[Warning: this is a big post]
Summary of Items with Links to Pictures
Shoes/Boots: 8 pairs
- Orange/yellow strappy sandals (Portia)
"Stained glass" vintage 80s shoes (Gabrieli, thrifted)/Red shiny kitten heels (Predictions, consignment)- Black sandals (Jones New York, consignment)
- Grey ombre sandals (Qupid)
- Orange/teal platform sandals (Poetic Licence)
- Woven gold kitten heels (Aldo, consignment)
- Gold flat sandals (Naturalizer, consignment)
- Bronze "Listen Up Ivanna" sandals (Fluevog)
Skirts: 4
- Faded denim long pencil skirt (Stockerpoint, thrifted)
- Orange suede skirt (Co and Eddy, thrifted)
- Swirly navy skirt (Tobias, thrifted)
- Paisley midi skirt (Dex, thrifted)
Tops: 5
- Black tank w/beading (Freebird, consignment)
- Turquoise silk tank (Armani Exchange, consignment)
- Grey striped button-down shirt (Club Monaco, consignment)
- Orange tank w/beading (Jana, thrifted)
- Silk turquoise dragon top (Le Chateau, thrifted)
Sweaters/Cardigans: 5
- Teal leopard sweater (Precis, consignment)
- Zig-zag wrap sweater (Le Chateau, thrifted)
- Orange short-sleeved sweater (Liz Claiborne, consignment)
- Grey "Periodic Table of Awesome" cardigan (Smoking Lily on American Apparel)
- Grey striped cardigan (Express, thrifted)
Jackets/Blazers: 1
- Black boyfriend blazer (Banana Republic, thrifted)
Pants: 2
- Teal pedal pushers (Reitman's)
- Black cropped pants (Focus 2000)
Dresses: 5
- Yellow dress (Calvin Klein)
- Short floral (Smoking Lily, thrifted)
- Polka dot wrap dress (Smoking Lily, consignment)
- Turquoise dress (no label, thrifted)
- Grey dress w/ruffled neck (Gap, consignment)
Other: 0
General Observations at the Halfway Mark
This really has been a fun challenge so far - I definitely feel like my "style muscle" is getting stretched and is growing stronger! Funny how putting something into a capsule will very rapidly tell me whether it is a workable item worth keeping in my wardrobe. The duds reveal themselves very quickly.
Shoes have been my biggest surprise in the past 6 months. I realized I've been using quantity to make up for quality. Who cares if a pair of shoes kills my feet, when I'm only wearing them once a year? Well...I do! At least, NOW I do. Shoes of poor quality are being looked at very closely (those that I really love I'm keeping, but they will eventually go), and if they kill my feet, they're gone.
I'm also being a lot more judicious in my shopping choices. There are not many impulse buys when I have to consider, "When am I going to wear this? What month's capsule is this going into?" If I don't have answers for those questions, I put the item back.
My wardrobe lacks basics. I don't require a white button-down shirt and black trousers on a day-to-day basis, but I do need grounding pieces for some of the more "out there" items in my closet. Not utilizing the basics I've got (like July's cropped black pants) means that I'm not wearing special pieces as often. I need a better range of good quality solid skirts, pants (to the extent that I wear pants, i.e. not much), jackets, tops, etc. I've been much more aware of this while shopping this past month, particularly since June's neutrals-only capsule.
I'm excited to be nearing the end of my summer capsules (end of September) and to start planning my October-January capsules. I'm also beginning to wonder what I'm going to do when this year-long challenge is over.
General Observations on July's Capsule
This really has been a fun challenge so far - I definitely feel like my "style muscle" is getting stretched and is growing stronger! Funny how putting something into a capsule will very rapidly tell me whether it is a workable item worth keeping in my wardrobe. The duds reveal themselves very quickly.
Shoes have been my biggest surprise in the past 6 months. I realized I've been using quantity to make up for quality. Who cares if a pair of shoes kills my feet, when I'm only wearing them once a year? Well...I do! At least, NOW I do. Shoes of poor quality are being looked at very closely (those that I really love I'm keeping, but they will eventually go), and if they kill my feet, they're gone.
I'm also being a lot more judicious in my shopping choices. There are not many impulse buys when I have to consider, "When am I going to wear this? What month's capsule is this going into?" If I don't have answers for those questions, I put the item back.
My wardrobe lacks basics. I don't require a white button-down shirt and black trousers on a day-to-day basis, but I do need grounding pieces for some of the more "out there" items in my closet. Not utilizing the basics I've got (like July's cropped black pants) means that I'm not wearing special pieces as often. I need a better range of good quality solid skirts, pants (to the extent that I wear pants, i.e. not much), jackets, tops, etc. I've been much more aware of this while shopping this past month, particularly since June's neutrals-only capsule.
I'm excited to be nearing the end of my summer capsules (end of September) and to start planning my October-January capsules. I'm also beginning to wonder what I'm going to do when this year-long challenge is over.
General Observations on July's Capsule
- I loved this month's colour palette! Orange, teal and yellow sprang into being with the purchase of the floral Smoking Lily top, and pulling in the orange/teal Poetic Licence sandals. From there, it was easy to pull together "like" items and build the capsule.
- I did more shoes and dresses than any previous month. I also did less tops and skirts than before. I deliberately considered that I prefer dresses in hotter weather, and worked to be able to layer dresses with cardigans and skirts to make them appear to be a top or skirt, instead of a dress.
- 22 of the 30 items in this month's capsule were either thrifted or consignment pieces - not all of these were new-to-me recent purchases either. I pulled out some of my older classics and rediscovered how much I liked them.
- I really appreciated basic, classic items this month, like the boyfriend blazer, the black cropped pants and the navy skirt. Classics don't have to be boring, either - my turquoise dress was also a great basic.
- At 8 pairs of shoes, it felt like too many. I didn't have enough flats, and none of the heels were that comfortable, especially as the weather warmed up.
- Some of the new-to-me items that I'd purchased early in the year and saved for a summer capsule weren't actually all that great. Fit and quality were issues. Saddest of all was the disintegration of the 80s "stained glass" shoes.
What Got Worn the Most/Least
Shoes: And again - surprise, surprise - the most comfortable flats got worn the most. The Naturalizer gold sandals were worn to death, a total of 8 times. Runners up were the Jones New York black sandals and the Qupid grey ombre wedge sandals, at 5 times each. Trailing the pack (can you tell I've been watching a lot of Olympics coverage?) were the Poetic Licence platforms and the red kitten heels (3 times each) and the 80s "stained glass" shoes and the Fluevogs, at 2 times apiece. Sadly, and this was a surprise to me until I just tallied it up, the orange/yellow strappy sandals were only worn once!
Skirts: Every skirt was worn three times, except for the denim one, which was only worn twice.
Pants: My black cropped pants were worn 5 times, more than any other bottom, including skirts! The teal pedal pushers were worn 4 times. Combined, this is the most I've worn pants as a category since starting this challenge.
Tops: I can see where the duds were: right here in the top category. I wore the Armani top only once, as well as the orange tank with the beading at the neckline. The black tank was also only worn twice, but the shiny turquoise dragon top and the grey striped cuffed shirt were each worn 3 times.
Sweaters/Cardigans: Again, as in other months, cardigans and sweaters really pulled their weight. Each one was worn a minimum of twice, with the striped cardi and the Smoking Lily "Periodic Table of Awesome" cardi getting worn 3 times each.
Jackets/Blazers: At 7 wears, the black boyfriend jacket is hands-down the most worn single item (not including shoes) since I started this challenge! What a versatile piece!
Dresses: As mentioned, I really made my dresses work this month. From layering my Smoking Lily floral under a skirt, to wearing a sweater over the yellow dress, I worked these dresses hard. The Smoking Lily dress and the turquoise dress were the gold medal standard here, at 5 times each, followed by the yellow dress (silver medal at 3 wears) and the two less versatile dresses - the Smoking Lily dotted dress and the grey dress - bringing in the bronze at two wears each.
Other: Didn't have any "other" items this month.
What I Would Do Differently Next Month
- Well, as I'm nearly a week into my capsule, you can see that I reduced my shoes to 6. Eight was just too many - I would have liked another top instead, or at least some better walking shoes. Also, two pairs of shoes that were very similar (the yellow/orange and the teal/orange) meant that one got left by the wayside.
- I missed having a few more unexpected colours to play off my rather rigid colour scheme. Being able to do a "non-theme" outfit is important to me. I hate being bored, and all that teal and orange got a little tiresome.
- I purchased both the orange tank and the black tank pre-challenge, and realized that I didn't really like them that much. A case of quantity over quality - these tops weren't that special. I also will be steering clear of cheaply made clothing from mall stores! While the teal pedal pushers were indeed awesome looking, they washed poorly, didn't fit well and overall felt cheap. Ugh.
- This was a LOT of outfits! I did 34 outfits, more than I've ever done in a month. I don't know that I'll try to reduce my outfits...maybe I'll even repeat an outfit or two this month. It's not a crime! It doesn't always have to be different each day.
What is Leaving My Closet
- The red kitten heels (which replaced the destroyed 80s shoes) were given to my coworker. Bad quality, although a cute style.
- The Qupid grey ombre sandals. Much as I love these, they were starting to fall apart.
- The Naturalizer gold flat sandals. I did say I wore them to death, right? They were falling apart. I need to keep an eye out for a replacement for them for next summer!
- The faded denim pencil skirt. Yes, cool buttons, but it didn't really ring my bell. I have other, better denim skirts.
- The orange t-shirt-y tank with beading at the neck. Just didn't like it.
What's on the Fence
- The yellow/orange shoes. Yes, they're cool, and they are good quality, but they aren't super comfortable. Besides, if I can only manage to wear them once in a full month, how am I supposed to wear them when I have unlimited options?
- The zig-zag sweater. I feel like I've gotten all the wear I can out of it. It's a limiting piece due to all that colour - but it's so fun.
- The teal pedal pushers. I might relegate them to "wear around the house" status (i.e. I don't wear them in public). Just not good quality.
- The grey dress with the ruffles at the neck. Yeah, it's cute, but it doesn't layer well, and it's a tad short.
These are back in my wardrobe for now, and may be removed after I've "rested" from them.
Looking Forward to Wearing Again
- The Poetic Licence platforms. None of my shoes really range my bell this month, sadly. These are such awesome shoes - they're the best of the bunch. I think this has been my weakest month for shoe choices so far.
- The navy swirly skirt. My own "re-bought" skirt (probably). Such a classic. I want to wear it in the autumn/winter with boots!
- The Smoking Lily floral dress. The most comfortable dress ever. Love it.
How I'm Feeling About the Year-Long Challenge So Far
I've said this many times now, but I'm still having a lot of fun with this challenge, which is a good thing. There is no lack of clothing choices, and I really enjoy the intellectual exercise of looking forward to the upcoming month and putting together unexpected items. I can easily spend an hour in my closet, playing with what's in it.
As I near the end of the spring/summer capsules, I do find myself looking at the shoes and clothing that I haven't picked out (for September) and wondering what will make the cut beyond that. I still have summery-type items that aren't going to make it into a capsule, I can see that.
I am also starting to see that my emotional attachments to clothing and shoes (especially my Fluevogs) are holding me back from having a fully functional wardrobe. The Ivannas that I had in the capsule this month are not my favourite Fluevogs...but I keep them because they are Fluevogs. Is that something I want to do? Get rid of some Fluevogs (there, I said it!)? Because I might do that. Why do I have them if I don't wear them?
Also as mentioned, my shopping is getting very refined. I am much more focused on what is going to work in a future capsule and what is just a fun item that I like a lot. Looking past January (when the challenge ends), I wonder how my future shopping is going to be affected. Will I go back to my old habits?
And what will happen beyond this challenge? The last time I did a year-long challenge, things just carried on naturally and I went back to being able to shop new (even though I did cut back quite a bit on that). Will I miss the push that a restricted wardrobe gives me when I have my choice of everything again?
Questions to ponder...six months down, and six to go.
As I near the end of the spring/summer capsules, I do find myself looking at the shoes and clothing that I haven't picked out (for September) and wondering what will make the cut beyond that. I still have summery-type items that aren't going to make it into a capsule, I can see that.
I am also starting to see that my emotional attachments to clothing and shoes (especially my Fluevogs) are holding me back from having a fully functional wardrobe. The Ivannas that I had in the capsule this month are not my favourite Fluevogs...but I keep them because they are Fluevogs. Is that something I want to do? Get rid of some Fluevogs (there, I said it!)? Because I might do that. Why do I have them if I don't wear them?
Also as mentioned, my shopping is getting very refined. I am much more focused on what is going to work in a future capsule and what is just a fun item that I like a lot. Looking past January (when the challenge ends), I wonder how my future shopping is going to be affected. Will I go back to my old habits?
And what will happen beyond this challenge? The last time I did a year-long challenge, things just carried on naturally and I went back to being able to shop new (even though I did cut back quite a bit on that). Will I miss the push that a restricted wardrobe gives me when I have my choice of everything again?
Questions to ponder...six months down, and six to go.
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Now...To refresh your memory, here are all the outfits together. You can click to embiggen them, and click on the captioned dates to go to the original posts for more pictures.
Vote! You can vote for your favourite outfits here (you can select more than one outfit, it's okay!):
Note: I've broken the poll into two to accommodate the extra outfits this month.
Note: I've broken the poll into two to accommodate the extra outfits this month.
What About the Wild Card Outfit?
I used my July Wild Card for this outfit here (2nd outfit), for a friend's house party. I knew I'd wear those aqua Fluevogs again!
At the end of the challenge year (next January), there will be a vote for Best Wild Card.
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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
