enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

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Back again with another capsule wardrobe. This is my fourth time through and I've learned a lot. Mostly that it takes very few items of clothing to keep me dressed and happy. And also that there is no reason to make this more complicated than it needs to be. This time around, I built a capsule to ideally get me from June – August.

If you're unfamiliar, here are my autumn, winter and spring capsules.

Couple things to note :

  • this is a maternity friendly wardrobe. I am 17 weeks pregnant today and will be 30 weeks at the end of August when this capsule ends. That's a huge jump in size for one season. I kept this in mind and some of the pieces (like the chambray) will most likely not be used by the end, while others, like the maternity dresses won't add to the rotation until early July.
  • I've said this before but my daily life is very casual and so I dress for that. If I worked in an office that required more formal business attire, I would most likely build two capsules: one for work and one for weekends.
  • there are more pieces this time around than usual. Again, this is to account for the fact that I'll be growing a bit, but also because our weather has been insane lately. It's May Gray (followed by June Gloom) in San Diego which makes for some cooler evenings and mornings. I can't get by with just tanktops.
  • still not a lot of color. I prefer neutrals mostly and very simple patterns for everyday wear.
  • not a lot of new pieces this time around. In fact, you are basically looking at my spring wardrobe with some maternity pieces thrown in. I have a few new items that I picked up for our trip to Hawaii that made it in, but not much else. Everything with an * is new.
  • last month I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and thanks to that book, I no longer am storing un-seasonable clothing in bins. Everything is hanging in my closet / in my drawers but my capsule takes up one side / one drawer.

Let's get into it.

Summertopsanddresses

TOPS AND DRESSES : loose-fitting white dress from madewell last summer (similar), white "workshirt" (similar), madewell v-neck, everlane vneck, casual white tank, everlane drop shoulder tee*, mama bird tee*, xhileration  kimono*, chambray pull-over (super old from j.crew factory), denim vest, fox print dress, madewell v-neck, gray t-shirt dress, gray maxi (similar), gray cardigan (similar), american apparel v-neck, old navy gray tank, alternative apparel baseball tee, gray tank maxi* (same dress in wrong color), liz lange tank dress*, striped maternity dress (similar).

More tops and dresses this time around because I want to account for the weather and size changes. Most of this stuff should work. Layers are great and helpful with maternity (or at least they were last time). I remember wearing a ton of Old Navy tanks because they were a great stretchy fit and I liked that they were long. Oddly though, I don't like them when I am not pregnant because they are so clingy.

Only wildcard this season is that white kimono type top. I bought it as a coverup for Hawaii, but it's actually pretty cute over plain dresses. We'll see if I wear it enough. That fox print dress I bought late last summer and love! Hope it works for a bit with a bump.

Summerbottomsandshoes

BOTTOMS AND SHOES : old navy maternity shorts (similar), longer gray khaki shorts (similar), brown shorts, patterned pants, red alternative apparel maxi (various colors), gray alternative apparel maxi, black maxi, rainbows, tan sandals, gold sandals, leopard print slip-ons (same style, different pattern), sneakers (similar).

Not too many choices here… mostly just maxi skirts and a pair of shorts that still fit plus a pair of maternity shorts from Ellerie's pregnancy. I wear a lot of dresses and maxis (on that alternative apparel maxi be sure to size up for better fit) so I am hopeful this is enough to get by. Shoes are the same old, same old, casual flats that I wear constantly. I threw in my sneakers to round-out this one. Hoping to get a lot of walks in again.

Every time I get dressed in the morning I am reminded why I do this … it's so nice to put on clothes that I know I like and that I know will fit. In the past, getting dressed has been an exercise in "ehhhhhh" and I wind up with four discarded outfits on the ground. Now, my choices are limited, but all of them I like. I know it's going to fit. For the most part I know it's going to match. Win. Win.

Anyone else changing up their wardrobes this season?

links throughout are affiliate.

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23 responses to “summer capsule wardrobe.”

  1. Carrie Avatar

    I am really interested in capsule wardrobes. Seems to make life so much simpler. Given your skin tone and hair color, I think neutrals work for you. I like that.

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  2. Margaret Avatar

    These are some of my favorite kinds of posts! Since my daily life is also super casual, I’ve always had a hard time translating other capsule wardrobe posts in to my own daily life. I’ve also been super surprised to realize through this capsule wardrobe experiment that as much as I LOVE color, I actually prefer to wear mostly neutrals. These madewell pull on shorts have been the best thing I’ve purchased for my summer capsule!
    https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/PANTSSHORTS/shorts/PRDOVR~C4463/C4463.jsp

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  3. Leah Noble Avatar

    I’ve been feeling stressed about some work I have to do, and this line in your post today really spoke to me: “And also that there is no reason to make this more complicated than it needs to be.” I’m going to let that line guide me today. Thank you!

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  4. Ali Avatar

    I really enjoy reading your capsule posts. Do you know of anyone in the blog world who does a duel capsule wardrobe for work and home? I have to wear relatively formal work attire so I’d be really interested to see someone else’s take on a capsule wardrobe for work.

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  5. Yvonne Avatar
    Yvonne

    The correct spelling is casual. Not causal.

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  6. Michelle G Avatar
    Michelle G

    Doing my fourth capsule wardrobe and feeling like I’m finally starting to get it. I use pinterest for each one and then I can see what I was using last year. Loving it!

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  7. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    I haven’t done a capsule yet myself, but I love seeing what others are doing. Yours is particularly relevant to me since I’m a work from home mom so my wardrobe is pretty casual, too. I’m trying to get out of the habit of wearing yoga pants everyday! How comfortable are the old navy sandals? I’ve been eying them and the price is right, but I’ve had bad experiences with ON shoes (years ago though).

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  8. Jamie Avatar

    My girlfriends are coming over to “what not to wear” me and my wardrobe, not with the goal of going capsule but because I need fresh eyes. I’m an office manager in a casual environment so I can’t wear yoga clothes (not obviously, at least!) but I don’t need to dress as office-y as I do. I’m hoping fresh eyes will help me weed out what I should toss, suggest good additions, and maybe even make new combos from the stuff I already have. Life Changing Magic has had some influence on all this too. = )

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  9. Nicolle Avatar
    Nicolle

    I bought those tan slip on sandals from Old Navy when you posted them in your spring capsule, but they’re completely fallen apart already! The sole detached from the “leather” within a couple weeks of normal wear. Are you experiencing the same thing with yours?

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  10. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    thank you Yvonne! made the change!

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  11. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    they are okay. great for a short walk or going out to eat, but I wouldn’t wear them for a long day of walking. No blisters, just not a lot of “shoe” to keep them on, make them comfy, etc. πŸ™‚

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  12. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    awesome! good luck!

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  13. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    that’s awful! No, mine have held up well. Did you bring them back for a refund?

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  14. Jamie Avatar

    I’m in la-la land over your beauteous clothes. I find myself staring into my closet every morning wishing I could clean it up (color wise) and create a more cohesive look. Someday, eh?! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  15. lisa valinsky Avatar

    I agree – love these posts too. I tried doing a capsule wardrobe at one point, but realized that because I own so few clothes (I’m just not a shopper and pretty much always only buy what I love), I didn’t need to go that route.
    But my husband and I are working at a sleepaway camp this summer – can’t wait! – so I’ll definitely be rounding up clothes that are suitable for those ten weeks, including a bunch of maternity wear. πŸ™‚

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  16. Jan Avatar

    A capsule wardrobe has proven to save me both time and money + being able to go to my closet knowing that I have something that fits and coordinates is awesome. I recommend implementing a capsule wardrobe for each season and lifestyle.

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  17. Kristyn Avatar
    Kristyn

    Would love to know how long you have had the Madewell t’s and how they have held up. I am looking for comfy casual t’s that I don’t have to replace every 3 months because they fall apart. Love the idea of a capsule wardrobe, have been ruthless in my closet and want to add quality over quantity. Thanks in advance!!!

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  18. Lindsey Avatar

    Going out of state for 4.5 months and want to take a capsule wardrobe with me. I know you’ve covered accessories in the past, do you include work out gear, socks and undergarments? Just typing that feels too personal. Just asking because I’m drowning in my closet. Thanks!

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  19. Jen Avatar
    Jen

    For a while now I’ve been bummed about my wardrobe and kept feeling like I needed to add more, because I wear the same things over and over. Now, thanks to one of the links in a post of yours, I have a term for my wardrobe-minimalist. Its weird. Now that I have a name, I don’t feel like I need to change anything. I’m not boring, I’m a minimalist. πŸ™‚

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  20. Erin Freeman Avatar
    Erin Freeman

    I love these posts, Elise! Keep them coming! I am desperate to simplify and have been, but we can’t spend money on new items right now and my closet is FULL of “eh” items I purchased in a different mindset. (1st-world problems…) I love that denim vest – you make it work so many different ways! I am saving pennies… Anyway, thanks for always sharing and inspiring!

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  21. Jacee Avatar
    Jacee

    I’ve been following your capsule wardrobe since you did the first one. I think I’m finally ready to take the plunge. I seriously need to purge my closet. I’m very low maintenance when it comes to clothes. I like to look cute, but really I want something that’s comfy and I can throw on. Your closet is always an inspiration to me bc I love the comfiness and neutrality of it all. What size Madewell shirts do you usually get? I noticed in the reviews that it runs big. I’m petite but busty so I’m unsure.

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  22. Jackie Avatar

    I wanted to say thanks for introducing me to this whole concept. You + The Lively Show interview helped me commit to making it happen. I just blogged about it. http://bit.ly/LoveJacCapsuleWardrobe And It feel so good! Thanks Elise!!

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  23. Coco Bordeaux Avatar

    I’ve started the process of refining to a capsule wardrobe as well and it has certainly simplified my life. It’s a struggle to stick to timeless, classic pieces when the whole world of style blogging is devoted to marketing! I recently posted about my struggle with this, and strategies to stop wasting money and energy on things that don’t matter (http://www.cocobordeaux.com/2015/10/three-simple-ways-to-stop-wasting-money.html) Great to see that the minimalism movement is starting to take off!

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