[audiobook] The Capsule Wardrobe: 1;000 Outfits from 30 Pieces by Wendy Mak at Arts-Photography

Review

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful. 30 Pieces in my wardrobe? Its possible (as a starting point)...By Victoria EilandLets be clear: I hate to shop for clothes. My short (51"). rotund (Im not going to share. but Im definitely plus-sized) body does not lend itself to a happy day of perusing the racks and searching for the next great piece. Add in a relatively boring sense of style (solid colors. black pants. penny loafers) and fashion and I are not on speaking terms.If this describes you in any way. The Capsule Wardrobe is the book for you.Think of The Capsule Wardrobe as the successor to the KonMari method. If you. like me. have considered a great clean-out but panic over the idea of being naked and afraid. Wendy Maks book will provide you with some peace of mind and comfort. Wendy Mak demonstrates that it is possible to pare your wardrobe down to 30 items and still have a functioning wardrobe. The thirty items?7 bottoms (skirts. pants. etc)6 tops6 top layer items (blazer. sweater. jacket. coat. etc.)3 purses6 pairs of shoesAccessories.(Dont count that. I know its not 30 but I dont have the book in front of me right now.) Work wear. weekend wear and going out are all included. This does not include loungewear or gym wear. She doesnt tell you to pare down underwear or socks. Just your main dressing pieces.More importantly. she provides a full table of possible combinations. Again. Im not brave or confident in my attire and my ability to match things up. so having a foolproof guide helps.This book is designed as a jumping off point and not something that is set in stone. Work with it. make it personal. and remember: each part must work with the whole. Dont buy just because its on sale. How will the new piece work in your wardrobe?Now. the book does have a few weak points. I think every woman will raise an eyebrow at her impassioned defense of skinny jeans (or is that just me?). She defends it ably (your legs and bum dont look as bad as you think. you need to be able to tuck your pants into your boots. etc). but that might be further than most women want to go. Also. she maintains that this will give you over 1000 different looks. I think that might be overstating it. but youll definitely get over 100.So now that its January and Im standing in front of my closets in disgust. looking at clothes I must have purchased on an alcoholic bender. shoes in need of repair that I havent repaired or discarded. and shirts and bottoms I havent worn in two years. Im feeling brave. Between Marie Kondo and Wendy Mak. I can finally remove some of these clothes from my closet and pare down to the essentials. The Capsule Wardrobe is helping me make the decision on what to keep and what to toss/donate/give away and Im doing so in the knowledge that Ill still be able to leave the house looking relatively put together in the end.Advance Reader Copy supplied by Publisher. This review is my honest opinion.33 of 35 people found the following review helpful. Great suggesions!!By Helpful HannahI really enjoyed this book. and I think her capsule wardrobe ideas are great. In my younger years. I never had the basics in black. grey. taupe etc and that led to frantic times. trying to figure out what to wear to work!! I like the way she doesnt stick with any type of fashion dogma as well.One problem I did encounter with the book is that half of the length consists of lists of more than 1000 outfits which I didnt feel like was needed. One main outfit tweaked by a different purse or a different pair of shoes. To me. thats not a new outfit but the old one just...tweaked. But if you have absolutely no imagination on how to coordinate your outfits. this is the book for you.When Im buying a book like this. hardback. I always look at the page count. to make sure its not a Kindle wonder with only 40 pages!! So in this case. the book is more like 120 pages. with the rest being lists of outfits. which I had a hard time even reading (small print. grey and very hard to read.). And that was the only reason it has a four star and not a five.Author gives lots of excellent advice. though. so its still a recommend!!12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. The Capsule Wardrobe by Wendy Mak is the perfect starting point for building a cohesive wardrobeBy Sarah BThe Capsule Wardrobe by Wendy Mak is the perfect starting point for building a cohesive wardrobe.Starting with steps for clearing out your current wardrobe and identifying whats worth keeping. it then guides the reader towards the items that will provide the most versatile wardrobe for the fewest total pieces. This is a guide for all of us whose wardrobe options dont match how we actually live (4 different evening dresses and 1 or fewer occasions to wear them in any given year. Lots of office attire. but my job comes with a uniform! - or is this just me?!)I found the authors style to be warm and engaging and she certainly seemed aware that not all of us would be comfortable with her first choices (but I might be tempted to give them a try having heard her perspective!) The suggested changes to the mix for different climates/lifestyles are handy too.Possibly the greatest benefit of this book is that it encourages taking stock of what you have in front of you and mixing it up! The lessons in this book will transfer well to travel scenarios too.