Visions of Summer

With summer weather coming fast, and the spring slipping away before I know it, I figured I'd get on with the summer inspiration! I can't seem to find too many images that convey how I want to look and feel, but here are a few ideas.

I love summer because I can change up my silhouette a little bit- I almost always go for a slim bottom and a loose top, but shorts totally change up the game. I never get too far away from my comfort zone, I'm all about black, white, and graphic prints. 

I've been examining my summer gear from last year and found a few holes which I filled while thrifting. I found a pair of charcoal gray silk shorts, and a black cropped tank. I'm not sure what else I might want! My summers are easy going and full of free time where I can dress however I want. I have a class in July, so I have to look somewhat respectable for a few hours a day, but basically I can bum around in tanks and distressed shorts and no one bats an eye. Its for this reason that I find it hard to commit to buying summer staples- I don't need to look professional daily and looking professional is one of my top style motivations. But I decided that this summer I'm going to find some things that I can wear into the fall and spring next year. I stopped into Loft to check out their summer items, and I surprised myself with some of the things I was into. I find summer style kind of frustrating- I don't like the traditional summer looks, they're usually so bohemian with the bright colors and the crochet and the big floppy hats... Its just really not my style. I'm way more minimalist and clean cut. But I found myself searching for something a little different than what I usually go for. Here are my favorites:

Loft lace tank

I love this tank with high waisted jeans, relaxed shorts, or a cute skirt. I like the graphic quality of the lace, it keeps it from being too cutesy. 

Loft jogger skirt

I picked up this skirt on a whim- I thought the thick tie around the waist was a cool detail. I also enjoy the curved hem on either side. Its just generally a cool skirt. I could couple it with a black or white tank, or a simple button up with flats for work. Such a great piece! I hope I can snag it in a sale sometime in the next few weeks. 

I also think I'm going to replace my silk button up with this one from Loft. They've rehashed their classic utility blouse and its amazing. I have two of their utility blouses (here and here) and they're great- flowy and relaxed and breathable (they still have them available here). I like them as special shirts rather than traditional wear-all-the-time basics. But I tried on their new one and I loved the changes they made. It has a more pointed collar and the material is no longer polyester, its rayon. Rayon is a lovely material- it has a little more hold than polyester, meaning the shirt is more structured and less flowy. I thrifted a similar shirt a few years ago- but I all but ruined it from ironing it too hot. Buyer be warned! I'm going to be a lot more careful with this shirt than I was with my other shirt! The silk camp shirt from Ann Taylor is great, but its a little too shiny for me (see it in action here). Plus its silk, so I have to dry clean it rather than be afraid of ruining it. So Loft utility blouse for the win!

Along with these pieces, I'll probably search for some nicer sandals to replace my jank old Target ones you'll likely see me wearing in a few weeks when I bring out my summer capsule. If I can get a good deal, I'd like something like this or this or this... or these if the shopping gods are really smiling on me!

Look for an update on summer purchases and capsule in the next few weeks!

Spring Brainstorming

I'm dreaming of spring... Consistently warm temperatures and actually seeing my shins and ankles is far too seductive to ignore. I searched my Pinterest and found some common themes that make me excited for rainy days, blossoms, and that amazing hue new grass has as it pokes up through the ground. Sorry guys, it looks like its going to be a boring spring. Basically, all I want to wear in the coming months is black and white, good jeans, and full skirts. And florals, because spring.

Here is my moodboard for spring... I was a little worried about making a moodboard but then I realized that a moodboard is essentially a glorified collage... And pre-k has that on lock, so I went for it.

I've already done most of my spring shopping, if I'm being honest, and I'll share an update on that in a few days. Somehow I have a very short list for spring. Now I just have to wait 2 weeks to enjoy the boring! (What? Two weeks, Kate? I thought you were changing in April like everyone else who does capsules!) (Yes, good reader, I was, before I made this fancy diagram!)

Trying on a Capsule Wardrobe

Last week, my sister-in-law Aleah and I were discussing shopping and my self-proclaimed mild shopping addiction, and she showed me this beautiful blog, Unfancy. After reading about Caroline's journey towards a simple, cohesive wardrobe, I was inspired. She created a system for capsule wardrobes that I decided ((full disclosure: Aleah totally convinced me)) that I would give capsule wardrobes a try for this season. Although I'm not totally convinced that this method will work for me, I don't want to continue filling my closet with great deals that gather dust in my closet. This post on shopping has given me great perspective about how to make my purchases (including thrift store scores!) more meaningful and this post really hit home with me about how I feel about so many things in my closet . This is her simple guide to capsule wardrobes, and while I didn't follow the rules exactly, I still found her method helpful.  This is the process I went through to get to my own 37 pieces ((full disclosure: more like 39. Or 40. I want to be flexible)) which, I will mention, that I did most of this process without looking at my clothing... So... I don't recommend that.

1. I wrote down  the items I wore all the time, both to work and otherwise. These are my go-to, wear all the time in every season pieces, like my black skinny jeans and button up blouses. If I had been at home during this process, I would have pulled them out of my closet and made a pile, but between 8 hours in the classroom and 3 hours of class every night... You get the picture.
2. I wrote down the items that I love, but don't necessarily wear frequently because I don't want something to happen to them (read: glue smears, marker dots, a 3 year old's boogers, salad dressing drips). Looking at my closet, I wrote down things like the beautiful blue silk blouse I've had for 2 years and have worn 4 times, the mauve button up I bought full-price because I couldn't wait to wear it. I added those to the list because I want to wear them. I realized that most of my wardrobe was bought from clearance racks and thrift store piles, and therefore didn't cost much. Almost all of my favorites are basics that are easily replaceable and therefore if something happens to it (read: a 4 year old is so excited to see me they don't wait to wash their hands after painting to give me a hug), I can always find a great deal on another similar piece. 
3. I filled in the blanks. I used Unfancy's guide to building a capsule, I rounded out my list and included some things I didn't think about immediately- like flats (I hadn't worn any since November until yesterday) and a blazer. 
4. I created a color palette. I think ideally this step should be coupled with the planning process, like before you shop or pull together your pieces- but being away from my closet I used this more as a check to make sure the colors I put together made sense. I used this tool, then shared my palette with Aleah. We compared our color selections and we nearly had the same palette- classic colors with soft accents. 
5. I actually looked in my closet. This step should probably come second, no? At this point I made my adjustments to my list- added slacks (I forgot to include workwear, that's why my list is 39 piece instead of the usual 37) and removed some sweaters (I forgot its Texas winter- its 80 degrees today). After I adjusted my list, I adjusted my closet. I moved my other items into storage, or made piles for giving away or selling ((full disclosure: this is still happening. Sorry for the mess, E!))

I found this whole process both exciting and exhausting- I made the mistake of starting building my wardrobe the same week my university semester began... Not recommended.

Although I've only been working within my capsule for a few days, I've had one insight: Having a capsule wardrobe gives you permission to wear what you love all the time. I'm no longer guilt-tripped every time I get dressed- I can wear my all-star piece every day! That alone might keep me using a capsule wardrobe. We'll see how the next two months go!

These are the majority of my pieces- a few of them are thrifted vintage pieces I can't find equivalents of online.