My Wardrobe, Myself

In late August, I took a weeklong trip to visit my family and celebrate my dad’s eightieth birthday. As usual, I agonized over what to pack – and as usual, I probably packed too much. I just don’t travel often enough to become adept at packing a small capsule that fits into a carry-on bag, plus it’s harder to do that when one has a larger wardrobe (“the paradox of choice” is real!). However, I was happy with my travel capsule and rated all my outfits at an eight or higher, so I would say that my packing was successful this time around.

This isn’t going to be a “what I packed for my trip” post, though. I’ve done multiple such posts on this blog and on Recovering Shopaholic, however, and you’re welcome to check those out. I never espouse to be any sort of packing expert, but I have found it helpful to debrief what I packed after the fact and evaluate how well it served my needs. Today’s post will be different because it occurred to me after my recent trip that my travel capsule would be a great start to a summer Project 333 wardrobe. So, I took some time to build a hypothetical Project 333 capsule beginning with my travel items, and I share the items I selected and why below.

I say this capsule is hypothetical because I’m not going to dive into wearing it right now. While the temperatures in my area are still in the seventies and likely will be for a few more weeks, the warm weather season is almost over. Soon I’ll need to pull out my jeans, long-sleeved tops, and warm sweaters and jackets. But there’s still value in doing this exercise now because it helped me to identify my summer wardrobe “workhorses” and what isn’t working so well for me. This will hopefully help me to prepare for getting dressed in summer 2024.

I’ll keep this hypothetical capsule collection on hand, and I might opt to do an actual summer Project 333 next year. I might also do a “build as you go” Project 333 for the cool weather season, as that’s a lower stress approach to the challenge that can still teach us a lot about how workable – or not – our wardrobes are.

The Starting Point – My Travel Capsule

Since my travel capsule was the starting point for my hypothetical summer Project 333, I want to start off by sharing it. While some of you might think that I packed too many tops, pants, and toppers for a weeklong trip, I’m happy to report that I wore almost everything – and many pieces were worn twice.

Here’s a “bird’s eye view” of my “out-and-about” travel collection:

While I also packed items for exercise and sleep, the above 21 pieces (19 garments and 2 pairs of shoes) were what I wore for most of my trip activities. The only item shown that I didn’t wear was the black pintuck tank (fourth item in the top row), but that was mostly because the weather turned quite cold on the last two days of my trip. One thing that I learned on this last trip is that I should always pack a few warmer garments when traveling to see my family during the late summer, as unseasonably cool days can sometimes occur. I’m not always a fan of “just in case” packing, as that can lead to a very stuffed suitcase, but weather in the mountains is subject to unpredictability, especially during the “shoulder seasons.”

As you can see, there were a lot of black items in the mix, but that allowed for many mix-and-match opportunities.  Plus, I wear black frequently and it forms the basis of my wardrobe. Having two pairs of black pants worked well for me, too, as they were different enough (although that’s hard to see in the small images) to serve as the foundation for varied looks. One pair is more polished in nature, while the other skews sporty and casual.

By the numbers, here’s how my travel capsule broke down into categories:

• 5 pairs of pants (2 black, 1 bright, 2 patterned)
• 9 tops (4 black, 2 black-and-white, 1 bright, 2 striped)
• 5 toppers (1 black, 2 bright, 2 patterned)
• 2 pairs of shoes (both black)

Deciding on the Remaining Capsule Items

Since my travel capsule consisted of 21 items, I needed another 12 pieces to make up my hypothetical summer Project 333 wardrobe. However, since I decided to swap out one pair of black shoes for an alternate pair, I had to select a total of 13 new items to complete my collection. After pondering for a bit, I chose to break those 13 additions down as follows:

• 1 pair of pants
• 3 tops
• 4 dresses
• 1 cardigan
• 2 toppers for dresses
• 2 pairs of shoes

Here’s a look at the new additions:

Why I Chose the Thirteen Additions to My Capsule

It was challenging for me to decide which new items to add to round out my summer Project 333 collection. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stick with just pants or also include dresses and skirts in the mix. After some thought, I decided against adding skirts because I wear different tops with skirts versus pants (shorter tops with the skirts for better proportions since I’m not a “tucker”), and I didn’t want to use up all or most of my additions for skirts and tops to go with them.

I haven’t worn dresses nearly as much as pants this summer, but there are definitely times when I like to wear them, including for church or going out to lunch or dinner with my husband or a friend. Consequently, I opted to include four dresses in my hypothetical capsule. These dresses are all midi length, but they vary a lot in terms of color and pattern.

Because I also wear different toppers with dresses and skirts, I selected two short tie-waist cardigans (black and cobalt) for my capsule.

After I chose the four dresses and two toppers to pair with them, I was left with seven more choices. Since I swapped out a pair of black shoes that I wore on my trip, I decided to select two additional pairs of shoes to round out the footwear portion of my capsule. I opted for my tried-and-true metallic Taos sandals that I’ve owned for years, as well as a new pair of black-and-metallic-print Remonte sandals that I purchased this year. All three pairs of shoes have a low heel (1.5 to 2 inches) and are comfortable to walk in for most activities. Since they are neutral colors, they also pair well with the garments in my collection.

I thought it would be helpful to add another pair of pants and another topper to my summer Project 333. Since cobalt is a favorite color, I chose to include my recently-acquired duster cardigan in that hue. As for the pants, I selected a black camo knit pair, which were originally bought as joggers and shortened into cropped pants (the joggers were too short for me, but I loved the fit and fabric otherwise). Adding another pair of pants and another topper gives me a lot more outfit options, as they both coordinate well with other pieces in my capsule.

I used the remaining three spots in my collection for tops: a black-and-white-striped tank that can be worn as either a V-neck or a scoop neck, a deep red twist-front top, and a white twist-front top. Each of these tops can be worn with all or most of the pants in the capsule (although I probably wouldn’t wear the red top with the purple pants).  I’m not usually a big fan of wearing white because it can wash me out, but this top is more of a soft or muted white, which seems to work better with my fair complexion.

The Capsule by Categories

Now that my 33 items are in place, I’ll show them broken down into individual categories, as that will help to illustrate see how they could work together.

6 Pairs of Pants

We’ll start with the pants, as they’re the foundation for most of my outfits. As is typical for me, the pants in this collection are all dark colors, but there’s visual interest in terms of patterns on three pairs of pants and another pair is in a bright color. They’re all cropped in length and have a streamlined-but-not-tight fit. I haven’t gotten on board the new wide-leg pant trend and I’m not sure if I will. I’ve tried on a few pairs, but they just never feel right to me, plus I’d have a whole new proportion equation to work out. I think I’ll just stick with classics over trends for the most part and keep things simpler when it comes to getting dressed.

12 Tops

Next, let’s look at the 12 tops in the capsule. Eight of these tops are short-sleeved, and the remaining four are sleeveless. Four are solid black, two are non-black solids, four are striped, and two are mostly solid with a bit of another color at the top. They’re all knit pieces, and most of them include some stretch. Ten of the tops have straight hems, and two have a twist hem, which is a newer style for me that helps to create better proportions. Each top can be paired with at least two pairs of pants in the collection, and most of them can be worn with three or four of the pants.

6 Toppers for Pants

While I don’t need a topper on the hottest summer days, I often wear them in the evenings, when I’m indoors, or on cooler days. So, I selected six cardigans for my hypothetical Project 333 summer collection. Four of these toppers are in solid colors and two are patterned. The solid cardigans are more versatile and can be worn with more of the tops in the capsule, but since the two patterned cardigans are in neutral colors, they can also be paired with many of the tops and pants in my summer Project 333.

4 Dresses and 2 Coordinating Toppers

I already wrote about these two categories above in the “additions” section, but I thought I’d also show them here for the sake for being complete. I probably wouldn’t wear these pieces as often as the pants, tops, and toppers shown above, but I know that I’d be happy to have them on hand to wear around once a week or so.

3 Pairs of Shoes

Finally, these are the shoes that I included in my Project 333 capsule wardrobe:

I almost always wear either black or metallic footwear, and these are my three favorite pairs of shoes to wear during the summer months. The second and third pairs shown have been go-to shoes for years, but the first pair has been a welcomed and beloved addition this year. I’m very comfortable wearing a low-to-moderate-height heel for most occasions and I’m happy with the shoes I selected.

Some of you might be thinking that three pairs of shoes aren’t enough to wear for an entire summer. I usually do wear more than three pairs of shoes over the course of the season, but not that many more pairs. At first, I considered having my Project 333 capsule consist of only clothing pieces, but I decided to challenge myself to include shoes in it as well. If one is doing Project 333 “to the letter of the law,” though, it would include shoes, as well as all accessories. However, since I love jewelry and like to have more choices, I opted to create a separate Project 333 collection for accessories, which I will highlight below.

What About Accessories?

I used to maintain a huge assortment of accessories, especially in terms of jewelry. I still have too many accessories for my needs and could stand to pare down further, but I have a much smaller collection than I used to own. I’ve gotten a better handle on what I like in terms of accessories (and clothing, too, but there’s more work to do there), so I’m happy with owning a lot less.

I thought it would be fun to also create a hypothetical summer Project 333 capsule for my accessories, which probably wouldn’t be all that different for the “not summer” season. I might swap in a few alternate pieces for the cooler weather, but the bulk of it would be the same.

Here’s a high-level view of my 33 items, but I’ll break them down by categories below, just as I did with the clothes and shoes:

As you can see, there’s a lot of silver and black in this assortment, with some red, blue, and a few patterns thrown in to help keep things interesting. I own jewelry in other colors, too, but I find that I wear the solid silver and silver-with-black pieces most frequently. When I pack for a trip, that’s mostly what I opt to take with me, as those neutral items are versatile and can be paired with almost any outfit that I wear.

Accessories by Categories

Now let’s look at the 33 accessories by categories. I’ll share how many pieces are in each accessory category and show pictures of each item.

13 Pairs of Earrings

I’ll start with the earrings, as that’s the largest portion of my accessory capsule. These thirteen pairs of earrings are all “dangly,” as those are the types of earrings I like to wear. I prefer oblong-shaped earrings, as I feel those look best with my face shape and features. Eight pairs of earrings are silver-and-black combinations, which work well with all the black clothing that I like to wear. Of the remaining five pairs, two are silver-and-red, one is silver-and-blue, and two are just silver.

I realize that some of these earrings are similar to each other, but what isn’t obvious from the small thumbnails is how large each pair is. For example, the earrings that are second from the right in the top row are quite large, while the pair next to them and directly under them are much smaller. I don’t mind having some overlap with my earrings, as they’re different enough (in my eyes) to give me the sense of variety that I like to have with my accessories (and my wardrobe in general).

6 Necklaces

I don’t always wear a necklace, but I probably wear one with at least half of my summer ensembles. Four of the necklaces below are long and the other two are shorter (to wear with V-neck or scoop necklines). Four are neutral colors and two are brighter (purple and red). I’ve owned most of them for at least a few years, but the red beaded pendant was a recent purchase that I made, along with one pair of red earrings shown above.

7 Bracelets

As with earrings, I wear a bracelet with each of my out-and-about outfits. The four silver-and-black bracelets are worn most frequently, which is part of why I have so many of them. All seven bracelets have been in my wardrobe for at least a year, and the lapis heart bracelet is over 25 years old!

5 Scarves

One of my 2023 “wardrobe bucket list” items (number three) is to wear my scarves more frequently. This is part of why I opted to include several scarves in my Project 333 accessory capsule. Scarves haven’t been as trendy and popular in recent years, but I still like them and appreciate how they can help add visual interest to my outfits.

I still need to find a better means of storing my scarves, as they’re currently in a drawer and I tend to forget about them! Shelf space in my closet is at a premium, as I share the space with my husband. Hanging space is also limited, plus I don’t really like the scarf hangers with the holes in them. I do think that if I see my scarves more often, I’ll remember to wear them, so the storage issue is something I’d like to figure out soon.

2 Other Accessories

I also opted to include a sun hat and a pair of sunglasses in my accessory capsule. I wear sunglasses daily when I’m outside or driving, so I own several pairs, but I could be content with just one pair during the summer months. I also wear a wide-brim sun hat when I’m outdoors for long periods of time (I wear a baseball cap while on my walks), and my black hat with a silver band around the rim is my favorite choice.

Conclusion – and Your Thoughts?

Whew… That was a lot of information and photos! I was going to close with some thoughts on what I learned about my wardrobe – and myself – from packing and dressing for my recent trip, as well as the creation of my hypothetical summer Project 333 capsule. But in the interest of both your time and my own, I’m going to save that commentary for a separate post. Today’s post wasn’t exactly short, but I didn’t want it to get that much longer!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my recent wardrobe experiment. Perhaps it made you think about how you might create a capsule wardrobe of your own, either based upon what you packed for a trip or in general. If this post has spurred on some thoughts or experimentation for you, I’d love for you to share. I’d also enjoy reading your insights on packing for travel, Project 333, capsule wardrobes, or whatever you’d like to share. As always, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back soon with my follow-on essay related to today’s topic.