https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:41:46 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1043699 Thu, 03 Oct 2013 02:04:13 +0000 Laurinda 1043699@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>The cross-quarter association is brilliant! Intersting that these days are associated with both secular and religious holidays as well - who knew Groundhog Day (Feb 2) is midway between the Winter Solstice and the Fall Equinox? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1034209 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:54:54 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1034209@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>"because I could spend<i> <u>every waking moment</u> </i>coming<i> </i>up with capsules for this and capsules for that!" You mean I'm not supposed to do that? Ha! I have to admit that I've spent a lot of time thinking about my fall capsules this week. And I want to photograph them too for the Stylebook app I just updated on my tablet. What is this actual work and real life thing, again?</p> <p>La Belle, I like the idea of the seasonal divisions for clothing as well as for other stuff too - when I first learned about the cross-quarter days a few years ago I really gravitated toward it and toward setting goals and expectations, and tracking all kinds of things by season. For me it's not a religious thing really, just a desire to notice the passage of time and to be a bit more in sync with things like the changing of light over the year, as well as the weather. My life is so technological and isolated from the outdoors, like so many people's are now, that in a lot of ways it could be September or February and I could have the same exact day and almost wear the same clothes. Maybe it's because I now live in a place where the weather isn't super-dramatic that I particularly want to mark the passage of the seasons somehow. </p> <p>Jayne, I was surprised by my similar findings, that so much of my wardrobe was dedicated to things that I didn't actually do that often, like have meetings or need to be dressed businessy. My smart casual has gotten better but I still am reluctant about spending money on weekend and lounge stuff... I'm trying to improve and actually shop for the life I lead not the life I imagine. </p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1033346 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 20:20:25 +0000 jayne 1033346@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is so helpful!&nbsp; Having focused capsules for me is work (45 hours a week with the travel) and then "be at home"= lounge wear (20 hours a week), gear (every other weekend plus 5 hours a week), and "the go out and be in public casual wear" (maybe 5 hours a week).&nbsp; I was so amazed to find how little I need 'public casual outfits' and how much 'work' then lounge and gear actually dominate my life. &nbsp;&nbsp; It really helped me focus on where to invest my time/money.&nbsp; <br />I think this is a great basis and then adding in seasons, like Suz 6, is so smart.&nbsp; If only my app supported 6 seasons! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1033252 Wed, 18 Sep 2013 18:54:48 +0000 Mary Beth (formerly LBD) 1033252@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Laura, I think there is a <u>real genius</u> to what you've come up with!&nbsp; I adore the idea of basing the wardrobe around the quarter and cross-quarter days - it imparts a sense of occasion and enjoyment of life, to the everyday task of putting clothing on our bodies :)</p> <p>I haven't done too much with capsules - because I could spend<i> <u>every waking moment</u> </i>coming<i> </i>up with capsules for this and capsules for that!&nbsp; What I try to do instead, is keep an outfit diary/spreadsheet of what I wore, what activities I did that day, and my happiness factor.&nbsp; If the happiness factor isn't a 10, I note what would have made the outfit a 10.</p> <p>This was very useful for me, when I packed for a three-week trip in late July/early August.&nbsp; I wound up with a capsule wardrobe (almost everything went together!) just taking favorite outfits worn for specific activities, off of my spreadsheet and putting them in my suitcase.</p> <p>I think I am going to take three special items that don't see as much wear, that I still love, and assign them to a quarter or cross-quarter period.&nbsp; &nbsp; Three items for Fall Equinox (right now).&nbsp; Three items for Halloween/All Saints/All Souls.&nbsp; Three items for Yuletide/Solstice/Christmas, etc.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1032440 Tue, 17 Sep 2013 23:45:20 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1032440@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, you were my inspiration for thinking about a work at home capsule - in the past I haven't spent that much attention on it, which is ridiculous since it's a good portion of my week most weeks, and I deserve to be both comfy and pulled together for it! </p> <p>This week I've been thinking about weather, and whether six seasons are granular enough - especially during spring and fall. E.g. it's been nearly 80 degrees here this week but by early November it'll be full fall and 60 degrees. If I use the traditional Celtic calendar divisions, "early fall" would be 22 Sept - 6 Nov. That's quite a range of weather to achieve in a capsule. Maybe I can do a "capsule with substitutions" approach where I start with say short-sleeved tops and replace them with long-sleeved similar tops, that sort of thing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1029727 Sat, 14 Sep 2013 23:40:39 +0000 Suz 1029727@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, I love this. This is basically my life and my main capsules, too. I have a workout wear capsule, and a "dressy" capsule as well. My "appearances" capsule would be a mixture of smart casual and dressy items.&nbsp;</p> <p>I love your variation for 8 seasons. I probably (in reality) do something more like this than six, because I do mini closet edits about every two months, moving some stuff to the front and some to the back. For me it has been dependent on weather.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1029687 Sat, 14 Sep 2013 22:55:17 +0000 Mo 1029687@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Rather than capsules, I think in terms of dressiness level for activity. &nbsp;Here is a snippet of a draft I have of my wardrobe needs:</p> <p><div><div>lounge - at home wear 40%</div><div>gear - running, yoga, working out 10%</div><div>active casual - social biking, hiking, swimming, rafting 5%</div><div>casual - errands, bowling, outdoor activities then out to eat with friends, backyard BBQ's, sporting events 25%</div><div>dressy casual - date night/drinks out 10%</div><div>dressy - weddings, interviews, funeral, very fancy meals/celebrations &nbsp;&lt;5%</div><div>clubbing - out to casinos/concerts/shows &lt;5%</div><div><span>travel - comfortable but presentable to sit on a plane and/or walk miles &lt;5%</p> <p>I have items that overlap most capsules where the dressiness level steps up one. &nbsp;(I adjusted percentages since coming to FL - in Tahoe my active casual and casual take up a much larger %, with lounge at home dwindling accordingly)&nbsp;<br />I don't delineate seasons. &nbsp;I move too damn much and am always confused about whether this year will be 8 months of winter or 8 months of summer!</span></div></div> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1029670 Sat, 14 Sep 2013 22:31:14 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1029670@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been thinking about this some more, and making plans for an 'early fall' capsule, or to be accurate three of them: work at home days, smart casual out &amp; about days, and weekend / loungewear. I've made a text document and started to make notes about what each of these capsules will include. Right now I'm thinking that the smart casual will be the size Angie recommends, while the other two will be a tad smaller. My goal is to have enough so that I can go a week without laundry. Here's what I'm thinking so far, size-wise:<br />a - work at home days, 2-3 days&nbsp; [3 bottoms, 4 tops, 2 toppers, 2 pairs of shoes]<br />b - smart casual, 3-4 days [4 bottoms, 6 tops, 3 toppers, 2 pairs of shoes]<br />c - weekend / loungewear - 1-2 days [2 bottoms, 3 tops, 1 topper]</p> <p>My aim is to use these three capsules for the period from the start of fall until mid-fall (which falls this year about 6/7 Nov, a little later than Samhain/Halloween) which works out to be 45 days. Except we're traveling to Las Vegas for a few days in early October so that'll probably be a different set of clothes. </p> <p>I'll make final decisions about what's in each capsule by next weekend, which is when I'll pull out the remainder of the summer clothes and swap them out for fall. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1021489 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 02:33:51 +0000 Caro in Oz 1021489@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have mild winters &amp; hot summers so it may be different for me. I have specialist small capsules for dressy day,&nbsp;evening, exercise &amp; really, really hot weather. </p> <p>For my day to day wardrobe I don't tend to have capsules as such (except when I go away). My&nbsp;clothes are as trans-seasonal as possible.&nbsp;I find that layering works really well for me - so say I have a silk tank that I could wear with linen pants if it wasn't too hot but I could also wear it over a fine long-sleeved layering piece &amp; under a jacket in winter. Or I could wear my lighter weight jeans with a trans-seasonal trench &amp; a knit &amp; boots.&nbsp;</p> <p>I should add that I follow a fairly strict colour palette so most of my clothes work together &amp; I don't tend to get bored with my clothes :)</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1021482 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 02:14:25 +0000 Lisa 1021482@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I've been really enjoying all the capsule posts.&nbsp; For myself, I realized I can have occasion capsules (business meeting days, casual workdays, gear items) and mini capsules within these as well (casual days around blues and greys, or maybe around black and teals, etc).&nbsp; And Angie pointed out on one of my recent capsule posts, that I can have capsules of different sizes.&nbsp; That is really a key insight for me, I can have a very small capsule, say only two tops and two bottoms that all work, and then have a second larger capsule for the same activities.&nbsp; this helps mre prevent boredom and frustration planning my capsules because I no longer feel limited to having one occasion capsule with every item within it working with each other.&nbsp; My occasion capsule can have mini capsules within it too. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1021479 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 02:07:47 +0000 Pawprints 1021479@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree that thinking in roles or environments or event types is key to wardrobe planning, capsule or not. Sounds like the salon fumes were in your favor as you worked out your categories and ideas. </p> <p>Remember that for many people a capsule is not a whole wardrobe for that season and role. It can be a grounding core that other stuff floats in and out of. Or an exercise is learning what already works and what you need. Or it can be the whole wardrobe for that period and role, if you want to think of it that way, in which make it as varied or large as it needs to be to make you happy. Capsules should serve us and not we them. True of wardrobes too now that I think of it. How often is that true? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1021458 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 01:33:06 +0000 Anonymous 1021458@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is brilliant! Sometimes I just have to hear a slightly different version of something before it sinks in. Just starting to think about my own capsules:</p> <p>1. Bleacher mom - comfortable sitting clothes NOT in the other schools' colors</p> <p>2. Cross country mom - shoes I can run in yes, I am THAT mom. </p> <p>3. Stay at home/mom on the go - clothes that can get dirty, I can easily move in and make me feel great. </p> <p>Each sports season is 6-8 weeks so this is perfect timing. I may do 2 mini capsules to make it easier for me. </p> <p>You said "I really like the idea of when buying something new, make sure that it works for at least two of the capsules. "</p> <p>Love that! I needed to hear that today as I work on the minimal wardrobe amounts that work well for me.</p> <p>THANK YOU for sharing your thoughts. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/my-capsule-thoughts-again#post-1021442 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 01:15:02 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1021442@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>We've been talking about capsules a lot recently and members have posted some great photos of their capsules. Something gelled for me today while I was getting my 'hair did' (there's a bit of time to think while you're waiting for your hairdye to soak in) and I realized two things.<br />1. I have three main purposes that I need to dress for on a regular basis, and I could make a capsule for each of them:<br />a - work at home days: comfortable but still OK for running errands, being seen. <br />b - smart casual for days out, working with critique partners, writers' group meetings, dinner with the spouse, general life stuff<br />c - weekend / loungewear - casual, comfy, but not sloppy or worn</p> <p>I have some thinking to do about what each of these should include/symbolize but I really like the idea of when buying something new, make sure that it works for at least two of the capsules. Then there are formalwear and athletic wear capsules too which don't overlap, I don't think.</p> <p>2. Seasonally, I was thinking about Suz's excellent six season idea but then realized that eight seasons might make even more sense for me. Besides, I already do a lot of planning and goal-setting based on the eight cross-quarters of the year (loosely based on the ancient Celtic calendar, basically the solstices and equinoxes and the cross-quarter days halfway in-between each of them, which often correlate with cultural/religious holidays, e.g. May Day, Halloween, etc.). That gives me eight 'seasons' that are 6-7 weeks long each, and I can develop a version of the three capsules above for each season. I like this idea because I struggle sometimes with Angie's capsule formulas, because I'm afraid I'd get bored wearing only four pairs of pants, say, all fall. But if it's just early fall and for late fall I could pick another set, I can imagine that working really well.</p> <p>I would love to hear what anybody thinks about this, or whether I've finally gone 'round the bend with over-planning. </p>