Capsule Wardrobe: January's Verdict

Yesterday we (finally) reached the end of Jan 2018! A whole month of this capsule wardrobe experiment is complete. I have to say, overall I've been unexpectedly loving it!

I've enjoyed this experiment so much that I've decided to keep going in February, but am adding in 3 more items of clothing, to bring the count up to 20 (a much nicer number than 17!).

I went digging through the bags under my bed yesterday for my lovely pink velvet jumper and an extra t shirt. Both of these will work with any of the other clothes that I already have in my capsule wardrobe - which is key.

The other thing that I wanted to add was a dungaree dress (or pinafore dress). I wanted one in black denim, and you wouldn't believe how hard the search has been to find something!
ASOS had a couple of options, but their dresses all had distressed edges along the bottom, and that is not my style at all - I just can't get on board with paying £40 for something that's already worn out!
I also tried on a dungaree dress in Topshop but wasn't convinced of the fit, and it came up a bit short when I sat down. (I work for a church so if I can't wear something to a prayer meeting, there is literally no point in me owning it!)

In the end, the dress I've gone for is from Zara Kids! It's a relaxed fit, with pretty embroidered flowers and I love it.

If there's one thing that having a capsule wardrobe has taught me, it's to only buy something if I absolutely love it and if it will work with the rest of my wardrobe. I have to be so smitten that I'm happy to wear it ALL the time.

I'm interested to see how things progress month-by-month. I don't want to put too much pressure on this by committing to a year or anything like that; I'm going to see how things go, and then adjust my wardrobe as the seasons and temperatures change.

What type of shopper are you? Fast fashion or carefully planned purchases?

Lisa x

Capsule Wardrobe: When Inspiration Runs Dry

So here we are: half way through. The middle point. 16 outfits worn, 15 to go.
By this point I've worn almost every item of clothing several times.
I've found that doing this challenge in winter has seriously decreased the number of clothing combinations I can do; because it's so cold that I basically never take off my jumper. So it's pretty much a choice of 4 jumpers with a selection of 2 pairs of jeans or 1 skirt...

I have found that having free reign over accessories has really helped though, particularly with jewellery and scarves. I was very excited to receive this month's Gambettes box (a subscription box where you get 2 pairs of tights a month), as fun tights can instantly make me feel more excited about an otherwise very simple outfit.

I also have to admit that I've started to daydream about some of my off limits items of clothing... a bit sad I know! A velvet green dress previously owned by my mum and Aunty, a cosy and oversized pink hoody, and a pair of black denim dungarees to name a few...

But I am at the half way point! And I'm proud of myself for that and determined to stay strong for the rest of the month.
I'm starting to also think about what to do once January is up: keep it minimal or release the clothes? There may well be a post coming next week all about that...

Do you have any tips for getting through the halfway slump of a challenge?

Lisa x

Capsule Wardrobe: Staying Strong

I'm pretty good at self control in most areas (sometimes too good, but that's another story), but 2 of my biggest weaknesses are snacking and shopping. My main shopping vices are clothes, beauty products and homeware. (Oh and mugs! We have to have them on a rotation as they don't all fit in our cupboard anymore...)

I am pretty terrible at not spending money, unless I stop spending altogether (stay with me here!). I've found that if I can manage to not buy anything at all, then I can hold out for a while; but if I give in just a little bit and buy something small, then that's it: the floodgates are open, my money is gone and my wardrobe is even more full of things I don't need. Things tend to escalate pretty quickly.

This month, as I've been using a capsule wardrobe, I've been trying really hard not to buy any clothes. Here are a few tips that I've been learning along the way:

• Avoid clothes shops
  Don't even walk through the doors. Or past the windows. Basically, go nowhere near them.
  The moment I walk into my favourite shops, I immediately see so many items that I can't live without. Even if I don't buy them in the moment, I'll think about them and find myself making my way back to the store the next day. If I don't go in the shop, I won't see the clothes so I wont miss them from my wardrobe.
  
  
• Same goes for online shops
  This is particularly difficult at the moment with the January sales in full swing. My email inbox is full of offers and sale deductions. My advice on this is to either unsubscribe from the emails altogether or just glance through them and then quickly delete, without clicking on any links to go to their website!
  
  
• Stay away from haul vlogs
  Haul vlogs are a great love of mine, so it pains me to type this, but I can't deny the amount of clothes I've bought after watching them! I know that Alix Coburn (I Covet Thee) recently put up a Topshop haul on her Youtube channel, and I've been resisting watching it ever since. This is because I just know there's bound to be something so beautiful on there that I won't be able to resist buying! If I don't watch it, I won't be tempted.
  
  
• Pinterest
  Build a Pinterest board with outfit ideas using clothes that you already have. Upload photos of some of the outfits that you've enjoyed wearing in the past. I have a secret board like this, so that when I'm feeling uninspired at 6:30am and don't know what to wear, I can bring up the board and pick something from there. Ready-made outfits at your fingertips. 

Do you have any tips for resisting shopping?