GET ME DRESSED / AW CAPSULE 01

Armed with nothing but a self timer app and no sense of personal shame I bring unto you: AW CAPSULE! The musical! 

I hate to take this all that seriously, but this capsule business has been a time of discovery! Personal growth! Perfectionist tendencies! Side note: My mom is a perfectionist. I am not a perfectionist. One time in college my mom said, "I wish I were more like you, and could have been happy with just average grades . . . " and I laughed and totally took it as a compliment, because in college I was happy with "just average" grades. B+ let's party! Except now that I'm in my thirties it turns out . . . I am a perfectionist. Some of the time. That's what I'm learning. Have I been one all along and I just never noticed it? (My husband would say yes.) Do you have to want to be perfect in all the things in order to be considered a perfectionist? Or is it possible to be a happily imperfect perfectionist most of the time? Thanks to this capsule I've become aware of how frequently I hone in + ponder on the dumbest details. Like how these jeans don't fit in the knees the way I want them to, and whether or not I intend to do anything about it. 

(PS - So, fully half of these shots came out entirely out of focus. I'm using them anyway. Highest standards in the business! ;)

Here is what has been working: I've been wearing these loafers far more often than I used to, which makes me very happy. I knew I was a penny loafer girl, I just wasn't in the habit of being a penny loafer girl. And now, I am! Not to be dumb or whatever but I feel this has added a lot to my personal sense of self, as well as to my level of life satisfaction in general. ;)

I've also discovered THE invisible sock of our lifetime, and if for nothing else, that alone has been worth the whole kitchen. 

Here is what has not been working: Of my 40 items I'm really only utilizing about 25. All of the shoes, most of the denim, just a handful of tops and sweaters. Even with just a few out-of-the-ordinary items to choose from, I still have too many out-of-the-ordinary items to choose from.  Every morning I approach my wardrobe hoping to try to make those out-of-the-ordinary items happen. But, since it feels too fussy or whatever, I inevitably sigh and say Pass the striped shirt, please.  I've been wondering if "mini capsules" might be an even more fun/helpful/pointless challenge than just one "capsule." Divided out somewhere, maybe Ordinary/Special/Fancy? A special "Fancy" wardrobe is a smart idea, anyway: A little black dress, a killer pair of heels . . . things that can be tucked away in a hard to reach spot because you'll always remember they're there when you need them. How many "Fancy" items would you need in that case? Under 5 I'd imagine. But then there's the  idea of "Special" that's harder for me to account for. A blouse that's a little too much for a Tuesday, for example, but perfect for a date night or a business meeting. Are most people more functional in their brains than I am and can work those pieces in with the rest of their wardrobes on a consistent basis? Or am I the only one that feels intimidated by a slightly dressier cut?  

Here is what I am learning: I really enjoy switching up my shoes and my jackets. The rest I like to be more or less consistently exactly the same. Having too many options for the rest of it is super stressful you guys ;). I guess I like to look ordinary. I'm working on this, to see if more variety could turn out to be more fun or not. I feel like when it comes to getting dressed, habit plays into it more than anything. More than personal style, more than fashion trends, more than fancy or not fancy, more than any of it. I'm in the habit of reaching for certain things that I know will look + feel good on me. Because I'm experienced with them. Even though everything I own looks + feels good on me, otherwise I wouldn't have kept it when I drastically edited down my wardrobe over the summer. But because I'm not in the habit of wearing the more special items, it feels complicated to wear the special items. It feels out-of-the-ordinary only because it IS out of the ordinary. And until I make it ordinary, then it isn't going to be ordinary, and so on. 

Wow. Have I just blown your mind or are you thinking I could use a straight jacket in my Capsule next time around? ;)

Anyway, the end. :)