Man, yesterday was fun! I just have to give you all a big heartfelt “THANKS!!” because you made yesterday really special for me. Aaron and I have been so excited to share our news about moving to Seattle, and it feels so good to finally share it with other people! So … thank you for adding to our joy.
Our move is taking up all of my brain space right now, so let’s talk about it! A few of you asked some really great Q’s yesterday:
Why Seattle? For this move, our goal was to invest in our family, so we picked Seattle, where Aaron’s brother + sis-in-law live.
What about your home in Austin? This one’s easy — we don’t own a house, so we timed our move with when our apartment lease was up. Eventually, if we ever do own a house in Austin and decide to go on another short term adventure, we might try renting it out or putting it on airbnb.
Will you make changes to your capsule wardrobe because of the different climate? This may be delusional, but I designed my current capsule in hopes that it would work for both climates. Okay, okay, I can hear your laughter. :) It’s not perfect and I know I’ll need to add a couple of things — like, I don’t know, oh a rain jacket. But for the most part, my plan is to experience Seattle for a few weeks and then make purchasing decisions. Which should be right in time for my summer capsule anyway. But … we’ll see how it goes. I’m not tied to any particular outcome.
More Q + A to come!
Jacket: Madewell
Top: old from J.Crew (similar here)
Jeans: old from Gap (similar here)
Shoes: old from J.Crew (similar here)
Rings: Moulton
Bag: Marc Jacobs (similar for less here)
I’m so excited for you! I read yesterday’s post and it just felt like me, only 18 years ago when I got married and dreamed about living all over the world. I’m brazilian and I lived in the US, UK, in a tiny village close to a National Park in Brazil and now I’m in Portugal, all places that we loved, chose and cherished as a family, It’s great that you don’t own a place yet. It makes so much easier to move around! Apart from 3 or 4 years, I have rented apartments all my married life by choice!
I loved your line of thought and that you shared your planning steps, because it really doesn’t happen overnight, but we have to make room for our dreams, right?
Best of luck!
This is really exciting and inspiring! Good for you! I’m definitely scheming and trying to set up a foundation for more adventure in my life
Love your shoes! And ooh I love rain coats. They’re always so bright and happy :D although maybe you’ll go for something a little different. Can’t wait to see your adjusted wardrobe! It’s kinda cool how we can kinda follow the changes in your life just by looking at your wardrobe :) -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
I’m so glad you’re talking about this! I’m in the slow planning and saving stage right now, and–since I secretly love being a scrooge and scrimping– I kind of lost sight of why I’m saving and the thrill of the adventure ahead of me!
Congradulations on your upcoming move! I’m finally settling down after 10 years of moving (not our choice, and just back and forth between the same two places), and am thrilled to try out this new adventure while I save for the next one. :)
I used to live in Vancouver Washington. At the time of year you’re moving there, you shouldn’t need a rain coat.
I am so excited for your next adventure! It was always my dream to live in and experience different cities and Seattle was on the list (as was Boston, Austin, and Portland). I made it to Dallas (not quite Austin) and Boulder before I permanently landed here in Colorado. We did go to Seattle on our honeymoon and it’s one of my fave places! Congrats and I look forward to reading about it. Thanks for being an inspiration.
I had to laugh when I read your announcement. I currently live in Iowa and have known that once my kiddo is grown and gone, I would be moving to the outer reaches of the country. At first, I thought I would head further north, because I adore Minneapolis. But as I get older, I realize that level of cold is just too much. Great place to visit in their one month summer.
So started bouncing around ideas. Austin made the list, and so did Seattle (where my brother and family hope to settle once his stint with the Navy is done). We’ve visited them there several times, but it never felt like a heart home. As a child, I always figured that I would live in California, but lets be realistic, can’t afford that. So we finally settled on Portland, a half way point.
There are a lot of very affordable places to live in CA! Where I live (Sac area) you can rent a home for 750 a month. Research! xx
Hehe. I’m sitting on my front porch an hour south of Seattle and wearing a down jacket. It is 7am, though. It really doesn’t rain that much here in the summer- August and September are stunning. How lovely to have the goal of being near family. I’m eager to see where all your dreams take you. (And how you dress for them)
Austin is great, but you will love Seattle too! Congratulations! And have fun! And when you do think about a jacket or coat, be sure it has a hood! Rains are not constant and just come and go….and a hood is so much nicer then an umbrella anyway. Enjoy!
Not sure if you follow/read Capitol Hill Style but she just did a post on raincoats so maybe take a look at her suggestions– you’ll definitely need one in Seattle. Have fun!
This is so wonderful…congrats! I’m so excited to see the Seattle evolution of UnFancy! I LOVED the post about the planning, waiting, and saving for life events such as these! In the almost 8 years of marriage with my husband we’ve traveled the world and all over the US. We’re not rich, we just decided what we wanted to invest it…and it was experiences! Not fancy houses or cars or clothes (we rock a one-car family- a 2002 Subaru that we paid cash for and it its still going strong). True, we’ve been to Switzerland, Budapest, Italy, UK, and so many more places. But what people have to REALLY appreciate is all the times we turned down going out for drinks or stayed in to cook dinner at home to save a buck. It’s all about dedication to a plan and some discipline. Incredible things can happen when those meet! Then we’ll blow up your Instagram ;)
Very exciting! I can’t wait to hear all about it. And, yes…you’re gonna need a raincoat, a fashionable polartec (if there is such a thing!), boots, etc. This could be good! Finding fashionable cooler weather wear is my nemesis.
I am just the opposite – I have an urge to put down roots and stay somewhere for as long as possible. Probably because I moved so much as a kid.
I love your idea of seeing what works for the first couple of weeks and adjusting from there. I am guessing you will find you need a few pieces, but a lot of what you have should work.
My biggest piece of clothing advice – layers. You may need a sweater in the morning and afternoon when it is chilly, but want a tank top in the middle of the day.
In three weeks, we’ll be at the end of the spring rains and transitioning into summer. However, don’t think you won’t need a raincoat quite yet. Summer doesn’t really start until after July 4th. This year may be a little earlier since we had a very odd (warm and dry) winter and spring.
Congrats on the upcoming move! I just checked out your instagram for the first time, and I noticed a few shots of your home and Ikea hacks. Have you ever done a home tour? I’d love to see a tour or just some shots of your current place before you move! I think adjusting your wardrobe to accommodate Seattle climate will be relatively easy, you’ll probably need to make a few additions but you can figure that out while you’re there. When I hear moving a far distance, and for a short time, I more wonder what are your plans for the rest of your stuff?!
I always love reading your blog. It is so optimistic and real, which is such a breath of fresh air. I love traveling and living different places. Right now, my husband and I work in Panama and we love it. Living in different places will so broaden your horizons and what a cool place to live like Seattle. Look forward to reading more about yalls journey!
I love Seattle. I am a South Texas girl and was very surprised on a work trip for my husband how wonderful Seattle was. You need to check out joshgarrels.com. He is a wonderful musician in Seattle. He has a new album out that is free to download. His lyrics are wonderful. Farther Along from his album Love & War & in between is my favorite. Whenever I listen to him I think of Seattle.
I have always wanted to move to Seattle as a temporary place to live, so you are living my dream right now! I would love to know how y’all went about finding an affordable place to stay in Seattle for only 6 months, plus how the job search process went for y’all. You would be helping me out a ton!! :) Congrats again!
I’m excited for you! I tried to leave a comment yesterday but sometimes they just don’t load. Anyway, I’ll try again. I love Seattle and have lived here just about all of my life. I would suggest getting a REAL rainjacket. None of those fashiony ones. I’ve tried so many in my daily bus commute and only wear something from Columbia that says waterproof on the label. Just my suggestion from too many errors!
Love your minimalist approach to wardrobe planning. I’ve just learned recently by getting rid of all the ill fitting, unfavorite items in my closet the better pieces come forward and I’m actually happier with my clothes with less.
My husband and I have always wanted to travel to Austin so maybe someday we can trade homes for a week or two. ;)
I live about 35 mins from Seattle so I’m excited for you! You’ll be living here at the best time of year possible! I’m sure there will be some rain but fall/winter is much worse. It’s beautiful here today!’
I live in Seattle and hearing one of my favourite bloggers is moving here makes me really excited! Hope I can make it to a future event while you’re here. I, highly, recommend getting a rain coat/parka, some beanies for cold mornings, and make sure you have shoes that are okay to get wet. The weather is CONFUSING here and sometimes it rains in the mornings and changes into a glorious shine in the afternoon. We have cold evenings until the summer hits hard – then it’s all shorts and tanks from there! Be prepared for hot and cold in the same days. More layers is always better than less imo. Good luck with you move! You’re going to LOVE my home. :)
YES! So excited! Events would be so fun!
Congratulations! Seattle is a great city. I live in Victoria, BC Canada. A fun weekend trip is taking the ferry from downtown Seattle (the clipper) to Victoria. The Canadian dollar is low right now, so it us a great time for Americans to come and visit their northern neighbours:)
So I live in Seattle and made a capsule this year. I would say, generally, the only notable differences between your capsules and one that you would “need” here is that for outerwear it is useful to have a light rain coat for warm spring days (even rainy summer days!), a heavier rain coat (I got a very thin, down, water resistant one for spring (still rainy but sunny with cold mornings)), and a thick, waterproof insulated ski/down jacket for dead of winter (can get around 30 but it’s a “wet cold”). Right now, it’s chilly in the morning but gets surprisingly warm in the afternoon so I’ve been in nothing but t-shirts with a throw over sweater (or no sweater and my heavier rain coat) to take off when it warms up. Evenings cool back down so I take my jacket if I plan to be out. Summer, which begins usually around July, is when I was able to wear tank tops all day long. Hope this helps!
I lived in Portland for a couple years and LOVED it – but almost never wore my raincoat and carried my umbrella even less. It was hoodies all the way, along with most other Portlanders.
I’m a long time follower, Houston born, Seattle raised/native now. SO EXCITING that you’re moving here. I hope it’s a quick move as Seattle summers are BEAUTIFULLY breath taking and I hope you don’t miss it. You may make slight alterations to your capsule as it’s chilly. It’s laid back feel city so it makes capsule dressing so easy! So exciting for you + husband. Safe travels and good luck packing! And, as always, I appreciate the quality of your content. xo Jackie
Congrats on choosing the Pacific NW! The people and summers are the best part! Although I own a rain coat I rarely wear it and do not own an umbrella, interestingly I wear a down parka more than I did on the East Coast! Looking forward to seeing how your capsules change and for more inspiration on my own wardrobe!
And to prove the rule with an exception, I’m a Portlander, and while don’t wear a rain coat every day, I do wear rain appropriate coats (defs not hoodies) almost every day. I grew up in Washington–you are going to love Seattle! When planning your summer capsule, remember that there are lots of cool days in summer and as Joan said, summer doesn’t really start until July. I don’t run hot or cold, so your mileage may vary, but I’d suggest planning lots of layers. Seattle can be breezy. I wear light summer sweaters many days of summer, short sleeves many more, and tanks the least of all.
Thanks so much for sharing the details of how you got to this move. I love it! It really helps to bring home the hard work and little changes that make big changes. I love that you didn’t present it as just one, big GLAMOROUS change, but rather lots of little changes that lead to a super glamorous result. That reality check is so helpful, and so humanizing. Awesome! (And I can’t wait to see you in the Pacific Northwest!
Congratulations! That’s so exciting! Seattle is such a wonderful city. I’m sure you guys will love it.
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
I think your Spring wardrobe is fine. Maybe get a cute anorak that is good for damp weather. It’s all about layers here and you got that. Usually the rain is lighter…not like the south can be with a hard downpour…its drizzly, that’s why us Seattlites laugh at transplants who use umbrellas…its an easy way to spot an out of towner.
Yes! Seattle’s excited to have you and your awesome fashion sense! I live in Ballard (a rad seattle neighborhood, one of the hippest, for sure), and work downtown near Pioneer Square. Depending on what you’ll be doing, you might need good walkable shoes. We have hills! I bus commute, and have to trudge up some serious hills to get to the bus, so cute heeled shoes are out for me. And you’ll hear all Seattleites saying that only tourists carry umbrellas, but girl, getting drenched sucks… I’m all about the umbrella! And don’t forget a good pair of sunnies… sometimes those grey days can be even brighter than when the sun is out!
Oooh how exciting! Seattle is kind of close to Vancouver…you should visit here sometime :) I have a question -would you ever consider a ‘capsule home’? A few items/decor you have managed to cut down to that you love and switch up a bit every season? What are your thoughts? Would love to see how you decorate your home!
Hello! I actually live in Surrey BC, a suburb outside of Vancouver that’s along the US border. Our climates are pretty much the same as Seattle, we’re only a few hours away by car. Although I own a rain coat I almost never use it. But hoods on jackets on the other hand are very useful. Your coat will dry off fairly quickly when getting wet from the parking lot to the restaurant but your hair on the other hand will not be looking so pretty. You’ve picked a pretty good time of year to move to Seattle since the depressing, rainy, grey, and no sunshine in sight for months, winter just ended.
A couple years ago my husband and I realized how fleeting time is.. especially with our children. We always planned on traveling a lot …but life gets in the way. We decided to visit somewhere new domestically every year (along with visits to family) and do an abroad trip every three years. Three years ago it was Spain, this year the UK. Our oldest daughter is 13, that means one more big trip and she will be out of the house!! You have to JUST DO IT! Congrats on your move!!!!
I’m really excited for you! I’m a Seattle native living in SLC, and I itch to get back to the PNW. The nice thing about Seattle is that you can basically wear the same things year round with a few additions in the summer and winter. I second the need for a raincoat with a hood – people don’t really use umbrellas because it mists more than rains. Have such an amazing time! I’ll be jealous reading about your summer up there. Absolutely best time of year to be in Seattle!
You will LOVE Seattle! It’s so awesome here, and completely gorgeous! Summer is definitely the best season here. I think your wardrobe will fit really well, although you may want a slightly heavier jacket occasionally, and you’ll probably get more use out of your jackets and long sleeve shirts than your tank tops for a while. Spring can be anywhere from 40-70 on any given day (or hour), rain or sun.
I really hope you love it here!
Yay! Welcome to Seattle!! You’re moving at just the right time of year–with luck, you won’t need a substantial rain jacket once summer gets going. Happy to have you!
In my opinion, the comment about the mist (rather than rain) hits the nail on the head. The problem with umbrellas is that you would have to carry one all the time and constantly put it up and down as the mist gets heavier or lighter, or turns to torrential downpour (but only for a minute) then stops all together. A hooded jacket is just much easier and you don’t look silly constantly fumbling with an umbrella. I’d recommend a trench style raincoat with a hood and a packable (thin but warm) synthetic down vest for cold mornings. If anyone asked ;) And in addition to the usual layers. Love your spring capsule, I think you planned fantastically for the move to Seattle! You’re right, you’ll quickly figure out what you need to add once you get there.
So exciting, Caroline!! Since you’re sharing more, can you tell us about more of the little steps you took to get ready to move across the country?
So excited for you guys!!! The northwest welcomes you. :) Be sure to head down to Portland for a weekend or two to check out the awesomeness here. Cheers to great adventures!
So exciting! Can’t wait to hear more updates. :)
Yes! I live in Seattle and it is 65 and sunny today! The PNW is awesome!
A word of NW advice: DO NOT CARRY AN UMBRELLA. I know, they make super cute umbrellas, yadda yadda yadda…
Nobody who is really from here uses one. They will spot you as a tourist a mile away.
Congratulations on your move, it sounds amazing! New places and spaces sounds so refreshing! On an unrelated note, your face in that close up looks spectacular! What a perfect pose.
Kate
Myteacherstyle.blogspot.com
So excited you’ll be in Seattle! I have been following your blog for quite a while and am doing a capsule wardrobe myself. If you need any tips on the area, let me know! Born and raised here!
We just moved here in November and love it! We are in Greenwood! For my capsule wardrobe, I’ve condensed my seasons into two: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. Grab a rain jacket and I’m sure you’ll be smitten as we are. So excited!
We have had a really great few days in late March/early April. Like 60 and 70 degree days. My capsule needs adjusting! Welcome (soon) to Seattle!
I am *definitely* interested to see how you adjust your wardrobe for a new climate – as UK-based reader I was always a bit jealous of you still having bare legs in an ‘autumn’ capsule! I think dressing for rain is challenging too, so I’m looking forward to updates!
You’re going to love Seattle! Get a pair of knee-high boots (treat them for the rain!), a puffer vest, waterproof trench coat, and some beanies (to keep your ears warm). You’ll do well there!
Congrats on your move (although I thought you just moved into a different apartment right before Thanksgiving). Be sure you visit the San Juan Islands while you’re living out there, they are breathtaking and so much fun! And I agree about Vancouver, that someone mentioned…it’s outrageously gorgeous.
Squee!!! I am from Seattle and miss it dearly (I live in Kansas City now). You won’t need a rain jacket, boots, or an umbrella; that’s how you tell the tourists from the residents. It doesn’t typically rain hard enough to need those things. I do recommend not wearing any suede shoes, however, as the weather is too unpredictable to trust in a dry day during the spring (and “June-uary”). Seattle is awesome and you will love it, especially the warm, sunny, mild summer. Congrats on your exciting news!
Conrats on the move! I love visiting Seattle. We will be neighbors…well, across the state. I’m in SE Washington. You should visit sometime. It’s beautiful! Walla Walla is my favorite spot to visit.☺️
As a lifelong Seattle-ite, you can probably get away with some of your wardrobe capsules working. I will say though that in my capsule wardrobe attempt, It is much more difficult in this type of climate. I ended up having one that it a solely rotational series of outwear because you will need all the different variations of a winder breaker, DOWN jacket (not synthetic), vests, mid weight jacket and everything in between. Plan on rebuilding a lot to match this climate, especially once our summer is over.
BEYOND excited!!! I am just across the border in Vancouver, and cant wait to see how this will change your wardrobe!! Get ready for rain :) You will love seattle as well… insanely beautiful city!!
I don’t think that your current capsule wardrobe will be out of place for Spring in Seattle, and the timing of your stay there might even mean that you won’t NEED a rain coat. Seattle summers are just lovely and not all that rainy. Make sure you get to ride the ferries, and plan at least one trip to the upper peninsula. There are a lot of picturesque towns on the Sound, and there’s a fun little State Park called Fort Worden where there are amazing picnic spots, an old-timey house to tour, and a really cool (though small) aquarium with petting tanks where you can feel aquatic creatures (sea cucumbers feel almost velvety!).
I’d say that if you invest in a pair or two of nice tights (maybe even fleece-lined), your capsule wardrobe should work beautifully! I’m a Seattle girl currently in SoCal for college, and I found that my wardrobe didn’t need much changing for the move.
So exciting! But don’t judge Seattle weather based on the first few weeks because the weather will still be gorgeous and a liar. From your blog, layering isn’t an issue for you. I think you’ll just have to focus on varying weights of your layers.
Seattle’s awesome!! Weather is kind of crazy and we’ll be starting the “dry” season pretty soon. But really the key is layers, layers, layers! I also moved here from Texas! And I also drove! (My hubs and I have two older pups). A couple of things to note- it IS colder than people lead you to believe (but the summer is just amazing)! No, you won’t get depressed; you’re in Seattle! :D It does rain a lot, but it’s a very pleasant, I-wanna-sit-on-my-porch-and-read-all-day-or-go-for-a-nice-long-run kind of rain (happy sigh) ^.^
How very exciting! Congrats on fulfilling your dream :) I’m very inspired as my husband and I just had a conversation this morning about where would we most want to live if we could pick up and move and having the opportunity to be there for a temporary amount of time would be the perfect way to figure it out!
I live in Bremerton – across the Sound from Seattle – and we just moved here this past July. The craziest thing in my wardrobe was finding shoes that would hold up to the rain. Not that Seattle is a constant downpour, but it’s frequently really, really wet – no suede shoes :(. (Except Aug and Sept were practically a drought- but temp wise, you’ll be amazed how glorious it is) Also, some legit rain gear (Columbia, North Face, Patagonia) and some outdoor wear to explore our gorgeous state! You’re going to love it. There’s so much to do. It’s a big city- I’m curious as to what area you’ll be in.
(And for a future move, you should consider my hometown- Charleston SC – great people, the best food, and beaches!)
Hi
I think you are really brave to move to a new place, and to start a new live.
I like your flat sandal which fit prefectly your jean and your jacket.
A flat sandal that I found on a website, which is gorgeous also.
Best regards.
I am SO excited for your move!!! I can’t wait to hear all about it. I just found out this week that my boyfriend and I are officially moving also, to the small town of Cordova, Alaska. He just got a job there and is leaving in just a few weeks (!). I’m leaving in June. It’s daunting to make a move, but also really rewarding. We’re totally tapping into our purging instincts a couple times a week and trying to only keep what we ABSOLUTELY love. It’s so freeing. I thought I was getting minimal before now – ha – I had no idea.
I can’t wait to see what your new life in Seattle will bring to your life, your site and your capsule wardrobe. Congrats!
I live in Seattle! Welcome, we could use some more folks with style :) And you’re totally going to need a jacket until July 5th…
I’ve lived in Seattle for 15+ years, and I have to contradict everyone saying you shouldn’t bring an umbrella. I own two hooded rain jackets which I use extensively, yes, but it DOES occasionally rain really hard, and the wind can blow it sideways, and up into your hood (especially if you have to walk into the wind) for which an umbrella comes in handy. Especially when you want to keep your hair nice for things like a dinner party, job interview, etc. Who cares if people label you a tourist. Your hair is staying nice and theirs isn’t! :D
P.S. WELCOME TO SEATTLE! Hopefully you can do some events so more of us readers can meet you in person! <3
What do you do for work that allows you to work from anywhere?
Good luck on figuring out a capsule in a new climate! My husband and I moved from Austin to DC in January. My cold weather capsule from Texas worked surprisingly well up here. Of course I added snow boots and a puffy coat because…obviously. However, my spring capsule has been proving to be a bit of a challenge. Part of the problem is I have quite a few pieces in it that I don’t love (but can’t afford to replace right now), plus I have more pieces in it that require more care than my cold weather clothes (ironing, handwashing, etc.). Lessons learned! The other issue is that spring here just isn’t all that warm, and I am just a bit tired of wearing layers and sweaters and such. But…that makes the occasional sunny day and sandal-wearing even more awesome. I will be interested to see your process for Seattle!