Visualizing the Finish Line
Still stuck at my parents’ house for another few days, I was forced to practice my transition as a visualization exercise. It didn’t help my motivation that the bus purchase I had been attempting fell through. I keep reminding myself that it wasn’t the right bus for me and that there is a better one I have yet to find, but it was extremely disappointing that the bus I had found (that seemed perfect and was already past the initial demolition stage) didn’t work out. Honestly, the asking price from the buyer was just too high and even though it’s still for sale, I obviously don’t have the money to make it work. So it isn’t the right fit, and I know that, but now I have to start the search over again and see where I can land.
Back to my visualizations during the day, I tried to focus the most (outside of the skoolie plans) on my wardrobe. Working through a lot of minimalist content I had discovered that a lot of people use ‘uniforms’ when they transition as a way to eliminate clothing decisions and simplify their closets. Even though I’m not opposed to wearing a uniform, I did do that for twelve years of my life by going to private schools, I knew I didn’t want to wear the same color every single day. I love items that pop and are bright, and a lot of those things in my closet are the ones that really make me feel good and confident when I’m wearing them.
So, visualizing my current clothes, I tried to mentally go through items that I would wear all the time - things that I could wear every day if I needed to, even though I knew I was going to keep more than just the same black t-shirt and leggings.
Maybe it won’t surprise you, maybe it will, but sitting in my parents’ house removed from my closet, I had a difficult time actually remembering what I owned. My closet at my apartment is bursting with items and I couldn’t recall more than a handful when trying to piece together what I would keep.
Here’s where I ended up (tentatively) landing at the end of the day for what would become my ‘capsule wardrobe’ (you can learn more about this concept here):
3 pairs of black high-rise Girlfriend Collective leggings
2 pairs of denim jeans (Asos and Buffalo brands)
2 pairs of black sweatpants (Nike)
2 pairs of black and white athletic shorts (Nike)
2 pairs of multicolored biking shorts (Nike)
1 mini, forest green a-line dress (Asos)
1 mini, floral black patterned a-line dress (Asos)
1 black, long-sleeved shirt (Francesca’s)
1 sky blue, chunky-knit sweater (Asos)
1 navy tank top with lace detail (unknown brand)
1 goldenrod, pleated tank top (unknown brand)
1 burnt orange, cotton v-neck shirt (unknown brand)
1 maroon puffer coat (The North Face)
2 pairs of boots, 1 short and 1 tall (The Original Muck Boot Company)
1 pair of black gladiator sandals (unknown brand)
1 pair of black heeled booties (unknown brand)
1 pair of maroon heeled booties (unknown brand)
1 pair of outdoor running shoes (Nike)
1 pair of indoor (gym) running shoes (Nike)
So, as my starting point, my capsule wardrobe was going to have black and navy (or denim) as my base colors and maroon, burnt orange, goldenrod, forest green, and sky blue as my accent colors. Technically that’s too many accent colors for a capsule wardrobe, but it doesn’t really matter. What I cared more about was keeping things that I could remember, and that I knew I loved and felt good wearing, while still maintaining some of my personality in my outfits.
The above list is also far from exhaustive. There are so many things in my closet that I have definitely forgotten about and will need to evaluate once I’m back in my apartment, but this feels like a good starting point and, even if this does end up being my complete list, I can always fill it out a little bit later. By that I mean adding in a few black or colored shirts so I have enough to wear in every season - still trying to keep it minimalist, just being practical.
I will also add that, based on the initial designs I’ve made for my skoolie, I’m looking at 2 ft by 2 ft by 6 ft space for all of my clothing. That will exclude jackets and shoes, but everything else will need to fit in that amount of space - which is compared to my two 12 ft by 2 ft by 6 ft closets, plus my dresser, and the under-bed storage I currently use for clothing. It’ll be fun to see how it all comes together at the end!