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/ 06 November 2014 / 10 Comments

CAPSULE WARDROBE: LESSONS LEARNT SO FAR

what I learnt from having a capsule wardrobe

SHOES, SHOES, SHOES

Today I'm here to talk about some things I've learnt from having a capsule wardrobe so far. It is, after all, my first time doing it and I thought, rather than pretending I've mastered capsule wardrobe the first time around, I better document my whole journey - all the successes and good decisions, but also the wrong ones, the mistakes and the regrets. 

I've read about bloggers wearing outfits only for the blog photos and only sharing the beautiful. I don't really agree with that. I think you guys should see the real outfits, the real issues and the real me. Because that's how we get to know each other better!

When I talked about purging your closets, I asked you to be really honest with yourselves if you wanted capsule wardrobe to work. So here I am, applying the same rules to myself and documenting my journey with all its ups and downs.
Because I'm a real person, you're a real person, and we're not perfect. And that's okay!

Anyway! Let's talk shoes. This being my first capsule wardrobe means I'm still learning about the process itself and a lot of things about myself too. Let me do a little recap. Back in September, when I was determining what number of pieces I'd have in my closet for this autumn, I used Unfancy as a template - just to have a bit of an idea about how many of what I might need. Caroline has 9 pairs of shoes. From experience I knew I wouldn't be needing that many myself. So I thought I'd schedule myself for 7 pairs.

Well, well, well, little did I know {fast forward to the present}... that I'd only really be wearing 4 of them. 5, if you count the Birks I use to take out trash. 
If you remember this post, where I shared my autumn capsule wardrobe with y'all, I'd said I'd be replacing Birks with cognac ankle boots, because I was still hunting for the right pair back then.

My demands were: must be leather, must have no/or only small heel, must be comfortable, I must like them enough to wear them for at least 3 years, which leads to the next point -  must be durable, and, last but not least: must be around £50. I set myself up for a pretty long search there! And it did take a while before I found it, but I did.

Here are the shoes I considered, you know, in case you're looking for a great ankle boot yourself.
1  2 |  3 |  4

They're all so cool and beautiful. I didn't get either of them. Why? Enter TK Maxx. Yup, that's right. I went and got my pretty, leather, good priced shoes in TK Maxx. They're Hush Puppies, in case you're wondering, and are pictured at the top of this post. Best part? They were £35, and are retailing for £85 on the hushpuppies website as part of their new collection. I gave them a good polish and no one will ever know.

Lesson no.1: Sometimes it's worth to wait a little to get what you really want.

But basically, long story short, I got ankle boots.

Now, a confession: I broke the shopping ban. Yes, I'm putting my hand up. I cheated the rules. But only once, I promise! When Caroline shared her Vans, I fell in love. They're sooo much more expensive here in the UK, so I was considering ordering black ones from Nordstrom. And then, purely by accident, I found a black leather {!!} pair on allsole.com. For the same price as the textile ones in America. A steal! Plus they only had one size - and it was my size - which is a miracle, as it always sells out first. Anyway, I've swapped them for my old converse and been wearing them with practically everything. I mean everything. 

Lesson no.2: It's okay to break a few rules if it makes you happy.

So which 4 pairs am I wearing all.the.time?
black ankle boots
black vans
cognac ankle boots
brown oxford shoes

I thought I needed at least 7 pairs and look at me!

Lesson no.3: Have only 4-5 pairs of shoes in your next capsule. 

Sweet! Another way to minimise.
What about you? What have you learnt about yourselves/your closets/your lives recently?


10 comments:

  1. I loved reading this post!
    When I did my Capsule Wardrobe (that I will be updating today on the blog) I never gave myself a number, I just knew that I need to keep only the pieces that I loved and looked good on me. And that is how I created my 60 pieces capsule wardrobe for the entire year. I'm so glad that I was able to do this. My life became so much simpler.

    Sophie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yay I'm glad you enjoyed it!
    I read that on your blog a few days ago, that you have a 60 piece all-year-round capsule. That's crazy! In a good way, I mean :-). Don't think I could do that, seems like so little for the whole year. But I can see how it makes life much simpler. I think the three month season works for me because I like shopping and this way I get to do that now and then. I sure will check out your updated post when it goes up today.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was a huge challenge, but looking back now I realize that it was
    easier that it looked. I still feel tempted to buy clothes, but now I
    use one simple rule that helps me decide if it's worth buying that
    piece. I simply use the One in, one out Rule - if I want to buy a top I
    have to get rid of one from my closet.. and most of the times I
    immediately change my mind about buying that piece. And I can always change a piece from my wardrobe if I no longer like it or if it got ruined or doesn't fit right =)



    P.S: the post is now on the blog ^^


    Sophie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great post, I love that you're doing little updates here and there about your capsule wardrobe experience! Maybe at the midway-point of the season I'll do the same!



    I applaud you for recognizing that you only need about 4 pairs of shoes! Shoes are the one thing that I knew I had to leave out of my capsule the first time around, just to ease myself into the process (totally cheating, but what can I say? I love my shoes!!). But even still I've learned what I tend to reach for and what I could probably put into storage until another season. It's fun figuring all this out!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love reading about other people's experience, so I thought I'd post about mine too so please do do the same! It's so interesting to see how different people find it and sometimes helps me notice similarities - so I can learn through their mistakes.


    With shoes I feel like once I find a good pair I just want to wear that pair for a while. And I don't think excluding shoes the first time round is cheating! Your life, your rules :-) and figuring it out is probably the best part :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amazing post Kat. I've gone through so many stages whether focusing on a number or not and I just did a big lethargic post on what I learned from capsuling for a year and its less about the number now for me and more about the ethos and what I want to stand for and support. I wouldnt mind 100 of anything if I can tell a story about each piece. I think my new strategy is to bring back that feeling of having a closet worth raiding and passing down. H&M is not a place I'd shop to pass down pieces to my daughter in the future :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you Letitia! You make a really good point - it would be amazing to have the kind of closet worth raiding. I think, later on, once I really get used to the capsule wardrobe lifestyle, it won't be about the number for me either - the number is just a nice way to ease yourself into it - give yourself some rules, then break them :-)
    I think I'd like to have perhaps half-half distribution. Things that can be passed down or worn for decades like shoes, coats, sweaters, etc. and things that I don't mind getting from h&m like tank tops and pyjamas :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am nuts about shoes so I didn't minimize, but I don't allow myself to acquire anymore. I blame part of it on our crazy Indiana seasons, but if I am being honest, I just love shoes. I love that you made this part of your capsule though- I am easing myself into it with the shoe business :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. PS- I REALLY love those booties that you found!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think that's okay, that you didn't minimise shoes in your capsule! You want the process to be fun, not torture! :-) Plus, as @Melina pointed out, {she also doesn't include shoes in her number}, Autumn is one of those seasons where you start really warm and finish really cold, so it makes sense to have plenty of shoes to be prepared for the temperature change.
    I'm apparently not that big on shoes so it makes it easy for me to include them, but I'm definitely struggling with sweaters - I'm planning for my winter capsule already. I want at least 7, because frankly, in winter, that's what people will see the most. But 15 ťops + 7 sweaters... that's already 22! What a struggle :-)

    ReplyDelete

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HELLO!

HELLO!

Hi, I'm Kat! A colourful wardrobe advocate and a capsule wardrobe graduate. Need any help finding your personal style and curating your closet? Advice on how to make most of the clothes you have? Or how to pack for an upcoming trip? I'm your girl!
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