Savoring simple daily pleasures
Doesn't that look dreamy!? Sadly its not my home, but it encapsulates the vibe I want to try and recreate and have the pleasure of stepping into each morning.
Interestingly, while I have been known to occasionally browse on line- often through a rabbit hole of some kind that lead me there, my No Buy Year is leading me to aspire to be more minimalist and intentional, and even edit further- dramatically in fact- what garments and accessories and shoes I do already have.
I think possibly the change in season is driving this new found urge to purge, but its interesting its taking me there for Autumn and winter- a summer purge and minimalist attitude seems more logical with less layers and longer, lazier days.
I am yearning for a few hours in my closet today to really hone my signature style and refine the outfits I have with what I currently own to work with.
Not my closet either, but we have exactly the same shelving and hanging space in our Walkin that was here when we bought the home. Functional, and good for airflow to keep things fresh....but not terribly appealing or stylish....
A couple of stylists have popped up on my Instagram feed lately which make a capsule wardrobe seem so effortless - I'm In! I even did one of the on line quizzes and the "style" it recommended as my core pieces with interchangeable items to dress it up or down, were so similar to what I already own in my closet it was a nice little boost to know I'm on the right track- just a little more paring down and focus is required now, so that its even simpler for me in the future.
Doesn't it make you feel like you can breathe deeper and hold your shoulders back a little when you get a little glow from an outfit, knowing you feel amazing in it- on every level, imagine harnessing that feeling with your entire wardrobe so you can feel like that every day and in every situation! I have my work cut out for me! And while I certainly maintain- and have for years, an intentional, considered, at times 10/15 item wardrobe, I struggle with keeping it looking quite that minimal in the closet. By the time I have an area for gym/running, golf, beach, garden/ dirty jobs, formal wear, evening wear, nightwear, work and weekend - I feel cluttered before I've even begun but these are areas of my life that are pretty much daily or weekly, with the exception maybe of formal wear. In a typical day I will wear gym gear to run, smart/ semi formal for work, or smart casual for a day I'm not in the office, change again for an afternoon walk/golf/ballet, then nightwear, robes and sippers for last thing in the evening. Those outfit changes dont even cover a beach day or an evening out! (And yes, that's a fair amount of laundry too!)
Its interesting noting my own reluctance to fully purge in a dramatic way - possibly as I know I cannot pop out to buy something to fill a gap that may form- unless it fits one of the criteria I have set myself:
Is damaged Beyond repair
For a special event such as a wedding ( The second hand/ pre loved is my source)
And to be able to replace running shoes as they ware out. (I have actually already had to do this as I was running in a pair my daughter passed on to me that were not designed for running per se so my feet and knees were beginning to suffer the consequences. So I did invest in 2 Pairs of HOKA running shoes- one for the treadmill, one for walks and runs outdoors. I am also looking into a further purchase of some ON Cloudstratus running shoes as I have just signed up for a 1/2 marathon later in the year.)
So, my plan today is to combine a sort thought of the obvious things to move on- those that are damaged, worn out, ill-fitting, unflattering etc, then try to create a capsule with interchangeable accessories that can all work together and create several versions of one core outfit. I have always been of the mind set to use and love and enjoy what you have- no to "save" it or tuck it away. Its not bringing anyone joy there. But I'm not necessarily going to run straight to donate the items wither- I'm going to remove anything I'm not 100% happy with and store else where, then I'm going to trial an even more honed down capsule wardrobe, with the intention of re editing in another 4-6 weeks as the seasons continue to change. In the past I've very much done 2 big wardrove switches per year, SPRING SUMMER/AUTUMN WINTER, but its just not conducive yet to make such a radical shift to sweaters- granted some evenings have been down to 9 degrees, but most have sat around 14-16 degrees and the days are climbing to a warm 23 still. So I have removed high summer items this week- shorts, beachwear- But its still rather too soon to bring out the chunky knits and sweater dresses.
Our clocks change for fall this weekend so today is the perfect time to embark on it.
Podcast to listen to- check
Coffee -check
House to myself- check
even the weather is perfect- breezy and overcast.
wish me luck!
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