YouLookFab Forum » Topic: April 30x30: what we learned

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: April 30x30: what we learned https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:56:38 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Sal on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1484572 Fri, 01 May 2015 01:32:33 +0000 Sal 1484572@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks Carter!! You are totally right, and I do have some nice pieces.  And I do know that I can get by although a good 6 pieces of my capsule were summer items that it is becoming too cold to wear (sandals, thin tees, light weight harem pants). carter on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1484546 Fri, 01 May 2015 00:32:46 +0000 carter 1484546@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Kiwigal, so sorry you're not loving your winter closet! At least you know now that you can live with a smaller closet than usual. I think I could be happy with about 40 clothing items (excluding shoes, winter coats, belts) for 3-4 months if I planned things a bit betterthan I did for the 30x30. I bet that when you take stock of what you already have that still appeals to you, it'll become clear what few things you need to maximize the Winter capsule. Keep us posted! Sal on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1484509 Thu, 30 Apr 2015 23:05:09 +0000 Sal 1484509@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Just chiming in, May 1st today here. It is still autumn here but it was 1 degree centigrade overnight, and I am wearing a wool coat, with a wool sweater and jeans and boots.  Last Friday I spent most of the day in a tank and capri pants!!  So I am starting to pull out my winter closet. I have had three days back in my "full closet"...what have I concluded? That the other winter clothes that I had looked forward to wearing are tired and dated in the most part.  I have put my flares in the donate pile as they are too short, I tried on my trusty 15 year old brown tweedy coat and realised I had fallen out of love with it, my boyfriend/relaxed straight leg jeans have developed a knee hole (I know this is acceptable), and all my sweaters are looking as if they have two years of solid wear (which they have). I plan to try on all the winter gear and take another look at it.  I have not bought a lot of winter clothes because the last two winters we have been saving money for overseas trips, and our winter is relatively mild.  I have plenty of nice trans- seasonal tops to wear but the pickings are very thin for May-August wear.  I may need to expand my budget and my expectations of not shopping much this season. Feeling a little gloomy!! Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482445 Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:11:22 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1482445@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Accessories and 'flair': I didn't track accessories but I didn't wear them much. I could have jazzed up basic outfits with them more, but when I tried it just felt too fussy for my style. I'm just not a lot of accessories person at the moment, I guess. I prefer to have items that have a bit of detail to them, but I didn't choose many of those for the capsule because I didn't think they'd be as remixable. I commented on wear in the week 5 thread, and donated 2 items, with two more on their way out. I think the upshot is that knit tops just don't last that long and wearing them weekly or more will make them wear out even faster. Shopping: I did end up buying a couple things during the month but I felt like I thought less about shopping than usual. There was definitely more going out than coming in, because I did an anticipatory purge of my summer clothes and donated/sold to Twice a couple bags of stuff midway through the month. Amounts of clothes: for me, 30 pieces including shoes doesn't feel like enough for a whole month, although functionally obviously it is. Assuming consistent weather and no special events, 30 pieces of clothing plus 5-7 pairs of shoes might be OK. By week 3 I was getting really itchy to wear some different things.  I still prefer to only have to do laundry once a week, and for that I think I'd need 30-50 garments in play, depending on the season. Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482440 Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:01:53 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1482440@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ok, these numbers aren't 100% complete since I missed a couple days and forgot to write down a couple more, but nonetheless: Tops and times worn: 3x - Violet knit tee - a litte short for jeans, better with skirts 4x - chambray button-front - replaced halfway through the month with another chambray one, because it was too short 4x - magenta dolman tee - this is the one that got really pilly even though it was new. Good useful shape though, worked with both skirts and pants. 4x - blush tunic tee - looked better with pants, not so great with skirts 2x - ON blush sweater - too long for skirts, too warm by the end of the month 2x - blue colorblock sweater - too warm by the end of the month 3x - 'designer' tee - cute but pretty much only wore it on weekends, felt too casual for weekdays Jackets/cardigans: 2x - black/white floral twill jacket - didn't need this for warmth as much as I expected, couldn't wear it with other print items. 4x - blue boyfriend cardigan - very versatile 1x - blush cardigan - swapped out halfway through for: 4x - cream/black cardigan - should have started with this one 1x - black CK blazer - only wore this once when I had a meeting I needed to dress up for. It's a little short to layer with pants, looks better over dresses or skirts. Dresses: 3x - blue tile print midi - sleeveless so sometimes too cold, getting a little worn but comfy 2x - GB b/w print shift - versatile but a little business-y Bottoms: 1x - GB b/gray print skater skirt - not flattering, sent back right away 3x - black floral full knit skirt - needed shorter tops 4x - gray straight-leg jeans 3 - indigo skinny jeans 4 - white straight-leg jeans 3x - distressed boyfriend jeans 2x - lightwash skinnies 2x - lightwash denim skirt Shoes: 2x - black ankle boots - too warm for most of the month, could have omitted 5x - black loafers - boring zzzzzzz but looked OK with most everything 5x - white Birks - nicely graphic for casual days 3x - b/w print flats - good for livening up solid outfits 1x - silver oxfords 2x - gray Vans - only proper pair of sneakers, could have done without 1x - navy espadrilles 5x - black Vionic flip-flops 2x - black pointy-toed flats Given the weather and how it turned out, I probably could have done the month with only one sweater, and I definitely used up too many spaces with shoes. Dresses pretty much got worn the same each time, and I could have been OK with just one. Alassë on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482196 Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:42:40 +0000 Alassë 1482196@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting summaries, all! Thank you for posting. Sal on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482079 Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:30:37 +0000 Sal 1482079@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh I did not include accessories or shoes in my count....And not wedding or occasion wear. I will do count up but I tend to put my true summer items in storage ( shorts, sun frocks etc) but I keep out tees that I might wear in winter with jackets etc.. I have purged a bit since startimg YLF and not really added at the same rate! I estimate 25 pairs of shoes ( summer and winter) about 6 belts, 10 scarves, 5 hats, and quite a bit iof jewelry.. Anonymous on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482064 Wed, 29 Apr 2015 09:15:59 +0000 Anonymous 1482064@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow.  Kiwigal.  You do have a small closet.  I am learning that I am NOT a minimalist.  If I find something I like, I buy the same thing over and over again.  There was a time in my life when I bought every single pair of black slacks that fit me.  It was like I thought black slacks would go away and I would never find another pair so I had to buy while the buying was good.  And the black pants all looked nearly the same.  Realizing I have a tiny obsession, I monitor myself and try hard to be rational.   I did a rough count of my closet and I have 169 items.  I don't split between seasons, I split between activities.   Casual:  54 Work: 54 Accessory:  61 Sal on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482058 Wed, 29 Apr 2015 06:41:13 +0000 Sal 1482058@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don't have a large closet, I estimate I only have 50 suitable pieces to wear in winter and maybe 60 in summer with about 35 of those being the same pieces....I might be wrong as haven't counted for almost a year. I did think/worry that I wouldn't have the right piece for the occasion, and a couple of days I compromised so not to add another piece....when one was hanging in the closet....but I did do a wide range of activities and was not naked in public so I guess it worked:) rachylou on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1482037 Wed, 29 Apr 2015 05:08:35 +0000 rachylou 1482037@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yes... stalking y'all. Seems in some ways there was an increase in enjoyment of items with more use. But there was also a peak point, after which the increased rate of wears stopped yielding a return. Kiwigal commented about an increase in thinking about clothes. I thought that was interesting. I'm sitting here thinking, I love thinking about clothes - but not so much about what I'm going to wear. When I get up in the morning, I want to be able to pull fast and blind... Anonymous on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1481829 Tue, 28 Apr 2015 21:46:59 +0000 Anonymous 1481829@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I learned a lot during this challenge. Thank you for starting this thread and keeping it going, Laura. First, I always imagined myself to be a minimalist. And I still think I am to some extent, but not as much as I thought. I kept a photo log of outfits worn to remind me what pieces were in the capsule. I rated each outfit in terms of event-appropriateness, comfort, and style. My comfort level for our 30 x 30 challenge averaged around 9 or 10. That was great, but very few outfits were rated as stylish. Most of them were utilitarian. I sacrificed style and interest to achieve the goal. As the challenge wore one, I got really lazy and reached for the same things over and over again. I am certain my CPW for the grey ponte pants has to be in the pennies. The second thing this challenge taught me is that my spring/summer style is really boring. It all comes down to a lack of interesting tops and the absence of a third piece. I read a post the other day about bloggers that develop capsules of 12, 33, or 37 pieces and wear them for three months time. The third thing I learned is that I could not live with such a restricted capsule for three full months. I love variety. I love color. Some days as I reached past my red floral skirt for my grey ponte or black dress pants, my heart questioned “why?" Fourth, I found that things added for interest (pink scarf, pink pearl earrings, gold earrings) did not work out. They were "wrong." The pink scarf was fussy and drove me crazy (worn only once). The pink pearl earrings were just plain ugly (worn half a day and donated). The gold earrings were heavy (worn once and put away).  When something didn't work it became instantly clear.  There was no second guessing whatsoever and, with such a limited choice, I still opted to not repeat.  Culling should be really easy in the future.   Finally, did this challenge keep me from shopping? I bought two pairs of new shoes during the 30 days.  I wore one pair during the challenge and will wear the second pair after the challenge ends.   Sal on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1481827 Tue, 28 Apr 2015 21:45:50 +0000 Sal 1481827@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Summary of my thoughts from the previous thread. There have been some real workhorses there. There were a few days I changed during the day and I think have recorded them, and certainly changed shoes or added jackets.  See attached spreadsheet. Not included are - underwear - gym gear - sleep wear - raincoat - scarves/belts/jewelry/handbags (used two handbags, wore two necklaces, two scarves and a couple of belts (usually not seen) April was a varied month weather wise, some days I wore a tank and harem pants, other days I needed three layers. I went to dinner parties, leaving drinks in a boutique brewery, a film festival, many sports games and events, worked from home, worked in the office, attended seminars and did a couple of day trips. There are four items that annoyed me during the month..there also were some pieces I adored and that made me very happy. There were some items I added that did not get much wear due to the weather or lack of occasion (suede boots/ponte dress) and a few basics that are not exciting but kept me decent and linked the others together. If I was to do it again I would plan it out in advance, and ideally choose less black pieces, especially in the shirt area.....I love black but it was a little too dark at times. To make the items mix and match you need a restricted colour palette, and ideally restricted silhouettes. On a couple of occasions I have looked fine in what I wore, but it is not what I would have chosen. I don't have a large closet, nor do I overshop, but I do like to change it up a wee bit. I think capsules work well for people who like monochrome, or who accessorise carefully, or with a predictable climate, and dare I say it, but who are real clothes horse shapes. I like my skinny jeans but am conscious of my curves in them, so tend to like them with heels and carefully chosen tops. I have found a couple of new looks. My red leather jacket and pink blazer over a column of black works very well. I also found monochrome prints useful - I had three black and white pieces. I have learnt that I like to wear colour, but with other neutrals. It also made me realise how a couple of pieces were not working for me, this is emphasised in a small wardrobe. I would consider doing it again though, lots of fun. I did think about clothes more than usual though.... Anonymous on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1481819 Tue, 28 Apr 2015 21:35:23 +0000 Anonymous 1481819@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I wore 32 items over the course of 30 days.  I did not plan my mini-capsule in advance.  I added pieces based on weather and whim.   My 30 x 32 capsule consisted of really basic, utilitarian pieces that matched everything else.  My color palette was confined to black, white, grey, with the occasional color thrown in. It is odd, but I wore the brightly colored pieces minimally. I guess I thought people would notice frequent repeats of the same red blouse. Eight Bottoms White jeans (wore four times) Grey ponte pants (wore to death) Khaki pants in stone (wore only once - too tight) Charcoal Grey pants (work - wore once a week) Black dress pants (work - wore once a week) Black harem pants (lounging) Black Halogen skirt (work - wore for meetings) Blue jeans (worn three times) Eleven Tops Grey stripped sweater (wore twice) White dress shirt/polka dots (wore multiple times, but didn't love) White tee shirt (love) Pink tee shirt (love) White cotton sweater I (love) White cotton sweater II (love) Pink button down shirt (love, but only wore it twice) Red blouse (only wore it once) Black and White Stripped button down (only wore once) Grey pima Tee shirt (love, but too casual for most settings) J Jill Camisole (wore every time I wore the skirt and blazer) Two Toppers Blue chambray shirt (topper) Fuchsia Blazer (topper) Six Shoes Black Ballet flats (love) White loafers (NEW) Flip flops (ugly, but so comfortable) 2” black heels (comfortable, can walk long distances) Keens (ugly, but very utilitarian) Rockport flats (comfortable, can walk long distances) Five Accessories Black Belt (wore with grey ponte pants) Pink Scarf (wore once — too hot and fussy) Pearl Earrings (adore) Pink Pearl Earrings (wore once, donted) Gold Earrings (wore once, too heavy to wear often) Did not count Underwear  Gym clothes Sleep clothes One coat worn just to move from house-to-car and from car-to-building carter on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1481761 Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:04:17 +0000 carter 1481761@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Re-posting my wrap-up here (originally posted in week 5) Great experience! I would happily to do this again in a month with more stable weather. As is usual for April, our weather was all over the board--about half cool and rainy and half warm and sunny. My capsule grew organically throughout the month. We went on vacation to the beach early on, so there are a few items that might not normally be in my Spring capsule because they don't dress up as well as I would like. All in all though, with some creativity, I felt appropriately dressed for every situation. In fact, I had more 9s and 10s this month than I think I've ever had. Having a few more work pieces would have been helpful, but I really only had one day with an "OMG, how do I dress up white denim capris for a client meeting?" It worked though, and it will be a much-repeated outfit. Go figure. One top was rescued (at least temporarily) from the donate pile, and one pair of shoes was sent to the donate pile. Several much-loved items are on their last leg and need to be replaced soon. My 30 items: <li>3 linen/cotton sweaters</li> <li>5 linen/cotton tunics</li> <li>5 linen/cotton shirts/blouses</li> <li>1 tee</li> <li>3 layering tanks</li> <li>8 jeans (dark skinnies, bootcut jeggings, dark BF, gray skimmers, med wash straight leg, white cropped, med wash cropped, black skimmers)</li> <li>1 cropped trouser</li> <li>4 shoes (3 sandals, 1 slip on sneaker)</li> <li></li> Below is a snapshot of my tracking spreadsheet. There are a bunch of columns that have been hidden because they're irrelevant to the challenge, but I left in CPW and year bought because I thought it was interesting (to me, anyway). Note that CPW is not just based on the challenge month, but the other data isn't shown. I'm tracking the year bought to help get a better idea of how long I'm keeping AND wearing items. Also of interest to me (in the "how many items do I need?" ponderings) is that I wore each item an average of 3.4 times/month. I'll have to extrapolate that out and play with it:-). Thanks to Laura and to all who participated! Anonymous on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1481741 Tue, 28 Apr 2015 19:31:04 +0000 Anonymous 1481741@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks, Laura.   Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "April 30x30: what we learned" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-what-we-learned#post-1481739 Tue, 28 Apr 2015 19:26:27 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1481739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Starting this thread for April 30x30 participants (and observers) to share a wrap-up of their month, what they wore and what they learned, and how they plan to use this new information in the future. Links to previous 30x30 conversations:  <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30" rel="nofollow">Initial proposal and planning</a> <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-week-one" rel="nofollow">Week 1</a> <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-week-two" rel="nofollow">Week 2</a> <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-week-three" rel="nofollow">Week 3</a> <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-week-four" rel="nofollow">Week 4</a> <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/april-30x30-week-five" rel="nofollow">Week 5</a>