creating my summer capsule wardrobe as a stay-at-home-mom — A Mom Explores | Family Travel Tips, Destination Guides with Kids, Family Vacation Ideas, and more!

This post was done in collaboration with PinkBlush online boutique. I received the items for free in exchange for a review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own! I love PinkBlush, and I think you will, too!

I'm just a mom, standing in front of her closet, wondering why every item of clothing is maternity, nursing, from college almost a decade ago, or 2 sizes too big/small.

Oh yeah, because I'm a mom who has been pregnant or nursing for the past 6 years. Who also moved from Minnesota to Florida - a completely different climate.

I'm done nursing my third baby, and I have successfully lost all the baby weight and then some. I'm also officially done with teaching so I can be home with my kids, which means I no longer need work clothes. I'm staring at a closet full of ill-fitting, too fancy, or out-of-style clothes that I never wear, and it needs to change.

I've been wanting to start a capsule wardrobe for a long time now, and the timing finally feels right. The good news for me is that the weather is pretty warm all year round in Florida, so I won't even need 4 separate seasonal capsules. I feel like I can really take my time finding the right pieces that I'll turn to over and over again.

Photo by Andrej Lišakov on Unsplash — Photo by Andrej Lišakov on Unsplash

Now, there are some articles on the internet with very specific guidelines and numbers for creating a capsule wardrobe. I don't love feeling restricted by rules, though, and reducing to an exact number feels arbitrary.

Instead, I'm using the idea that I'm only going to keep items in my wardrobe that I love, that fit, and that I reach for regularly. I think it will simplify my morning routine and help speed up the process of getting dressed. I make so many decisions about and for my kids that it feels exhausting to try to figure out how to wear something that doesn't fit right or isn't my style.

Here are the steps I'm taking to curate a summer capsule wardrobe as a stay-at-home-mom:

1. Assessing my wardrobe

This means pulling every item of clothing out of every drawer, bin, and closet. I will go through each item and if it's not something I wear regularly, I will choose to part with it. Again, I'm not going for a specific number of tops, bottoms, and accessories. Rather, I'm sticking with a basic color scheme (black, white, navy blue, blush pink) and keeping the items within that color scheme that fit well and I feel great in!

2. Selling, Donating, Trashing

The next important step is to actually do something with those clothes that no longer serve me. Otherwise, they'll sit on my closet floor and I'll keep tripping over them and they will still be taking up space in my brain.

Last week I ordered a bag from ThredUp to sell some of my old clothes. The items that are too old or out-of-style to go to ThredUp will be donated, and the items that are stained, ripped, or stretched out will be tossed.

3. Finding my base pieces

Ok, this is the fun part! Now I get to find the pieces that are going to be the cornerstone of my capsule wardrobe. I already have neutral colored shorts and skirts that fit great and are comfortable, and a few tops that I wear on a regular basis. It's time to fill in with dresses and tops that are a little dressier for those days when I'm not writing on the couch or chasing my kids at the playground.

As a mom who values comfort, but also style, I turned to PinkBlush for these pieces. I'm looking for pieces that are timeless and neutral, but that also fit in with current trends. That seems like a tall order, but I ended up finding exactly what I was looking for in the women's category of the PinkBlush online boutique.

First up is the most comfortable black swing dress. It's sleeveless with cute criss-cross straps on the back making it perfect for the Florida summer. I love that I've been able to wear it for everything from running errands to barbecues with friends to church, and it can be dressed up or down with the right accessories.

The second staple item I found for my wardrobe is a gorgeous white cold shoulder top. It's a little dressier than what I would wear at home with the kids or at the park for a playdate, but it's the perfect upgrade for a day of exploring while traveling or a night out on the town. I love that it's double lined so I don't have to worry about it being see-through.

4. Mixing and Matching

My favorite thing about these pieces is their ability to be dressed up or down. I can wear them in all kinds of different situations, and that's what I'm looking for in items I add to my capsule. They have to be versatile, and they have to be able to mix and match with the rest of my wardrobe.

I paired the white cold shoulder shirt with casual cutoff shorts, but I'm planning on wearing it to church with a grey pencil skirt and statement earrings. The black dress could be worn with a long necklace and heels for a date night. Find the pieces that you'll reach for over and over that will also match with the rest of your closet!

5. The Changing of Seasons

The weather stays pretty warm here year round, but there are some weeks where there is a slight chill in the air. These pieces are perfect to transition from season to season because they can work with a chunky cardigan or a pair of skinny jeans or black pants.

Ultimately, I'm looking to reduce decision fatigue and spend less time getting ready in the morning, and these items from PinkBlush help me accomplish that. I'm looking forward to finding more items to round out my summer stay-at-home-mom capsule wardrobe with a few more casual tops soon. Stay tuned!

Do you do a capsule wardrobe? What are your top tips?