I’m enjoying all the capsule conversations and displays and keep learning something new with each post.

I was doing some outfit creation the other day and had some insights as to what is the point of capsule creation for me and so what would constitute a successful capsule.

For now I’m using just one definition of capsule, which is a small group of outfits using interchangeable pieces. (So, reminding myself that capsule also can refer to the winter coat capsule, the summer shoe capsule, etc).

I was trying things on with one of my favorite pencil skirts and realizing that I really loved it because it seems to go with about half the tops in my wardrobe. But therein is also the rub.

It’s so versatile that I could make about 30 different outfits, technically, but I won’t be wearing it once every. So in theory I have so many possible tops to wear with it that I can’t use them all or would never repeat favorites. So that’s not really a capsule. Then I have a black skirt that goes with a lot of the same tops but in a sense, the outfits look similar due to silhouette. Yes, the colors are different but not greatly so. And yet among the choices, some combinations look more "dfferent" from each other, than others.

So one of the things I find I would like in my work capsules are:

1-- if the tops & bottom combos produce quite different silhouettes. This can be harder than you think because of the problem of top & bottom proportions, so I don’t hold all items to this standard, but it’s something to strive for. As opposed to having black pants & brown pants as the bottoms in a capsule, or gray skirt and black skirt—instead, a flowy blouse tucked into wide pants vs worn out over skinny pants, or skirt vs. pants as the bottoms, and so on.

2--a notable change in color combo. Not just a red sweater with black pants or a teal sweater with black pants, but something that looks really different. Hard to describe. Red sweater with gray pants vs. red sweater with cognac trousers, maybe. Or wearing column of color (even if a neutral) vs. contrasting top & bottom. I haven’t found my perfect bright colored skirt but that would be another example—a red skirt with black tights just looks different from black +black even if both are pencil.

3--Or if somehow a change in footwear produces a real difference. Like black tights + black flats vs. cognac knee boots (which I don’t have) worn with the same skirt or dress. That might be more fun than 5 skirts all worn with black tights.

Another realization is that it takes either very large capsules—which I find harder to do and still really like all items with all other items –if I “try too hard, ” I find the outfits are more meh, just to be able to say I can wear this with that. But 5-6 capsules in which the items really do “go” with each other can create outfits for a cycle of what might be 2-3 weeks for me—I’m okay with that kind of repeating. But I don’t always want to wear the black pencil skirt twice in a week, even if I could with different tops, or the same gray sweater in the week—that sort of thing, But remixing them in the second or 3 week is the kind of variety I like.

4--Capsules that span seaons. That’s where enough attention to “seasonless” fabrics or layer-able fabrics can help me, or it would take too large a wardrobe for the seasons and especially season-transitions. So items that can either layer, go with tights or without, or having a choice of a light cotton mesh sweater vs. a wool sweater (yes, I can do that with some lightweight wool trousers or skirts) is another variation of the capsule that is useful. There are lots of examples on the forum--sheath dresses with turtleneck layered under, add tights to skirt or dress--nothing too new there, but still it's something I'm noting for how well items earn their keep. Plus that overlaps with "looking different".

I’ve left out jewelry and belts but those help too. I try to collect some necklaces that seem to say “summer” (containing shades of white and natural materials) vs. winter—more metals and black, jewel tones—and use them to skew a top toward one season or another.

As usual, I think all of this must seem so obvious to others, but it helps me work on the wardrobe holes that could really lead to better outfits vs. just more pieces of clothing.