This is such great advice! I definitely have a “war” between what I want to dress in, and what my daily movement and lifestyle is like. For instance, I love wearing skirts over wearing pants, and beautiful cream blouses, but I am also a very active mom chasing after 4 kids, two of them being toddlers. I hate the feeling of polyester (athletic wear, leggings) and I don’t think yoga pants are elegant at all. So balancing the mix of my daily life with kids + what I love to wear has been a challenge. I’m really glad I didn’t sacrifice what I love to wear with what I think I SHOULD wear... the “mom trend” of jeans, baggy shirt, messy bun, baseball cap, is just not for me. I found a balance to care for my clothes (I hang-dry all my clothes even before becoming a mom) by using aprons in the kitchen to protect my nicer fabrics / lighter colors from stains, and I don’t mind changing half-way through the day if needed. I keep planned outfits at the front of my closet in case I have a mishap or need a replacement shirt. I incorporate a lot maternity-friendly clothes, such a dresses and button-ups. I absolutely love pencil skirts and they don’t necessarily reflect my lifestyle, so I found stretchy ones that are long enough and can handle my activity as a mom.
I heard the term "fantasy self" used recently, regarding our wardrobe purchases. It was a light bulb moment for me, because I'm constantly confused in my style, and I battle between who I fantasize I am, and who I really am! This video is exactly what I needed!
I’m a number cruncher…I literally took an average three week time period and calculated the various activists I did and the number of hours of each and took the averages and created a ‘pie chart’ to see what percentage of my week I spent doing what activity…then I roughly sorted my wardrobe into those of clothing ‘everyday’, at home lounge wear, athletic wear etc. and counted the number of items in each category to see how well my actual wardrobe lined up ( or not) with what I actually spend my time doing. My wardrobes completely inverse to how I spend my time….about 80% of my wardrobe is for ‘going out’ outfits yet I only ‘go out’ about 8-10% of my time in a week. And only 10% of my wardrobe is for ‘at home’ and yet that is how I spend about 80% of my time. It was a huge ‘reality check’ . So now I’m on a ‘no buy’ for any ‘going out clothes’ and I am only allowing myself to purchase ‘at home ‘clothes. I am planning on doing this until my wardrobe more accurately reflects my actual life. It was easy to keep buying more ‘going out’ clothes because I used to be so focused on what other people thought of me…since I began practicing ‘minimalist’ lifestyle (3 years ago) I do not care what others think nearly as much and I realize I can dress well for myself in my ‘at home’ clothes even when no one sees me. I don’t need to just wear old grubby items because no one sees me.
Ooo. I actually liked this video. It was really informative and good advice. I am a plus size college student, and it’s really hard for me to find outfits that fit my body type. If you know you know, and it sucks. For the past year or almost a year, I have been obsessed with 70s fashion/clothing (basic tees, button up/downs, collar shirts, shirts with some unique patterns, jeans etc). Specifically I am inspired by character wardrobe/outfits in tv shows etc, and it’s been a journey trying to find inspiration either on Pinterest or on Google Images. Something that I started doing this year is I would look at one of my favorite characters outfits from a tv show, and try to make it my own (instead of copying) and then just keep building onto that. Since it’s still summer, the past 2 months, my style has started to increase. I’ve noticed when I look at my closet at home, I realized that my specific style is starting to I guess come together. I’m obviously still finding my style, and I don’t think I would ever give up anytime soon :)!
Great advice! It’s easy to fall into the trap of “generic wardrobe basics checklists” without considering your own personal lifestyle. For example, I bought a basic black blazer that I never wore since I work from home and spend most weekends at the beach. However it didn’t work for my lifestyle. I now consider that before adding new pieces to my closet!
Thank you for the useful and rather thought-provoking tips! With all of the beautiful but rather repetitive style I see all over RUclips, I wonder how similar everyone’s lifestyles really are!? Due to all the videos about style that I was consuming, frequent exposure influenced me to try out the corporate/professional style and it just didn’t work for me at all. I live in North Idaho and have two children. I love to go outside and I enjoy walking and move frequently throughout my day outside of my Regular workouts. Experimenting with dressing this way actually made me rather sedentary and detached from my life. This experiment expanded more than just style but in realizing how impactful our way of dressing is on our life! When I relaxed my style and started opting for alternatives to what I was drawn to, I started doing the things I love again because I didn’t feel restricted aesthetically and…literally! I’m now learning to blend styles to look the way I want but still be able to function the way I need to and want to. You’re a tip about finding silhouettes, colors, and fabrics to suit our lifestyle is right on and not really demonstrated enough! Looking back at the different things I try it out, I wish I would’ve documented and started a RUclips channel to share details about how to adapt what you like which may not suit lifestyle as much to find a happy and satisfactory medium. Thanks Lauren for all your hard work you put into your channel!
Great video! Not enough focus is given to practicality when it comes to style and fashion content, so I really appreciate your thoughtful approach. For years my work wardrobe was defined by what would be warm enough to cope with frigid office temperatures - so no short or three-quarter length sleeves, no dramatic sleeves that wouldn't fit under cardigans and blazers, no necklines that are too low to hide thermal underwear... And it needed to be smart enough for a corporate office but comfortable enough to sit in all day. Then I started working from home during the pandemic, and could start thinking about what my clothing could look like when freed from those constraints and it's been really interesting.
All great points to consider- thank you! 👏😊 On the topic of fabrics… In my experience with trying a few different Tencel pieces in the past (1 pair of trousers and 2 tops), I found that this fabric is restrictive, holds onto stains like no other, wrinkles easily, and takes forever to air-dry. 😩 I wanted to love it but couldn’t. Anyone else have these experiences or other issues with Tencel (aka, Lyocell)?? A couple of main ideas I like to consider when I’m looking to add something to my wardrobe include “how many ways can I style this, and can it be worn throughout multiple seasons/temperatures?” and “do I already have something similar that I’ll likely wear more often than this?” If needed, I sometimes consider whether it’s possible and easy enough for me to make alterations on the item -such as shortening a shirt hem to make it easier to tuck in, or raising the neckline to make it more comfortable- Little adjustments with a hand needle or sewing machine (or a visit to the tailor) can sometimes make a big difference in the wearability of an item.
I agree on the stains on Lyocell / Tencel. I steam my pieces but it does wrinkle easily that's true. I like it in my chambray dresses and jumpsuits though because it is much softer than actual denim.
What a great video. Yes, it took me years and tons of wasted money to discover that I am a jeans and top (T, sweater, button-down) kind of girl, with the odd dress for when I go out. That’s it. Once I came to terms with that, my wardrobe fell into place and now I just pick up the odd piece here or there. This process took me something like 5 years, but it was worth it.
I think this is brilliant! I suspect that I would most happy in this exact wardrobe But I am only a few months into this process so I haven’t “let go” of the “fantasy self” yet. But reading your post makes me that much more open to be honest with my lifestyle and wardrobe. So Thank You!
Great advice. I work in the retail field and must wear black top to bottom 5 days a week so my off hours wardrobe needs to suit my personality. I need to remember that when I shop.
I've been doing capsule wardrobes for four years and yes it is trial and error and takes time figure out your personal style. My lifestyle is more casual and comfort is my number one priority in my wardrobe I do have a few semi dressy tops but nothing formal I pretty know now what I like and don't it is a process takes time but so worth it
Excellent video!! My problem is that my lifetsyle has all the elements - active, smart work, lounging, going out and sometimes all on the same day! So trying to work out what pieces might work for this is really tricky but I'm working on it
Such a great point! I think that’s true for a lot of people. To start out, I think you have a few options. Looking for pieces that double (or triple up) might be helpful! For example, I know there are a few brands that make really smart looking athletic clothes that look almost business casual. A Day is one that I can think of, and I think Athleta does too. Or, creating separate capsules for each “identity” or lifestyle element might be an easy way to manage them all at first. Some pieces might work in more than one, but there isn’t anything inherently “bad” about having separate wardrobes for separate needs :). Hope that helps!
I work in food service, so I already have uniforms that I wear on repeat because I have to wear certain items. So, my wardrobe is more for fun and for off days or vacation. I wish I was able to wear cute clothes and stuff that actually reflects me! I will one day!
This is such great advice! I definitely have a “war” between what I want to dress in, and what my daily movement and lifestyle is like. For instance, I love wearing skirts over wearing pants, and beautiful cream blouses, but I am also a very active mom chasing after 4 kids, two of them being toddlers. I hate the feeling of polyester (athletic wear, leggings) and I don’t think yoga pants are elegant at all. So balancing the mix of my daily life with kids + what I love to wear has been a challenge. I’m really glad I didn’t sacrifice what I love to wear with what I think I SHOULD wear... the “mom trend” of jeans, baggy shirt, messy bun, baseball cap, is just not for me. I found a balance to care for my clothes (I hang-dry all my clothes even before becoming a mom) by using aprons in the kitchen to protect my nicer fabrics / lighter colors from stains, and I don’t mind changing half-way through the day if needed. I keep planned outfits at the front of my closet in case I have a mishap or need a replacement shirt. I incorporate a lot maternity-friendly clothes, such a dresses and button-ups. I absolutely love pencil skirts and they don’t necessarily reflect my lifestyle, so I found stretchy ones that are long enough and can handle my activity as a mom.
I heard the term "fantasy self" used recently, regarding our wardrobe purchases. It was a light bulb moment for me, because I'm constantly confused in my style, and I battle between who I fantasize I am, and who I really am! This video is exactly what I needed!
I’m a number cruncher…I literally took an average three week time period and calculated the various activists I did and the number of hours of each and took the averages and created a ‘pie chart’ to see what percentage of my week I spent doing what activity…then I roughly sorted my wardrobe into those of clothing ‘everyday’, at home lounge wear, athletic wear etc. and counted the number of items in each category to see how well my actual wardrobe lined up ( or not) with what I actually spend my time doing. My wardrobes completely inverse to how I spend my time….about 80% of my wardrobe is for ‘going out’ outfits yet I only ‘go out’ about 8-10% of my time in a week. And only 10% of my wardrobe is for ‘at home’ and yet that is how I spend about 80% of my time. It was a huge ‘reality check’ . So now I’m on a ‘no buy’ for any ‘going out clothes’ and I am only allowing myself to purchase ‘at home ‘clothes. I am planning on doing this until my wardrobe more accurately reflects my actual life. It was easy to keep buying more ‘going out’ clothes because I used to be so focused on what other people thought of me…since I began practicing ‘minimalist’ lifestyle (3 years ago) I do not care what others think nearly as much and I realize I can dress well for myself in my ‘at home’ clothes even when no one sees me. I don’t need to just wear old grubby items because no one sees me.
Same!
Ooo. I actually liked this video. It was really informative and good advice. I am a plus size college student, and it’s really hard for me to find outfits that fit my body type. If you know you know, and it sucks. For the past year or almost a year, I have been obsessed with 70s fashion/clothing (basic tees, button up/downs, collar shirts, shirts with some unique patterns, jeans etc). Specifically I am inspired by character wardrobe/outfits in tv shows etc, and it’s been a journey trying to find inspiration either on Pinterest or on Google Images. Something that I started doing this year is I would look at one of my favorite characters outfits from a tv show, and try to make it my own (instead of copying) and then just keep building onto that. Since it’s still summer, the past 2 months, my style has started to increase. I’ve noticed when I look at my closet at home, I realized that my specific style is starting to I guess come together. I’m obviously still finding my style, and I don’t think I would ever give up anytime soon :)!
Great advice! It’s easy to fall into the trap of “generic wardrobe basics checklists” without considering your own personal lifestyle. For example, I bought a basic black blazer that I never wore since I work from home and spend most weekends at the beach. However it didn’t work for my lifestyle. I now consider that before adding new pieces to my closet!
No one talks about this aspect of capsule wardrobe! Thanks for sharing all the points we should consider
Thank you for the useful and rather thought-provoking tips! With all of the beautiful but rather repetitive style I see all over RUclips, I wonder how similar everyone’s lifestyles really are!? Due to all the videos about style that I was consuming, frequent exposure influenced me to try out the corporate/professional style and it just didn’t work for me at all. I live in North Idaho and have two children. I love to go outside and I enjoy walking and move frequently throughout my day outside of my Regular workouts. Experimenting with dressing this way actually made me rather sedentary and detached from my life. This experiment expanded more than just style but in realizing how impactful our way of dressing is on our life! When I relaxed my style and started opting for alternatives to what I was drawn to, I started doing the things I love again because I didn’t feel restricted aesthetically and…literally! I’m now learning to blend styles to look the way I want but still be able to function the way I need to and want to. You’re a tip about finding silhouettes, colors, and fabrics to suit our lifestyle is right on and not really demonstrated enough! Looking back at the different things I try it out, I wish I would’ve documented and started a RUclips channel to share details about how to adapt what you like which may not suit lifestyle as much to find a happy and satisfactory medium. Thanks Lauren for all your hard work you put into your channel!
Great video! Not enough focus is given to practicality when it comes to style and fashion content, so I really appreciate your thoughtful approach.
For years my work wardrobe was defined by what would be warm enough to cope with frigid office temperatures - so no short or three-quarter length sleeves, no dramatic sleeves that wouldn't fit under cardigans and blazers, no necklines that are too low to hide thermal underwear... And it needed to be smart enough for a corporate office but comfortable enough to sit in all day. Then I started working from home during the pandemic, and could start thinking about what my clothing could look like when freed from those constraints and it's been really interesting.
All great points to consider- thank you! 👏😊
On the topic of fabrics… In my experience with trying a few different Tencel pieces in the past (1 pair of trousers and 2 tops), I found that this fabric is restrictive, holds onto stains like no other, wrinkles easily, and takes forever to air-dry. 😩 I wanted to love it but couldn’t. Anyone else have these experiences or other issues with Tencel (aka, Lyocell)??
A couple of main ideas I like to consider when I’m looking to add something to my wardrobe include “how many ways can I style this, and can it be worn throughout multiple seasons/temperatures?” and “do I already have something similar that I’ll likely wear more often than this?”
If needed, I sometimes consider whether it’s possible and easy enough for me to make alterations on the item -such as shortening a shirt hem to make it easier to tuck in, or raising the neckline to make it more comfortable- Little adjustments with a hand needle or sewing machine (or a visit to the tailor) can sometimes make a big difference in the wearability of an item.
I agree on the stains on Lyocell / Tencel. I steam my pieces but it does wrinkle easily that's true. I like it in my chambray dresses and jumpsuits though because it is much softer than actual denim.
It's a process and I'm learning and getting better at it every day!
What a great video. Yes, it took me years and tons of wasted money to discover that I am a jeans and top (T, sweater, button-down) kind of girl, with the odd dress for when I go out. That’s it. Once I came to terms with that, my wardrobe fell into place and now I just pick up the odd piece here or there. This process took me something like 5 years, but it was worth it.
I think this is brilliant! I suspect that I would most happy in this exact wardrobe But I am only a few months into this process so I haven’t “let go” of the “fantasy self” yet. But reading your post makes me that much more open to be honest with my lifestyle and wardrobe. So Thank You!
@@naomiwilliams2775Awesome! Just pay attention to what you teach for the most.
Great advice. I work in the retail field and must wear black top to bottom 5 days a week so my off hours wardrobe needs to suit my personality. I need to remember that when I shop.
I've been doing capsule wardrobes for four years and yes it is trial and error and takes time figure out your personal style. My lifestyle is more casual and comfort is my number one priority in my wardrobe I do have a few semi dressy tops but nothing formal I pretty know now what I like and don't it is a process takes time but so worth it
Ive been binging your videos! I love your presentation and personality 💗 I'm finding this advice so helpful thank you 💕
Excellent video!! My problem is that my lifetsyle has all the elements - active, smart work, lounging, going out and sometimes all on the same day! So trying to work out what pieces might work for this is really tricky but I'm working on it
Such a great point! I think that’s true for a lot of people. To start out, I think you have a few options. Looking for pieces that double (or triple up) might be helpful! For example, I know there are a few brands that make really smart looking athletic clothes that look almost business casual. A Day is one that I can think of, and I think Athleta does too. Or, creating separate capsules for each “identity” or lifestyle element might be an easy way to manage them all at first. Some pieces might work in more than one, but there isn’t anything inherently “bad” about having separate wardrobes for separate needs :). Hope that helps!
Great topic 👌🏻
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thank you! I keep trying to incorporate mindfulness in purchases- great questions/condiderations Lauren!
Hi. Great video! I love the jeans around the 9 min mark. Where did you find them?
I work in food service, so I already have uniforms that I wear on repeat because I have to wear certain items. So, my wardrobe is more for fun and for off days or vacation. I wish I was able to wear cute clothes and stuff that actually reflects me! I will one day!
I wash all my silk items in the washer on delicate, then just hang to dry, it’s no more work than for my other clothes.
💖🧘♀️👩🌾🚶♀️👩💼💃