Nothing To Wear

Last week, I went to a play and a choral concert, so I had to get dressed up. 

Not “fancy” dressed up, just not yoga clothes or dog-walking clothes. Something along the lines of business casual.

I have plenty of pants, tops, and shoes, but when I look in my closet, I can’t find anything that looks right or goes together.

Everything in my closet is either black or white, too. 

I have a very nun aesthetic. Very Sister Mary Happy Hour.

The other day, my eye doctor said I looked like a TV news anchor—“And not a local affiliate,” and she said, “National news.” She emphasized that.

I’m pretty sure she meant it as a compliment. 

Black pants and white shirts are my go-to.  Or charcoal pants and black shirts. Or a white turtleneck with houndstooth pants and maybe a blazer. 

Shoes—don’t even get me started on shoes. 

Shoes are a nightmare. I have four pairs of ballet flats that aren’t at all comfortable and look weird with my corporate/nun look. I also have a great pair of orange Arcopedicos that go with nothing. I totally love them, but they sit unworn.

No Closet Space 

In the next week or two, I have to go to the gigantic Rubbermaid container in the basement, drag up my spring/summer clothes, and put away my fall/winter ones. 

Since my closet is the size of  Harry Potter’s room under the stairs, I need to be ruthless about what I will give a hanger to. That’s why I’ve been obsessively studying the key components of a capsule wardrobe.

What is a Capsule Wardrobe? 

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of pieces you mix and match to create outfits for various occasions. 

The idea is to have a few curated pieces rather than a whole closet full of clothes that don’t work together, so you have nothing to wear.

The basic philosophy of the capsule wardrobe is that you don’t need more clothes; you just need the right clothes.

Although I recently encountered this concept, it’s not new. I am very late to the capsule wardrobe party.

Here’s an example of one I found on Pinterest:

 This capsule includes around twenty-five items, including jewelry, handbags, and even a hat. That’s it. But from these twenty-five simple elements, you have endless outfit possibilities, from casual to fancy. 

This is my holy grail quest this spring: to embrace my nun aesthetic and find a few simple pieces that, when combined, will create multiple super cute and stylish outfits.

Clothing Yourself vs Dressing Yourself

Clothing yourself involves selecting your clothes for purely functional purposes.  

Dressing yourself involves selecting clothes based on fit, fabric, and color—in addition to function.

Getting dressed, instead of just throwing on some clothes, is the difference between being intentional and thoughtful about how you put yourself together, or just covering your assets.

I first noticed this in Paris. There, the women put themselves together thoughtfully and artfully: a colorful scarf, a pendant hanging from the neck, an interesting shoe, and a distinctive bag slung over the shoulder. 

You would never see anyone in flannel PJ bottoms and Uggs in public. People put themselves together when they go shopping, to the library, or just to pick up kids from school. 

. 

It impressed me. I started thinking about how getting dressed can be an outlet for play, creativity, and personal expression. 

My snobby disinterest in shopping and following fashion trends may not be the badge of honor I supposed, but rather a missed opportunity for creative self-expression.

Here’s my plan for next week: 

1. Lay out all my spring and summer clothes on the bed.

2. Hoe out the old and the ugly.

3. Sort by category: bottoms, tops, sweaters, jackets, shoes, bags, etc.

4. Assemble different outfits and lay them out on the bed. Or, even better, try everything on and then take pictures of these creations for when I have a social event.  

Even my basic dog-walking look, sweatshirt, and jeans might be jhuzzed-up with a little imagination. 

I’ll let you know what happens with this spring/summer capsule and what I got new, and what I kept from my old stuff.

Are you good with clothes and putting things together? Do you have any advice for me? Any suggestions for must-haves for this upcoming spring/summer capsule?

Would love to hear from you if you’d like to share! Comment below!.