Capsule Wardrobe Update

So... capsule wardrobes. Remember when I was pregnant and thought "hey, I'm gonna try a capsule wardrobe!" hahah I don't know what I was thinking! A maternity capsule wardrobe is totally possible but to try and do it in the middle of your first pregnancy... a bit ambitious.  That said, while I did not stick to it, I did learn a fair bit. I think being forced to only wear a small portion of my wardrobe really made me realize that I had way too many clothes. It made getting rid of stuff a lot easier. I thought I would be SO excited when I could fit back into my clothes and have more options but you know what I found? I wasn't excited about everything I owned. There was stuff I didn't really care to wear! That's what really made me realize I needed to scale back, give more thought to my purchases and figure out what I really loved.

I still love the idea of a capsule wardrobe and may give it another go but right now I'm focused on just pairing down. I move soon so that's extra motivation to get rid of things! My goal is simply to have less but wear more. I want my clothes to work together better, make me feel confident and still be practical to my lifestyle. I really love how Unfancy sums up a capsule wardrobe...

a mini-wardrobe made up of really versatile pieces that you totally LOVE to wear.

Here are some realizations I have come to...

- If you know what you love, don't be afraid to stick with it! I think my love of fashion makes me want to try all sorts of trends but if I really think about it, I know what I always love and I should stick to that a bit more. I used to think it was wrong to own more than one striped shirt and I'd try to buy items that were unlike anything else I owned... only to find myself reaching for that same striped shirt again and again. I now own a few more striped shirts and they ALL get worn.
- Don't be afraid to define your style. I was always afraid of this! As if defining it would put me in this box that I couldn't get out of. Not true. Defining your style just means embracing it and honestly it makes it a lot easier to shop. When you know your style, it's easier to know what you will still love a year from now. My style does tend to lean classic. That doesn't mean that everything I wear fits into that category, just means it's what I gravitate to most.
- Think before you shop. I'm definitely guilty of buying stuff on a whim. Sure, once I've tried it on and liked it I'll think about what items in my wardrobe will work with it...  but I think a better idea is to think about what you want to buy BEFORE you shop. Think about it while you're at home, looking at your wardrobe.  Then think about it while in the store BEFORE you try things on.  Once you try something on and are like hey girl, you look awesome, it's a lot harder to put that item back if you know you don't really "need" it. Right?
- Be practical but also fabulous. What I mean by that is buy items that you know work for your life but that also make you feel really great!  Don't just choose one and not the other.  The fact that I'm breastfeeding and hope to for a long time has made me re-think what I buy. Tops and dresses have to be nursing friendly! But that doesn't mean I'm settling. I still want to feel confident and beautiful in my clothes and you should too!

More on this soon. I plan on making some inspiration boards, writing down my "must have" items, organizing what I do have etc.