How to Create a Coordinated Wardrobe with Seasonal Color Analysis
A coordinated wardrobe is the bonus on the back end of getting a color consultation. Most don’t expect it, but it’s a lovely surprise! Your clothes all start to “go” together. It kinda feels like magic.
This is a photo from my closet. I have less clothes than ever, but I wear all of them and love them! Now, I also have some drawers and shelves, but these are all of my hanging clothes for fall/winter.
I call it my fall/winter capsule wardrobe, but it just sort of happened when I started wearing my best colors exclusively.
I know that most people come to me with the question “Which of the color seasons will suit me best?” They want the colors that make them look their best and feel confident when choosing colors. But, as a professional color analyst, I can confidently say that not ONLY is your personal color palette the colors that will be most flattering on you, but its also a plan for your wardrobe. It is the key to building your wardrobe in a smart way, so that outfits not only flatter you, but are easy to put together.
A well thought out capsule wardrobe, on the other hand, really works for us because it’s designed with intention. I tried to create one for years and was unsuccessful until I learned my best colors. There were a few places that, now looking back, I see I went wrong.
What doesn’t work for trying to create a capsule wardrobe…
#1 – I printed out a capsule wardrobe checklist – The problem here is that I was basically copying someone else’s idea of what I should have in my closet. Example – in this capsule wardrobe list, they recommended a black blazer. I don’t wear black, and I work from home and never wear blazers, so yeah… They recommended a crisp white button down. I couldn’t find one that didn’t feel too stiff. No one can tell you what your “essentials for a capsule wardrobe” should be except you. And all it takes is a little time figuring out what works for you and your lifestyle.
#2 – I tried the “neutral thing” – At the end of the day, I’m just not a neutrals gal. Some women are, and genuinely love wearing black, grey, white, and beige all the time. I can not. I get sooooo bored. I don’t even have one single black and white picture in my house. So, while sure, I might choose a few capsule wardrobe basics in a few neutrals, I want to see lots of gorgeous, rich colors when I fling open my closet doors.
#3 – I believed others were doing it perfectly – Social media got the best of me. Everyone’s capsule wardrobe looked so perfect, and I bought it for a while. But then I realized, clothing is always going to be a shifting thing. We gain a little weight, we lose a little weight, our favorite top gets a ketchup stain, our jeans wear out, we stop liking the way something fits, etc. Somehow I thought if I bought into the idea that I could create something perfect that would sort of stay…well…perfect. Nope. Impossible.
Lots of people are looking for a sustainable capsule wardrobe plan, I was. And it’s no wonder. Fast fashion has become the norm in our culture and clothes are so easy and cheap to buy, that if we aren’t intentionally mindful, we end up with closets that are packed…but still don’t really work for us.
Do you prefer to have lots and lots of clothes to choose from and rotate them very often? Or do you prefer to choose each item carefully, thinking about how long it will last, if you really like it, and if it will coordinate with the rest of your clothes? If you absolutely love a bright yellow and red printed top, but have absolutely nothing to wear it with, its a waste of money, so the coordination piece is a pretty big deal.
I’ve helped people in their closets for years, and one thing I’ve seen over and over again is a closet full of pieces that don’t work together. Confusion when dressing ensues. Your color palette is a family of colors, designed to work together, so your wardrobe concept is done for you colorwise! When you buy clothes only in your color palette, I’ve had so many clients tell me “I never expected my color personal color analysis to create a capsule wardrobe for me” But there it is!
The Secret of a Perfect Capsule Wardrobe for me turned out to be just knowing my colors! I know it sounds too simple, but knowing your best colors makes you really picky about what you let into your closet. If that shade of blue isn’t going to look good on you, why have it? Suddenly, I had standards for what I brought into my closet. I de-cluttered my closet and I stopped buying color mistakes. Sometimes, I went on a shopping trip and only came home with one perfect thing. Damn, it felt GOOD! When I shopped, I knew what I was looking for – clothes in my color. And then, simply, did I like the way they fit, and was it “my style”. Shopping became a treasure hunt for my colors!
So Here are My Capsule Wardrobe Must Haves:
#1 – Clothes in my best colors
#2 – Clothes that feel good and look good on my body
#3 – Clothes that are my “style”
Boom. Done!
Which Season Are you?
I specialize in custom color consultations for all seasons!
Once we do a general color analysis, we then follow with a much more in depth color analysis:
Winter seasonal color analysis
Spring seasonal color analysis
Summer seasonal color analysis
Autumn seasonal color analysis
to determine which “sub-type” of each of the seasons you are, so that you get the perfect family of colors for you!
