Wardrobe Architect - Lessons Learned

1. Basic does not equal boring!
I've always thought I didn't like boring basic colors. I naturally gravitate towards bold and bright colors when looking at clothing or fabric. But to make a capsule of garments which you can combine, you need basics. If you have a lot of accent colors, you end up with a set of outfits which each have to be worn separately, not with a true capsule which offers many possibilities to combine garments into different outfits. So I set myself the  task of including neutrals and nearly neutrals in my palette, sewing with them, and wearing them. And I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. I really liked the look of basic colors on me.

2. Accent pieces in accent colors are fun!
If basic is a bit too basic, you can add accent colors in accent pieces, like a scarf or a piece of jewelry. I found that, with a basic outfit, a piece of jewelry can become more visible, more special, and that it really adds to the overall look and feel of an outfit.

3. White garments in a capsules should have a double!
I love wearing white in summer. It's such a bright and fresh color. But if you have kids, or ride a bike, or cook, or do more than sit in a white sofa all day, white gets dirty very quickly. I can wear a white top for two days, but white pants only survive for one day before retiring to the laundry basket. And that is why I cheated on the 29th of June. I really wanted to wear my dusty pink tunic with white lace color in combination with white pants, but of course they weren't clean. So I got out a double, which wasn't in my capsule. And I came up with this lesson learned.

4. Creating a capsule is not easy!
But not as hard as it seems, once you get started, and with a little guidance. I did a lot of research and a lot of planning when designing my capsule. You can find the resources I used dotted around this blog, but the easiest thing to do is read the articles about Wardrobe Architect at Coletterie.

5. Wearing a capsule is very easy!
And fun. In June I took all my capsule garments from my wardrobe and put them in a basket next to it. Every morning it was just a question of looking at the weather forecast, sampling my mood and picking out a few garments accordingly. Add shoes and some jewelry or a scarf as desired, and you're ready to go. No rummaging through the closet, finding something you'd like to wear, but then not finding anything to go with it, finding something else, but then figuring it might be too hot/cold for that particular item. Because you have a limited options and everything pretty much goes with everything, picking your outfit becomes easy. And fun, because you find yourself wearing outfits you would otherwise not consider.

6. Green is not green.
And that's fine. Pink is not pink either, and grey is not grey. When composing your palette, you have just one shade of each color in it. Ideally, to make mixing and matching easy, you should stick to these shades as closely as possible. But n reality there are so many shades of lime green, you end up with different shades anyway. I find this adds some depth to outfits created from your capsule. If you were to respect the shades perfectly, certain outfits would be too monotone and flat.

7. Restrictions foster creativity!
Try it, you'll see! Having a restricted palette made it easier to pick fabrics and challenged me to try a few new things, like sewing with polyester and trying to sew a cardigan/vest. I've never been so inspired and I've never sewn so much. Having a goal and a brief to fulfill makes it easier to get started.

8. Creating a capsule saves money.
I didn't spend a lot of money on clothes this year, yet I feel I have a more cohesive wardrobe than ever. So I'm really, really pleased I did this, and am already planning my Autumn/Winter capsule!