2015 is my year to minimize and simplify. Last year, My husband and I moved from a two bedroom Atlanta home to a one bedroom apartment in Washington D.C. Our square footage was literally cut in half. Then I proceeded to quit my job to pursue my dream of being an artist entrepreneur. These two decisions forced us to really examine what we considered essential. Not having the space nor the budget forced us to look deeper at what we valued. Some might see this as a ghastly scenario, but truthfully, getting rid of most our stuff, we became happier people. We gained a new sense of freedom by being less tied to material things.

This also coincided with a time a dear friend introduced me to the "capsule closet," first created by Courtney Carver of Be More with Less. The concept is to narrow your wardrobe down to 33 essential pieces. This was especially difficult for me. Having worked in the fashion industry most of my life, I have acquire a lot over the years. At one point, 4 closets worth! My clothes became my identity, my security, my happiness and many more thing it was not meant to be. Needless to say, I found this "Capsule Closet" project quite challenging, but necessary.

A year later, I finally made a dent, and learned a few tricks along the way. It's possible to narrow down your closet to a select few pieces without losing your sense of style, and still have room to play with fashion. It involves more creativity, but I promise you, you will love what you have even more, and have a lot more fun getting dressed!

Here's my latest challenge: I am attending four weddings in the coming year, each in a different season, held around the world, and all with different dress codes. My first instinct is to buy a new dress for each wedding, but as a budding "artist-preneur," that's not quite an option anymore. So here's what I put together from my capsule closet. I would love to know your thoughts and feedback!

Wedding #1:

Season: Summer

Location: Kennebunkport, Maine

Attire: Semi-formal

Outfit:

Navy Tibi high neck silk Tank
Navy Alice and Olivia satin dress pant
Black suede d'orsay pumps
Gold belt
Purple gemstone clutch (from local Cambodian artisan)
Green topaz necklace

Wedding #2

Season: Fall

Attire: Cocktail

Location: Burgundy, France

Outfit:

Classic LBD (low back makes it more interesting and unexpected)
Green topaz neckplace
Purple gemstone clutch
Statement shoes - Prada Spring/Summer 2012 runway car shoes (Ok, I'm slightly obsessed with these)

Wedding #3:

Season: Winter

Attire: Black-tie

Location: Savannah, Georgia

Outfit:

Navy Tibi silk tank
Champagne colored satin skirt
Black d'orsay pumps
Green topaz necklace
Purple gemstone clutch

Wedding #4

Season: Spring

Attire: Beach Casual

Location: Tulum, Mexico

Outfit:

Navy Tibi silk tank
Printed maxi linen skirt
Panama hat
Tan leather sandals (by local artisan in Positano, Italy)
Straw woven large clutch
Long gold necklace (by local Brooklyn artist)

My guiding principles to my Capsule Closet

Rule 1: Fit is the most important. If you love the way it looks on you, you will feel good wearing it.

Rule #2: Quality, quality quality! I can't stress this enough. Quality is important for several reasons. Your clothes will last longer, so you spend less money to replace. Quality shows. I personally HATE fast fashion. Buying cheap, poor quality clothes not only adds junk to your life, but it adds waste to this world and inadvertently endorses the poor working conditions of clothing factories overseas.

Rule #3: Don't be afraid to keep special and sentimental pieces. I know the original capsule closet emphasizes keeping only the "basics." However, accessorizing with a few statement pieces really adds fun to your outfits. The caveat is to invest in quality and truly special pieces. For me, this is finding one of a kind pieces during my travels, so it not only supports and embraces the art of local artisans, but it also brings me back special memories each time I wear it. Our best items are ones that tell a story.

I hope you enjoyed this. Again, I would love your feedback on how you are "essentializing" your closet and would love suggestions on other ways to style for weddings!

Happy "essentializing,"

Serena