Loving Lately: Wardrobe Capsule

Fall/Winter 2012 Wardrobe Capsule by wingedwriter featuring a long sleeve tee

Last week was so much fun: having my kids home for a week, birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving too! This week may be a letdown after all that excitement, but I never fear the quiet. It wraps itself around me like a blanket and fills up my soul with comforting thoughts. I'm still basking in the goodness of what this past week brought.

1. Setting up my studio in the best arrangement I think I've ever managed. My studio has a tricky layout: two open doorways (no doors) and a large window on one wall. I have to make sure there is room for walking and yet enough storage and table space for making art. I finally feel like I got it right.

2. Creating a clothes capsule. I've talked before about feeling the need to par down my amount of stuff and also just live an eco-friendly life (you might remember the Little Red Dress experiment). I have often read about a capsule wardrobe and understood that it was having a certain amount of basics to set your outfits on. But I read something about having only TEN pieces of clothing for the capsule (not including coats, accessories, shoes, or a few special-occasion dresses) to mix and match. That kind of wowed me and I decided to give it a go. It took me a little bit to figure out what I wanted in my capsule but once I did, it felt right. I boxed up the rest of my clothes and put them away. Didn't want to get rid of them completely until I'm sure this is the set I want to work with.

My capsule consists of: 1 green cable-knit sweater, 1 gray fitted sweater,  4 tops (red with ruffle front, white with pleated front, navy silky, navy pullover), 2 pants (khaki, dark jean), 1 pencil skirt, and 1 gray work dress. (I attempted to match my items to Polyvore items to give you an idea since I didn't have time to take pictures) I picked my favorite items and was honest about what I really wear. Many articles about capsule wardrobes insist on a suit-like jacket, but I rarely wear them and sweaters are more of my go-to layer. I stayed true to what is me. I'll admit, not having my closet crammed full is making me feel light.

3. A new (to us) car! One of our cars was dying. We ended up getting an incredible deal on a Toyota. I am so excited to have it! Reliable cars are a plus. We also managed to sell the dying Sidekick to a young man who felt he could save it. I hope he does! Wish I knew how to fix cars.

4. Reading, reading, reading. I got some really awesome books for my birthday, so I've been nose-deep in them. It always amazes me how full I feel when I read. It's like a fish sliding back into water and breathing easily again.

5. Reducing. Cleaning out has led to so much reduction. I think I'm finally getting it. You only have room for so much; after that, it's just weight. The more garbage bags full of stuff I set out for Goodwill, the happier my mood has become. I realize that often the reason I can't keep up with the clutter is because I have too much. I'm working hard at having a place for everything and everything in it's place.

What are you loving lately?