Editing your dressy capsule, party capsule or holiday capsule is one of the trickiest parts of the closet editing process. Dressy pieces worn on special occasions or for formal events maintain their pristine condition because they are infrequently worn and laundered. They were probably pricey, so we might have a harder time passing them on. And in an effort to be organized and prepared, we like to keep dressy items in our wardrobe — “just in case”. As a result we have a tendency to hold on to our dressy capsule for longer than we should, which is problematic because these items do date, your style preferences change, and so does the shape of your body. 

Whenever my clients are unsure about passing on formal pieces, I ask them this question: “If you were invited to a dressy occasion any time soon, would you wear that piece?” If the answer is “no” or “probably not”, the item is passed on. If the answer is “maybe”, we thrash out the possibility of updating the footwear and bag to go with the dress or separates to make it look more current. 

CURRENT is the operative word here. It’s very important to refit your dressy pieces regularly — not just look at them — to formulate a current opinion about them. That way you’ll have a more effective dressy capsule on hand instead of resorting to an outfit that makes you feel less than fab.