Capsule wardrobe

Thank you Allegretto, the plan works for me. My pants are all denim, beige or black so pretty much all my tops and bottoms work together. Patterns quickly date clothes so buying plains enables things to be updated with mix and match accessories. The general style guide is a larger top (eg tunic) is balanced by narrow pants and a small or short top with wider pants. What works best depends on your height and body shape.

For me (5'1") tunic length (mid thigh) tops are great as they hide all the bulgy bits and you soon discover that a girl can never have too many scarves. I limit myself to necklaces and earrings only and often buy interesting necklaces on my travels. They are good small travel souvenirs and often make interesting talking points especially with my granddaughters. I used to wear longer earrings but found they were a health hazard when my gcs were little as they tended to grab them and rip out the old earlobes.

Apricity, I like your style plan. Having recently retired, I’m really reluctant to get rid of the rows of clothes which I love but which realistically I know that I am very unlikely to wear again. I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe of clothes without pattern, with scarves and jewellery to add interest. So far, I’ve been gradually giving to charity shops. I need now to limit the colours of clothes I buy.

Like Eglantine21 I plan for each year a set of colours and buy accordingly, then don’t go shopping for clothes in between.

I love dresses and skirts as well as M&S straight leg leggings, they are so comfy. I have trousers, leggings, a drapey long cardigans in navy and a skirt. This year for summer I am adding pale blue, green and teal mostly in tops and dresses to the navy or black basics. Mostly M&S, Seasalt, Maine.

I wear lace up comfy shoes in winter/transitional weather, navy raincoat if it’s raining and now for summer, black sandals. Mostly Hotter.

Oh and chunky wooden necklace or two which go with several outfits.

I think we are all guilty of splashing out on an outfit which we only wear once and paying a lot less for our everyday clothes.
Maybe we should do it th other way round and that way we will get out money's worth out of our clothes instead of having expensive outfits just sitting in the cupboard.

I too find it difficult to give away expensive items which have only been worm once eg weddings etc however I have recently started to sell them on eBay after seeing a dress I have selling for over £100. My problem.is I have lots of wall to wall wardrobes so storage is not an issue I am slowly emptying them of all the work suits ball gowns etc which I needed whilst working

Yes!

Ahh LL9 but have you ever bought a top that you know you have something in the wardrobe that it will match like a dream and it turns out to be the same top??

Interested in someone mentioning the blog Susan over 60 - I remember trying a while ago to find blogs that gave fashion advice for older women. I found a few, but none of them hit the mark for me. I’m amazed that some of the blog writers put their pics up! I’ve looked at Vanity and me, The pouting pensioner ( she’s quite funny), Mummabstylish (awful, IMO), etc. Anyone found any good ones?
I like skinny jeans - or crops now in the summer - and tunics from White Stuff, Fat face, Adini, etc (from their sales / when they have discount codes!},
I guess it’s dressing to suit what you’re doing too - a lot of the bloggers are clearly not dealing with sticky fingered little ones, or doing mucky gardening!

I’m determined to lower the thermostat this coming winter so I’ve just bought 5 woolly jumpers in the Next clearance sale £10.00 each and they look nice and not at all boring.
So I think I’ve got a bargain, most of my new wardrobe came from the Next Clearance department, and a couple of bits from Sainsburys and Matalan.
Mind you I’m still wearing T shirts from 15 years ago.

luzdoh I don’t find it expensive because I usually shop in lower to medium price stores. I’m a great fan of Sainsbury, Asda and a lovely little shop near me that gets all its stock from Italy. My linen trousers always come from there.

Because I just have a few clothes each season I get full wear out of them. It works for me. I’d hate to keep getting the same things out year after year.

I have the same problem and no answers. It has made me feel better to know I am not alone. Does anyone else buy a new outfit, get home and discover that they already have at least one very similar outfit in the wardrobe?! DUH!

3 Wardrobes and just me. They are all too good to throw out though. Went to meet my cousin over from Canada today, never met her before, found this CC denim suit, skirt and jacket. Really thought it was great and I looked good in it. CC has gone now so I won't be getting rid of it. I did throw a suitcase out last week with 4 coats in it. Good wool coats, but I still have more than enough.

Luckylegs I am just the same as you but wish I could be more like baubles. The problem is it would involve getting rid of an awful lot of ‘stuff’ and then replacing it and I just don’t have the stamina. :-)

I had to "prune" my wardrobe when I moved (downsized) as I didn't have room for everything. I live in jeans in winter & shorts/cropped trousers/white jeans in summer. I have some lovely blouses/shirts & sweaters.

I have some nice jackets & scarves. I do possess a black skirt & smart black trousers. Also a couple of white skirts & smart white trousers. Shoes are a problem due to health problems so I tend to wear trainers most of the time although I have some lovely shoes (all flat).

Eglantine21 Do I understand correctly, that you completely re-stock your wardrobe each season? It sounds as if you choose a different colour scheme each year, buy the clothes in it, wear it, throw it out and start again the next year with another choice of colours. Isn't that extremely expensive?

Sheilasue You are an inspiration! I shall copy you! Especially as I'm an apple too! Now I know what I need, thanks to you, the rest can go to charity, or the dump.

Freedom! I love chucking stuff out! Just hadn't got round to my clothes - I wasn't interested and didn't know what to do.

Hang on while I just copy down what you have in your wardrobe.... and THANKS!

You haven't got any tips for other things have you? I would like to thin out my books.....

I think I need to do a big throwing out as my clothes have accumulated over the last 40 years. I haven't changed size. The trouble is, I never know what I might need one day.

Basically, I've lost interest in clothes. I wish we had a sort of school uniform then I wouldn't have to think about them.

I have also developed this bad habit.. always buying clothes but nothing to wear. Think my problem is I see something I like but then don’t have anything to wear with it. Also shoes are a problem as I can no longer wear heels nothing seems to look right with flat shoes. Fashion is also much more casual and I like to look smart. If you look at most ladies of a certain age I think we all have the same problem

I sympathise! I hate shopping for clothes nowadays, and because I find a lot of modern styles don’t suit my shape (wide trousers - especially cropped ones, when you’re short legged or ultra skinny trousers when I’m small but curvy). I tend to panic buy when something looks ok and fits. Unfortunately, despite trying to stick to a blues colour palette, I have also ended up with a wardrobe that is definitely not capsule! It isn’t that the colours don’t co-ordinate but the tops are the wrong length or shape for skirts, or only go with full length trousers, shoes not right heel etc etc. Sadly, I’ve come to the conclusion I’m just not good with clothes. Some people manage to always look so well put together.

I'm having a clearout today ,my wardrobe is a disgrace there are things there that are older than my kids
I need to clear out as well and I do have one dress that is older than my youngest DC - I was going somewhere special and could scarcely afford to buy it, wore it twice and it has travelled from house to house since then! It's back in fashion, but unfortunately it is a size 10 and I am not.

Your post could have been written by me as well, Luckylegs. I've given away so many clothes over the years to charity shops, friends etc but I can't stop buying! Mainly in the sales I have to admit. The concept of wearing something out eludes me. I have never ever worn anything out, shoes included. I do feel guilty sometimes because we could have had savings if I hadn't put it all on my back but I so enjoy shopping! I swear I'm not buying any more, particularly when I've just sorted out some stuff and I realise - again - how much I have but I'm addicted I think!

I tend to buy, wear it to death and throw away 38 items sounds quite a lot to me.

I find working to key colours quite helpful. One dark, one light, one bright + one wild card.

This summer I am going French navy, off white, deep rose + lime green.

1 linen trousers navy
1 linen trousers off white
1 skirt navy
1 skirt swirly mix of 3 key colours
2 long sleeved shirts, off white and rose
3 tee shirts off white, rose and lime
1 linen jacket navy
1 cardigan rose
2 dresses in a mix of above colours.

That’s about it really apart from a few leftovers from last year which was donkey brown, coral and the ever popular off white !

Like I said I will wear them out and start again next summer with something different. The trouble with keeping things is they get dated and the way we look changes too. Then there’s a wardrobe full of things that don’t really work!

Oh this strikes a chord !!!! Just last week I started on my mountains of clothes ...with a determination to throw or give those I no longer want ....so far the Charity shop has had five bags, the Emmaeus charity clothing bank has had six, another clothes bank 4 and now I am too embarassed to donate any more .......we don't have charity shops here as in the UK, only one open on a Thurs morning that belongs to the Secours Cathololique ....trouble is, I am getting well known in there .................don't want to throw them away as they are too good !!! have to go back to the shop with the next bags (2 full so far and only ONE wardrobe and a few drawers done !) I read online about the capsule wardrobe where you only need 38 items of clothing ..........will I ever make it ?? still got two wardrobes, suitcases of stored s ummer clothes, suitcase of summer shoes, various storage bags in the loft, bottom of the wardrobes, drawers under the bed .....to go ! I AM NOT BUYING ANY MORE CLOTHES (she said !)

I'm a sucker for a pretty top or t-shirt. I'm an impulse buyer and don't give a thought to whether it will go with anything else I have! This usually results in me having to buy trousers or a skirt to go with said new top. But I don't really follow fashion trends so I will make my clothes last a long time. Yesterday I wore a t-shirt that I've had for over 20 years - but I was just pottering in the garden.

fact???