a week without wearing some form of striped blouse.
Striped Peplum Top – I love separates that when combined look like dresses. Pair this with the stiped pencil skirt for this effect.
Drapey Full Leg Pants – These are gorgeous in blue (but they also come in Tan if you can’t get on board with BOLD blue).
Tie Waist Pants – Flowy and comfortable but dressy enough to go to work.
Sailor pants – buttoned up and professional but so fun!
Linen Suit Pants – When paired with the Linen Suit jacket you have the perfect summer suit!
Denim Skirt – Because I live in denim skirts on summer weekends. If you want a more work appropriate version opt for this sailor one!
Pencil Skirt – This is the very definition of summer wardrobe staple!
Pencil Skirt – Stretchy and comfortable and perfect for summer!
Wrap Dress – I love dresses but I really love a good wrap dress! This one is actually a faux wrap meaning no accidental slipping!
Fringe Jacket – This just screams wear me in the summer sunshine.
Moto Jacket – I’m stuck on blue moto jackets this summer, what can I say?
Linen Jacket – Because even though the temperatures rise, I still have to wear a suit!!
Leopard Belt – Because leopard goes with everything and sometimes you need a belt.
Drop Earrings – Because these are fun and remind me of fireworks!!
Three Strand Bracelet – Because this reminds me of my Jenny Bird bracelet which I will absolutely be pairing with those blue pants!
I’m not counting accessories or shoes as part of the capsule but you could go the entire month with a pair of nude pumps.
I would also include white slingbacks and leopard pumps (or snake pumps) for fun!