A Peek at My Summer Capsule Wardrobe

A few weeks ago, I shared my efforts to streamline my life and minimize my closet. The biggest step was creating a capsule wardrobe of about 40 essential pieces to wear throughout summer. Everything else was either donated or packed away in our guest bedroom, available “just in case.”

My first week of wearing only items from my capsule wardrobe, I was nervous. I was anxious about not having the appropriate outfit for an event or that I’d be tempted to dip into my back-up closet in the guest bedroom. But by the end of the week, I realized that I hadn’t missed a single thing and was loving the new system. Getting dressed in the morning was so much easier. I could quickly scan all of my options and was wasting way less time waffling between outfit choices. When you have four dresses to choose from, what to wear is a pretty easy decision!

What’s interesting is that not only did I not miss anything extra from my original wardrobe, out of my 40 capsule pieces, I wear maybe 20 on a consistent basis (don’t worry, I’m not including underwear in the count). I honestly think I could get rid of 5-10 more items and would barely miss them. It’s amazing how little clothing you need. I thought it’d be fun to share some of the core pieces I’ve been wearing this summer – my summer essentials.

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As I mentioned last week, stripes are a staple of my summer wardrobe, so they’ve been in heavy rotation this summer. I’ve also been loving my chambray shirt, which I’ve been wearing instead of a jean jacket over dresses. It’s a slightly more updated look. 

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Summer is all about the effortless dress. I kept the number of skirts and shorts in my capsule to a minimum, and instead went with a larger number of dresses. Throw one on and you’re done. I made sure to choose dresses that could be easily dressed up or down depending on the occasion. 

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With shoes, I kept things pretty basic. Out of everything, I’ve been wearing my black sandals the most. They are almost as comfortable as my Keens without making me look too “granola.” After all, Birkenstocks are on-trend this season.

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Overall, my only concern is whether or not I’m successfully walking the line between boring versus simple and chic. I’m hoping that my little pops of color and stripes keep me from completely blending into the background. Thoughts? What would you include in your summer capsule wardrobe?

XOXO,
Jules