Week One: My First Week with a Capsule Wardrobe

This week was definitely one of those weeks where I woke up Tuesday and was ready for it to be Saturday.  It's just been one of "those" weeks. I've been working pretty hard on keeping our house clean, figuring out the self timer on my camera and having Skype dates with my mom. Since the Skype dates are never set to last that long, but end up lasting about an hour, other things have fallen to the wayside – which means we've been eating out a lot this week, getting to bed late with wet hair, resulting in a lot of buns and one semi-successful top knot.

One thing that hasn't been eating up tons of time, though, has been getting dressed! With a significantly smaller, streamlined closet, I've found picking out outfits for work the night before has become a stress-free process. The only issue I've run into is figuring out which shoes to wear, but I figure this will always be an issue for me, and it's one that can be quickly solved by Angelo pointing at one foot and muttering, "that one."

Here are my four capsule wardrobe outfits that I managed to document this week:

I booked plane ticket and a hotel room for my boss in this outfit - so I'd say it made me look trustworthy and dependable.

 1. If you don't have energy, my mantra has always been to fake it til you make it. This plaid chiffon top from H&M definitely makes me feel like a powerful professional. I paired it with a nude tank top and skinny black pants (also from H&M). I added in my black, cutout heeled booties from Target and the whole look had me feeling ready to collate copies and draft some memos. H&M has a ton of fun pieces that are so great for work, I've become their BIGGEST fan since I got an office job, but that's another post in itself.

Red lipstick also helps on days where you need to convince your coworkers you're not half asleep.

 2. Like I said in my previous post – belts! This vintage belt from my mom really elevated this basic work outfit. It makes the whole look a bit dressier and put together, while still letting me stay true to my personal style even though I'm in the office. I absolutely love this little denim-colored pocket tee, it was a lucky thrift store find that I kept for myself. I paired both with my Madewell slouchy trousers, which are perfect on days where you just can't move at full speed.

Ah Thursday, nothing like coming home and realizing there's a pen in your top knot.

3. By the time Thursday's rolled around, I'm dreaming all day about watching Doctor Who in bed and telling Angelo that it's baked potatoes for dinner tonight. An all black outfit the day before casual Friday is probably the best way to go. I've paired the black lace Madewell tee I got from the wonderful Brennan, (who basically started my insta-shopping addiction with her (now closed) shop, @brenscloset) with a black tank and my skinny, high waist pants from H&M. Finally, since I didn't want to look like the grumpy looking goth girl in the office, I slipped on my Boston Terrier flats that Angelo's mom got for me. I had totally forgotten about these flats, they had been buried at the bottom of my closet but I definitely added them to my capsule wardrobe. They're insanely comfortable, and ridiculously adorable.

4. Ah, Saturday. After a laid back Friday night, I woke up feeling pretty refreshed on Saturday morning. Angelo and I decided to head out to his mom's for the weekend, so I paired my super skinny H&M pale pink jeans (my $3 version of AA Easy Jeans) with a simple white muscle tee and my black vest. All three are total closet staples, and I feel like this is the type of outfit that could handle it if we ended up spending the night without an overnight bag - which we did. The combo of the pale pink jeans and the vest that the wonderful Jackie at @southernsunvintage found for me make me feel like a modern day Rizzo. My attitude is - give or take - a little better.

Did you realize I was such an insta-shopping addict?

I'm loving this whole capsule wardrobe and am having a blast dressing with intention. Week one is definitely being chalked up as a success. Have I tempted you enough to try it? Which is your favorite of my OOTDs?

Capsule Wardrobe Staples

I'm a member of the school of thought that if you feel good, you look good. I feel like the biggest babe in freshly washed spandex, my boyfriend's hand-me-down Black Flag tee, and combat boots – so if you know me, you’ve probably seen me wear that, or something similar, a variety of times. I basically wear the same few items, over and over again, in slightly different combinations because I think you should wear what makes you feel confident, what makes you feel comfortable and what makes you feel cute.
 

For me, my personal style is a hybrid of monochromatic-classic style with a grungy Baltimore influence. In my capsule wardrobe, you'll find stripes and polka dots, some solid black dresses and rompers, lots of crisp whites and pops of red (or pale pink if I'm feeling risky). 

In setting up my capsule wardrobe, I figured out some staples that I would need to help the mixing and matching go by smoothly.

- Ripped boyfriend jeans: Angelo is a follower of the "I can't believe you paid for ripped jeans" belief. I don't care though – these vintage Levi's were a thrift find of one of my favorite instashops (fashionableprocrastination) who distressed them herself. They're not too ripped up, they're just baggy enough while still being flattering. I dress them up by cuffing them and wearing them with heeled booties, or pointed toed flats but I can rock them casually with ballet flats and a band tee. 

The perfect boyfriend jeans, with just the right amount of distressing.

-  Shirts you can live in: my three favorite shirts in my entire closet are as follows – an oversized, paper thin camo tee that I snagged for $10 at Urban Outfitter’s sale, an oversized white muscle tee that I picked up for $1.50 at H&M and a black lace tee from Madewell that I thrifted. What I absolutely love about these three shirts is that they can be either incredibly casual or I can dress them up – using skinny jeans, skirts and cute shoes. They’re perfect starting points for outfits that can go a variety of places – out for dinner and a movie with Angelo, to work or just for a lazy day at the park with the dogs. 

My go-to camo tee with a repeat appearance by my Levi's. Told you they were staples.

- Belts: I was never super into belts… ok wait, I was actually really into one belt – that I stole from my grandmother’s vintage a few years ago. It’s a skinny, black leather belt with a snakeskin sort of pattern and a gold band. It’s incredibly tiny, so I can basically wear it for a new hours and then I usually throw it in my purse. It’s also pretty much falling apart because it’s been my only belt for about six years. A few thrift trips ago, I found a really cool black leather belt with some silver detailing and I snapped it up. I’ve been having a lot of fun with it because it’s way chunkier than I’m used to – and definitely becomes a statement piece for any outfit. As luck would have it, my mom saw my thrift store belt and realized my grandmother had a much more glamorous version of it – basically an awesome black leather belt made up of different silver pieces. It’s heavy, attention grabbing and perfect. I wore it to an outdoor concert last week with a white slip dress and felt like I had walked off someone’s Pinterest.

Seriously though, Pinterest treats me right and this outfit was perfect for a night at an outdoor venue.

What’s great about my wardrobe staples is that they can be worn in such a variety of ways – and that they look pretty great when paired together. It’s often simple things that can totally elevate an outfit – don’t you think?

What would your closet staples be for a capsule wardrobe? Check out how I’m rocking mine at @teenwitch_

Thanks!

also a note! I'm working on getting better quality pictures, so all my more recent stuff will be of better quality. thanks!