After you’ve made it through the winter in New York City, something magical happens. The weather starts brightening up, you feel the warmth on your skin, flowers start to bloom, and everything seems possible. Long are the days of cursing the snow and navigating through slushy intersections and, all of a sudden, you are pushing that stroller with a skip in your step.
There was about a week when the weather was beyond nice but I hadn’t switched out my clothes and a whole new hatred towards my winter wardrobe developed. I couldn’t close my drawers and everything was too hot. When the frustration became too much to handle, I finally took an evening to sort my clothes on the bed. I purged some of them immediately and then put my summer clothes in the drawers so I could get to them. Once I didn’t feel like throwing everything out the window, I could function again.
My main goal of my summer capsule wardrobe was to focus on the number. After living with a capsule wardrobe for the fall and winter, it was obvious to me that I really only wear a limited number of clothes regardless of how many I have in my closet. I decided to go with my age as my goal number: 34! (I ended up with 35)
Once I had my clothes whittled down, I knew I had to get some new pieces. I wanted to have some comfortable dresses that could replace my “mom uniform” of last summer: a t-shirt and jean shorts. One morning I walked past a great sale at Banana Republic Factory Outlet and decided it was a sign!!! I gave myself a budget and tried on almost everything in the store. I came out of there with 11 new pieces – which I knew meant more editing at home, but I was happy about it.
My goals of this summer’s wardrobe is to:
#1: Substitute a more put-together dress for my standard “uniform.”
After reading many different mom blogs I knew this was possible even though it didn’t feel like it. No longer having to worry about needing to be breastfeeding-accessible also made this 100 times easier. So when the cute, stylish Banana Republic associate said that she thought my skirt was a little long, I smiled and said “It’s ok, I’m a mom, I need to be able to bend over and squat without having to worry about anything showing.” I walked away with four new dresses that were beyond comfortable and looked way more “put-together” than my cutoffs. I also bought two pairs of nicer shorts to help in this department. Don’t get me wrong, you will see me in jean shorts often this summer, but I’m hoping my black & white geometric pattern and the colorful bamboo leaf design make me feel a little more stylish.
#2: Take a Selfie Everyday so I know what I actually wore for later evaluation.
Alright, I’m finally posting this blog and the summer is behind us. I would say I failed at this goal. I tried. Sometimes I remembered, but it wasn’t a part of my world. In order to have succeeded at this, it had to be a habit and it just wasn’t. I’m not that upset about it. Here’s a little highlight of the times I did remember.
#3: Not worry if it feels like I’m wearing the same thing over and over again.
This is another area where I’m unsure if I’m succeeded. There have been a couple times when I thought, “Didn’t I just wear this dress two days ago?!?”, but I’m trying to not focus on that and enjoy the ease of getting dressed in the morning and the compliments I receive when people like my dress. If we get to the point where people start saying, “Did you wear that dress yesterday,” I will have to reevaluate!!
And now, I happily present you the clothes that have been helping me have a relaxed, comfortable, and enjoyable summer: My Summer Capsule Wardrobe.
TOPS: 12
BOTTOMS: 12 (6 SHORTS, 1 JUMPER, 1 LONG SHORTS, 1 OVERALLS + 3 PAIRS OF JEANS)
DRESSES: 8
SHOES: 3
I’d say overall it was a good summer. Although, there are a couple outfits I don’t think I ever wore, for example, those fun black pants. That being said, I continue to learn more about my own style. Thanks for indulging me and checking out my wardrobe. Please, let me know if you have any tips that have worked for you!!
