My Mom-Style Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Fashion has never been my forte. I’ve never been one to stay on top of the latest trends or put much effort into the way I looked, but since having children, my style took a bigger hit than I could imagine. Once I stopped working in an office, I took up the yoga pants uniform. I have nothing against yoga pants, but I eventually realized they were doing more harm than good.

I have been making an effort to actually get dressed and wear real clothes out of the house for about a year now, and it’s been such a positive move for me. Something about putting real pants on makes me feel a bit more human even on the toughest mommy days.

Last spring, a friend told me about how she was cleaning out her closet to do a capsule wardrobe- a small collection of essentials that can be mixed and matched to create different looks. I was intrigued. My only problem was that I was also reading “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”

I ended up getting rid of 95% of my clothes because they did not spark joy for my current body or lifestyle. Looking through my closet was a look back at my life. I had a hoodie I loved since high school, accessories I bought in college, clothes I got for my first real job, clothes that fit after I did Weight Watchers, clothes that fit after gaining 50 pounds during pregnancy, nursing friendly clothes…I had plenty of clothes, but didn’t actually wear any of them. Motherhood brings so many changes and it is tough to dress my changing body during this season of life when my body is not yet back to where I want it to be (and may never be).

After I used the KonMari method to clean out my closet, I was left with a handful of clothes that I faithfully wore all spring and summer without buying even one single piece of clothing. I’m a habitual bargain shopper and typically picked up a shirt on clearance at Target or a good deal at Ross anytime I was out. I broke the cycle of buying clothes I didn’t want or need cold turkey and learned to appreciate the joy-sparking clothes I had, even if that meant I wore the same three shirts all the time.

This fall, I came back to the idea of a capsule wardrobe. I knew I wanted to rebuild my closet, but I wanted to do it with purpose and direction. I went shopping a few times and realized that I lack any sense of style or what current trends are.

I am 31, a mother of two small children, still nursing my youngest and need to be able to get ready in about 10 minutes so finding clothes I though looked good but fit my lifestyle was going to be a challenge. I wanted a capsule wardrobe, but heels and fancy dresses and white jeans just won’t work for me. I needed a mom-style fall capsule wardrobe.

A fellow blogger friend had her sister help her revamp her closet earlier this year and I was so impressed with the unique combinations and looks she came up with. I hired her sister Cindy to help me build my new wardrobe. I never though someone like me would ever need a stylist, but it turns out I desperately needed her!

She took a look at the few pieces I already had in my closet, went shopping with me to find some of the staples and helped me put together some outfit combinations. In just a few hours together, I was completely inspired to come outside of my fashion box and try new things, all while staying true to the mommy life I have.

I came home with a gorgeous collection of quality, well-made pieces that were more expensive than anything I had ever bought before, but also fit better and looked better than anythings I have ever bought before. I felt so amazing to purposefully shop at a grown up store for clothes that looked good instead of just breezing by the clothes section at Costco on my weekly shopping trip.

Over the next few weeks, I filled in the gaps on my own with some more purposeful shopping to complete my fall capsule wardrobe. Since I live in Texas and our weather is mild, I expect this wardrobe to carry me through fall and winter, though I will probably make a few adjustments for winter to add some new colors.

My fall capsule wardrobe includes 37 pieces. There are many ways to define a capsule wardrobe- some like to do 33 pieces, some like 37 pieces, but I wasn’t married to a number when I started.

Here’s the breakdown of what I ended up with:

• 16 tops
• 4 cardigans/jackets
• 7 pants/leggings
• 6 pairs of shoes
• 3 dresses
• 1 vest

I didn’t count any underwear, camisoles, workout clothes, accessories or outerwear in my 37 pieces, but am following a minimalist approach with those items as well. And now for the pictures! Without further ado, here’s my Fall 2015 Capsule Wardrobe:

 

It sounds a little silly, but the last few weeks of wearing my new clothes has rejuvenated my spirit. I throw my whole self into caring for my family and for years there has been nothing left to put any energy into myself. I’m so happy to have joy-sparking clothes that are still easy, comfortable and machine washable because I WILL get them messy!

I’m still no fashionista, but when the library and Costco are my most frequent outings, I don’t need to be. I just want to look good, feel good and set an example for my children to love and appreciate my body at whatever size and stage I am in.

In my next post, I’ll post all the shopping details on the items in my capsule. Until then, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for photos of my outfit combinations and I’d be happy to answer questions about specific pieces! Also, if you are local to San Antonio and want the contact info for the stylist I used, please message me and I’d be happy to share. I highly recommend her!