My review of how my spring/summer ten item wardrobe performed this past season.
I believe that having a curated approach to your wardrobe can help improve your style, increase your confidence, and just in general make your life easier. No, you don’t have to go throwing out most of your clothes, but it helps to be more intentional about what you choose to purchase in the first place and keep in your closet.
I address these points in several other posts, which I’ll link below. For now, I’m giving you an in depth review of my own wardrobe this past season to help you intentionally curate your own wardrobe.
If you missed it, check out my Spring/Summer Ten Item Wardrobe post to see what pieces I chose to wear last season (and what in the world a Ten Item Wardrobe is anyway).
Spring/Summer Ten Item Wardrobe Review
This past season I had twelve core items (the clothes I wear every day) and several extras to round things out. I had five dresses, three shorts, and four tops in my core items. In my extras I had two lightweight sweaters for layering (during the spring when it was cooler), a couple of cardigans for when the air conditioning is too cold, a few tees, and a skirt. Also I had two pairs of sandals for daily wear, although I don’t really count those as core items or extras, I just try to only have a few basic pairs.
Dresses
I had five dresses in my core items:
- Floral Wrap Top Dress, L.L. Bean
- Polka Dot Wrap Top Dress, L.L. Bean
- Seafoam Floral Wrap Top Dress, Lands End
- Blue Paisley Dress, Garnet Hill (thrifted)
- Green and Black Leaf Print Dress, Garnet Hill
One of my most worn items was definitely my floral dress from L.L. Bean. I discovered these dresses through The Daily Connoisseur YouTube channel, and I’m so glad. This dress has been my absolute favorite. It’s lightweight, comfortable, and nursing-friendly (which is a must, since I’m a nursing mom). I love floral patterns, and I just think this dress is very pretty. It also looks great with a sweater or cardigan layered over it, and I’ll be taking this dress into my fall wardrobe.
I also wore my polka dot dress from L.L. Bean a lot as well. The reason this one comes in second place is because I should have purchased this dress in a petite size. The skirt is pretty long, and I wish it were a couple inches shorter. Other than that, it’s also very comfortable and versatile, and it’ll be going into my fall wardrobe.
My other favorite dress was my seafoam floral print dress from Land’s End. (This was another discovery from The Daily Connoisseur.) I love the color and print on this dress, and like the L.L. Bean dresses, it’s easy to nurse in without being too low cut. I will probably continue to wear this dress through September, since the weather is still hot where I live. Once I start switching to fall colors, this dress will be stored until next spring.
The last two dresses were my two starlet knit dresses from Garnet Hill. These dresses are comfortable and nursing friendly, and I love the prints on both (and they have pockets!). The only thing I don’t particularly love is that they are too low cut. I may still wear the blue paisley one through fall, because I have a sweater to layer over it, even though it’s not in fall colors.
Shorts
I like to wear shorts during the summer, because it gets very hot and humid here. Shorts keep me cooler than pants, and are easier to wear when I’m out and about with the kids.
I had three pairs of shorts in my core items:
- Khaki Linen Shorts, Garnet Hill
- Navy Linen Shorts, Garnet Hill
- Denim Shorts, J.Crew (thrifted)
My linen shorts from Garnet Hill were the most worn items in my wardrobe, next to the floral L.L. Bean dress. They are made from high quality linen, so the material is breathable but not too thin, and although they wrinkle (as linen naturally does) it doesn’t look bad.
These shorts have an elastic waist and drawstring which add to the comfort. I’m seriously considering getting rid of anything without an elastic waist.
The only thing I don’t like about these shorts is that the inseam needs to be about an inch longer (in my opinion).
I’ll be wearing these until the weather cools off, and then they’ll be in my summer wardrobe next year. They’re well made, and I think they’ll last for years.
On the other hand, I ended up not wearing my denim shorts at all. Although they were a wardrobe staple last summer, this year they were just too tight, and they don’t have an elastic waist.
Tops
I needed tops to pair with my shorts, and I had four in my core items:
- Blue Dot Detail Linen Top, Boden
- Pink Button Down Top, Target
- Emerald Sleeveless Blouse, Target
- Plaid Tie-Front Blouse, Target
I still love this blue dot detail linen top from Boden. I didn’t wear it much this season because it didn’t go well with my linen shorts. It’s too light a color to wear with my khaki colored shorts, and I suppose I don’t like to wear blue on blue. I am going to keep this top for the future, because it’ll go with other pants or skirts in my wardrobe.
I did wear this pink button down top from Target a bit. It’s a cotton/linen blend, which coming from Target is a surprise. My criticism is that it’s pretty thin (but so is pretty much every other fast fashion garment), but the loose drape makes it less noticeable. This was a great top for really hot days because it is light, airy, and breathable.
My most worn top was my emerald sleeveless blouse from Target. It looks good with both pairs of linen shorts, but I especially like the contrast of the jewel tone green with my navy shorts. This top is also breathable and comfortable.
I didn’t wear my red and navy plaid top as much this summer. The colors read more fall, so I plan to wear it much more through this fall.
I purchased one new top to add to my Ten Item Wardrobe this summer. This bright pink lace v-neck top from Boden has been a great addition. I purchased it to have another top to wear with my khaki colored shorts, but it goes with the navy as well. It’s been a pretty, comfortable, and versatile addition to my wardrobe.
Extras
Extras are the items the round out your wardrobe. In my extras I had a few sweaters and cardigans, some tee shirts, a skirt, and my sandals.
Once May hit I no longer needed to wear my Garnet Hill sweaters for layering, the weather was too warm. They’ll be nice for fall. I also wore my cardigans a few times, for when indoors with very cool AC.
As for my Breton stripe tees, I didn’t wear them much. I think I just preferred the looser tops from my core items, even when at the playground. Another thing is that the hemline on these tees is a little long, and it makes the proportions look odd with the linen shorts. I think they’ll look better in cooler weather with jeans.
My mustard yellow flower print top was relegated to my extras. I really like the way this top looks; it’s so cute. Unfortunately it’s made from really cheap rayon, and it wrinkles at the slightest provocation. This means that if I want to wear it, I need to be strategic about putting it on right before I leave the house, and I need to be careful while wearing it. I just don’t have time for that drama in my life, so I may have to part with it.
Lastly are my sandals. I loved these Sam Edelman Gigi sandals so much that I included them in my Summer Favorites post. I’ve worn my almond patent sandals the most, because they’re the most versatile, but I also wore my black pair a lot as well.
These sandals are chic and comfortable – they don’t rub my feet painfully anywhere. And they come in many colors! Check them out here on Amazon. (By the way, that’s an affiliate link, which means if you love my recommendation and purchase them from this link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!)
I don’t think I included my addidas running shoes in my original Ten Item Wardrobe post, but I actually wear them a fair amount during the summer. I put them on whenever I’m going out for a walk or any other activity where I’m going to be on my feet a lot. They’re comfortable and look great.
I hope this review of my Ten Item Wardrobe inspires you to do your own intentional look back at the clothes you’ve worn this past season. Analyzing your wardrobe can be really helpful to let you know what kinds of clothing you actually wear versus clothes you hang onto for your “ideal self”. This can also help you get your wardrobe ready for fall!
How has your wardrobe performed this last season? Did you have any stand-out pieces you loved and wore a lot? Which ones did not perform well? Leave a comment below!
Pin it for Later!
More Capsule Wardrobe Posts
My Ten Item Wardrobe: Spring/Summer 2019
My Ten Item Wardrobe: Fall 2018
Fall 10 Item Wardrobe Review: How Did I Do?
Clothing You DON’T Need in Your Closet
How to Quickly and Easily Create Your Own Capsule Wardrobe
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