Argh. I just lost a huge long post.
Okay. Starting over.
When it comes to outfits, Angie, as always, has some terrific blog posts so you can search the archives. Just remember that what counts as an outfit depends very much on your style and your needs. There are minimalists and maximalists, and everything in between.
If you feel "finished" in what you're wearing, chances are it counts as an outfit to you. If you don't, and that's part of what drove you to YLF, then that's another story.
It's tough to layer a lot in the summer, or at any time when you live in a warm climate. So the outfits that a northern woman might put together could seem impossible to you. Add to that the fact that you work from home. Many of us rarely wear toppers at home.
An example of a forum member who always manages to look "complete" even though she lives in a hot climate, is Soobee. If you look closely, you'll see that she practically always wears the same basic uniform -- shorts and a top. But what that woman does with colour, accessories, and footwear will blow you away! Even though she's wearing essentially the same clothes, she manages to inject fun and variety into her outfits.
But that is only one way of doing it. A super minimalist might do it though the avant guard cuts.
As for capsules, once again, Angie's many blog posts might be helpful if you haven't read them. Here's one, and here's another. There are more.
But having pointed you to them in such a la-di-da manner, I have to confess that although I had read these posts, and continued to read them assiduously whenever they came out (and re-read them, too), and although I thought I had a pretty good handle on how to mix and match my fairly small, colour coordinated wardrobe -- I still didn't know what the heck I was doing and only now do I feel as if I am almost getting a handle on this!!
The truth is, it takes practice -- even if you do have some intuitive ability. Practice and careful discernment of your real needs. This can be really tricky if your needs are varied, you've recently undergone a life transition, you're about to undergo one, you've recently moved to a different part of the country, you have a bunch of different jobs or roles, or you travel a lot. Pretty much all of those describe me, so no wonder I have had a rough time figuring it all out.
The main question is, do you feel good about what you are wearing? Does it feel stylish to you? Then there you go! You are set. But if you don't feel great, thinking in capsules will help you make more sense of your wardrobe and leave you less panicked the next time a regularly occurring event comes up and as always, you have "nothing to wear."
