YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Spring revelations

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Spring revelations https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sun, 10 May 2026 20:54:14 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php jayne on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-900484 Sat, 06 Apr 2013 06:24:34 +0000 jayne 900484@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, can you explain the 6 seasons?  In a way I can see that myself.  We have spring when the sun comes out but the air and wind is cold so warmer coats and shoes that can tolerate cold and ice are still needed.  Then there is spring when a light jacket will do but still covered toe shoes.  And later summer is, in my head, a period when I can wear sandals and go without  a jacket at all. and so on. Is that your method? Suz on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899781 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:05:02 +0000 Suz 899781@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Jayne, thank you for this - it is super helpful. I am in a similar place. I have figured out that I need two casual capsules, really (if not more than that)  --- my work-at-home, super casual capsule and my OTG capsule which includes smart casual. I have also figured out that some of our seasons are pretty short. And now I am in the process of trying to decide how many items per season, and how much crossover is workable. So I don't have any answers for you.  I have been thinking of taking the 333 idea as my guide, but maybe going for something like 40 items per season. I'm going to divide my seasons into 6 rather than four, and of course there will be considerable crossover with some items (jeans) and none with others (light linen tops or puffer coat). I won't count shoes or accessories or workout gear and underwear etc. into my item total. Just the stuff I wear on a regular basis. And if I don't wear it, it will be up for serious question!  The thing I'm still trying to do is figure out how many items I need for this and that capsule. I realize that I still don't have a really firm idea of how often I need smart casual vs. sporty/relaxed casual. Maybe that's because my situation keeps changing and I travel a fair bit.  Anyway, I am sorry I can't help more, but I want you to know I am on the same path here.  jayne on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899772 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:52:15 +0000 jayne 899772@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh thanks for all the positive reinforcement.  I didn't expect to have a revelation when i started pulling out spring and playing around with my app to play some outfits.  I am so happy though that I did and can give myself permission to wear my abolute favorites this season and ignore the rest of the casual items.  Learning that lesson should save me some bucks in future!  It helps knowing others of you have figured out the same. By the way Aida, good point that there is casual and then there is casual.  I see that I can actually trade down some of these items from "casual to be seen in public" to "casual to be home in" and get more options for the home capsule.  Ironically that capsule is exactly 5 items and I wear them every day.  So silly really! Gaylene on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899130 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:22:14 +0000 Gaylene 899130@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks to your analytical mind, Jayne, and to Aida and Mo's comments,  you have just made me realize why so much of my "casual" wardrobe sits in pristine condition in my closet.  I mentioned in another thread that one of the reasons I started reading Angie's blog is because my pre YLF wardrobe consisted of two distinct categories--work wear and gear. Being the only woman in an active, sports-oriented, male-dominated household meant I lived in jeans, T's, fleece, and technical gear in my non-work time. After 15 or so years of it, though, I needed a change; I wanted to start dressing in more fashionable, female clothes. Thanks to Angie, and the forum members, I purged much of my old gearish clothes and started assembling a nicer, city-casual wardrobe--which I do love to wear when I'm in a city or when I'm travelling. But I don't spend most of my life in a city, nor traveling, and as Mo puts it, an "outdoorsy, gearish casual capsule" still suits most of my non-work life. Thanks for helping me realize that a sporty, outdoor, gearish capsule is as legitimate a need as MOTG, or dressy casual, or any of the other capsules we talk about on the forum. catgirl on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899101 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 23:58:33 +0000 catgirl 899101@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I wish there was a definite moment in time when I could accomplish something this impressive.  Color cohesiveness?  Shoe purging on a thought-out basis?I am JEALOUS!  Mo on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899064 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 23:27:18 +0000 Mo 899064@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I have come to some similar conclusions - in that I have plenty to wear for the numbers of days I don an 'outfit' outside of work uniform.   I also cannot wear every outfit once for a season!  It is shocking when you think about it.  A dress worn 2 to 3 times a year only.  This is why I have been purging and replacing/upgrading only.  Not accumulating more. I'm also with Aida in needing to tend to outdoorsy, gearish casual capsule.   Good job on paring down the brown shoe lot lol.  I got ruthless this month with shoes I didn't/don't wear.  Purged 5 (mostly brown as well!) and won't miss them. Aida on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899054 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 23:15:29 +0000 Aida 899054@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ This is some really good insight Jayne, especially regarding your casual/weekend capsule. Would it be possible to use some of the nicer weekend stuff for work capsule, and then work on reducing the casual capsule so you can actually wear what you've got? We also spend a lot of time outdoors when it warms up, so I've only recently realized that I actually need to split my casual capsule into two: city casual (for eating out, fairs, bbqs, etc.) and sporty casual (for sport games, camping, dirt biking, etc.). There is a little bit of overlap between the two, like jeans, but it's really not very much since the sporty stuff is half-gear. That second capsule I have almost nothing in (no wonder I have been struggling with those outfits!!), so that will be my casual focus this year. It would probably be very beneficial to sit down and calculate my schedule out the way that you did to see if I'm overloading one category more than I should. Sara L. on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-899029 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:52:29 +0000 Sara L. 899029@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow, you've done a lot of analyzing here.  I think your analysis of casual vs. work outfits is spot on.  I've never counted how many casual outfits I can make but I did figure out last summer that I have favorite summer tanks and shorts that only get worn on the weekends so I didn't need to buy any more of those items.    jayne on "Spring revelations" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/spring-revelations#post-898933 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:49:53 +0000 jayne 898933@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ With Easter passed, I felt full rights to pack away my winter colors and break out spring!  Winter for me is black based, with heavy emphasis on grey on bottom, and a rainbow of jewel colors on top.   Spring, it turns out, is white and navy on bottom and a burst of spring life in greens, yellows, and blues with sparkly silver thrown in.   Once the clothes were out, I did a little sorting on shoes and discovered to my horror that I had 18, yes 18, pairs of brown shoes, boots or booties.  Now a brown bootie with grey or black is fine for winter, and a brown shoe with white works as well in spring. But what I am doing with 18?  So, serious purging, and ordering of various leather and suede dyes means that I have reduced the count that remains to about 9.  Still embarassing, but possible to use I hope. Gee I hope I am not alone being a shoe hoarder... To go on, once the shoes were switched and the heavier items packed away, and the closed toe, rain and slip proof shoes brought forth, I decided to do a little look into how many outfits I could make for work and for weekend shopping/lunches.   For work, I have 25 items of clothing, and can make at least 25 original outfits from those.  I put spring as lasting 8 weeks (chilly here until late may), and found I would use all outifts at least 4 times and each item about 6 times.  Not bad, but in a way it doesn't seem like a lot of wear, does it?  I never did this before so I have no real idea what is a good rate for a season. Then I did casual/weekend wear.  Now this is just sad.  I spend most time on weekends in a sporting activity with dear BF or at home with teenager girls who don't want to do anything.  So those times are for the most casual of outfits, lots of jersey tops, jeans, and no jewelry or plain gear.  But, I guess 1 day a week I might get a reason to be out of the house in something more planned.  1 day a week, for 8 weeks, That is 8 chances to wear real outfits.  I have over 20 items of clothes dedicated to this capsule.  This is a whopping rate of wear, for the most favorite of my potential outfits, of less than 1.  In 8 weeks I have no chance to wear everything once.  What a horrid revelation!  Not only do I need to stop buying casual capsule clothes, I need to purge more than half (or hide them for a long time), and only replace at a rate of 5 to 1?  Oh my.  This is the result of loving to shop, but not necessary being accountable for what I aleady own.   This has been a most revealing exercise for me.  Not only in how random purchasing creates problems finding outfits (which was my main problem last year), but even with style and theme, not being accountable for the amounts means things cannot possibly be worn enough.  I see that, for me, I have some work to do in both casual, and work wardrobe also, to find the right numbers to acheive variety AND wearability for a season.  Anyone who has figured out some good numbers, I would love your tips!  I know I am not the only one spending most of their free time in gear, so how many 'weekend' outfits and items do you recommend?  thanks for reading my novel,