I love my capsule wardrobe, but my outfits feel incomplete.

After a year of refining my closet – swapping out pieces I already own, thrifting, saving/splurging on special pieces – I think I’ve created a wardrobe that is really very beautiful. The problem is, I don’t love what I’ve created.

I thought that the moment I had a lovely curated closet, I would be able to stop thinking about fashion and focus on more important things. I thought I’d be able to create incredible outfits with a snap of my fingers, with zero effort. But I’m discovering that there is a lot more to creating a look than just pairing top, bottom, and shoes in a harmonious way. I’m also discovering that I don’t really know what those elusive tricks are to making a complete and killer fit.

For example, today, I wore those green pants with the fitted white v-neck top and the navy blue espadrilles. I wore all of the accessories lined up on the left side: jewelry, watch, sunglasses. Everything goes together, nothing clashes, and the proportions are right. But still somehow this outfit feels so incomplete.

I know that layering is often a solution, but I love a minimalist clean look, don’t enjoy fuss, and we are in the midst of a heatwave. I know that accessorizing helps, but I am already wearing accessories! I know a handbag is a game-changer, but that isn’t practical right now. And finally, I get that these clothes are pretty basic, but functionally, I need a very casual wardrobe.

If you, dear reader, have any suggestions for improving my outfits, please comment below! I would love to hear your suggestions.

For now, I will:

• Abandon the idea of effortlessly getting dressed in the morning. I think this is a skill that needs to be learned, and not a result of the clothes in my closet. I’m slowly discovering my inner fashionista, and I think I should honor that.
• I’ll think more deeply about design rules when making an outfit. While I deeply enjoyed curating a wardrobe – thinking about color, cut, shape, texture and function – I haven’t really practiced thinking about these things in the context of an outfit.
• I’ll take pictures every morning of my outfits.
• Play around with my three style words. This morning it was: minimal, feminine, carefree. I’ll keep adjusting them until I find something that works.
• I’ll keep working with this capsule, because it’s filled with really functional and well-thought-out items. For example, the three sweaters can be carried in to work to wear in freezing AC. All of my bottoms either have elastic or feel soft against the waist. None of my tops are too clingy. My shoes are comfortable. The jewelry I wear everyday. I have some sensory issues, and these pieces work very nicely for me.
• I’ll place a moratorium on buying any new clothes for the next two months. This way, I can really understand what the hell is going on here.