Concluding thoughts on the Capsule Wardrobe Experiment

That’s it folks! That is every pant, skirt, shirt and sweater that lived in my closet for the month of September and September is officially drawing to a close today. I know when I lay each piece out it looks like lots more but when you fold it all down, it’s nothing at all. Mull on that a little bit. How does it make you feel? Are you feeling a serge of closet envy? Terror? Curiosity? or were you perhaps thinking that you could fit all of that and more into a carry on suitcase? I’ll let you dwell in this a little but as for me… 

Week 3 and 4 were definitely a little harder than the first two. As I’d already rotated all the items in my closet I just had to admit that there were a couple things that weren’t working. The black skirt. I love a good pencil skirt and my attempt to have something dressy was a failure. Suddenly the skirt was too big, looked A-line and went against my wardrobe goals. I was uncomfortable. Always tugging at your clothing is a good sign something isn’t working and this was most certainly an item of clothing I was forever fiddling with to make work. I’d have rather added another jean to the mix or even a simple black dress. I also regretted not having a pair of heels. Considering I wore them almost every day for over 3 years and then didn’t have any to bust out felt a little sad. Jérémie and I have recently taken up a weekly salsa dancing class and I wouldn’t have minded pairing my jeans with a fun heel to feel more like I was putting on my dancing shoes. But hey, it’s the little things… right?

So where does this all leave me today?

I’m happy to say I did it! After so many years, I managed to have one mindful month about my clothing and that is exactly what I wanted. I can’t see myself ditching the plan altogether though I do think that having a small amount of clothing in rotation is a great way to see how you REALLY feel about something. I have some other items of clothing that I like but I’m not sure if they’d pass the test of being in such heavy rotation. Does this mean you can’t own things you don’t intend to wear all the time? Of course not, but limiting them is probably a good strategy. I want to have a few fun things to draw on once in a while but having too many creates a huge closet and a lot more decisions and hassle and I’ve got enough of that, thank you. I have realized that while I love the capsule wardrobe I wouldn’t limit myself quite as much as this in the future. Having a minimal wardrobe is in fact a dream and having good staples is key. Accessories are what make your wardrobe cinch together so that’s where I’d rather play a little and even at that you don’t need much! Also, capsule wardrobes are more than just a month they are seasons and years. The goal is to have staples in the best quality you can afford so that they last many years and you’re not always trying to catch up with trends (though this is where accessories could be your best friend) but you can’t get there if you don’t first know what’s working and not. 

I’m glad that I don’t actually have to leave all my dresses to collect dust in the back of my closet and those few items like a nice blazer or a heel with a pop of colour can still be added when I finally find the ones that works for my body type and goals. Little by little I will have a much more cohesive collection of clothes that feel like me. I would encourage anybody to try this even just for a month but take photos and analyze. It’s a telling process. 

If you were following along this month or if you were secretly dwindling down your closet please leave me a comment below and let me know how this all worked out for you and what you learned. I love hearing what you have to say.