Shopping For My Summer 2020 Capsule Wardrobe

For the past few years, my summer wardrobe has felt like it was pulled from a completely different closet than the rest of my seasonal capsules. It is a mix-match of the oldest pieces in my wardrobe, hand-me-downs from friends, and inexpensive low quality pieces purchased on whims during previous summers. For some reason, I had never taken the time to mindfully shop for and assemble a cohesive summer wardrobe. I always felt like I had enough clothes, so why should I shop for anything new?

Even though I did have more than enough, I liked very few of the pieces, which made me wear the same 5 or 6 pieces over and over again. Additionally, those pieces feel like they no longer reflect who I am today, since many of them are leftovers from times and personal styles past.

The channel has given me a good excuse to upgrade this season’s wardrobe. So far this year I have shared my capsules for the Winter and Spring, so it felt fitting to continue the trend and share one for Summer. I like to begin by shopping my own wardrobe - I find that I usually have enough to make a pretty good capsule and then I buy only piece or two. But the summer’s collection? Mamma mia… It was a mess.

I love this jumpsuit, but this size was too large. Perhaps I can get it tailored…

Since this is the season that needed the most TLC, I decided to invest more time and money than I usually do into it to create a capsule that I love - one that is classic enough to keep wearing a few summers from now but fun enough that I actually wear all the pieces in it. At the very least, I wanted to find some items that I could wear during the Spring and Fall, since I don’t like the idea of having something that can only be used for one specific occasion.

I’m not going to lie and say it was a simple endeavor. Figuring out the gaps in one’s wardrobe takes time and a critical eye, and it’s even harder when you’re attempting to plug six holes at once. Also, shopping is exhausting - even online! Looking for the winning combination of right size, good material, and great price is really difficult, and I can’t say that I particularly enjoy it. I find shopping even more annoying when I have to wait for items to trickle in via mail and I can’t try on everything at once. BUT, I acknowledge that this is a real first world problem, and I really have nothing to complain about.

This dress is adorable, but not what I’m looking for when it comes to my capsule.

In this video, I take you along for the process of making some sense of my summer capsule. I show you how I put together a capsule from scratch, from shopping my own wardrobe to deciding what I need, and what and what not to keep. I also share with you my budget for this project, because while I love looking and feeling nice, I’m not about to spend all of my minimal pandemic income on clothes. I’m sharing in hopes that it may serve as a guide for you when putting together your own capsule wardrobe!

Let me know what you think of these items in the comments, and what you think I should keep! Remember to come back next week if you want to see the complete summer capsule wardrobe. Thanks for watching!