A simple, casual weekend capsule in a summer palette
I love the concept of a capsule wardrobe, even (or especially) for a casual lifestyle. It’s a great tool to help simplify outfit planning, or packing for travel. The beauty of a capsule is that it’s cohesive: all of the pieces work together and can be worn in multiple combinations.
A casual capsule wardrobe for a summer palette
Above, I’ve created a casual weekend capsule in a (cool, soft) summer palette. (Yes, I’ll be doing more of these in different seasonal palettes in coming weeks and months.)
sunglasses | tee | scarf | shirt | bracelet | pants | bag | cardigan | sneakers | sandals
When your lifestyle and wardrobe are casual, it can be easy to fall into a rut of wearing the same thing or combination of pieces day after day. I’m finding that creating small weekly capsules helps me to feel more put-together, and to wear more of what’s in my closet. (I’ll be sharing some of my weekly capsules soon.)
Creating wardrobe capsules is relatively easy when you’re sticking with neutrals. But incorporating more color can be challenging. One of the best benefits of my color analysis is that it has helped me to add more color to my wardrobe while keeping it cohesive. When I stick to my color palette, everything coordinates, and it’s easier to create capsules or re-mix pieces for outfit variety.
But rebuilding a wardrobe, either for color or lifestyle changes takes time. Not every color or style will be available in every retail season. I’ve learned to shop opportunistically. When something shows up in a color AND style that works for me, I nab it, even if it’s out of season and I won’t be able to wear it right away.
Do you utilize wardrobe capsules for outfit planning or packing?
More summer palette picks
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This is such a pretty capsule, makes me wish I was a summer. I would love to see capsules for the different style personalities too!
You explained the capsule concept really well for me. Thank you! I’ve definitely gotten into a rut but mostly because I haven’t gone many places (travel, out to a nice restaurant etc) for 2 years. Definitely giving this a try! Still working on building my vibrant autumn dramatic gamine (!) wardrobe!
I’m really looking forward to seeing your capsule wardrobe for each season. It will be extremely helpful! I’m an autumn and I’ve starting doing as you suggested by shopping opportunistically as well. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right shade/color. Thank you for helping me on my color journey!
I love your travel style and am working on my Fall travel capsule for a trip to France. I see white sneakers are still being worn in Paris and in Rome. Do you think this will continue into the Fall?
Thank you for a great post. I really like the idea of building a weekly or semi-weekly capsule. Less stress/more variety.
I’m going to Paris next week and I remember you mentioned a shop that specialized in bras for full busted women. Can you send me the name of the shop? I’d really appreciate it. I didn’t see you mention it on your most recent trip.
Thank you.
It’s Clair de Lune, in the 18th arrondissement. Enjoy!
I made the trip to this out-of-the-way shop last week and even though they were very helpful, I came away empty-handed and didn’t feel their stock levels made it worth the effort of getting there.. It is very small and the bras are mostly stored in drawers, so impossible to move around and the public can’t see much anyway. I was pleased to satisfied my curiosity, but won’t return.
Thank you for this lovely post and the summer soft capsule collection. Several of the items are very tempting. Your posts are always a little lift to my day, even when I am quite late to the party. I have to go look at my pink scarves to see whether I can justify another one. The price is really nice!
Very happy Mother’s Day to you tomorrow, Susan.
Thank you, and Happy Mother’s Day to you.
Yay! Thank you for this capsule for those of us who have summer coloring, Please keep them coming!!!
Love this kind of post, and I’m a summer. I liked many of the items (only nit — would love to see more budget friendly picks!)
This beauty of this collection has trigggered the following rant:
In December, I hired a personal styist, asking her for a comfortable, easy-care personal style uniform for 55-year-old me to wear to a smart casual office. I’ve literally been ruminating without a solution to “what should I wear to work” for probably 10 years. At this point, I go to work looking like a sad, post-menopausal hobo.
I had had my colors done multiple times over the past several years, and the consensus was “autumn,” which just felt wrong to me. My new personal stylist sold me a package that included a color analysis she subcontracts out to another consultant; even though I’d already had numerous ones, I agreed to have yet another one — and that analyst said “soft and cool, or summer.” THAT resonated. It was in-person, and I saw the pretty silver-lit effect on my lips and skin in the right colors.
BUT. The actual personal stylist, OMG. I invested a ton of upfront time with her. We did a required 2.5 hour call. I filled out a lengthy questionnaire, thoughtfully and thoroughly. I shared my style manifesto, which in a nutshell is “repeatable, easycare, comfortable, interchangeable wardrobe in my colors.”
Her “picks” for me included mostly cashmere, a LOT of black, and even a sweater in “brick,” which she stated “is one of your colors.” Um, no it’s not. “Brick” is an autumn red. I oughta know, I was trying to operate as an autumn for years.
She spec’d random band t-shirts for groups I feel agnoistic about. I get that graphic tees add interest, cool. But I’m not going to wear a t-shirt promoting anything that doesn’t direcctly pertain to my perssonality and preferences. I’m not having a conversation where someone looks at my shirt and says “oh, I love that group, I saw them in Dallas!” And I respond: “Meh, the shirt just adds visual interest to my outfit.” NO. If you’re my personal stylist, I expect anything you recommend to reflect MY personality and preferences.
She sourced from many of the same stores you have here. But nothing made me want to add to cart.
So, I fired her. I lost my entire investment in her “package,” to the tune of $2,200. It’s a punch in my post-menopausal gut, it really is. She had promised to take all the stress and worry out of the process for me and proceeded to cause nothing but angst and ultimately, a finanical loss. If nothing else, at least the color analysis portion was a help. Were it not for this, I’d be a cool/soft type wandering the Earth in bronzer and rust-colored lipstick. So there’s that.
But here I am, back trolling the internet every non-working minute, trying to solve my problem. And I just wanted to say: This collection is inspirational, Susan. You clearly have a gift the $2,200 “personal stylist” does not. No, not everything here is easycare, but I’m starting to think these days easycare is not so easy to find. I can send things out to be laundered. But I at least need to LIKE the things to begin with. And these are gorgeous. Thank you for doing it.
Hi, EMG and welcome! I’m so sorry you had such an unsatisfactory experience with a style consultant. But I’m glad you’ve found my content helpful and hope you’ll stick around and join the conversation!