Old school style bloggers and old school style blog readers,
I’m throwing it back to 2008-ish and doing a summer 30 for 30. Or, for newer blog enthusiasts, a summer capsule wardrobe.
Remember when style blogs were fun? Before they were editorial catalogues filled with perfect photography and all the designer things? When we mixed high and low, celebrated secondhand scores, restyled our favorite pieces a dozen ways, swapped clothes cross-country, made our boyfriends and husbands take our photos every day, and posted outfits we actually wore in real life?
Man I miss those days.
That good ol’ nostalgia — and an email newsletter from ThredUp about summer capsule wardrobes — inspired me to pop open a Summer Shandy after work Wednesday night, go through my closet, and pull out my 30 favorite pieces to remix into at least 30 summer outfits for work and play.
If you’re new to the concepts of the 30 for 30 challenge and capsule wardrobes, the idea is to whittle your wardrobe down to 25-30 versatile pieces that you can mix and match into lots of great outfits for stress-free dressing. The best capsule wardrobes are built around quality pieces you love, reflect your unique personal style, and work for your lifestyle.
My goal here is two-fold: to re-spark my style creativity, and soothe the shopping itch that creeps up at the start of every season. I don’t need a bunch of new summer stuff; I need a fresh perspective on all the great pieces I already have. I hope this gives you some inspiration for remixing your favorite basics, too!
My summer capsule wardrobe includes 10 tops, 3 completer pieces, 3 dresses, 7 bottoms, and 7 pairs of shoes. I went heavy on casual neutral pieces for work and the weekend, and threw in a printed wrap skirt, a pair of versatile black cropped pants, and nude stilettos for occasions that may require a little more polish.
I gave myself a few guidelines for this challenge:
Use what you have. I didn’t purchase anything for my summer capsule. A lot of capsule wardrobe “pros” tell you to run out and buy a new mini-wardrobe for each season, but that seemed to defeat the purpose of assuaging my summer shopping craving. I resisted the urge to pop into TJMaxx for a few last-minute cute tops or dresses, and selected pieces that were already in my closet.
No new stuff. Speaking of shopping, there won’t be any. Like the 30 for 30s of yore, this challenge includes a shopping fast until at least 30 outfits are posted on the blog.
Get creative with accessories. Bags and accessories aren’t included in my capsule; I can shop my closet for these extras to spice up my outfits.
Most important, this summer capsule is for fun! There are no hard and fast rules here; it’s not about unrealistic restrictions or pressure for perfection. I loved these challenges in the early days of my blog, and I hope this will reignite my passion for sharing real-life style on a real-life budget.
For more helpful info on capsules and building a perfect wardrobe, check out the blog Into Mind.
What do you think?