Find Out How I Shop My Closet to Build a Beautiful Spring Capsule Wardrobe!
It is finally spring and I thought it would never come! I have just completed the Project 333 minimalist wardrobe challenge and I am definitely ready for some new clothes.
For spring, I am going to break some of the rules in Project 333 to allow myself a little more creativity.
But I am not going to buy a bunch of new clothes. Instead, I am going to shop my closet for a beautiful spring capsule wardrobe!
Why Am I Going to Shop My Closet for My Spring Capsule Wardrobe?
In the past, I have created several capsule wardrobe posts for each season. After all capsule wardrobe are synonymous with the minimalist lifestyle!
They were always fun to make and I always included things that were either very similar to something I already owned or that I would be happy to buy.
But I am not going to put together that kind of post this spring. Why?
Because, to be honest, I have enough clothes. I have more than enough clothes. And after watching The True Cost I don’t feel great about buying new clothes on a whim now that I know how the fashion industry is affecting the earth and the people on it.
It just feels a little disingenuous to direct you to buy more clothes when you probably are trying to declutter your closet too!
Instead, I am going to shop my closet for a beautiful spring capsule wardrobe and I’m going to tell you how I am going to go about it so that you can shop your own closet too!
As I Shop My Closet I Am Going to Choose a Minimalist Color Palette That Fits Me!
One thing I did with my Project 333 experiment was to pick a set of colors to work with for my seasonal capsule wardrobe. And no, they were NOT all neutral colors. I am not that kind of minimalist. I am a minimalist who loves colors so I knew I had to create my capsule wardrobe with colors I love.
How then, did I choose my “minimalist fashion” colors to still be versatile? I chose basically 3 colors, light pink, burgundy, and then some green to mix it up. Then I stuck to neutral blacks and greys and of course jeans for the rest!
I am going to do the same as I shop my closet to create my spring capsule wardrobe. I am going to pick a range of colors in the same general family, mostly teal and blue, and then a really different color like red to mix it up. Maybe I’ll allow a piece or two in other colors because it’s spring! Then I will pair them with neutral basics like grey, blue, and tan.
When you are shopping your own closet I encourage you to pick just a few of your favorite colors and try to stick to them, at least for one season. I plan on wearing more of my oranges, corals, and hot pinks in the late summer.
When I Shop My Closet I Am Going to Choose Clothes That Make Me Feel Good!
It’s time to be honest with ourselves. If you are like me, the last two years may not have been kind to your waistline. And you may be keeping clothing because you plan to lose weight.
That’s all fine and good but if you are creating a capsule wardrobe you are going to have more limited choices out and available to you. You don’t need to include things that don’t fit. Put away things that don’t fit. Maybe by summer, you will fit in them, or you might just feel differently about keeping them.
But it’s not just clothes that don’t fit that shouldn’t be included in your spring capsule wardrobe. You also should not create a capsule wardrobe with clothes that you don’t like.
For example, I included my last pair of skinny jeans in my winter capsule wardrobe, and after three months stuck with those things I decided I might just be done with skinny jeans forever.
As I shop my closet for my spring capsule wardrobe I am going to endeavor to be honest, and a bit ruthless, about my clothes, and if I see things that make me say: “I love that but…ANYTHING…” I am not going to include those things or even keep them any longer. I encourage you to do the same as you are shopping your own closet.
I’m Going to Shop My Closet for My Spring Capsule Wardrobe and Think About Outfits
When I shop my closet to create a capsule wardrobe I like to choose fun and colorful clothing because I am not a bland, neutral, minimalist. I am a colorful minimalist and my colorful minimalist wardrobe reflects that.
That being said I like to think about the outfits I can make with the items I choose. As you shop your wardrobe think about how to create outfits from your closet. Will any given piece work well to create outfits with 2 or 3 other pieces you are including? Can you make new outfits with clothes you have but just haven’t worn together before?
If you keep your bottoms pretty neutral it’s easy to wear them with lots of different tops but if you have a couple of nuetral tops it can be fun to pair them with more vibrant bottoms like a floral skirt. As you can see it actually isn’t hard to create a lot of versatility within a pretty simple closet!
I’m Going to Break the Rules With My Spring Capsule Wardrobe
As I mentioned before, I am coming out of 3 months of the minimalist wardrobe challenge Project 333. While I loved the experience it would not be honest to say it didn’t have some downfalls for me too. I missed my jewelry and I needed more versatility by the end of it.
Overall though, I definitely feel that Project 333 saved me time and energy so I want to keep it up. But I’m going to break the rules and I want you to feel free to try breaking the Project 333 rules too!
For one, as I shop my closet for my spring capsule wardrobe, I am not going to include jewelry, shoes, or coats in my count. I am doing this because I don’t have a ridiculous number of shoes and coats but I do love my handmade jewelry collection.
Another way I’m going to break the rules is that I am going to count my “work” clothes which are technically my “church” clothes as a uniform. That means I’m going to choose about 12 complete outfits and count them as just one item.
As a matter of fact, as I shop my closet for my spring capsule wardrobe I’m not going to worry about a specific number. If I have 35 or 45 items that’s ok. My goal is to have a cohesive set of clothes that are simple and fit my needs for spring. I am saving some of my summer clothes for July through September because it will be fun to have fresh choices when that time comes around!
Why Am I Breaking The Capsule Wardrobe Rules?
A lot of why I am breaking the rules with my spring capsule wardrobe is because of my recent awareness of the fashion industry’s impact on the earth and abusive work environments.
I don’t want to get rid of perfectly good clothes that still fit me and that I still enjoy wearing just because they don’t fit in a certain number bracket. Instead I want to make clothes last longer when I love them.
I do however get rid of anything that doesn’t fit or I just hate wearing! Eventually, I will work through the clothes I have and have a more minimalist wardrobe!
I’m Going to Shop My Closet But I’m Also Going to Improve It!
Here’s the thing, I’m going to shop my closet because I can. I have lots of pretty clothes. In fact, I still have too many. But eventually, clothes wear out, get grown out of, or just don’t work for you anymore.
When that happens it is totally okay to buy new clothes! We are just trying to curb the OVERCONSUMPTION of clothing that we don’t need to buy. But we can still make ethical and sustainable choices when we add to our closets. How? Here are a few ideas:
- Buy at a thrift or consignment shop!
- Use Poshmark, eBay, or Even Instagram! I have bought several items from these Beautifully Blessed Boutique and The Purple Polka Dot on Instagram.
- Sew something or “upcycle” something if you know how.
- Buy from sustainable brands.
In the winter capsule post, I featured two great ethical and sustainable brands. Let’s talk about them and a couple of others.
Ethical and Sustainable Fashion Brands
One ethical sustainable brand I featured this winter is Able. They are a great company because they help women gain skills and pull themselves out of generational poverty while using materials of great quality to make beautiful things! They have an amazing selection of leather bags and their clothing is gorgeous! I have been on their e-mail list for a while now and they have great sales too! I actually ordered a pair of leather flats but unfortunately, they did not fit. They were super nice though and the return process was a breeze. Check out Able here!
I also really like the casual organic cotton clothing offered by Pact! When it’s time to look for some good staples I will definitely be buying them from Pact. I actually do need a plain t-shirt or two. They also have really great sales.
If you are ready for a slightly higher price range you may also want to check out The People Tree! They have really really gorgeous clothes and they were actually featured in The True Cost documentary.
Another place I am keeping my eye on because I am a boho babe, is Free Trade Winds! They have really cute tunics and dresses. I also like that they have a lot of other products including housewares and gifts! Check out all the cool stuff at Fair Trade Winds here!
You can still buy from “normal” brands too…
A lot of normal everyday brands are working towards having more ethical and sustainable practices too. If you are ever wondering how a brand is doing check out Good On You for their brand directory.
Remember that even if you are buying new clothes from normal stores the goal is simply to buy less because we just don’t need as much as we think we do. That alone will make a big difference.
Shop Your Closet for This Spring Capsule Wardrobe and Love It!
I know it seems boring to shop your closet but as I shop my closet I see a lot of old friends I miss! I’m excited to find new ways to make outfits out of clothing I already have. My closet has a lot of clothes that I don’t want to get rid of. That means I must want to wear them. And after Project 333 I’ve learned that I need far fewer clothing items than I ever would have thought.
So next time you want to go shopping, first ask yourself, can I shop my closet? Try it as you make your spring capsule wardrobe!
How do you create a capsule wardrobe? Do you use clothes you already own? Please share in the comments!
Do you need help decluttering your closet?
If your closet is a disaster zone Closet Simplicity can help! Hone in on your personal style, learn cheap or free organizational hacks, and stop keeping clothes you don’t wear!
