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in the winter i realized that i only had like 3 long sleeved shirts & tbh in salt lake, that ain’t gonna work. it’s too darn cold here. so i decided that having a fall/winter capsule + spring/summer capsule would be best. that way i’m getting the best use out of my clothes & they last a bit longer because i’m only wearing them six months of the year rather than 9-11.
in order to have the best time in the spring/summer, i knew that i would need at least 7 short sleeve shirts, two pairs of shorts, one pair of solid sandals & 1-2 swimsuits (i am NOT going to put on a wet swimming suit. that’s too cold), 3-5 dresses & 1-2 jumpsuits.
5 tips for creating a summer capsule wardrobe
my five tips for building your summer capsule wardrobe are pretty simple:
1. figure out what you already have.
check your closet & make sure that you know exactly what you have to work with. donate things that don't fit anymore & save your favorite items that still do fit. if you don't super love something-- donate it. you're not going to wear it, so save some of that precious closet space & open up an opportunity to find items you REALLY love!
2. try & stick to a color scheme.
you'll find that i'm super into neutrals, because they all match so easily, but as soon as the flowers started blooming & the trees got their leaves, i was SO ready to add some color into my wardrobe. i still stuck to a color palette, but i definitely added in some color. i have been REALLY into the whole red, white & blue color scheme this summer, which is perfect because now, i have SO many options for the 4th of july!
3. dress for the season
you know when the health people say to eat foods that are growing during the current season? your closet should be similar. save your cardigans & long sleeve shirts for the winter & vice versa! i often find myself pulling my short sleeve shirts into the winter season, which makes them have a shorter summer shelf life because they're grungy & worn out. wear your summer clothes during the summer & winter clothes during the winter. this will help you keep clothes for longer periods! most of my capsule wardrobe for this summer is actually from last year & i still love all of the items with my whole heart & i am so excited to wear them this summer! (however, you might notice that i have one long sleeve shirt in my summer capsule-- it is too lightweight to be considered a winter shirt in my book, so it is a summer shirt!)
4. dresses & jumpsuits are all the rage & they can also be your very best friend.
if you're a lazy gal when it comes to dressing, like me, then jumpsuits & dresses are WHERE. IT'S. AT. i love dresses & jumpsuits because i don't have to worry about finding pants AND a shirt. i just throw on the one item of clothing and BAM. dressed. plus dresses are breezy for the summer & when it starts hitting 100*+ here, you can bet i'll be hanging out in a dress more often than not.
5. mix & match swimsuits are worth the price.
sure, biting the bullet & buying two $80 swimsuits can be, well, stressful. BUT if you play your cards right & get tops & bottoms that will match each other, you actually just bought FOUR swimsuits for the price of two. now that is how i like to stretch my dollar!!! (warning: make sure the mix & match swimmies are GOOD quality! don't pay an arm & a leg for a flimsy suit!!!)
MY SUMMER CAPSULE WARDROBE
TOPS
white & blue embroidered top - from walmart last year
boyfriend tee - from h&m (the men's section)
blue striped bell sleeve top - from target; they don't have this one anymore, but here is a similar one
red & white striped shirt - from my sister's closet boutique
red & black striped shirt - from my sister's closet boutique
DRESSES
blue checked dress - from posey & pence; also sold out, but here's one that is super cute!
red, white & blue dress - from downeast
blue gingham dress with lace - from downeast; okay, this one isn't on their website, but i literally saw it in store at their city creek location like two days ago, so if you're in the salt lake area, you can snag it there!
yellow jumper dress - from roolee boutique last year
JUMPSUITS
blue & white jumpsuit - from poppy & dot (use the code sadie10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase!)
BOTTOMS
shorts - from walmart
overalls - from uptown cheapskate (originally from rue 21)
go-to high waisted jeans - from target (only $20!)
SWIMSUITS
blue striped crop top swim tank - from lime ricki
black & white striped bardot top swim tank - from janela bay
black one strap one-piece - from loft a few years ago, here is a similar style! | shein black one piece
SHOES
brown sandals - from target
sperry's boat shoes - i bought them at beall's a few years ago, but you can buy them here (also, if you fit into kid's sizes, i HIGHLY recommend saving a few bucks by buying them in kid's size)
nike's tennis shoes - from i do not remember. but you can buy nike's basically anywhere
nude heels - my sister bought these for me a few years ago, so i don't know where she got them, but again, you can buy nude heels basically anywhere.