Jumping on the (capsule wardrobe) bandwagon

Back at the end of the summer, I stumbled upon the idea of a capsule wardrobe. It was an intriguing concept because (1.) I hate clutter and (2.) I tend to regularly get rid of clothes that have been sitting, untouched, in my closet. BUT! I also tend to be a sale shopper and sometimes come home with clothing that was a great deal but isn't all that cute or high quality or good for my body type/personal style. Oi!

I used some of Caroline's free wardrobe planner sheets to help me think through my lifestyle as well as the items of clothing I wear over and over again. I got rid of a few things, bought a few things, and tried to unofficially start my own capsule. Since then I've kind of been muddling along, keeping the idea of a capsule in my mind but never really solidifying things in my own closet and dresser drawers. 

Here are some more resources about the concept; others can explain it far better than I can, so I'm going to let them do the dirty work while I just share my own experience. Rachael; Elise.

My experience so far has been a bit strange, but also kind of fun and definitely eye-opening. I had a few key things to consider, as I sort through how concept this will play out in my life.

• My style has always been pretty casual. I like to dress up occasionally, but I'm most comfortable in jeans and a casual shirt. However, I hate feeling sloppy and I rarely leave the house in sweatpants and a hoodie. 
• I'm mostly at home, with Charlotte (and the little guy I'm now watching 3 days a week). My clothes need to withstand spit up, messy breakfasts, baby wearing, sitting on the floor, and making several trips out the door with a car seat over my arm. 
• I have very few formal occasions; I only get slightly dressed up for church and dates with Joel.
• For the last 11 months, I've been nursing Charlotte multiple times a day. My wardrobe has to reflect that reality. (This means I basically NEVER wear dresses any more because dresses aren't breastfeeding friendly; I also wear a tank top under my shirt every day for easy access and some tummy coverage.)
• I'm hoping to have a couple more kids in the years to come. No capsules I've found really deal with pregnancy and/or maternity clothes, so I'll need to sort through that if I get pregnant again some day. 

So! Here are the items I'm wearing now, in this winter season. Many were also my favorites in the fall and I'm betting a few will carry over into spring, as well. I'm pretty sure I have about 25 items (not including pajamas, underwear, tank tops, or the cozy/ugly workout pants I wear on chilly mornings before showering). 

4 pairs of shoes: black boots, tall brown boots, winter boots, and Merrels 

4 pairs of pants: khaki cords, dark skinny jeans (mine are Levi's), black skinny pants with zipper legs, and navy cords (handed down from my mom; I paid $20 to have them hemmed by an excellent tailor in town!)

4 t-shirts: two from Everlane (gray & brownish purple) and two from Gap (navy and light red)

3 long button up shirts: all from Gap (white, blue/white striped, chambray)

4 miscellaneous shirts: black long sleeve shirt (Gap), red flannel shirt (from the men's section at Target), dark green tissue tee (from Target), dark blue/flowered thermal I bought while pregnant last winter (Target clearance rack). 

4 sweaters: gray chunky knit sweater from Everlane, navy button up from Gap (men's section!), chunky black cardigan from the GAP outlet clearance rack (I paid $5!!), and a light blue cardigan that I bought at TJMaxx last spring.

[Edit: as I was working on this post, I took a trip to the outlet mall. On that trip that I got the black cardigan on super sale at the GAP outlet that I mentioned above. And though I didn't need it, I impulsively bought a light purple T-shirt that I have been wearing a lot lately! Guess I better add that to my official total...]

#iloveblue

In the near future, I'll be posting a couple of outfits I've made from these combinations. Anyone else jumping on this capsule bandwagon? As far as bandwagons go, it seems like a pretty good one :)