10-Item Summer 2017 Wardrobe: Stripes & Coral

Woo! I finally have all the pics together for my 10-Item Summer Wardrobe (such as they are), and I am psyched to share this–and to wear this! (Hey, I’m a poet and I didn’t know it). As longtime readers know, I adopted the capsule wardrobe approach after reading Jennifer L. Scott’s Madame Chic books (be sure to check out her blog, The Daily Connoisseur, as well). The premise: collect 10 “core items” that either go together and complement each other, then augment it with “extras” such as T-shirts, outerwear, evening wear, etc.

Unfortunately, due to the light and the different times I took these photos, the colors aren’t just right (and my clothes look a little wrinkly–that’s totally my fault). But I swear these all go together, and I’m pretty happy!

Another note: you may notice a couple returns from a few years ago. While I do practice the 10-item wardrobe, I don’t always purge everything I’m not wearing in a particular season. For example, right after I had Sarah and I was in super-breastfeeding mode, I went down a size, and some of my shorts were too big. I saved them just in case, and guess what–I’m glad I did. Since most of last year’s summer wardrobe just plain wore out (after many years of service), I was glad I kept some pieces in reserve!

But without further ado, let’s . . . a-do this! (™ Hub Hubbard.)

Pale pink Merona cotton sweater. I got this for free at my friend Melissa’s Naked Lady party and built a lot of this wardrobe around it! Love it, and it pairs well with coral and red.

Thread & Supply blue “menswear” shirt.

You think you’ve seen this shirt a million times, but guess what: it’s a new J Crew Factory striped boatneck shirt! After many years, I realized the underarms of my old one . . . turned black. Fortunately I was literally at J Crew Factory when I discovered this.

J Crew Factory sunwashed slim chino. My husband got me these for Mother’s Day, and I love them. I would never have picked them, because they get dirty as f*ck every time I wear them, but they wash well and are more comfortable in the heat that jeans.

J Crew Factory coral seersucker shorts. These are from at least four years ago!

J Crew Factory 5″ chino shorts in Golden Rose. New!

J Crew Factory 5″ chino shorts in aqua. These are kind of like a chambray? Very old. 

J Crew Factory striped daybreak dress. I love this because it looks structured, but it’s made of stretch material. It looks like they’re out of this particular stripe, sad.

LOFT striped dress. This dress is ancient (at least five years) and I think it was actually supposed to be a swimsuit coverup? It’s my favorite summer dress: it’s cute and doesn’t hug my body.

Floral dress, made by me maybe five or six years ago? Pattern by Amy Butler.

So there are my 10 pieces! On to the extras: T-shirts!

J Crew Factory “fruit salad” T-shirt. I’ve had this for years and it’s a little too sheer now, so I wear a camisole under it.

J Crew Factory collector T-shirt–another gift from my husband. Looks like it’s out of stock online.

J Crew studio T-shirt. A perfect basic!

J Crew Factory perfect fit shell. These are my new favorites–they really do fit perfectly, and they’re a little more polished than a tank top.

J Crew Factory striped boatneck short-sleeved T-shirt. I don’t think they have this on the site anymore (I picked it up last year) and it’s too bad, it wears well like the long-sleeved one!

Novelty shirts! My sister Jessica gave me the Star Wars shirt, and I picked up the tank visiting Carmel this spring for a family reunion. Guest starring my toes.

Ahhh. I love using the 10-item wardrobe because it makes everything easier. My drawers are organized, I can see all my clothes, and it makes laundry a snap (and necessary). It’s also been really interesting to see which items hold up well (the dress I made, certain J Crew items) and which did not (most T-shirts).

What do you think? Is anyone else out there doing this? Post below!