Funny how your mindset can swiftly change from one capsule to the next. This was something I was really open about as I made my way through my Spring 30X30 capsule, and today I wanted to do a proper recap. So I’m going to run through a few things today; I’ll start with a proper overview of all the items that made it into my capsule (and the ones I decided to drop…). I ended up utilising just 28 of the 30 items, as I felt hesitant to add anything new in, especially as the month wore on. This is something I want to delve into a little deeper for sure.
Then we’ll touch on my four most worn pieces; two clothing items, and two accessories.
Finally, I want to explore what it was about this capsule in particular that made me feel so frustrated.
SPRING 30X30 CAPSULE: THE ITEMS
from left to right
1: Bassike tank; Madewell stripe hem tee; Everlane air ruched top; Free People tank; Everlane waffle henley; Alessandra Cashmere tiered top
2: Witchery wrap top (old); Alex Mill shirt; Arket tee; Alex Mill stripe tee; Free People off shoulder top; Everlane alpaca cropped cardigan
3: & Other Stories oversized knit; Uniqlo mens cashmere sweater; Arket chinos; Assembly Label linen trousers; Everlane cheeky straight jeans; Madewell skinny jeans; Arket poplin dress
4: Isabel Marant Etoile wrap skirt; Yan13 denim shorts; Madewell shorts; Arket denim shorts (not pictured); Gucci loafers; Birkenstock sandals; Everlane 40 hour flats; Jane Debster slides; Kindersalmon trench
I ADDED IN…
Arket Navy Dress: I love how easy and throw on a dress is, and this particular one from Arket fit the “colour palette” I’d half-heartedly curated.
Alessandra Cashmere white cotton poplin top: Floaty and whimsical is probably how I’d describe this pretty tiered top. I love the dobby cotton detailing, and it has such nice movement to it. The longer length is interesting for me styling-wise too, something I really wanted to play with as part of this capsule.
Madewell striped linen tee: I’m not going to pretend like there was much thought in this one. I felt like a basic tee which had a little more personality, and this was what I picked out of my dresser. Absolutely love it though; the hemp linen has a nice raw texture, and a beautiful drape.
Everlane heather black cropped cardigan: Love a good cardigan for its versatility. Can be worn as a coverup, as a button up cardigan, or back to front with the button detail down the back.
Arket ivory denim shorts: While for the most part, I love a good skirt, I find shorts are more practical when you’re rolling around on the floor with a baby. The off-white colour perhaps wasn’t the best choice, given how often I was laundering them!
Arket dark green cotton chinos: A recent purchase, the moment these arrived I knew I had to include them in my capsule. I love that they have a more relaxed fit through the leg, and the crop is absolutely perfect for my shorter inseam!
Jane Debster Tan Slides: I wanted to have one more sandal option – preferably a shoe in a warm or lighter colour to my Birks. These have been a favourite of mine for years, so seemed only natural to include them. They go with everything!
Everlane 40 Hour Flats: My final addition were these black pointed toe flats from Everlane. Towards the end of the month, I was really craving a sharper shoe silhouette. I knew that these not only would work with all the items I picked, but they’re comfy and easy to wear.
I TOOK OUT…
Alessandra Cashmere sage green coatigan: I absolutely love this piece, but ultimately found that the colour didn’t really work with my capsule as a whole. And it was a little heavier than I really needed. Swapped it out for a lighter knitwear piece.
T by Alexander Wang striped top: Stripes to me are a great basic and a foundation of my closet, so naturally it made the cut when I was initially building my capsule. However as the month wore on, I realised it probably wouldn’t be an item I’d reach for. I’d included it purely out of habit.
MOST WORN PIECES
Everlane Studio Bag | Shoes are the only accessory that I count towards my 30 item total in these capsules. That said, I still wanted to keep track of which bags I found myself reaching for the most. With 11 wears across the month, my most worn bag was the Everlane Studio Bag. I’ve done a review on the bag HERE if you’d like to have a read, but honestly, I’m not surprised that I wore it almost every other day. I tend to keep this in the undercarriage of our son’s pram, as the size is practical to use as a “diaper bag”, while still having room for my handbag essentials. It’s minimal, chic, and goes with everything.
Jane Debster Slides | A later addition to my capsule, the most worn shoe was a pair of tan leather slides. I loved wearing these as they’re reliably comfortable, and they added a nice touch of warmth or “richness” to many of my outfits.
& Other Stories Oversized Sweater | I have to admit, I was a little surprised to see that this sweater popped up as one of my most worn clothing pieces. I was so on the fence about it when it arrived, that I never anticipated that I’d enjoy wearing it as much as I did. After a handful of wears I quickly adjusted to the super oversized fit, and found my sweet spot with how to wear it. Helped that it was super cosy too! It’s slowly starting to show a few signs of pilling on the front, but given I’ve worn it 10+ times so far, I think that’s pretty good. Nothing a wool comb or fabric shaver can’t fix!
Everlane Alpaca Cropped Cardigan | The other clothing item I wore the most was another knitwear piece. I decided to do a swap with my Alessandra Cashmere coatigan, as I wanted a style that was slightly more lightweight. This ticked the boxes. I think the reason why I ended up wearing this so much was down to the versatility of it. You can essentially wear it four ways. Worn open ; buttoned with a couple undone at the collar; fully buttoned up; or worn backwards like a sweater. I did notice a little bit of itchiness from this heathered black version – something I don’t get from my almond alpaca knit – so do want to flag that. But nothing that can’t be fixed with a layering piece underneath. I do also find that the fibres soften up the more you wear it.
30X30 CAPSULE CHALLENGE LEARNINGS
It was perhaps a week into my capsule, that I started to find myself feeling stuck. Lacking confidence. Frustrated even. My mood and feelings towards this capsule experience seemed largely hinged on the day – and the outfit that I was wearing. So I wanted to take a step back, to reflect on and analyse where I went wrong with my spring capsule. And perhaps I can use these learnings to better plan for my summer capsule in a couple months’ time.
It was largely unplanned | Usually in the lead up to a capsule, I’ll take some time to sit down, and map out the items I want to include. I’ll start with a few key pieces, and build from there, thinking about categories, styling options, and colour palette. It’s a process and I can spend a couple hours thinking about it. You know… you want it to be right.
I barely planned a thing for my spring capsule. The morning I started to map it out, I had in my head a handful of key pieces to include. I decided to wing it with the remaining items. My closet is pretty harmonious overall, so I figured it was highly unlikely I could really go wrong with my picks. How wrong I was.
My strategy for selecting all 30 pieces changed too. Usually, I’d start by mapping out all 30 pieces at once. This time, I chose to select approximately 22 items, adding in the remaining eight as I “lived” with my capsule. As a planner, I don’t think this really worked for me. The better option? To swap out items later down the track that don’t feel right.
Some of the items I chose were the wrong items | Continuing on from my first learning, I started to feel like I’d just picked wrong. I picked items for the wrong reasons. For example, my rationale for including some pieces was centered around wanting to wear it more. While this worked in the case of my & Other Stories sweater, I don’t think it was the right decision to try and “experiment” in such a controlled wardrobe experience.
The weather was all over the place | One of the other factors which I think really affects your capsule wardrobe experience is how the weather behaves. The entire process is predicated on planning ahead and being cognisant of not just the activities you’ll be doing, but what the weather will look like. And it went from being hot, to cold, to hot, to rainy. It was all over the place, which is challenging when you’re limited to a “small” number of items. Especially if you’ve set your sights on wearing a different outfit combination every day of the month.
My shoe game needed WORK | It didn’t take long for me to realise that my initial two shoe picks – Gucci loafers & Birkenstock sandals – perhaps weren’t the best. While I love my Gucci loafers and really wanted to get my CPW on them down, most of the days it was suitable to wear them, it was raining. I didn’t want to risk getting such an expensive purchase wet. Sound logic.
The Birkenstocks… well, I completely underestimated how my feet would react to wearing them constantly. The stiffness of these shoes put a lot of pressure on the bridge or upper part of my foot, that it began to feel like I’d bruised the bone. Even now, a few days out of the capsule, that part of my foot still feels slightly tender.
It also took me almost the entire month to realise how limited my shoe silhouettes were. By day 20 I was craving a pointed toe shoe, and shortly after, I added in my 40 hour flats. These felt like a complete gamechanger at the time.
I’m still discovering my spring/summer style as a mum | One of the key differences between my winter and spring capsules was the amount of time in the lead up, that I had to discover my new style as a mum. I’ve been exploring relaxed silhouettes, and also learning what items are practical day-to-day. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a huge adjustment. And I’ve been open about this journey and how its affected me, as my personal style is closely tied to my sense of self in many ways.
In addition to navigating my personal style as a new mum, I’ve also been making adjustments to my style as I’m largely at home. I’m wearing flats more, and leaning on those casual wardrobe basics in low maintenance fabrics. It’s a real shift as pre-pregnancy, I loved a silk piece, and wore heels almost daily.
I’d like to think that by the time I approach my summer 30X30 capsule, I’ll have a better sense of what I feel comfortable in. Which items feel me. I’m conscious that this is such a superficial concept, but what you wear is an outward expression of self. At a time where your body has changed, just understanding the silhouettes you feel good in can be a huge mood booster, especially if you’re having a hard day with your little one.
I just felt uninspired | And the crux of it all – I just felt uninspired. Put this down to lack of sleep and energy, but many of the items I picked just weren’t doing it for me. And I don’t think that’s any fault of the closet that I have, but maybe more the timing. Our son is going through a developmental leap, teething, and experiencing a sleep regression. The energy I’m not expending on looking after him, I’m trying to put into my work. I felt like I was running on empty for much of the month, and I think this showed in a number of my outfits.
