Monday, April 30, 2012

30 For 30 for 12 Challenge - April Recap

Three months down...9 to go! Here's my recap of the 30 For 30 For 12 challenge for April.

[Warning: this is a big post]

Summary of Items with Links to Pictures
Shoes/Boots: 7 pairs
Skirts: 7
Tops: 9
Sweaters/Cardigans: 3
Jackets/Blazers: None

Pants: 1
Dresses: 3
Other: None

General Observations on April's Capsule
  • All the bright colour felt so good! It was doubly appreciated as L and I went through a very rough month of losing our dear kitty, Inigo. "Fake it till you feel it" was definitely in effect.
  • Simple, non-fussy pieces worked the easiest when I really didn't put any effort into my outfits. The good quality fabrics, patterns, and (for the most part) good cuts did a lot of the work for me.
  • As the weather gets warmer, I'm finding I need more weekend-wearable clothes. However, I was glad I'd put a few dressier items in the capsule.
  • One or two vibrant patterns worked well; having two very similar patterns meant one didn't get worn.
  • Comfort in shoes is becoming paramount. I simply can't handle any pair of shoes that kills my feet when I wear them 2-3 times a month. 
What Got Worn the Most/Least
Shoes: Unsurprisingly, the most comfortable shoes got worn the most: the black kitten heels were worn 5 times, as were the yellow Tsubos. Closely on their heels (pun intended) were the Pearl Harts and the lavender Campers. The yellow boots (ouch), purple Friis pumps (fab, but high) were only worn twice each. The red Feet First shoes were also only worn twice, mostly because I came to dislike the look of them - they are actually very comfortable.

Skirts: All of the skirts were worn a minimum of twice each, with the denim maxi skirt, plain grey pencil skirt, and the chartreuse Noa Noa skirt each getting 3 wears.

Pants: I absolutely love that I wore the leather pants three times. Every time I wear them, I love them more. I might need to fit these into an autumn capsule.

Tops: Making up for last month, I loaded April's capsule with 9 tops. However, the two "painty"/"camo" patterned blouses were so similar - I ended up wearing the Jones New York one only once because I just didn't need it in the capsule. The one casual tee - the yellow INC with ruffles at the neckline - was worn 5 times, compared to twice with every other top. 

Sweaters/Cardigans: I wore all of them a minimum of twice each, and got three wears out of the chartreuse yellow cardigan. 

Jackets/Blazers: I didn't miss jackets and blazers this month at all. We're getting firmly into cardigan season so I will likely not have too many jackets over the spring/summer that aren't being worn as outerwear.

Dresses: The three dresses were good as layering pieces for all the tops. I felt like I still had a lot of layering potential for them. I wore the purple one once, and the other two twice each.

Other: No "other" items this month.

What I Would Do Differently Next Month
  • A bit more balanced with tops and bottoms. I kept looking for another skirt or pair of pants to wear with them all.
  • Once again, I duplicated items: I had two grey skirts (one with pattern) and two "painty" blouses. More variety begets more creativity.
  • I wanted more variety in casual wear for the weekends. 
  • Shoes that don't hurt are a must. 
What is Leaving My Closet
  • The yellow boots have had it. They kill my feet. If I miss them, I'll look at the pictures. 
  • The red Mary-Janes have to go. I need another comfortable pair of red shoes, with better style elements. These just weren't right for my style as it is now.
  • The floral Le Chateau poofy skirt. It's just too short and I feel like I've gotten enough wear out of it for the 3+ years I've had it. 
  • The pink satin blouse. The style isn't right for me, nor is silk near my sweaty pits. I adore the colour and the big sleeves, though.
What's on the Fence
  • The grey Plum pencil skirt. Yeah, it's a good basic in a limited capsule, but once I'm done this challenge, is it interesting enough to stay in my closet?
  • The long yellow shirt. A bit too trendy to be a wardrobe staple. I like the colour, but not the style. It also has to be layered due to being a bit see-through. 
  • The denim Ricki's dress. But only if I find a really great denim dress that's as unique as this one first.
These are back in my wardrobe, and may be removed after I've "rested" from them. 

Looking Forward to Wearing Again
  • The lavender Campers. These were incredibly comfortable and I love the colour. Lavender is the new neutral!
  • The yellow Tsubos. Fabulous colour and so easy to wear.
  • The pink brocade pencil skirt. It's a work of art and I always feel good in it.
  • The Smoking Lily long-sleeved tee. It will actually move into my "around the house" casual wear wardrobe. It's soft and lovely to wear.
  • The cognac leather pants. As noted, I just love them. They might be in another capsule this year.
How I'm Feeling About the Year-Long Challenge So Far
What I said last month still stands: I am still enjoying it - it is a lot of fun to put together, plan and anticipate. A month feels just right - and I felt like there were a few more outfits I could have made.

I found myself annoyed by some items that I've obviously been hanging onto for sentimental reasons: the yellow boots and the Le Chateau floral pouffy skirt. They're both such cool items, but they just don't work for me anymore. I considered keeping both, but my closet can't turn into a museum of things I love but don't wear anymore.

I really love having a limited wardrobe - it makes picking outfits so much easier, and I feel like I'm able to revisit some of my favourite combinations without getting stale. I wouldn't want to do this challenge indefinitely or have to live with a wardrobe of limited items all the time, but the planning and long-range anticipation is quite fun.

Now...To refresh your memory, here are all the outfits together. You can click to embiggen them, and click on the dates to go to the original posts.

Apr 2nd
Apr 3rd
Apr 4th
Apr 5th
Apr 7th
Apr 8th
Apr 9th
Apr 10th
Apr 11th
Apr 12th
Apr 13th
Apr 14th
Apr 16th
Apr 17th
Apr 18th
Apr 19th
Apr 20th
Apr 23rd
Apr 24th
Apr 25th
Apr 26th
Apr 27th
Apr 28th 
Apr 28th (part 2)
Apr 30th
You can vote for your favourite outfits here (you can select more than one outfit, it's okay!):
[Edit: sorry, fixed this so that you can do multiple votes - also corrected April 28th (parts 1 and 2)]
What outfits rang your bell? Vote for as many as you want.
  
pollcode.com free polls 
What About the Wild Card Outfit?
I did not one, not two, but THREE Wild Card outfits this month, due to the the Victoria Steam Expo. Check 'em out again here.

At the end of the year (next January), there will be a vote for Best Wild Card.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my capsule and reading the recap! Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

Cheers,
Sheila

12 comments:

  1. I vote for 29th (not an option in the poll). Cool and very trendy and you seem to enjoy yourself!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I fixed that - it should have been Apr 28th, Part 2. :)

      Thank you!

      Delete
  2. I think I did the poll wrong, it would only let me vote for one! But I love so many :) 28th and 29th, and 23rd, 12th, 14th, 3rd and second are my very favourites.
    8th is just such a lovely picture. I'm sorry it was such a difficult month for you. I'm glad there was lots of colour this month to cheer you up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, it wasn't you, Mica - I was getting tired last night after doing this, and I missed a setting on the poll. You should be able to vote for multiples now!

      Thank you.

      Delete
  3. I used to have issues with getting rid of clothes for sentimental reasons so I had to laugh when you said you'd take a picture of those boots. That is exactly what I do when I find myself not wanting to let go of something.

    I LOVE those steampunk outfits! Wish we were a bit more steampunk here, but the focus tends to be pirate so thanks to L's inspiring pic I shall try for a steampunk pirate look.

    Congrats on the medal!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that April 4th outfit. The yellow boots with the darker tights is so mod!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Heh, those yellow boots are just so wacky! I can't possibly imagine having something like that in my wardrobe, & I'm amazed & awed that you've made them work at all. Good on ya ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am having so much fun watching what you come up with. I don't think I could do a year long bout of this but I do admire your tenacity. I might try to do a week of this for a start. I love the color palettes you choose as I think they will work on me too. Great inspiration. thanks

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love that you're doing this for the whole year! I wish I had the nerve to do so as well... perhaps one day, when I have enough clothes. I can't even fit a normal-sized closet , let alone a five-drawer dresser. I've gained a generous amount over the past 9 months though due to a season called winter that I haven't experienced for the past 12 years.
    I love love LOVE your analysis at the end of each month. I look more forward to those than your OOTDs to be honest. I find your explanations very interesting and fascinating and I take note of certain ones for my wardrobe.
    Thank you so much for doing this. It's so tempting to try it out myself [:

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think this has been my favorite capsule yet and probably will continue to be. I love the patterns, the cuts, and most importantly the colors of this month. However I'm looking forward to May's capsule. My fav look is the 3rd/28 part two. I love the colors with the leather pants.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I voted...and you're gonna make me take a second look at the next pair of leather pants I come across.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Another great month! I love all that you did with the mustard and purples; that is one of my favorite color combinations.
    I am so surprised you are getting rid of the Big Bird boots! They have served you well for a long time; I didn't realize they were uncomfortable.

    ReplyDelete

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Cheers,
Sheila