Sunday, August 2, 2015

one suitcase: summer business casual capsule wardrobe - 12 clothing pieces


Post 1/7 -
Between my job & my love of seeing new places around the world I spend a fair amount of time living out of a suitcase. From all the experience I have gained from hauling myself & my stuff all over the place I have learned just how valuable packing smart & packing light is to your sanity. And I think I have gotten pretty good at selecting just my few favorite pieces of clothing to bring and stretching their use though multiple outfits for multiple activities as I travel.

This philosophy of looking at a limited number of clothing items and seeing beyond the obvious combinations to all the possibilities for outfits can be applied to a normal everyday wardrobe not just for packing a suitcase. I have learned that by picking a few favorite & versatile pieces of clothing I can mix and match the items into a surprising number of outfit options. You just have to do a little planning up front. Hopefully the posts this week will show you my method and help you find the potential of the clothes you already have in your closet!

Here's how I put together my summer business casual capsule wardrobe-

The method:
Basics - First I pick some basics pieces to lay the foundation for the capsule wardrobe. I try to pick my favorite go-to clothes. Clothes I know I wear over and over. The ones that go with almost everything. For this capsule, I picked light neutrals and one pair of black pants.
The basics in this capsule wardrobe I chose are a grey blazer, white blazer, white tie-neck blouse, white jeans and trusty black ankle pants.








        Interest - Second, I add a few interesting pieces to compliment the subtle basics. I look for pops of color or fun patterns or even texture that will make the basic pieces more exciting. I try to grab items that will compliment each other or at least be somewhat in the same color scheme. For this capsule I tried to stick to purples, blues and greens.

        For this set of interest pieces I picked two print blouses, two print dresses, a bright aqua pencil skirt, a purple cardigan and a olive green shirt.






        Accessories & Shoes - Finally, I add some accessories to complete the outfits. Jewelry, belts and scarves can dramatically alter how an outfit looks. Unfortunately, shoes is the area I still struggle with. I always want to bring just one more pair.

        For this capsule wardrobe I chose three necklaces, one gold bracelet, a watch, and two belts.  For shoes I added two pairs of pumps and a nude pair of wedges.


        Over the next six days I'm going to show you 20 outfits that I put together with these 12 pieces. I will share four outfits each day listing what pieces they are made from. And then on the last day I will post a big downloadable image that includes the all the individual 12 pieces and all the 20 put together outfits for easy reference. I'll also put together a printable guide with the same info for easy reference.
        Hope you enjoy!! 
        ***** 

        You can check out my previous One Suitcase features using the links below:
        • Work
          • Business Casual clothes here 
          • Spring Business Casual clothes here
          • Neutral Colored Business Casual here 
          • Maternity Business Casual clothes here  
        • Vacation
          • Beach Vacation clothes here 
          • Winter Vacation clothes here
          • Mini Getaway clothes here
          • Europe Vacation clothes here 
          • Paris Vacation clothes here


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