Mature Fashion: More on Capsules

Greetings this morning of our bi-polar weather! I really mean it; the sun is shining brightly and it is raining and chilly (?)

Really, the weather is simply driving one crazy here in the Bay area.  We had record breaking warm weather for this time of year (low 80s in some places). The temperature is expected to drop to the very low 40s tonite (depending upon which announcer predicts the weather!).

Although I am working on my closet collections for Fall 2016, I am making the time to discuss capsule dressing in more detail.

Several retail type blogs are offering "capsules" of clothing that are represented as items that when mixed and matched, etc. will provide the wearer with out the door outfits sufficient to cover most or all of their wardrobe needs. I understand a few of you have been disappointed that what wsas offered was not complete, etc.  I have also noticed that most of these 'capsules' seem to be missing the point of what Capsule Dressing is meant to be, and the purpose it is meant to serve.

The idea of a color capsule is based on one of the most fundamental concepts of successful styling; the first concept being that every garment in the capsule needs to fit a woman's body perfectly, no matter what her role.  The second fundamental deals with the color itself; it must be flattering to the wearer.  The third concept is the 'statement' the wearer is wishing to make, i.e., who she is, and the last is the suitability of the entire look and the chosen garments for the role that is being played. The purpose of a capsule is to manage a wardrobe that will ensure each of these fundamentals are met within any woman's budget and storage space.  It is NOT to require a woman to buy a complete new wardrobe every fashion season. Most of the items I have seen in the retail capsules are more appropriately called accessory capsules.

A Color capsule is the type of capsule most stylists think of first.  In today's more relaxed fashion world, one could use another element on which to base a personal wardrobe capsule.  The element could be fabric, such as in a vintage St. John collection where you may have several colors that work together, but the garments are all of the same knit texture; for denim lovers, the material could be be denims of several shades and different styles, etc. but the fabric is always denim.  Whatever works for you, the point being to have cohesive garments that can be mixed and matched interchangeably, stand the test of time, and serve the needs of all the roles we are expected to play.  Color is only the most common because color is the element that should flatter the wearer and the classic garments should be fairly easy to obtain; the reason most color capsules are in neutral shades.  

You can visit "Rockmyrunwaay.blogspot.com for an example of a completed (almost) color capsule. The last two posts show outfits styled from this core capsule; the pictures in the upper left hand corner of this post show my timeless grey jeweled neck cashmere sweater worn with an old pair of matching trousers (Goodwill purchase for this fashion trend) shortened for the fresh cropped pants worn this fall and paired with suede ankle boots (ancient also), a faux fur striped jacket (also old) and a new (inexpensive tarjay) Indiana Jones floppy hat and the classic fur trimmed grey leather gloves that I have had forever.  I perked the look with the turquoise Kors purse and Navajo squash blossom necklace for a modern color combination and a touch of the Boho.  I also added a silky white sport long sleeved mock turtleneck top for a fresh look to old garments. Both me and my budget are happy...

..............................Geneva............Rockmyages@aol.com