30 For 30 for 12 Challenge - April Recap

Three months down...9 to go! Here's my recap of the 30 For 30 For 12 challenge for April.

[Warning: this is a big post]

Summary of Items with Links to Pictures

Shoes/Boots: 7 pairs

• Yellow Boots (Aldo, consignment)
• Purple Peep-Toe Pumps (Friis & Co.)
• Purple/Tan Pearl Hart Bellevues (Fluevog)
• Yellow Sling-backs (Tsubo)
• Lavender Mary-Janes (Camper)
• Black Kitten Heels (Enzo Angiolini, thrifted)
• Red Suede Mary-Janes (Feet First, thrifted)

Skirts: 7

• Pink Satin Floral Brocade (Vivienne Tam, consignment)
• Black Leather Pencil (Hemingway, vintage 80s, thrifted)
• Denim Maxi (InWear, consignment)
• Grey Pencil (Plum)
• Chartreuse and Gold (Noa Noa)
• Grey Embellished (Bianca Nygard)
• Floral Short Puffy (Le Chateau)

Tops: 9

• Rust/Green/Yellow "Camo" Blouse (Esprit, consignment)
• Pink Satin Puffy Blouse (INC, consignment)
• Teal Long-Sleeved Tee (Smoking Lily)
• Red/Yellow/Black Silk Paisley Halter Blouse (INC)
• Ruffle-Front Fuscia Blouse (Esprit, consignment)
• Sheer Navy Blouse (Express, thrifted)
• Long Yellow Shirt (Simon Chang)
• Pink/Yellow "Painty" Blouse (Jones New York)
• Yellow Ruffle-Front Tee (INC, thrifted)

Sweaters/Cardigans: 3

• Chartreuse Cardigan (Club Monaco, consignment)
• Navy Cardigan (Mango Suit, thrifted)
• Teal Batwing Sweater (Kenneth Cole Reaction, consignment)

Jackets/Blazers: None

Pants: 1

• Cognac Leather Pants (Gap, Fall 2000, thrifted)

Dresses: 3

• Denim (Ricki's)
• Taupe Leather (Truly by Party Two)
• Purple Brocade (Maggy London)

Other: None

General Observations on April's Capsule

• All the bright colour felt so good! It was doubly appreciated as L and I went through a very rough month of losing our dear kitty, Inigo. "Fake it till you feel it" was definitely in effect.
• Simple, non-fussy pieces worked the easiest when I really didn't put any effort into my outfits. The good quality fabrics, patterns, and (for the most part) good cuts did a lot of the work for me.
• As the weather gets warmer, I'm finding I need more weekend-wearable clothes. However, I was glad I'd put a few dressier items in the capsule.
• One or two vibrant patterns worked well; having two very similar patterns meant one didn't get worn.
• Comfort in shoes is becoming paramount. I simply can't handle any pair of shoes that kills my feet when I wear them 2-3 times a month. 

What Got Worn the Most/Least

Shoes: Unsurprisingly, the most comfortable shoes got worn the most: the black kitten heels were worn 5 times, as were the yellow Tsubos. Closely on their heels (pun intended) were the Pearl Harts and the lavender Campers. The yellow boots (ouch), purple Friis pumps (fab, but high) were only worn twice each. The red Feet First shoes were also only worn twice, mostly because I came to dislike the look of them - they are actually very comfortable.

Skirts: All of the skirts were worn a minimum of twice each, with the denim maxi skirt, plain grey pencil skirt, and the chartreuse Noa Noa skirt each getting 3 wears.

Pants: I absolutely love that I wore the leather pants three times. Every time I wear them, I love them more. I might need to fit these into an autumn capsule.

Tops: Making up for last month, I loaded April's capsule with 9 tops. However, the two "painty"/"camo" patterned blouses were so similar - I ended up wearing the Jones New York one only once because I just didn't need it in the capsule. The one casual tee - the yellow INC with ruffles at the neckline - was worn 5 times, compared to twice with every other top. 

Sweaters/Cardigans: I wore all of them a minimum of twice each, and got three wears out of the chartreuse yellow cardigan. 

Jackets/Blazers: I didn't miss jackets and blazers this month at all. We're getting firmly into cardigan season so I will likely not have too many jackets over the spring/summer that aren't being worn as outerwear.

Dresses: The three dresses were good as layering pieces for all the tops. I felt like I still had a lot of layering potential for them. I wore the purple one once, and the other two twice each.

Other: No "other" items this month.

What I Would Do Differently Next Month

• A bit more balanced with tops and bottoms. I kept looking for another skirt or pair of pants to wear with them all.
• Once again, I duplicated items: I had two grey skirts (one with pattern) and two "painty" blouses. More variety begets more creativity.
• I wanted more variety in casual wear for the weekends. 
• Shoes that don't hurt are a must. 

What is Leaving My Closet

• The yellow boots have had it. They kill my feet. If I miss them, I'll look at the pictures. 
• The red Mary-Janes have to go. I need another comfortable pair of red shoes, with better style elements. These just weren't right for my style as it is now.
• The floral Le Chateau poofy skirt. It's just too short and I feel like I've gotten enough wear out of it for the 3+ years I've had it. 
• The pink satin blouse. The style isn't right for me, nor is silk near my sweaty pits. I adore the colour and the big sleeves, though.

What's on the Fence

• The grey Plum pencil skirt. Yeah, it's a good basic in a limited capsule, but once I'm done this challenge, is it interesting enough to stay in my closet?
• The long yellow shirt. A bit too trendy to be a wardrobe staple. I like the colour, but not the style. It also has to be layered due to being a bit see-through. 
• The denim Ricki's dress. But only if I find a really great denim dress that's as unique as this one first.

These are back in my wardrobe, and may be removed after I've "rested" from them. 

Looking Forward to Wearing Again

• The lavender Campers. These were incredibly comfortable and I love the colour. Lavender is the new neutral!
• The yellow Tsubos. Fabulous colour and so easy to wear.
• The pink brocade pencil skirt. It's a work of art and I always feel good in it.
• The Smoking Lily long-sleeved tee. It will actually move into my "around the house" casual wear wardrobe. It's soft and lovely to wear.
• The cognac leather pants. As noted, I just love them. They might be in another capsule this year.

How I'm Feeling About the Year-Long Challenge So Far

What I said last month still stands: I am still enjoying it - it is a lot of fun to put together, plan and anticipate. A month feels just right - and I felt like there were a few more outfits I could have made.

I found myself annoyed by some items that I've obviously been hanging onto for sentimental reasons: the yellow boots and the Le Chateau floral pouffy skirt. They're both such cool items, but they just don't work for me anymore. I considered keeping both, but my closet can't turn into a museum of things I love but don't wear anymore.

I really love having a limited wardrobe - it makes picking outfits so much easier, and I feel like I'm able to revisit some of my favourite combinations without getting stale. I wouldn't want to do this challenge indefinitely or have to live with a wardrobe of limited items all the time, but the planning and long-range anticipation is quite fun.

Now...To refresh your memory, here are all the outfits together. You can click to embiggen them, and click on the dates to go to the original posts.

Apr 2nd	Apr 3rd	Apr 4th	Apr 5th	Apr 7th
Apr 8th	Apr 9th	Apr 10th	Apr 11th	Apr 12th
Apr 13th	Apr 14th	Apr 16th	Apr 17th	Apr 18th
Apr 19th	Apr 20th	Apr 23rd	Apr 24th	Apr 25th
Apr 26th	Apr 27th	Apr 28th	Apr 28th (part 2)	Apr 30th

You can vote for your favourite outfits here (you can select more than one outfit, it's okay!):
[Edit: sorry, fixed this so that you can do multiple votes - also corrected April 28th (parts 1 and 2)]

What outfits rang your bell? Vote for as many as you want.

Apr 2nd Apr 3rd Apr 4th Apr 5th Apr 7th Apr 8th Apr 9th Apr 10th Apr 11th Apr 12th Apr 13th Apr 14th Apr 16th Apr 17th Apr 18th Apr 19th Apr 20th Apr 23rd Apr 24th Apr 25th Apr 26th Apr 27th Apr 28th Apr 28th (part 2) Apr 30th

pollcode.com free polls

What About the Wild Card Outfit?
I did not one, not two, but THREE Wild Card outfits this month, due to the the Victoria Steam Expo. Check 'em out again here.

At the end of the year (next January), there will be a vote for Best Wild Card.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my capsule and reading the recap! Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

Cheers,
Sheila