Hi friends! I am here with my second capsule post for you today! You can read the first post here.
In this post, I am really excited to share a simple, but TOTALLY game-changing trick I just discovered. Anyone can do it and it makes getting dressed SO much easier and quicker every day!
So here’s the trick …
Take a photo of EVERY outfit you like to wear and keep them in a folder on your phone. When I first started this, I thought it was just a temporary way to figure out which items I wore in different combinations and what I needed to add to fill in my fall capsule, but the result was way more helpful than I even imagined!
All I did was spend two of Nova’s nap times trying on fall outfits and snapping photos and then ever since I snap a photo anytime I wear a new outfit combination and store them all in a folder on my phone.
Here’s what I’ve gained so far from this exercise …
1. I have a quick way to look at outfits and pick out what I want to wear even when I am away from my closet. I’ve always been a visual learner so seeing all my outfits together like this makes it so much easier to choose an outfit for whatever occasion I need. I still have the option of going in my closet and trying on 5-10 outfits (haha), but I don’t have to do that every time anymore!
2. Seeing my outfits in photos helped me realize which ones I will never be excited to wear and should sell or donate. I definitely found several outfits that I hadn’t realized it was time to let go of, and I wouldn’t have realized it if it weren’t for these photos. Clothing looks different in person and in photos and I’ve learned that (for me) I trust the photos more than my mood, which tends to change drastically.
3. I love the creative exercise of finding new combinations and adding more photos to my folder. I will for sure keep adding more photos all season. I love that even though it’s so easy to do, I feel like I am actually building a valuable resource for myself by adding these random little outfit snapshots.
If you are someone who tends to get stuck in a cycle of wearing the same 2-3 outfits over and over, like me, I highly suggest this exercise. I already notice a big difference in the variety of outfits I am wearing just because of this little folder on my phone. And it hasn’t even started cooling off here in Nashville yet, so I expect it will become a lot more interesting once the weather begins to change and I can actually wear layers.
What do you think? Is this something you would try? Do you think it would help you break up your outfit routine?
I’ll be back soon with my official autumn capsule blog post! I have so much fun with this project (especially for autumn!), so thank you for following along. xx. Elsie
30 Comments
I love that you’ve prepared every outfit down to the shoes! It’s something I do too, but without putting it into a photo album on my phone. Makes things so much quicker! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Hi Elsie, I really love your idea! I’m using the smartcloset app since one year ago, when I prepared my packing for an interrail trip. But I only have pictures of my items. It’s a great idea to take pics with the outfits on. So I coyld realize wich are the best combination. Thanks!!
I love love love this idea! I’m trying out a capsule wardrobe for the first time this autumn and have just about finished adding all that needs to be added. I was thinking today how I needed to figure out a way of quickly remembering what’s in it, so I’m definitely trying this! It’s already really cold in the UK, so I’m layering it up! xx
I love love love this idea! I’m doing a capsule wardrobe for the first time at the moment and have just about finished adding the final pieces. I used your previous autumn capsule wardrobe post as inspo and I was thinking today that I needed a way to remember what I was including, so I’ll definitely be trying this! I’m a visual learner as well 🙂 Plus It’s already pretty cold in the UK so I’m layering it up. Looking forward to the next post! x
That motivates me to get back at it. I did two weeks of photographing my outfits to see what pieces I wear regularly. But it also makes a lot of sense to capture outfit combinations. 🙂
But I also really wonder where the brown booties are from? I’ve been searching forever for a pair in that particular style and colour. <3
I do this when I pack for a trip, but need to do it for my whole wardrobe!
Love this! I did a similar thing before going on a 3 week roadtrip in the US (I live in Sweden). I was only bringing a small bag, and since I knew I was bound to put on weight over there (because, helloo panncakes for breakfast every day and roadside diners with cherry pie! <3 ) I only wanted comfy, stretchy clothes 🙂 So I packed 3 stretchy skirts and then spent a few hours finding and putting together 7 outfits per skirt and wrote them down on a list, complete with jewlery and scarvs. While we were away I just had to follow the list and it ended up being SO easy to look cute and put together without spending any time fussing over it.
I love these capsule tips, thanks Elsie- keep them coming. PS: is it weird that the pics make me think of Cher in Clueless using her computerised wardrobe to choose her outfit of the day?! #goals 😀
I thought this too!
This really is one of the easiest hacks. I started doing this a while ago, but the photos didn’t have their own folder, so it wasn’t as helpful as it could be. I plan on amping it up now that I’ve got all of my fall clothes out and the summer ones stashed away.
Oh my gosh I LOVE this idea!! I never thought about doing that but it makes so much sense! I live in Minnesota and we are officially in the fall weather and I’ve been meaning to update my wardrobe and I think this is just what I need to do!
This is actually such an amazing idea!
I’d like to try this, but I don’t have a full-length mirror at home, so I’ll have to think of another way haha
xx
I wish I wasn’t so lazy, this seems like such a smart way to organize your closet & life!
Woof Xo,
Michelle & Watson
https://www.watsonandwalls.com/
I love this idea. But I have to say you stole it from the 90s movie Clueless!!!! “I don’t trust mirrors, I trust how I look on pictures” or something similar. I’ve seen in 20k times but in Spanish ????????♀️
Love it!
Totally! haha
Love this idea! I think half my photos would be combinations of sweatpants and hoodies though ???? Maybe this would help me see how bad those outfits look…
Oh my goodness, I do this too! I thought I was so weird for doing it but I’m SO glad someone else does it too. It really helps me figure out what to wear when I’m running late. Plus it really helps you get more creative.
xo Logan
https://peculiarporter.com
This is so Cher! Great idea!
How very Cher Horowitz! Also, I am totally stealing this idea.
Haha! Right?!
Wow! This is so smart!
This is the best idea ever! And so easy to implement too.
When I was in grad school, I had to dress like a professional, but (you know-student) I was pretty broke and couldn’t afford a bunch of suits. I bought several mix and match pieces–as it was nearly 20 years ago I guess it was one of the first “capsule” wardrobes! LOL If you asked me, I probably would have said I had max of 8 outfits. Do you know that I went for over a month without repeating an outfit?! You never know what you have until you push yourself to see the pieces you own in a new way. Taking pictures like this and mixing and matching can open a whole new view on your wardrobe and get you out of the I-have-a-full-closet-but-somehow-keep-wearing-the-same-five-outfits rut. Great idea!
This is brilliant! In high school I used to write them all down everyday… but that was before camera phones. Photos make a LOT more sense! ????????♀️????????♀️????
I’m not a visual learner, so I never would have thought of this. I don’t think it’s something I’d do, but I’m glad it works for you and so many others.
What a great idea! I LOVE your tan booties in the pic with the denim dress! Where did you get those? Thanks for sharing — love reading your blog!
Wow , Great Model!
I think that’s a super cool idea that I might actually do myself. It will certainly help me clean up my wardrobe. Thanks.
Oh my goodness, I used to do this before I moved. I need to go back and do it because it used to be so helpful for not only blogging but figuring out what to wear in the morning. Also, I love that jean jumper and white lace top!
xo Logan
https://peculiarporter.com/
Have you come across an app that you can use as an outfit photo album? I don’t like that I have to keep the photos in my camera roll or they get deleted when I transfer my photos to my computer. I would like to put them in a separate album from my camera roll.