It was spring. I began doing what I always do in spring—purging. This time however I wanted to approach it differently. I wanted to make it more lasting. I wanted to create simplicity in my life.

I’d recently begun reading Marie Kondo’s The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I love the premise of only keeping items that Spark Joy. I liked it so much that I wrote about it in one of my debut posts Simple Lovely. I even went as far as to fold and arrange my clothing according to the KoMari method. It worked. It made getting dressed easier, lovelier.

Then summer hit.

I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love the heat and laying on hot sand beaches. I love swimming in the Pacific ocean. I love surfing early in the morning and taking long walks under the star-lit sky. I love summer…in California.

I’m a California native, and summer in Cali is the stuff of my youth, I’ve spent countless hours on the beaches of Southern California wearing little more than a bikini and pair of boardshorts. You know, summer clothing.

But now I’m a Utah resident. And summer here is different, drier, pointedly void of the Pacific ocean. So, walking around in a bikini where there is no ocean feels a little…awkward. In truth I don’t really own summer clothing. I own maybe two pairs of shorts (because I hate shorts) and a few summer dresses.

I reverted to living in yoga pants and tank tops, practically avoiding all the clothes in my closet because I would just sweat in them anyway.

Now here is fall, a true lovely leaf-changing weather-cooling fall. In California we basically have two seasons, off-season summer, and summer summer. But here we have a full four seasons. It’s amazing and life giving. I fall more in love with Utah with each season.

This year I’ve decided to take my KoMari living to the next level and embrace the Capsule wardrobe, I blame and thank Pinterest. I hate thinking about what I’m going to wear, when basically I wear the same uniform over and over again. I’m really a jean and tee-shirt girl that at some point felt like I had to grow up and wear things other than jeans at tee-shirts. Silly me. After studying and researching the premise of a “Capsule” wardrobe I decided it was for me.

I’ve come to understand that I can still be a jean and tee-shirt girl, but just a slightly more grown up version. I’ve traded in my holely old jeans for 3 pairs of well-fitting Paige Verdugo ankle jeans, a pair in black, light blue and dark blue. I have several super soft Madewell vee-neck tees.

The name of the game here in Utah where the weather can change like my toddler’s mood is layering.

To my collection I’ve added about 5 different wrap sweaters of varying lengths and pattern. Most are black, grey, or creme—my standard colors. I have two Fall skirts that can be paired with any of these tee-shirt/sweater combinations and several pairs of tights for layering. Additionally I have 2 button down flannels that can be layered over any of my tee’s and under most of the sweaters, and two sweater dresses that can be worn with or without leggings. I have one denim henley that I wear the heck out of and a few other graphic tees.

“For some people, getting dressed is a delight, a way to tell the world who they are, a creative and inspiring process. Some people get a little charge of energy from the pure variety of what they buy and put together and wear. I’m finding that I get a little charge of energy knowing exactly what I love and what I don’t, and being clear about the two. I’m more inspired by a near-uniform, a narrow set of parameter that make me feel most like myself.”                          -Shauna Neiquist, Present Over Perfect 

My foot wear in also simple, a pair of black Nike flex which are fantastic for travel, a pair of brown Roxy motorcycle boots, grey Clarks ankle boots, brown over-the-knee riding boots, a brand-new pair of black and green checked Sorels picked up at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, and finally a pair of super cute Hunter boots, a gift from my awesome sister.

If I need to add color to my outfit I grab a soft scarf (I own about 10) or a fun piece of jewelry. Although more often then not I wear the same necklace that my Grandmother gave me when I graduated High School layered with a dainty geode that my other sister gave me for my birthday. Did I mention I have awesome sisters who give awesome gifts?

Altogether I have about 40 items in my wardrobe. I do not count undergarments, socks, accessories or outter-wear in my wardrobe count. Packing for trips is now incredibly easy, as well as daily dressing. I pretty much always feel cute and comfortable.

For m0re dressy occasions I have a simple LBD stored in a garment bag which can be dressed up with pearls or fresh accessories. This all makes life a little easier, so that I can focus on that things that really matter to me.

Thus far the capsule has proven itself. I would like to add a pair of gold or grey flats to the mix eventually, I’ve been eyeing a pair of Bronze Tieks but still gasp at how expensive they are. I’m a huge believer in quality over quantity, so from this point forward I will only add items of quality to my capsule.

How about you? What are your closet organization secrets?