30 for 30: capping it off

I had a distinct thought at the end of this 30 for 30 go-round:

“This was a lot less painful than previous ones.” 

June 2013 // November 2013 // October 2014

1 & 2 // 3 & 4 // 6

I like to think it’s because I’ve matured, and my style has, too. I find myself being drawn to simple looks more than I was in the past. Solid colors, neutrals, basics, one really great pair of boots in a beautiful brown and a great bag in black. My 14, 18, and even 21 year old self would have dubbed my current self boring, especially when boots come in all colors of the rainbow (red! purple! green!) , and tried to convince me that more purses = more fun (really, I had TONS of bags. none that really fit my everyday needs, though. yes, they were cute, and yes, they were plentiful and colorful, but my smaller purse collection now has me pretty satisfied. however, if I were to happen upon the perfect bag, so be it).

7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11

So, this time, I started with a more condensed closet, more pieces that I really like and reflect me, now. From there, I chose pieces that I thought would play nicely together – gray, black, navy, a few “wild cards,” but overall, the ability to create more cohesive looks, instead of a few really great looks, and a lot more “meh” looks.

13 // 14 // 15 & 16 // 17

I’m still so intrigued by the idea of a “capsule wardrobe.” I keep thinking of things I could replace in my closet (getting rid of 2 or 3 pairs of “meh” black flats for THE pair), or what my “capsule wardrobe” would be comprised of:

all black? all navy? all gray?

all animal print? all stripes? all neutrals?

all button-ups and skinnies?

17 // 18 // 19 & 20 // 21

And while I intend to strive for a “less is more” wardrobe filled with the perfect (for me) pieces that fit and flatter, I’m also thankful that I have the closet I have now. Not just that it’s large enough that I can continue to whittle it down and “curate” it, but that it currently contains things I bought in the past that I might be too apprehensive to try now; that it has variety; that lots of things in there fit me at different sizes; that is has a lot of colors and styles to play with; that it’s something I put together over time, not over the course of a few days; that it covers me and keeps me warm.

22 // 23 & 24 // 25 // 27

Sure, there’s pieces I would love to add, and even today I got the itch to go to Target – not because I NEED anything, but because I wanted to satisfy a shopping itch. I’m really learning a lot about myself, my lifestyle, my motivations, and my choices the more I blog about my style. It’s really making me questions some past wardrobe-related decisions:

why did I buy so many tank tops?

why did I ever wear baby doll tops? 

why did I think stepping on the hem of my jeans was ok (not cool, but ok)?

28 // 29 & 30 // 31 + new boots

It’s fun to have this facet of my life documented and be able to see the evolution happening and the wheels turning.

See my list of 30 items here.