Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Not going to lie friends, I'm a little wary of transitioning to my spring capsule when the coldest temperatures of winter are upon us and I see snow out of my window... But we'll press on.

I'm loving the simplicity of this capsule. Nothing fussy, nothing that stands out too much or is hard to wear. Thrifting gave me a taste for kind of random things that can sit in my closet all year and be worn once because it happens to work for the situation, like the plum leather pencil skirt I found right before starting my winter capsule. I put it in the capsule thinking I could make it work, maybe I still can, but for now I'm going to tuck it away and add in some skirts I know I want to wear. I'm hoping that the weather warms up quickly so I can wear these with no tights! I'm definitely excited for this capsule.

I kept 20 pieces from my winter capsule, pulled 13 from storage, and bought 2 new pieces.

I love these colors- they feel fresh and easy to me. Also note there are only 35 pieces pictured... I'm still working on the last few things. I think I'll swap out the tank tops for sweaters until it warms up sufficiently. I'm not sure how taboo that is to switch items- the tank tops and sweaters would be in my keep pile anyway... Also have I mentioned I haven't cleaned out my closet? Maybe as I'm likely to be stuck inside this weekend, I'll write about that trauma.

It was definitely really fun to plan this capsule, it's full of items I really want to wear and will easily work well all together. Bring on the spring! 

"Fun" Friday

At my school we do jeans with a school shirt on Fridays thus Fridays are always a struggle for me- I don't like wearing hoodies and sneakers at work because I don't wear hoodies and sneakers in real life. But that seems to be the trend on Fridays for most teachers. So "Fun" Friday is not very fun.

I've been trying to elevate my Fun Friday style by adding some more interesting pieces with my school shirts (which are not included in my capsule). Today I wore the vintage sweatshirt my lead teacher lent me, it's super cute alone but it was real cold today so I layered a scarf. I also love wearing high-waisted jeans with my school shirts, it adds something a little more detail into the mix. And they're so darn flattering.

 

Vintage school sweatshirt, Target scarf (similar), Gap jeans, Zara boots (similar)

Here are some other looks for "Fun" Friday:

Sporty with sneakers and a bomber jacket

Nordstrom Rack bomber jacket (similar), Gap jeans, Target shoes

Preppy layering a button up

Mango button up, Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots (similar)

Adding some sparkle with a statement necklace

Target cardigan (similar), Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots, Target necklace (similar)

Stacking up a scarf to keep it cozy

Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots, scarf was a gift from two beautiful friends!

Professional with a blazer

Lauren Conrad blazer (similar), Gap jeans, Gap loafers (similar), 

Ebay necklace (this is the necklace, I painted it to be blue instead of orange)

This is what I would wear on a Friday I knew I'd have a walk-through... Its like "Yes its Friday, look at my school spirit, but man I am so professional I just have to rock this blazer."

Western?

Yesterday we were told to dress in Western theme for today... I'm not sure why... But this was my attempt. Chambray and jeans with boots. And turquoise jewelry. So Western.

Also how is it that we had two snow ice days this week but its dragged on forever! I'm so glad there's only one more day! I'm also so glad I only have 2 days left of my winter capsule, I'm excited to bust out the midi skirts and flats. Not that the weather is not necessarily going to cooperate... But I can dream.

Loft Chambray shirt (on sale!), Target cardigan (similar), Gap jeans, Gap ankle boots (similar)

Failed Monochrome

This morning I woke up feeling as gray as the sky so I intended to go all gray- sweater, skirt, and boots. When I peaked outside, however, I saw the gray sky I was channeling was also spitting some sleety icey stuff. So that immediately disqualified my gray suede boots for use today. So I went for a bichromatic look rather than all monochrome. This is after the roller-coaster weather veered up to a pleasant 45°. I'm looking forward to some consistency!

Gap Factory sweater, Banana Republic skirt (thrifted, similar on sale!), Zara riding boots (similar)

Hairstyles for the Teacher on the Go

Alright friends, its been a long, cold few days. I've been cooped up in my house, cleaning, organizing, and of course pinteresting. I've been fiddling with my hair recently, trying to figure out if I want to cut it or just try out some new hairstyles. I don't think I'm ready (read: E is ready) for me to do any serious chopping, but I will definitely do some sitting in front of the mirror with bobby pins and sore arms the next few days.

As a teacher, especially of tiny students which require me to lean over and around and bend over and roll my head all over in songs, my luscious long locks get battered  daily. I leave the house with supermodel hair and come back home looking like I got caught in a wind tunnel then noogied by 5 older brothers. I generally end up in a high pony or with my hair down and looking a little sloppy. I need to kick it up a notch!

If you're similarly looking for some ways to tie up your locks, take a look at some of these styles I've shared below!

Twisted Ponytail

Lace Braided Updo

French side braid

Triple Twist Ponytail

Random observation- why are all these women blonde? Weird!

Spring Purchases

Well friends, it's been almost 2 months since I began my capsule wardrobe. It has definitely been an adjustment. Its not always comfortable, nor is it always fun. I've had a few moments of inner panic as I look in my closet and see only outfits I've already worn and longing for the box full of my other clothes. But then I remember that I haven't been shopping because I'm sad or bored or alone, and I'm not spending unnecessarily. I reflect on the outfits I've come up with and how each one is really something that I want to wear and feel confident in... So I think I'll stick with it, at least one more season. Change doesn't happen overnight, or even in a few weeks! The shopping habits and mindset I've created took me a long time to develop, so if I want to create a more thoughtful and efficient system for myself, that will also take a while. Plus, to be honest, I think planning and calculating and searching for the perfect piece is kind of fun.

I like to play a word game when setting up goals and expectations (coincidentally, this is a great technique for older students). I like to choose 5-10 adjectives to describe what I want out of the process or experience, or to describe myself. I did this a few months ago when I felt like I needed an attitude adjustment, and it was so effective I've been doing it every few months about different things: my home, going back to school, the new semester, and my clothing. The adjectives for this upcoming capsule are:

Fresh

Effortless

Classy

Simple

Cool

Like I said when discussing my spring inspiration- spring will be kind of boring. I feel like winter is so fussy, with all its layers and jackets and scarves and generally too much of everything. The prospect of warmer temperatures makes me want to relax out of my 46 daily layers and ease into something simpler.

Now, I know I'm going against one of the rules set down for capsule wardrobes by Caroline at her amazing blog Unfancy, but I haven't been including my outerwear in my capsule. This matters less and less the closer to summer I get, but for spring, Texas weather is like a pinball machine and the temperatures are likely to continue bouncing all over the place, so I'll still need a variation of jackets to reach for. It would be a huge pain if one day I needed a winter coat and the next I'd be in sandals.

So, according to  capsule wardrobe plan, at the beginning of March (Wait what? Here is my explanation) I will do my switch to the spring capsule. Based on an evaluation of what I already have, I really only needed to add a few things to my closet to be ready for spring. After these purchases, I still have $30 left in my budget. 

What I bought:

Upgraded Moto Jacket (not a part of the capsule, but I wanted to share!)
Check it out, its lovely. Although a little squeaky and still faux, it definitely is an upgrade from my last moto jacket which was from an equivalent of Forever21. Great investment!

Topshop Moto Jacket

Graphic Blouse

I fell in love with this dreamy graphic blouse from my beloved Loft, which was on sale for $22. With shipping it was $32, so about 1/3 of my budget. That might seem a little strange, but I know that this is something I can wear not only this spring, but in any season because of its neutral palette. I'm not one for patterns generally, but this is just the bit of spice (yes to be a black and white blouse is spicy) that I wanted for spring.

The Perfect Striped Tee

I've searched high and low, and it is no where to be found! I want slightly longer sleeves, a loose but not baggy fit, and I want mid-sized stripes. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. 

I went for this one from Gap. Partially because it was on sale... But also because Caroline from Unfancy has pretty much the same shirt and it looks about perfect on her. (Let's pretend I'm not borderline obsessed with Unfancy. Ok, thanks.)

What I'm still searching for:

Gray Sheath Dress

Every time I browse my pins, I regret not buying this perfect one from H&M! I may or may not be stalking this on ebay.

I might wait a while on the sheath, because anything worthwhile is likely to send me over my budget, but I might also spend a few weekends thrifting for one! They are surprisingly hard to come by, even on the internet.

Cool Sneakers

Between my extremely picky sense of style and my big feet, I've really had a hard time finding some colorful sneakers to add a kick (harharhar... sorry) to my closet. These are some of my favorites, notice the trend?

I'll be out and about today in this cold, rainy weather, seeing if I can use up that last bit of budget on some worthwhile investments!

Weekend Stripes

Quick outfit post, just something I wore to a fundraiser for the Baha'i community- something called Kabob Fest. I know what you're thinking- "Kabob Fest? Is that real?" Yes. Its real and its heaven.

Loft top, Banana Republic Skirt (similar midi style), Gap ankle boots (similar)