Fake Laughing

Graphic T-Shirt, Shorts, Sandals, Watch, Purse: Old Kate Spade Saturday. Similar.

If you think that I am fake laughing in the picture above… you are correct.  I’m not super comfortable with the whole picture taking/posing part of blogging so I guess you’ll just have to deal with fake laughing or contemplative looking to the side pictures. I give you permission to make fun of me.  You’re welcome.

I recently traveled with the shorts in this picture and I realized how badly they wrinkle.  I can really only get one wear out of them before they are a wrinkled mess.  And this is where doing the capsule wardrobe is changing my approach to my wardrobe.  In the past, I would have gone out and just purchased a few more shorts like this in the pursuit of trying to find the “perfect” jogger short.  Now, I’m choosing to accept the fact that they are not perfect and to be content with what I currently have. Lesson learned: next time, I’ll pay attention to how material wears when I build my capsule.  Having an intentional hiatus from shopping helps eliminate my tendency to get rid of a bunch of clothing and then fill my closet with just as much (if not more) new clothing.  I’m creating a new normal of less and that’s a beautiful thing.  Do you have any clothing items that you regret adding to your capsules? 

Until next time,

The Comparison Game

Jean Jacket, T-Shirt: Old Zara. Similar, Shorts, Shoes, Clutch: Old Madewell. Similar.

These are my new favorite shorts!  They are so swingy and loose and the linen is perfect for summer.  I dressed them up a bit here… I would probably wear this to get drinks on a patio with my husband. Also... side note: I forgot to wear jewelry for these pictures.  Which actually happens to me a lot in real life. Oh well.  I have bigger fish to fry.

Such as: I’ve been thinking a lot about how my style impacts the relationships around me.  I think, as women, we play the comparison game a lot… especially with our appearance.  When it comes to our style it feels good to be the “most fashionable” (whatever that means because we all have different standards… but you catch my drift).  When we have that distinction among our peers it gives us a certain amount of control and “power.” Why is that?  I kind of hate it.  I get that our style is an artistic reflection of who we are internally and I wouldn’t want to change that.  It’s fun to put an outfit together, but when we use it as a tool to feel more important than someone else there is a problem.  Right?  Fashion should be something that brings people together instead of driving them apart.  So… lets all make a pact.  Lets agree to use our clothes for good instead of for evil. 

Until next time,

Keeping up with the Joneses

Sweatshirt: Similar Color, T-Shirt, Shorts: Similar, Shoes: Similar, Necklace: Similar, Tote

My husband always says that I’m in my element when I’m wearing comfy clothing (what does that say about me?). But… he’s right.  I’m all about that loungewear life. What I love about this outfit is that if feels like pajamas, but the pattern and texture of the sweatshirt makes it look more pulled together. Insert a High Five here. Also, funny story, but that’s my dog Oscar in the picture above.  I don’t know if you can tell, but in the picture he is in the process of throwing up the peanut butter sandwich that my niece fed him.  We have fun in the Rambo household.

On a more serious note, continuing with Wednesday’s ramblings, I’ve been thinking about how in the fashion world there is a lot of “keeping up with the Joneses.”  Do you know what I mean?  I may only be able to afford brand “x”, but that cute Instagrammer always wears brand “y”.  Instead of just appreciating how cute that Instagrammer looks in her “y” brand, it usually turns into me spending more money than I should on clothes that I can’t really afford.  I’m not trying to say that it is bad to spend money on clothes.  What I am trying to say is that there might be a better use for my money.  A huge reason that I wanted to do the Capsule Wardrobe concept is because I wanted more money to spend on travel, experiences, and giving to others.  It just unsettled me that a large part of our budget was contributing to my “wants”. It’s amazing what happens when you actually set a budget for shopping and then stick to that.  Yes, it takes away some of the fun of finding that perfect sale. But, this is important, it makes shopping a part of where I spend my time and money instead of the sum of where I spend my time and money. Shopping? Truncated.

Until next time,

On Being Trendy

Black Romper, Scarf: Old J.Crew. Similar, Purse, Flats, Watch: Old American Eagle. Similar.

This romper is probably the trendiest item in my capsule.  To be honest, I wasn’t all about the whole romper trend because, well, I’m not in my twenties anymore and most of the rompers were a tad bit too short for me.  However, the length of this one is perfect and it’s made with a super forgiving jersey material.  Done and done.

One thing that I’ve been thinking about as I’ve been carrying out the capsule concept is that it is extremely freeing to not be a “prisoner” of trends.  Before doing this I always felt like I was perpetually one step behind what was trendy.  It was actually pretty exhausting.  Putting this capsule together and being forced to take a break from shopping has forced me to be content with not being totally “on trend.”  But it also has made me realize that I don’t necessarily need, or want, to be the most fashionable person in the room.  I’m realizing that I’m content just having my own personal style that works for me. Do you ever feel the same way?

Until next time,

Traveling Capsule: Long Weekend

White Graphic T: Old Zara. Similar, White Swing Tank: Old Gap. Similar, Grey Hoodie: Old Forever 21. Similar, Black Lace Tank: Thrifted. Similar, Black Linen Shorts, Boyfriend Jeans: Old American Eagle. Similar, Black “Birkenstocks”, Black Heels, Red Clutch: Thrifted. Similar, Cognac Tote.

This past weekend was the first time I traveled with a capsule wardrobe.  We spent a long weekend in St. Louis so I thought that I would create a collage of what I packed.  I have always been a chronic over packer.   I mean what if it rains, snows and is hot and humid all in the same weekend?? Has that ever happened? No. But, gosh darn it I’ll be prepared if it does.  With that being said, it was extremely refreshing to pack so light.  I felt way under packed before I left, but this was the perfect amount of clothing to bring.  Between me and my daughter I was able to fit everything into one small duffel bag.  I’d call that a success. #insertfistbumphere

We were in St. Louis to attend the memorial service for my dear Grandmother who passed away in early May.  I have an extremely hard time sharing my feelings and usually use humor as a defense mechanism, but I feel like this is a space where I’d like to encourage vulnerability.  With that said, I’ve experienced some heavy heartache this year.  My daughter was born at the end of November and three weeks later we attended the funeral of my Grandma.  Then only five short months later my other Grandma passed away.  It’s been a lot to process and I have a hard time believing they are gone.  They were both amazing ladies that will be leaving big shoes to fill.  I love that I see myself in both of them.  My ability to end up in crazy situations and my love of fashion come from my Grandma Lou and my strong will and tenacity come from my Grandma B.  There was never a dull moment when those ladies were around and I will miss them like crazy.  So… here’s to you Grandma Lou and Grandma B.  I look forward to seeing you again someday.

 Until next time,

*Professional Photos taken by Matt Lien Photography. http://www.mattlien.com/*

Lunch Date

Chambray, Striped Tank Top: Old Madewell. Similar, Black Jeggings, Converse, CoralNecklace

You’ve probably noticed a trend in my outfits by now.  I am ALL about comfort and I pretty much follow the same formula every day.  With that said, I can already tell that I made some mistakes when putting this capsule together and it’s largely because I deviated from my “formula” in some areas.  But you know what? I’m learning that mistakes are okay (hard to admit for this perfectionist).  Over time, I imagine that I will get better at putting a capsule together and my style will become even more defined, but I don’t think it’s possible to have a perfect capsule. Don’t feel like you have to be in the perfect place to start a truncation process.  Start where you are and do what works for you.  Be creative!  The point is not to rigidly follow a set of rules, but to learn to live with less in a way that makes sense for you.   

I’d love to hear how you are approaching your capsules.  Post your methods below; let’s learn from each other!

Until next time,

*Photos taken by my sis Lindsey Bressert. 

A Little Edge

Gray T-shirt, Black Jeggings, Black Sandals, Prescription Sunglasses, Black tote, 

Geometric Necklace: No longer available.  Similar.

If you look closely, this is basically the same outfit that I posted on Monday, but with a little bit of edge.  The secret to this outfit (and most of my outfits) is that it is SO comfortable.  I’ve had this t-shirt for years and I still love it just as much as the day I bought it!  It’s the perfect amount of baggy, but fitted.

Speaking of clothing you’ve had for years, I had someone ask me about what to do with sentimental clothing that you don’t wear regularly.  First of all, don’t feel like you have to get rid of everything and start over!  Most of the clothing in my summer capsule were items I already owned and loved like this gray t-shirt.  On the other hand, I had a few pairs of sandals I didn’t wear often, but felt sentimental towards so I put them in storage to potentially pull out for a future capsule.  I also have some clothing items that I haven’t worn in years and I know that I probably won’t wear them again. For those clothing items I put them in a memory box.  However, if you’re keeping bags and bags of “sentimental” clothing in storage, you might want to dig a little deeper.  Part of this process is learning how to live with less so you do need to learn to get rid of clothing.  I would start by asking yourself why you can’t get rid of it.  Is it because you simply had it in college?  Or is it because you wore it on your first date with your husband?  Keep only what you can’t live without.  My philosophy is that if I’m holding on to something unnecessarily, I’m keeping someone else from enjoying it. On that note… happy purging!

Until next time,

The Shirt that Started it All

Scarf: Old from Madewell, White T-shirt , Boyfriend Jeans: old from American Eagle.  Similar. Gold cuff: old from Forever 21, Sandals: Old Franco Sarto. Similar, Brown Tote.

This outfit is what started Truncation.  Even though I owned so many different styles of clothing, I was continually creating outfits from this same formula because I loved the way I looked in it and it was so incredibly comfortable.  Everything else in my wardrobe was just noise, you know?  Finally embracing the fact that I am a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl allowed me so much freedom to give up things that I am not (I’m looking at you four inch heels).   I love a well cut t-shirt because it is so darn versatile.  I like it even better when paired with my boyfriend jean like I did here, but it also works equally well with my black jeggings or tucked into a skirt.  I’m also a huge fan of adding an interesting accessory to spice things up.  I usually reach for a bold cuff and a scarf, but a statement necklace also does the trick.  I mean, it’s ridiculous how easy this outfit is.

If I can give you any advice as you embark on your truncation journey, it is to pay close attention to your “white t-shirts.”  What are the clothing items that you own that you absolutely love?  These are the clothes that should be the foundation of your wardrobe.  Don’t feel that you need to mix things up just for the sake of mixing things up.  It’s okay to have a couple of items that are a bit of a stretch for you (like my green wedges), but you should focus on the pieces that, at any time, you could pull out and feel unbelievably confident in.  Don’t worry about fashion trends…  just be true to yourself.  For me this is a t-shirt and jeans.  What is your “white t-shirt”?  I’d love to hear!  

Until next time,

*Photos taken by Becky Ankrum of Whistles and Clovers

Definition of a Capsule Wardrobe

Now for the good stuff!

What is a capsule wardrobe?  From my research, I’ve gathered that a capsule wardrobe is a small, concise wardrobe that you pull out at the start of each season.  Capsule wardrobes tend to be filled with fewer, high quality clothing instead of more, low quality clothing.  That’s pretty broad right?  Let’s dig into my ground rules for some direction.

• I will use the four seasons as my guideline for changing out my capsules: June-August, September-November, December-February, and March-May.
• I will not choose a predetermined number limit for my capsules.  Why?  I am very goal oriented… to a fault and I want this process to be organic. However, my goal will be to whittle each capsule down to the smallest number I feel I can live comfortably with.  This isn't an exercise in asceticism.  Right?
• I will include clothing and shoes in my capsules.  I will not include underwear, accessories/bags, workout gear, and backup jackets (due to living in a climate that can change at a moment’s notice). Even though I'm not including these things, I will also try to live with as little as possible in these areas.
• Speaking of weather, I will not forbid myself from digging in storage for a sweater if we suddenly get a 45 degree day in August.  Stranger things have happened and I refuse to freeze.
• However… I will not shop once my capsule is closed.  Each capsule will close on the first day of the month the capsule begins.  I will then cease and desist all shopping until three weeks before my next capsule begins. The point here is to do my shopping in a controlled way.  By doing so I take out the impulsiveness and the emotional aspect of shopping.  
• I will only spend what I have budgeted for each new capsule.  This will most likely translate to one to three nice items or a handful of thrifted items.  

If you're wondering what I did with the remainder of my clothes, I pretty much got rid of most of them.  I know - drastic.  But, sometimes you have to be drastic in order to effect change. What I have left is one large tote of clothing for other seasons, one large tote of shoes/purses/accesories, and one large tote of maternity clothes.  I'm going to do my best to never need to keep more than that in storage, but I'm also going to give myself room to change my mind if I need to (sweaters are bulky y'all).  

I think that sums it up!  Let me know if I missed anything or if you have specific questions.  I’ve already been doing my first capsule for a couple of weeks now and I’m excited to share it with you on Friday. In the meantime, if you are interested in digging a little bit deeper, I mostly pulled from this blog and this blog when doing research.  Happy reading! 

Until next time,

Summer 2015 Capsule Wardrobe

Finally the fun part!  This capsule took about a month of serious whittling until I came up with the 40 items pictured below.  I did not mean to end up with a round number, but I think it’s a great place to start. One thing to mention is that some of the images below are representations of clothing items that I own. A lot of the clothes are older, but I wanted to give you options just in case you wanted to add some of these items to your very own capsule. I feel like I should apologize for the lack of color, but I can’t.  Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that monochromatic is my jam. Although I'm pretty proud of the green wedges I included.  We'll see how many wears I get out of them. On that note… without further ado:

White T-Shirt: Save or Spend, White Graphic T-Shirt: Save or Spend or Splurge, White Tank Top: Save or Spend, White Sleeveless Blouse: Save or Spend, White Button Down: Save or Spend, Grey Hoodie: Save or Spend, Grey Tank Top: Save or Spend, Grey T-Shirt: Save or Spend, Grey Peplum Top: Save or Spend, Gingham Sleeveless Blouse: Spend or Splurge, Striped Sweatshirt: Save or Splurge, Striped Tank Top: Save or Splurge, Striped Graphic T-Shirt: Spend, Black Blouse: Save or Spend, Black Lace Sleeveless Top: Save or Spend, Chambray Button Down: Save or Spend, Jean Jacket: Save or Spend, Pink Tank Top: Save or Spend, Cream Cardigan: Save or Spend

White Jean Shorts: Save or Spend, Light Wash Jean Shorts: Save or Spend, Grey Jogger Shorts: Save or Spend, Dark Wash Jean Shorts: Save or Spend, Black Linen Shorts: Save or Spend, Chambray Skirt: Spend, Grey Midi Dress: Save or Spend, Striped Sun Dress: Save or Spend, Black Romper: Save or Spend, Black Maxi Dress: Save or Spend or Just for Fun Because I Love it, Boyfriend Jeans: Save or Spend, High Wasted Jeans: Save or Spend, Black Jeggings: Save or Spend

Cognac Sandals: Save or Spend, Converse Sneakers: Save or Spend, Black D’Orsay Flats: Save or Spend, Chacos: Save or Spend, Green Wedges: Save or Spend, Black “Birkenstock” Sandals: Save or Spend, Black Gladiator Sandals: Save or Spend, Black Heels: Save or Spend

As I mentioned above, most of these clothes where items I already owned.  The biggest thing for me to purchase this time around was shorts.  Last summer I was pregnant and I definitely don't fit into the shorts from the summer before that (were my hips really that size before getting pregnant??).  However... confession time: the light wash jeans in my capsule are totally pregnancy shorts.  Mama's got to do what Mama's got to do.  Also, I may have made a mistake in adding the white shorts. Time will tell... I have already spilled chili on them, sat on chocolate, and most recently my six month old pooped on them. 

The area I struggled the most in whittling was in the shoe department.  Surprisingly, I have a lot of emotional connections to some of my sandals.  I've had several pairs for over ten years and I honestly do still love them.  However, I didn't feel like they were a necessary part of my wardrobe so they were truncated.  The exception is my beloved pair of Chacos.  I bought them my junior year of college right before I traipsed around South America for three and a half months and they have been faithful companions ever since.  

I didn't have a set budget this go around.  I'm still working out exactly what I want that to look like for future capsules.  The only things that I felt were missing from my capsule once it started to come together were the striped sweatshirt, white button down, and cream cardigan.  Everything else I already owned.  

This is an outrageously long post so we will leave it there for now before your scrolling finger gets a cramp.  Starting next week I will be showing you different ways of styling all of these pieces.  I should definitely put out a disclaimer that I am NOT a stylist… for real. I have major limitations in that area.  If you’re looking for something a bit more professional, check out my sister’s blog.  She’s all kinds of professional. 

If you’re looking for even more inspiration, follow me on social media.  I’ll be posting daily #ootd’s. You can find links under my photo at the top right of the page.

Until next time,

Truncation

Have you ever had a realization about something only to realize that you've known the truth all along?  Recently I was trying to find something to wear and after finally conceding defeat and reaching for my favorite white t-shirt I realized that I had TOO MANY CLOTHES.  I had known this for awhile, but I hadn't wanted to deal with it.  It was easier to laugh about the excess that I had (#firstworldproblems), but in that moment I realized that it wasn't really that funny because I had no idea WHY I had accumulated so much. 

To answer this question, I took a break from shopping and in that space I began to understand that I accumulate things because they fill a void. In short, I would buy a new outfit any time I felt discontent.  Also, I tend to find my identity in how I am viewed by others. In order to control others opinions of me I always needed more or better to mask my inability to be content with letting others view me as they would naturally. This has been my story for as long as I can remember. 

After evaluating my closet, I found that I was only wearing about a fourth of what I actually owned.  So I decided to do something about it.  I had gotten rid of clothing in the past, but this time I was brutal with my wardrobe.  I no longer allowed myself to feel guilty about getting rid of things because I had spent money on them. I pulled out everything that I didn't absolutely love and I either sold it or gave it away. By the time I was done I was left with a very small amount of clothes, but the more I purged I started to experience a tremendous freedom. A smaller wardrobe was so refreshing! So... this is where we are at now.  I did some research on capsule wardrobes and I have decided to commit to the concept and share the process with you. 

I'm calling this project Truncation. Why? Because in math it is the process of limiting the number of digits to the right of the decimal point by discarding the least significant digits. And that's what I'm doing. Clearing out all that isn't significant. But let's make this a community effort! I would love it if you joined me on this journey. This is total experimentation on my part so I'd love any tips or tricks from anyone that has tried this. Come back on Wednesday because I'll be sharing my ground rules for a capsule wardrobe and on Friday I'll be sharing my first ever capsule! 

Until next time,