Capsule Wardrobe Guide: Accessories and How to Style Them

I feel like it can sometimes be overwhelming, looking through different magazine articles, YouTube videos or blog posts to really figure out what looks best on you or how to nail that perfect, effortless outfit that feels just right. When it comes to fashion and it's overlap with minimalism however, less really is more. The key is finding good quality pieces that'll stand the test of time and never go out of style.

Trends come and go, and while it can be fun to play with different colors, prints, patterns and other elements, one should try going about this one category responsibly instead of overspending or buying too much of the same thing. Everyone's budget is different, but if you have enough money and you're willing to invest in a high quality statement shoe or a designer handbag, then go for it. When it comes to handbags in particular, I like to find ones that are versatile in color while also being multi-functional. For example, a red bag with a cross-body strap would provide a nice statement to a very monochrome outfit (any combination of black, white and grey will do), plus it works for daily use because of that cross-body strap. The same can be applied to any other color, but again, the key is to make sure your outfit complements that statement piece rather than taking away from it. 

Jewelry can be a lot of fun to play around with as well, and this is what I usually go for when it comes to styling up my outfits. Of course, you can also play around with hats, scarves or even makeup if you're not into any of those other options. So when it comes to jewelry in particular, you can either layer up as many as you want, or just wear one at a time like I typically do. If you're someone who enjoys more bold choices in your jewelry, I would personally suggest choosing only one statement piece and being minimal with the rest. Now I don't have a lot of statement jewelry myself, but if you have a chunky necklace or a pair of fancy earrings, you can choose one of those options and then go for something more subtle with the other piece. This way, the rest of what you're wearing will seem more cohesive and put together. 

So if you're still in need of some guidance, or if you feel like you're stuck in finding that perfect accessory that fits within your budget, one of my best tips is to visit your local mall or boutique stores (some of my best finds have come from places like Charming Charlie, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21 and Francesca's). Consignment shops, other online shops or monthly subscription boxes might work as well depending on one's specific needs. Keep in mind that fashion won't always equal fair prices, so it may take some time to find something that works for you, but that's okay. And as always, I'll be sharing visuals of my tips and tricks on Instagram, so be sure to follow me on there so that you don't miss out on any posts or updates! 

Accessories Tour + Updated Handbag Collection

I wouldn’t say a lot of changes have been made, but I have been slowly adding new pieces as well as decluttering other pieces from my jewelry collection in the past few months. I used to have a much larger jewelry collection, but since applying minimalism to my life, I’ve found that less really is more when it comes to styling with accessories.

One new piece that I’ve added is a gold pendant necklace from Ana Luisa. I also bought a couple new bracelets that are more practical for me to wear. One is gold with a simple tree design, and the other is a silver bangle. I also own three watches that I rotate through pretty regularly (1 gold, 1 black and 1 analogue blue watch).

Necklaces are my favorite way to accessorize, but I tend to keep things pretty minimal in that area. I have one necklace with my initial on it as well as one with an O-shaped pendant. Both of these have a gold chain, but the pendants themselves are engraved with a mix of silver and gold materials. I also have a pearl necklace that was gifted to me by my sister. A lot of what’s in my collection has been gifted to me from different family members, actually. The ones I’ve bought for myself are a Tennessee-state silver necklace, a black one with a stone-like colored pendant and of course, my Ana Luisa pendant necklace. The rest of what I have will be on my Instagram.

I only have one ring which is silver that’s easy to slip on and off, and if I’m being honest, that’s probably as far as I’ll go with “hand candy”. I also have a small collection of earrings that I’ll sometimes wear. Some of these earrings are ones that have been gifted to me from family members. The ones I’ve bought for myself are a pair of turtle earrings from a shop in Florida, a set of 3 stud earrings from Express, and a pair of black special occasion earrings from Charming Charlie. In total, this collection has been downsized from 16 or 18 to now 11 pairs.

My handbag collection has pretty much stayed the same in numbers, but I have bought a couple new ones to replace some older ones that I’ve had for a few years. The oldest bag that I still have in my collection is the black and white one with a brown, crossbody strap that my aunt gave to me. The newest additions to my collection is a mustard yellow bag that’s originally from Aldo, but found at TJ Maxx; the other one is a secondhand find from Goodwill (has a brownish tan color with gold hardware).

With the amount of options I have, I feel like I’ll never get bored with what I have since I can easily mix and match these with whatever outfit I put together for the day. I do feel like my style is starting to become more minimal, fuss free/comfortable and effortless as time goes on, and I'm totally okay with that.

My Love/Hate Relationship with Facebook

When I first got my profile made back in high school, I decided to just use the platform as a way to connect with distant friends and family members. We all know that these days, mainly older people use Facebook. They want to stay in touch with distant relatives, and they think Facebook is the best way to keep up with that.

Facebook's algorithm has changed a lot over the years. I've noticed those changes, but I've continued to use it anyways because I wanted to stay connected. I wanted to continually keep up with my other friends from high school or work, but as my friends list became bigger, the more I began to understand that keeping up is nearly impossible. Facebook will change the appearance of your news feed for a number of reasons that I'm still trying to wrap my brain around in all honesty.

The thing here that I don't like most about Facebook is that it wastes my time. As I've gotten older, I've come to realize that every post I see in my feed is nearly the same. People want to share their thoughts, share the highlights of their life or just post old memes. Everyone's life had always seemed more polished or perfect on social media, but we know this isn't the case in reality. It kind of makes me cringe, knowing how this one tool had lead me to be plagued by negativity and other mental health problems simply because I had a bit of slow start in learning about my own life and such. Facebook, in a nutshell, decreased my self-esteem, but at the same time, it brought me closer to at least one person who I didn't know I needed in my life. The people I chose to reach out through on this platform were real people, but I didn't treat every person I came in contact with the way I should have when I connected with them.

Putting these personal issues aside, I think my biggest annoyance with Facebook is the changes they've made with their privacy policy. We used to have the option of not having our locations out in the open, but now, that's no longer an option- and it's for that reason that I don't have the Facebook app on my phone. It also doesn't seem to be helping my growth as a blogger. It's not like I log in to see if I've gained a massive following or anything, but the amount of hoops I've had to continually hit the ignore button on is tedious. When I first opened up my page, I thought it would be a good opportunity to help build my growth, but at the same time, I also wanted support, so naturally, I invited friends from my personal account.

These days, I try to use Facebook as little as possible as it saves me time and it gives me less tension headaches. One thing that I've found with social media in general is that the less I use it, the less time I spend worrying about gaining that audience or community I was desperate to have in the beginning. Maybe the blogging community in general is just set up differently, or maybe I've just been putting too much thought into it this entire time, but either way, I do feel more happy with myself as well as feeling more productive. Be it, I do occasionally slip up and go on a scrolling binge, but I do try to be responsible and catch myself when I slip into that habit.

Fashion Post: The 10 x 10 Challenge

Having a capsule wardrobe highlights two things: maximizing the versatility of your clothing, and also giving more options for outfits with what you already have. Part of what makes minimalist/slow fashion fun is that if you ever get stuck in a rut, you can just go into your closet and get creative instead of buying new things all the time.

Earlier this year, I did a 10 x 10 challenge over on Instagram for the spring/summer season. I chose 10 items of clothing (which includes shoes and handbags, but not jewelry). With the ten items I picked out, I created ten outfits that I thought would be nice for any every day event.

I think that this challenge could work for any person's wardrobe, but it does take some creativity. So If this is something you're wanting to try out for yourself (whether if your wardrobe is big or small), I think you should go for it. An updated version of this challenge for the fall/winter season will be coming up soon on my Instagram, so stay tuned for that!


10 x 10 SAMPLE GUIDE:

1 white t-shirt
1 black t-shirt
1 statement piece (shoes, handbag, blouse, shirt or pants)
1 pair of denim jeans (dark wash, boyfriend fit, ripped, etc.)
1 pair of black jeans
1 black blazer
1 leather jacket
1 handbag of choice
1 pair every day shoes
1 pair dressier shoes

*Remember that accessorizing is all in the details, so even if you don't have much color in your wardrobe, don't be afraid to play with that in other ways, like makeup or hair accessories. Do what works for you, and as always, have fun!

How to Stop Shopping On Impulse

Impulse buying is a habit that can be hard to break. It’s always easy to justify why we want a certain item or why this item sparks joy (especially if it’s on sale), but do you really need that item in your life? Will it serve a specific purpose and add value, or will it just take up space and add to the unnecessary clutter in your life?

Before I get into my tips on breaking this habit, I first want to address the difference between compulsive and impulsive shopping. When you do something out of impulse, that usually means that you’re doing it out of emotion. Compulsive shopping is done more out of this internal urge or desire, and while both of these do take less time and thought, compulsive behavior in general is seemingly more difficult to break because it’s been conditioned inside your mind subconsciously- and this is exactly what I struggled with the most before I got into minimalism or capsule wardrobes. So whether your shopping is impulsive or compulsive, it’s still a habit that can negatively impact your life if you’re not careful.

One of the biggest things that has helped me personally with my shopping habits is using the shopping ban. This can take place for either a month, two weeks or even a year if the habit seems that severe. If you’ve ever seen the show Hoarders: Buried Alive, then it’s likely known then that there’s a little bit of psychology involved when it comes to why we buy stuff or even hold onto stuff we don’t need. Those who have the problem of hoarding may need a psychologist’s help depending on how severe the problem is, and the same can be said for compulsive or impulsive shopping habits. There’s no shame in getting help. There’s no shame in just walking away from that department store and saying no to what doesn’t make you feel good about yourself, and sometimes just recognizing that is a good first step.

Placing a budget on yourself when you go shopping can also be beneficial if you’re wanting to save more money for other things. My rule of thumb personally is to not go above $100 whenever I’m at the mall and this has helped me to be more mindful of how much I spend. And if I ever find myself wanting something out of impulse, I’ll stop and ask myself these questions:

1. Can I find more than one use out of this item? (for clothing)

2. Will I actually use this item or get value out of it?

3. Do I already have something similar to this at home?

One thing that I used to struggle with is just feeling comfortable in being alone with my own thoughts, and sometimes, that would lead me to go out shopping for things I didn’t need. If you struggle with this problem as well, then that’s completely normal. There’s honestly a lot of things you can do to help slow down your racing mind, like taking a walk outside or reading a book. You could even reach out to a friend and catch up with them, take a hot shower or a warm bath, or make your own spa day at home with pedicures, manicures and facials. Another option to consider is to start a journal. This way, if you ever find yourself thinking too much and not knowing how to deal with it, you can just write down those thoughts and feelings as they come to you.

One thing I’ve noticed since implementing these habits is that I feel more calm, focused and relaxed. Now I’m not perfect by any means and sometimes, I do slip up, but that’s okay. One thing that I’d advise the most as you go through this process is to not be hard on yourself if you slip back into old habits. It may be normal to make a couple of mistakes here and there, but I do believe that accountability is crucial for a habit like this when you’re first starting out. So if you find yourself struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone who can actually help you.

I hope that these tips are helpful to you in some way. I know that sometimes, life can be hard or frustrating, so because of that, I want to help and give solutions that will actually work. This one habit in particular of impulse shopping is something we all seem to be aware of, but what we don’t think about is the long-term effects it’ll have if we don’t do anything to change the problem. I personally believe that we can find more joy in the relationships we have with other people than we can ever find in material items. We don’t have to overbook ourselves by any means with social time, but if we can just learn to be a little more intentional with how we spend our time, it’ll lead to less stress in the end.

Five More Things to Declutter Today

After making my first list, I feel inspired to make a new list now of what I've decluttered from my life in recent months. I hope this inspires you to tackle similar items or other areas of your home.

Sentimental Items
I know this is can be a more ambitious project for some, but given where I'm at now with my minimalism journey, I've found that this one category of items has become easier to maintain and go through as time goes on. I used to have so many loose leaf papers of things I drew, concert pamphlets/tickets, football game memorabilia, photos and other miscellaneous items that just seemed to take up space. When I went through that first initial purge, I had two boxes plus a shelf in the bonus room of my house, but that's now been consolidated to just one box as well as that one shelf.

Kitchen Gadgets & Utensils
If I'm being honest here, I do still live with my parents, so this is something I'm not able to declutter as of right now. However, this doesn't mean I can't come up with my own ideas of what I would prefer to bring into my future home. Kitchen appliances in general can be pretty bulky, and knowing how I typically make and prepare my food, I think my list of essentials would be pretty minimal, but also versatile:
2 cooking sheets
4 pots (2 small, 2 large)
1 frying pan
1 matching set of cutlery
4 serving utensils (2 spoons, 1 spatula, 1 slotted turner)
1 pair kitchen shears
1 toaster
1 colander
1 wooden cutting board
2 serving bowls
1 set of salad tongs
1 set of measuring spoons
1 glass measuring cup
6 bowls
6 dinner plates
6 glasses
1 steak knife set
2 pot mittens

Junk Drawer Items
Dead or brand new batteries, an overflow of pens that may or may not work, measuring tape, box cutters, fairy or string lights, random bundles of string or twine, extra phone chargers and/or lint rollers all fall into this one category. If any of these items seem to feel out of place or not used in your home, then perhaps it's time to throw away or donate them. I sometimes feel that in an alternate life, I'd prefer to not have a junk drawer or box at all, but sometimes, you just need that little extra space for items that don't have a designated space in your home.

Duplicates
When it comes to certain household items, quality is better than quantity. Now even though I realize that some things won't last forever (clothing, shoes, food, toiletries or cosmetics), there are other things that you can invest in to avoid that extra clutter. For example, if you have one coffee maker or blender that's high quality as well as one that may not be as great, which one would you get more use out of? Which one would you turn to more often? This same method can be applied to other items depending on the condition they're in.

Unfinished or Neglected Projects
If you've collected a bunch of picture frames, blank canvases or organizing containers in hopes of using them for a DIY project, what are the chances of you actually getting to that task? Will it have been worth the time and money spent on those items? There have been occasional instances where I've fallen into this mindset myself where I feel inspired, so I go out and buy the items I need to start the project, but only finish it halfway or not at all. However, there were other DIY projects I did early on that I have finished, only to declutter them months later because I was bored with them. If you can relate to this on any level here, then consider this to be the push you need to reevaluate which projects are more obtainable or practical for you. I know that for some, DIY projects are highly enjoyable, but not everyone has the time or patience for that and that's okay. I myself have been through more creative phases that involve those artsy supplies, but at this point in my life, I just find it to be tedious and messy. I guess being creative comes in waves for some (or for me at least), but if I ever get the urge to make DIYs again, it would be when I move out and start living in an apartment with my boyfriend.