Capsule-building strategies & prioritizing - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Capsule-building strategies & prioritizing

SarahD8

Veteran

Hello! I’m new here; this is my first thread. It might possibly be a doozy so thanks for bearing with me.

I’m hoping for some insights into strategies for building and prioritizing capsules, specifically color-related capsules of clothing and accessories.

-Do you concentrate on building one color capsule at a time and getting it in good shape before moving on to the “next” one?

-Or do you add to multiple capsules here and there as you can and build them more slowly over time?

-How much is enough in a capsule? How do you know when you are “done”?

(I realize there are not really one-size-fits-all answers but I am interested in your data points.)

Some background that might help—

-I prefer my clothing variety in color, not silhouette.

-I have a high affinity for color and color mixing (including combinations that some might find clashy).

-I have a strong sense of what “my” colors are (e.g., plum but NOT royal purple; coral and ballet pink but NOT carnation pink; no brown ever) but resist the idea of a narrow color palette.

-Even so, I do not need all the things in all the colors.

-My goal is to build capsules with staying power, especially in terms of accessories – not so much to give a trend/new color a bash (nothing wrong with that, just not what I’m after here).

So I keep wondering:

-Do I focus on filling out capsules where I already have the largest number of items, especially in my “main” colors? (e.g., burgundy, plum, teal for fall)

-Or would I actually get more satisfaction from building smaller capsules of accent/wildcard colors that would help me create the strong color contrasts that I crave? (e.g., orange isn’t my color when it comes to clothing, but rust tights, a carnelian bead necklace, a vintage agate pendant would contrast well with those aforementioned burgundies, plums, and teals)

-Or should I invest more in building a collection of neutrals and basic jewelry? (Actually I know I need to do this to a degree – I don’t own, for example, a pair of simple silver hoops or go-with-everything gold stud earrings. But focusing entirely on basics really saps the fun. My inner Magpie Queen must be appeased!)

Now that I’ve typed out this whole novel I wonder if photos would help?

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts! (Oh and feel free to point me to previous threads on this topic -- I did search but didn't immediately find anything that had a more theoretical bent.)

Dressing

40 replies

Latest reply was from SarahD8

Aida

Veteran

I tend to form my "capsules" of neutrals and then go off feel with color (and I do have a lot of color!) though truth be told I wouldn't consider myself a capsule dresser (or perhaps it's just more of a loose mental concept). I also have a high color mix affinity so it doesn't bother me to have only one or two items in a color, and don't often feel the need to repeat a color in an outfit. My hunch is if you like to mix color the approach you mention with smaller capsules of accents to your main colors might work best for you, especially when paired with larger capsules of those main colors.

If you feel like you are missing those neutrals and basic jewelry when getting dressed then YES I would definitely say focus a little extra energy there so you don't feel like you're missing something when getting dressed. And these basics needed be "basic" if that's not what you're into. My personal "go with everything" hoops are 2.5inch gold double hoops, and my "go with everything" studs are 1/2inch blush crystals.

Trina Turk Double Hoop Earrings

View Info

Top Pick

3

View Info

Anonymous

Your description of your current closet and what you like - sounds like me and mine. I try to operate within the capsule parameters of wardrobing, although I get sidetracked too often...and guess where the purchase mistakes are?? Anyways, I found it worked well for me when I focused on one or two capsules at a time. This past summer, it was black/white, and olive/navy. Any spending I did , I made sure it was for pieces that would work within those two capsules, and it really kept me focused and on track. I actually hang my capsules on a separate rack in my bedroom apart from my closet, so I can really see what i have, and what is missing. You mention mini-capsules - Angie calls them complements, which makes sense too. I have been doing that unintentionally, and it has allowed me to have a really good selection of accessories, bags and footwear that work with every capsule I have. So - you sound like you already know the process, and I'm not sure there is a right or wrong answer here either. I would think budget determines where you can focus your energies. Welcome to the forum!

Anonymous

And with regard to your question about building a basic jewellery collection - my own experience with that is that the only basics I bother to collect are earrings (diamond or fake studs). After spending too much time and money on basic chains and bracelets- I found the only ones I want to wear are anything BUT basic. I have a LOT of jewellery and am a big believer in the power of jewellery as completing an outfit....but I want most pieces to be interesting and statement-making. Just my 2c here

SarahD8

Veteran

Aida and Lisa p, thank you both! I hear what you are saying about jewelry basics don't have to be basic. I have a pair of small hoops with marcasites that I frequently end up putting on when I want simple silver hoops and...they work just fine. Maybe they ARE my simple silver hoops. Aida I love those blush crystals, I think I'd wear them tons more than diamond studs.

Glad to hear that you are both color lovers and that capsules can be kind of loose. Aida, yes, sometimes I will have a single garment in a color but that doesn't make it an orphan, instead it becomes a workhorse! And yet that doesn't necessarily mean I need a bunch more items in that color. I guess I am trying to be a bit more mentally organized to better predict those wildcard winners...and avoid the sort of mistakes Lisa p mentions.

Lisa p I missed the "complements" terminology but I LOVE it! Capsules and complements, that is so helpful! It reminds me that some collections need not be all that large, and that complements should, well, complement something! (That is, I should have an idea of what color contrasts I'm trying to create.)

Maybe then it makes sense to work on one capsule and one complement at a time, while also looking out for any basics that I find myself "missing." That seems doable.

Of course, since I like to over complicate things and also have a taste for whimsy, now I have a bunch of ideas about how to name my various capsules across the seasons. It's kind of fun to think about though and realize why certain shades/items seem to go together in my head.

Thanks both of you for the great food for thought.

rachylou

Veteran

I definitely focus on one colour/ colour scheme at a time. I suppose it’s a fixation thing, I get enamoured - but I don’t think I could keep track of what’s what working with more than one at a time.

Then again, depends how you look at it. I might only spend a couple of weeks to a month thinking about one of the schemes. Not a whole year.

But our member, Rambling Ann, has kept a colour scheme capsule project going a whole year based on a painting. That’s been absolutely cool, to see her take it through the seasons: https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....t---august

Anonymous

Welcome SarahD8!

That’s a lot of questions!
Figuring out where to allocate your budget is always the toughest part, and staying focussed always seems to lead to better results, at least for me.

I can’t actually answer your questions as I don’t really think in those terms. I usually think it terms of “wardrobe holes”, and yes, wardrobe holes do apply to colour holes. So for example, I know that I need more chocolate brown footwear and bags. The fact that I don’t have chocolate brown winter boots is a hole for me, as is the fact that I don’t have a chocolate brown purse. Not having these items in chocolate bothers me. It is not a functional hole but a psychological hole. So I’ll make the chocolate a priority, along with my wardrobe essentials and basics.

For you it might be that you are lacking variety in coloured tops.

With a smaller budget, you have to build a little at a time, and I would focus on one colour addition at a time.

If you have an existing colour capsule that works, but you feel is missing a few things to really give you the polish and perfect colour scheme you want, then yes, I would focus on adding more to that capsule. For example, maybe you have the burgundy shoes, but you outfit would look 100 times better if you had a matching burgundy bag. Then you should get the burgundy bag.

If you are pretty happy with your existing colour capsule, then I would branch out into another colour. (2 pieces, minimum btw) Example: you’re ok with your burgundy shoes and think that your cognac bag goes nicely with them. In this case, you don’t really need to be adding a burgundy bag.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I’m still figuring this out too. Can you explain how a color capsule would work? I mean, you wear different color things together, right?

Right now I’m experimenting with storing clothing by color. It doesn’t seem to work for me—I can see color just by looking at a thing. I find it more helpful to keep pants together, long sleeved shirts, sweaters, etc. If I need a bottom thing, I can look at skirts and pants and choose from the colors there.

I’m doing 30x30, so have pulled those items out from everything else and have set them up separately for now. I hope that by the end of the challenge I’ll have a nice little capsule of “fall” clothing that meets certain criteria I’ve set.

Anonymous

Fashiontern: I was confused about colour capsule too. But imagine lisap’s clothing rack, with a bunch of items that are all in the same 3 or 4 colours. The rack of clothes contains everything you need to get dressed for the season (climatic season!) you’re in. That is a colour capsule. Yes, you can take some of the items from one colour capsule and reuse them in another capsule.

I think of colour capsules as pretty “advanced” and for people who have larger wardrobes than I do.

I use a single colour capsule (medium blue, navy, pearl, black) and have a few—very few—items that are outside the capsule that still match, like burgundy and raspberry.

Hey, so maybe I just answered your question, Sarahd8, about how I build a colour capsule!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Smittie, it sounds like we are just talking about the same thing and I just didn’t uderstand what was meant by “color capsule”. I was imagining it all being the same color.

What you describe is what I’m setting up with my Florida fall collection challenge. Many of the typical fall colors don’t work for me, so I’m building a capsule of things on the purple side of burgundy, over to blue, in weights that work for warm weather.

After the challenge, I will probably keep these items together and set up another for winter here, again setting things aside from the whole wardrobe—but next time I’ll revert to the sort by function system that comes naturally to me. I already have some ideas about what will be in it, and am indeed using palette/color scheme as part of the difference between that capsule and this one.

Thanks for setting me straight on what to call these.

ETA
SarahD8, that might be a useful strategy for you too. You’ve listed colors that work for fall for you, and jewelry that goes with it. If it’s late fall where you are, focus on getting that ready for next year. That might mean buying pieces on sale now, or it might mean making a list so that when fall stuff arrives in stores next year, you’ll know just what to get.

The jewelry is probably available year round, so make a list of the things you feel are missing (I love Rambling Ann’s idea of subtler pieces to complement the loud ones) and pick up those pieces as you come across them in your price range and that you really like.

Then move on to the next and so on. If you can plan that far ahead (I can’t), get your shopping ready for each season before stores have the merchandise.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

It might be helpful to have a percentage in mind of how much neutral vs non-neutral clothing you tend to wear in your outfits. For me, it's at least one neutral, usually two, plus one more colorful piece. So I know I need to put at least 50% of my budget and shopping effort toward neutrals, even though I find them boring to shop for.

If you had to pack for a week-long trip to your current climate, what would be missing? Those kinds of holes get filled first. Then do you have an outfit for a funeral, church service, meeting with a lawyer or banker?

As for jewelry, what I found useful was to buy a couple less flashy items that complemented my harder to wear pieces, like some low-key silver hoops that I wear with a shark-tooth malachite necklace. It never felt right on its own, but I didn't want matchy earrings. I use the hoops a lot. I look for most of those kinds of things on Etsy, because it's important to me to support individual artists, and usually the price is right.

Joy

Veteran

Welcome SarahD8. You have good questions. I needed to develop a new wardrobe from scratch a few years ago. What worked for me was building up neutrals first. I like to be able to create a column of neutral...a couple of bottoms, a couple of tops and at least one topper.....all of which can be worn together. It makes it easier to add colors. I would suggest at least a dark and a light neutral and find pieces that can be used in different seasons if you live in a four season climate.
For colors, the size of my capsules vary. I try for a bottom, top or topper, and a scarf that co-ordinates at a minimum.
You don't need a lot of jewelry. I use hoops, a set of studs and pearls most.

SarahD8

Veteran

Thanks, all, these data points are really helpful.

Yes, people use the term "capsules" in so many different ways that it can be confusing to me! Sometimes they refer to functional capsules (like Activewear, or your Warm Autumn capsule fashiontern), sometimes to a category of items (shoe capsule), sometimes to a collection of items organized around color. And even within color-related capsules, they can refer to a single color (like Angie's burgundy capsule, which yes she wears with other colors like Dutch orange and blue), a pair of contrasting colors (olive and blush), or even a palette (like your medium blue/navy/pearl/black capsule smittie or Rambling Ann's Ocean Park Project).

I guess when I originally posted I was thinking about single-color capsules. For example, if I am thinking of burgundy as one of my main colors for my fall wardrobe, how many/which burgundy items do I need in order to feel like I can reliably create looks featuring burgundy? I currently own a long cardi, a fine-gauge knit, a woven cotton popover, and a pair of silver/garnet earrings in this color family. As I type this out I realize that a pair of shoes and something to go around my neck -- necklace and/or scarf -- would help me create more (and more balanced) looks with burgundy. (I'm not very interested in wearing colored bottoms these days, so that's not a priority for me.)

But, I can also see the appeal of thinking about multiple colors at once. It seems to me that one risk of breaking things down in a very fine-grained way is that you end up thinking you need more items than you do (the All The Things In All The Colors syndrome). I like smittie's rule of 2 and Joy your bottom, top/topper, scarf formula is also a good benchmark.

This discussion also makes me suspect that I would get a lot of mileage from adding a few printed items (tops and/or scarves) that tie together multiple colors I'm interested in wearing. I think my wardrobe is a bit solids-heavy right now.

One thing I should mention is that I think I may have given the impression that I'm trying to build a wardrobe from scratch but I am not really. More like trying to figure out how to refine my existing wardrobe in a way that makes it more functional.

Probably I just need to dump a bunch of things out on the bed and play around and see what wardrobe holes emerge!

Anonymous

Yup, burgundy shoes and something to tie around your neck are good places to start.

You could also get these things in different shades and wear them together for a tonal look. I like eggplant and raspberry with my burgundy.

And yes, I think it’s pleasing to spread the colour around on your body a bit.

I have a burgundy puffer, burgundy shoes, burgundy sweater, and then a few raspberry and Aubergine items to complement the burgundy.

And yes, patterned tops would work well to the things together.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Ahh, so you do mean just that color. It seems to me that you’ve hit most of the bases for individual pieces to mix in burgundy (although a blazer or dress could be added).

Neutrals bore you so much you don’t even want to shop for them. What colors make burgundy feel more “burgundy” to you, when worn in combination with burgundy? It’s an awkward-sounding question based on the assumptions that colors convey feelings and pairings change the way a color feels. I don’t think you want to wear neutrals with your burgundy; that would water it down. Do the colors in Angie’s capsule rev it up in the direction you want to go? Or blush? Or sage/olive? That, footwear, scarves and the jewelry are where I’d look next.

Banana Republic

Classic-Fit Stretch-Velvet Blazer

View Info

Top Pick

4

shiny

Veteran

Not sure if this is a true capsule approach but I recently re-organized my closet. It has two sides to it. I put all the summer/spring items on one side, and fall/winter on the other side. Then I further organized the fall/winter side by color, and from lighter weight (like long sleeve blouse) to heavier (sweater blazer or jacket or other topper).

My colors are: white, black, grey, blue family (from light blue to navy), red/burgundy, and olive. I put anything that had a pattern or print in the last section, roughly organized by predominate color.

The next step was to see where there were gaps. For some reason I wanted to have one of each type of top in each color -- one long sleeve blouse. One long sleeve knit top (a "better" tee). One long sleeve lightweight pullover (like merino). One heavier pullover. And one topper. I had some gaps so went out and purposefully filled them. At the same time I ended up duplicating a pair of LOFT jeans in each of my colors as well.

This makes packing and getting dressed super easy!! I am set for any temperature range. I can mix these colors to create all sorts of outfits.

Of course I also have a ton of patterned scarves, all organized now by color as well, and leopard print accessories (booties, mules, coat, belt) to jazz things up. As well as coats & hats, and handbags. Jewelry wise, I'm more simplistic -- I choose silver or gold. I've got my jewelry organized that way. I really only have a few colored jewelry items (count on one hand).

Or if I get bored of solid top/pants/toppers, then I pull out a patterned top from that section.

The olive capsule is the only one that still has gaps, but that's on purpose, as I'm not sure if this is just a trend for me, or something I want to build out more.

I intend to approach my spring/summer wardrobe in the same manner -- the colors are different as are the garments (sleeveless / short sleeve / lighter weight). I've got that also organized by color right now, but there are definitely more gaps to be filled next spring.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Procrastinating, I was just googling around and came across this. It would be great under your burgundy toppers, over leggings/pants, or bringing the burgundy to a solid piece of any of the colors in the pattern. Btw, I also work from home, live in a casual city, and have an exceptionally quiet social life.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/2.....allery_20#

Aida

Veteran

Another thing to consider is how many colors you actually like wearing, especially in the scope of your wardrobe size. If you wear a few colors (regardless of color mix affinity), then it's worth having a more complete capsule of each color; if you wear many colors, then that may require less complete capsules simply to keep wardrobe size manageable (the All The Things In All The Colors issue). And it's also worth considering where you like to wear your colors so you can be sure to spread them out if that's what you like -- really feeling a fun color mix and then finding that your items in those colors are two sweaters is a bummer!

Violettt

Capsule wardrobes are all the talk lately on YouTube~ It just makes planning your outfits easier. One way to look at it which has helped me loads is to think: If you were traveling for one or two months, what would you pack? A couple of suitcases of all sorts of colors, styles? Probably not. You'd want the pieces to all go together. That is what a capsule is. Your basic wardrobe, that can be mixed and matched. When I was younger, I wore lots of colors together, especially purple and lavender as it's always been my favorite color! I'd wear bright floral skirts, a purple blazer, red bag, tights, etc. And then a bag of a completely different shade! or a hat, etc. Then jewelry! Oh my! Too creative, heading for disaster! That does not mean though as a woman over 50, you should dress in head to toe purple, as you would look ridiculous. I've learned at my age, to really dress your age, in what looks good! not just what you may love! A wardrobe of basic neutrals, like cream, grey, camel, black, blush, navy, is great, then adding splashes of color like a colorful scarf, and bag! And one item of jewelry, not 8 all worn together! Ghastly! I've learned that through lots of trial and error and seeing pics of myself throughout the years and how I want to look. I always look best in soft neutrals. I have very blonde hair, so anything too harsh makes me look ridiculous! I prefer delicate jewelry too, and wear pearls almost daily, in all shades I've been collecting for years now! It's taken me 60 years to know my style! Trial and error for you young gals. Do not follow trends. They come and go, style stays. Especially trends on an older woman look awful! It may also be helpful to have a capsule for each season, but where I live, I don't do that, as it's pretty warm to hot year round. I just add in a few blazers when cooler weather, and of course my cashmere sweater collection!

Smittie: I love your subtly of color, how you mention it, eggplant, and rasberry with burgundy! That to me sounds gorgeous!

Lisa

Veteran

Great questions and great advice here already. I own more than one capsule both based on activity and based on color and build them all slowly over time.

SarahD8

Veteran

smittie yes, I like that tonal idea. Most of my burgundy items are on the raspberry side anyhow so they shade naturally into plum. Ok, shoes and a scarf/neck adornment, those are good marching orders.

fashiontern oh I think I gave the wrong impression! I don't mind shopping for/wearing neutrals, I was just resistant to focusing ONLY on building a capsule of neutrals/basics. Today I'm wearing my burgundy cardi with a white popover blouse, dark-wash jeans, and cognac riding boots and I'm happy as a clam. I love that tunic you found on Etsy! I'd snap it up right now if the color palette were more on the cool side of the spectrum, but the paisley-ish print and offbeat vintage cut are spot on for my style.

shiny, the one of each approach definitely appeals to me. I'll be curious to see how that pans out for you in the winter and also for your coming spring wardrobe. When you are building outfits do you tend to choose items from the same "family," or do you mix it up?

Aida, YES, you're so right about the balance between number of colors, size of capsules, overall wardrobe size, and distribution of color on the body. I feel like I can identify when a capsule does and doesn't work in these ways, but I haven't quite cracked the general code underlying it, you know?

Violett, I agree about the importance of a mix-and-match wardrobe. I think I was trying to home in on smaller building blocks of what you are calling a capsule. Your style sounds very subtle and refined, well worth the trial and error you describe to get there!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I’m starting to think that you and I have really similar tastes. Your response to that dress is pretty exactly what I thought. Several other lovers of the bluesy side of burgundy outed themselves here. https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....od-capsule

shiny

Veteran

When you are building outfits do you tend to choose items from the same "family," or do you mix it up?

I mix it up.

Looking back at my WiW file, I do wear white tops the most -- I think because it lights up my face. Could probably never have enough white tops, then again, decent non-see-through high quality white tops are hard to find.

I also see that I'm still "getting comfortable" with wearing colored bottoms. This is totally new for me this year. In the past, I was much more comfortable with black pants and those were my default, especially for traveling. If the bottoms are colored, I'm more likely to go for a neutral solid like white or black on top & topper and also in accessories. That may change -- time will tell.

I can tell you based on WiW, I seem to prefer the grey jeans over the burgundy. Don't get me wrong, I love the burgundy jeans too, I'm just more apt to reach for the "safer" color. Again it's comfort zone. But, I prefer the colored jeans to regular blue jeans. Of my blue jeans, the ones I have worn the most are light blue, I think because it works best with my coloring (especially since my last highlighting job).

I've had a love/hate relationship with the olive jeans. I like them a lot dressed up with navy or black tops, but anything else... I feel like they look too casual, or are just somehow "not me." Not sure what's up with that.

I still wear my black pants quite a bit too, but not every single day like I used to.

Another theme for me is wearing the "column of color" with/without a contrasting topper and patterned footwear / handbag. For example a grey sweater with grey jeans.

If I'm wearing a patterned top, I prefer solid footwear. If solid top, I prefer patterned footwear. I have a few striped tops but weirdly they aren't my favorite. I'm wearing them but something feels off. Then again, I seem to be "off" my denim shirts lately too, which got a ton of wear last year. So maybe I just need a rest.

Of the toppers, I seem to be rotating all of them and wearing them about equally. Which is interesting because I'd have guessed that the black and navy would get the most wear, based on past habits.

And I've not touched my dresses at all this Fall/Winter. I'm totally in separates mode instead.

Joy

Veteran

Reading your questions again, I wonder if you would be happiest creating a column ( top and bottom) of a favorite color like burgundy or plum or teal and add other colors in a topper or accessories. It is a good idea to find prints you like in your favorite colors to pull things together if you need to. Just don't settle for any print in the colors you want. You won't reach for it. Get only what you love.

SarahD8

Veteran

Great details, shiny. Thanks for coming back and sharing these, gives me lots to think about. The way I read it you have 6 colors (3 neutral and 3 colors -- though I'd consider blue, burgundy, and olive near-neutrals or sometimes-neutrals which maybe helps make things more mixable), and 6 items in each color. That seems like a not-too-big collection of clothing that gives you tons of remixing possibilities.

Joy very wise words about only getting prints that I love. (What I suspect would really make me happy is to up my sewing skills and then go crazy with Liberty fabrics -- simple in theory, not so easy to carry out!) I am intrigued by your column of color + contrasting accessories idea. Not sure how much of that I can do with my current wardrobe but will think on it.

fashiontern I'm off to read that thread you linked to.

LaPed

Veteran

Okay, this is interesting. I'd say I'm more silhouette-driven than colour-driven. I get bored if all my pants are the same shape, so I end up building my capsules around, say, 2 pairs of wide-leg crops and everything I own that can go with them. Then I step back and ask myself what's missing. It could be a particular accent colour, but often it's a certain silhouette needed to achieve the right proportions.

Anyway, I just sort of add colours intuitively and don't get tripped up too much, because the colours I'm drawn to for clothes tend to be a slew of dark neutrals and almost-neutrals that play pretty nicely together. Eggplant, burgundy, olive, navy, charcoal, and black are what I'm drawn to most consistently. When I can find the *right* midtones (cool red, berry, sage, turquoise), I snap those up. I do have to make a point of buying light, white, and metallic pieces as accents; I know I need them to create certain ensembles, but they don't make my heart sing when I look at them on their own. I was very intentional about adding a couple blush and sky blue pieces over the summer, and they're super useful.

I imagine, if your goal is to build colour capsules while keeping your silhouettes consistent, you'll have to invert this process, starting with a list of your happiest colours (are they consistent year round, or are they seasonal? do they change over time, and is your wardrobe set up to accommodate those shifts?), and then identifying what support acts are missing. I'm thinking of the 60-30-10 rule from interior design -- the idea that a room's colour palette should be roughly 60% one main colour, 30% a supporting colour, and 10% accent. I have a feeling a lot of successful wardrobes function on this same principal, and once you have a good base you can bend the rule a bit -- add in a second accent, say, or create tonal/monochromatic looks, or whatever.

shiny

Veteran

though I'd consider blue, burgundy, and olive near-neutrals or sometimes-neutrals which maybe helps make things more mixable),

Interesting: I don't consider burgundy a near-neutral at all. I mean more of a cranberry (blue-red) shade. I look best in anything with a blue undertone.

And I look best in murky summer colors. I have experimented for years with brighter colors, and in my younger days, I wore a lot more brights & clear colors. As I've aged (I'm 52) my skin and coloring has faded and the brights just don't favor me as much as softer, mid-tone shades. Emotionally, I also just don't want to stand out as much these days. Also to be fair a lot of this is driven by my heavy travel schedule; it's just a lot easier to pack for a business trip when a closet veers more into the neutral "everything plays well together" zone.

So I've decided to limit the bright colors in my closet, mostly to accents and accessories and a few cherished toppers like a tomato red coat. If I could still fit in it, I'd have saved the fuchsia skirt too. Heh. That one was fun. But I have eliminated all skirts because skirts rarely flatter my apple tendencies.

SarahD8

Veteran

Oh, that's so interesting to hear from someone who is more focused on silhouette, La Pedestrienne. You make a really good point about picking up some light tones. I'm realizing that when I layer, I prefer to have the darker layer on the "outside," so I need to prioritize some lighter colored shirts.

Shiny, yeah that makes sense, I'm a blue-red burgundy gal myself. I can definitely see the appeal of keeping the palette simple if you are doing a lot of traveling. Actually, it's appealing even to this homebody. I am glad you kept the tomato red coat though!

Everybody's thoughts and ideas are so inspiring. I spent some time today playing around with groupings of clothes to wear through the holiday season. I took pictures, I will try to write a new post in the next day or two. Eager to take the next step in making more functional capsules and ultimately a more functional wardrobe.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Certain colors that aren't traditionally neutral look neutral on me. They don't detract from me but they don't add anything much either.
Personally I wouldn't want one of everything in every color as I would most likely want a change well before I came near to using them up.
When I take the time to play in my closet I usually find enough new outfits to keep me going for a while. I often get new ideas to try from YLF-Angie and other forum members.

Sal

Veteran

Welcome to the forum!!

I don't think in colour capsules but in activity capsules. But I guess I do have colour capsules if I rearranged my mind. If I worked in a full time office job I could build different capsules with colours but I don't have enough pieces in any one area of my life.

I am in early summer and I have for this season (there is cross over with some pieces):

Work capsule - as I work from home and from the office which is pretty low key - for summer one dress, one skirt, one pair of pants and lots of tops. I could also wear jeans (most of the staff do all year- mostly men).

Casual/work from home - shorts, white pants, genie pants, black joggers, sundress plus lots of tops

Entertaining/going out - several dresses, couple of lightweight jackets

Exercise - tights, shorts, tees and singlets, hat, swimsuit etc

Beach - bikini, beach skirt, cover up, hats etc..

I have a variety of covered shoes, sneakers and sandals, flat and heeled that mix in with these capsules. Some cross into all, and some are purely exercise or entertaining. Most of my shoes are neutral.

I tend to have neutral pants and shorts and wear lots of colour in dresses, tops and jackets. I tend to mix bold prints and colour with a neutral rather than two colours together.

I look forward to seeing some of your combinations on the forum - your colour palette sounds great.

12