I completed my Winter Capsule Wardrobe in March and I loved the challenge!  To recap, I combed through my current closet situation and narrowed down my everyday wear to 37 pieces (and 8 pairs of shoes).  I say everyday wear because these pieces did not include lounge wear, workout gear or pajamas (I paired down those collections as well to just a few items and set them aside).  Everything else was boxed up and stashed at the top of my closet.

Over the course of three winter months, January through March, I dressed from only those pieces.  I mixed and matched and mixed some more. I didn’t have a cap on my accessories so I added in necklaces, bracelets and scarves as I saw fit.

March has ended (this post is surely overdue!) and I am happy to report it was a great experience!  I used the time to better understand my style and the pieces that I enjoy and I feel look best on me.  There were a few pieces that I had chosen for the wardrobe that I never seemed to wear, and with only 37 pieces to pick from, I obviously didn’t like it enough if I still didn’t choose to wear it.  I noted these styles (fit, color, look) and made a mental note to steer away from these pieces when I make any new clothes purchases in the future.

The last weekend of the month of March, I went through all the items, set aside those I did not seem to wear and those that would now be out of season (mainly the chunky sweaters).  Next I picked from the winter capsule those items I still wanted to keep out and that would work for spring. I then pulled all the boxes from the top of the closet and went through each piece and kept out those that I wanted to include in the Spring Capsule.

With a little bump to dress, it was quicker to narrow down pieces since ‘what would fit’ became the first question I asked myself as I was sifting through the boxes.  I quickly realized I did not buy much maternity wear when I was pregnant with AB and relied on flowy blouses and sweaters with fitted maternity tanks underneath.

After choosing my top pieces I did a little online shopping to add in a few new pieces, focusing on the styles and fits I liked best in my winter capsule.  I definitely limited myself to a small budget. I still had such a large amount of boxes at the top of my closet that it seemed like I had plenty of pieces to pick from.  I also am hoping this will lead to a large purge of those pieces that don’t ever make the cut of a capsule. (I don’t plan to do this for at least a year, especially since some pieces I would have picked for the spring capsule if I was not pregnant).

My Spring capsule was a success and I stuck to my picked pieces for April and May.  I have a tips and tricks post coming soon, but one that I relied on for Spring was the “shop a friend’s closet” tip for event outfits.  My college roommate was the best and lent me two dresses that she had worn when she was pregnant with her little. I had a black tie wedding to attend at the end of May and nothing in my closet (capsule wardrobe or the boxes above) that would work with the event attire and the baby bump!  Katey was quick to send a perfect floor length gown as well as a shorter dress option that I ended wore to mother’s day dinner with the family.

I am giving myself some grace and starting my Summer Capsule a month early.  The warm weather has arrived early in VA and with temps in the 90s plus a baby bump that I swear is growing by the minute, my spring pieces weren’t quite working and I needed a fresh summer start.  That’s the joy of the capsule process, truly making it work for you! So now i am all set to finalize my summer clothes and maternity pieces to have a fun and fashionable summer!