Maybe you heard of Polyvore. A site, then app used to make mood boards, collections, art, and more. I was a huge fan in middle and high school. I used it for art collages more than anything, but I had fun with the fashion side of it as well. So when I realized it was time to start creating a more focused mood board than any old Pinterest Board, naturally that was where I headed.
Tan France had talked about that feeling you remember from that one outfit…. you know, the one that was comfortable, practical, put together, and beautiful, but most of all, that made you feel FANTASTIC. He said you should feel that way every time you get dressed.
I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t feel that way every morning. I have felt that way though. Funnily enough that moment for me revolves around a sweater that I borrowed, then stole, then had stollen back from me. It was a beautifully worn, secondhand vintage, cream/grey oversized, men’s sweater. I paired it with a gorgeous pashmina scarf I still have. I think about that sweater at least three times a year.
So that’s where I started. I googled and sifted through until I found the closest thing, and I ordered it. I started to then to find some inspiration for even more ways to wear that sweater. I found things that I already have and I pinned it all to a new board. Thus creating the first outfit the Americana, adaptable, effortless, relaxed, minimalist, sustainable Me would wear.
Through the Cladwell materials, Tan France, The Curated Closet book, and my own research I created a style profile based on those describing words and my favorite colors. I used that profile to go through some of the style inspiration I already had pinned on an old Pinterest board. My very favorites I pinned again to my new board. I used suggestions based on that small collection to find more. Then I looked at what I had and compared it to what I estimated I need really to fit my lifestyle. Did I have good inspiration for put together, comfortable study days? (Of which I have at least 3 a week)
This lifestyle portion felt weird. I’ve looked at my life this way before in relation to clothes, but the problem with right now is that my life looks drastically different than it did a year ago, and from what it might look like this time next year. I’m doing what I can to keep that in mind as I do this, while also making room for the fact that this capsule will evolve and change with the seasons of my life.
After adding and deleting based on my lifestyle needs and realistic expectations… I went through again, I looked at my body shape, size, and what I know I don’t feel comfortable again. I added and deleted, adding more inspiration to my board of people who looked more like me and got rid of a few size 0s.
Finally I went through what I had and thought about colors, textures, fabrics, patterns, and items that I wanted to make sure that I included. My colors were already very much chosen, but I looked through anyway. Texture wise, I don’t tend to like anything too stiff or corse… this eliminated a few pictures. Fabric wise, cottons, denims, some more modern in my leggings, the basics, but I also wanted to make sure that I included corduroy, linens, and wool.
When I was younger, I hated stripes… don’t ask me why. By the time I realized that I didn’t hate them anymore, I felt like I wasn’t supposed to wear them because I’m a bigger person. ‘They’d only make me look wider’…. But I like horizontal stripes, so who gives a crap. I also saved inspiration for tartan.
When looking at specific items this time around I picked a few very specific things that I either already have and love or really want to try. This included a tan blazer, overalls, a belt, white sneakers, a cream sweater, and my “teacher tees”. (Printed tees I wear for work that have cute sayings about kindness and teacher jokes.)
It felt important that I stay true to who I am, but also make sure that I’m still elevating a bit, because after all that’s a big part of this… the goal is to look put together at least 30% more often then I currently do.
I picked the pictures that I felt together embodied best what I was thinking of. I put them together in a collage and added notes about what from the pictures I was really loving. Below is the final product, and what I have been using as a mood reference for all my most recent shopping.
Coffee & Conundrums 