The other day, I turned to my husband and said “Hey, remember when I had like 60 pairs of jeans?”  He dead-panned, “No. I’ve completely blocked that out of my mind.”

Rightfully so.  It’s pretty embarrassing. It was in the midst of what I call the Shopaholic Years.  Shopaholic was not an official diagnosis, but more of a self-proclaimed title.  Shopping was my cardio, and I was all about the deals.  There was no pair of $20 jeans in my size left untouched.  They didn’t even have to fit great.  They were just good enough for the moment.  This in turn, left me continually looking for more.

I am the first to admit I still love to shop.  And I definitely go through phases – extremes one way or another.  At one point, I even gave up shopping for an entire year to try and get it under control. It was a good exercise in self-discipline, but about 2 months after the shopping diet ended, I began to relapse and fall into similar patterns.  Mostly I find when my self-esteem is wavering or I am struggling in other areas of life, shopping temporarily fills a void for me.  It’s that immediate gratification that feels so good yet solves nothing in the long run.

And here’s where the capsule wardrobe comes in and saves the day!

I think it works so well for me at this stage of life because I don’t have to quit shopping.  It just forces me to really hone my shopping skills in a different way.  And yes, I do consider shopping a skill.  It has to be treated as such.  Instead of just going and buying whatever catches my eye or whatever is cheapest, time and effort need to be put into building a wardrobe.  There is joy to be found in it.

I personally enjoy the whole process – scouring Pinterest for inspiration, making lists of what I really want, finding those items in my budget that I know I will wear again and again. I still second guess some of my purchases, and experience trial and error with online shopping.  And I still slip-up occasionally and get overly excited about a deal.  But for the most part, I have found it so gratifying.

So what can we learn from the Shopaholic Years?  No amount of jeans will solve your problems. Happiness is letting go of your jeans.  Let your faith be bigger than your jeans collection.  Breathe, they’re just jeans.  Sometimes the right path is to steer clear of the jeans sale.

OK I could do this all day.  Somebody make some memes already!

Well, friends, we’re through the halfway point of my time here with you all and let me tell you, it’s been the best! Your questions have been amazing, so today I thought I’d answer a few!

How can I find a good tailor?

Yelp is a great place to start, but if the people in your community don’t actively use it, I’d suggest putting a call for help on Facebook, asking your neighbors, or stalking people carrying those plastic cleaners bags.

How do I build a wardrobe in the middle of a life / work transition?

Remember, you’re not alone! So many of you expressed similar feelings in this post. Here are a few suggestions:

• Identify six essential pieces you’ll need for the next six weeks. Or five for five weeks, whatever works for you! Remember to tailor these suggestions to fit your needs, but setting a number will help to relieve the pressure of building a whole new wardrobe. What six pieces will get you through the next six weeks working in an office, being a stay at home mom, or working from home? Look at what’s in your closet and then decide on six essential pieces that will work with what you already have.
• Keep a list of staple pieces you’re hunting for in your phone. I was recently able to check off quality nude flats (check them out here), and I’ve been searching for the perfect navy blazer for a year.
• Accept that your closet won’t be perfect. I wasn’t kidding when I said acceptance has been huge for me. I don’t anticipate there ever being a time in my life when I have every single thing I want, but I always have what I need. To help me see my clothes with fresh eyes, I like to rearrange my closet organization every so often. I also find a lot of combination inspiration in the laundry pile since I take about a week to put my clothes away. ;-)

How do you manage to wear tops under cardigans and sweaters without them bunching?

I hold the ends of the sleeves tightly while I’m putting the sweater on and, here’s my secret, I don’t let go until I’m done adjusting everything. If it’s a shirt that buttons I also button the first layer all the way up before putting the sweater on.

Not all shirts work well under all of your sweaters so it’s definitely a trial and error process. Unless I know a combination will work, I don’t wear it on a day I’m running late– which is pretty much everyday! If your shirt looks funky under your sweater I have heard wearing a camisole on top of the first layer helps smooth everything down.

If you have any other questions you’d like answered go ahead and leave them in the comments! I love reading and answering them!