The Stay at Home Mom Capsule Wardrobe for Spring and Summer

One of the things that I hear from moms regularly is that they have no idea how to dress after having kids. They’ve lost their sense of style, lost their mojo, lost their sense of self and don’t even know where to begin. 

Been there, done that.

I have been a stay at home mom for the last 12 out of my 15 years of being a mom. And during that time there were periods of losing my sense of self which was also directly tied to my style.  

Don’t even get me started on pregnancy dressing. That is a whole other blog post.

The hardest part for me was transitioning to a mom after the birth of my first daughter.

I really got stuck in the whole “you need to dress like a mom” thought process. 

Combine that with all the other life adjustments that needed to be made, the whole time was a mind fuck…and that is putting it nicely. 

I lived in a smaller city then, with dismal shopping, and the whole Canadian online shopping thing was very limited so I just sort of gave up.

Don’t give up.

As a new mom or an old mom stuck in a rut, you can find your old self again.

Even if you don’t have the funds to buy yourself a new wardrobe, it is still 100% possible with some planning and creativity.

We were super broke during that time so even if online shopping was readily available I couldn’t have afforded it.

I started my “finding my style” journey with retailers like H&M, Walmart, and thrift stores. 

When you have no idea what to wear or how to wear it, and you just want to feel good when you leave the house again your best bet is to start small and build on it.

Create a capsule wardrobe of some tried and true pieces that will make choosing what to wear easier every day. 

When you have less options you won’t get so overwhelmed. 

The first step of the capsule wardrobe process is to find some fashion inspiration.

Search Online for Capsule Wardrobe Ideas

What works for me, might not work for you. What colours get you excited, may make someone else cringe. There is no tried and true formula for a capsule wardrobe.

It doesn’t all have to be neutrals in order for it to be chic and interchangeable. 

If you have a Pinterest account then start there. If you don’t you should set one up because you will find all kinds of inspiration that you can keep on your boards to refer to and help you on your journey. 

I use both the “My Style” and “Capsule Wardrobe” boards on my Pinterest to keep inspiration even to this day.

I have been compiling looks for YEARS, and sometimes it’s fun to go way back in my pins so see how much I have changed in tastes and how much I have stayed the same. 

I’ve felt pretty confident with my style for the last 10 years or so, and it hasn’t changed that much.  

Once you have gone through and pinned a bunch of pins you will start to get a rough idea of what style you like, and what your desired look may be. 

If you find that you gravitate towards dressy and think that it doesn’t really work with the stay at home mom lifestyle it is easy to fine-tune it a bit so that it does work for you.

Do you leave the home wearing leggings, sneakers, and an oversized sweatshirt and end up feeling like a grub?

Quick solution: wear the leggings, oversized sweater, and sneakers, but throw a smart jacket or blazer over it, and grab a nice handbag (nice doesn’t mean expensive).

Put on some sunglasses and you have an instant polish to an outfit that would normally feel lacking in effort.

Here is a good example of what I mean.

I found a 1960s vintage pair of Ray-bans at Value Village for $20 and they are my most favourite pair ever. 

Shop Your Closet

This is the big step.

You will really have no idea how many potentially good pieces you have in there until you really go through everything very carefully with a fine-toothed comb. Kind of like when you are searching your kids head for lice 😉 

I kid, but kind of not because we had lice run through our house about 7 years ago and it sucked so bad. 

While you are going through your closet to see what will work, it is also imperative that you note what definitely won’t work.

If there are any pieces (and there will be) that make you feel meh when you put them on then GET RID OF THEM.

Do not shove them to the back of your closet in hopes that the meh will turn to yeah.

It will just take up room, making your closet crowded and frustrating to look through. 

The most important aspect of this journey is that the end will result in you having a small selection of clothes that mix and match well and make you feel really good when you put them on. 

You will open your closet and love everything you see in there. No more digging through the mediocre crap that doesn’t work. 

Capsule Wardrobe Number and Colour Palette

Are both of these necessary? No. Absolutely not. 

Does it make things easier for someone who is overwhelmed and needs set parameters? Yes. 

So if choosing a perfect number of pieces to have in your wardrobe is something that you are comfortable with then the general consensus seems to be around 36 give or take. 

As for a colour palette, while it is completely not necessary it does make things easier when you start because things will mix and match a lot easier.

I made my first capsule back in 2015. I stuck to a number and kind of had a palette.

As I have grown and become more comfortable with my style over the years I no longer have that number I stick too, nor do I stay within a certain colour spectrum. 

While I love black and grey, and they will always be a go-to for me, I have enjoyed adding some colour.

Even if it is with just a pair of shoes.

I lived in my red Everlane Day Glove Flats last spring and summer, and I am looking forward to the weather getting a bit warmer so I can bust them out and go bare ankle again. 

If my outfit was head to toe black, that pop of red really elevated things for me.

So don’t be scared of colour, it can really take your outfit to the next level.

Capsule Wardrobe Outfit Formulas

After the go through and corresponding wardrobe purge you should have a lot of empty space, and a lot of thoughts on what you want to go in there. 

A stay at home mom wardrobe will consist of a lot of casual looks and pieces but your goal is to bring them up to casual chic. 

Jeans and a t-shirt is a solid mom uniform.

Add a nice blazer, and some cute flats and you have now made it chic. It is so easy once you get your formulas down. 

And your formulas are the outfit combinations that work for you. I always try to have one dressier or more elevated piece in what I am wearing to balance out the outfit. 

For example if I am wearing jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers, I may add a nice blazer and handbag to dress it up. 

A slip dress (which is dressier) will get dressed down with sneakers, and a leather jacket. 

Dressy trousers? Pair them with a band tee and cute flats. 

Tip: You can change the whole look of an outfit simply by swapping out the shoes. I’m not kidding. Try it.

Another tip: Don’t stray from who you are. I wear A LOT of jeans. Like probably 6/7 days a week are jeans of some kind (these are my favourite pair because they really mould to your body once you break them in). 

If I tried to make a wardrobe that consisted of only one pair of jeans because I was trying to force my style in a certain direction then I would not be successful with that capsule. 

I’m a jean person, therefore I have many different cuts, washes in my wardrobe. It’s what I like and what works for my lifestyle.

Fill Your Wardrobe Holes 

Now that your wardrobe is looking more empty you are going to want to start filling it.

All at once? Hell no. Slow and steady wins this race.

Curate your wardrobe over a long period of time as you come across the right pieces.

There are some many options for every budget and if you can’t buy new then go thrifting. There are so many treasures to be found with patience.

Online thrift stores like Thredup, and Poshmark are also both excellent sources, eBay too. 

And if you have a lot of mom friends then do a clothing swap party. You may be surprised at the pieces other people are offering. 

If you are a list sort of person then make a list of items that your ideal wardrobe may have.

These will help to guide you when you are looking to purchase things. It will also help to keep you on track so you don’t end up impulse buying something that won’t work. 

Remember that you are not looking to “complete” your wardrobe. It will be a continual work in progress. 

You can work up to the pricier more wishlist pieces. It’s immensely satisfying to cross something off that list.

Last year for my 40th birthday I treated myself to a designer bag. I have never bought myself any wardrobe item that was over $200 in my entire life.

I figured at 40 I was allowed to splurge. 

I searched online secondhand bag retailers and kept my eyes open checking their inventory every day to find the right piece. I chose a retailer that allowed me to pay in layaway instalments, and it took me three months to pay it off. 

I wear that bag almost every day, and I have never once regretted the purchase. 

This wardrobe is pretty standard for what I wear from spring through summer, and even in to fall. A handful of t-shirts, lightweight blouses, a sweater, sweatshirt, and favourite blazer.

A variety of jeans is a staple for me, with culottes, and cotton trousers for summer.

I don’t wear shorts so I didn’t include any, but if you do just include your favourite pair. I also don’t wear sandals a lot. I prefer flats, mules, and sneakers in the summer. 

So, on your mark, get set, GO!….Just kidding, it’s not a race. Enjoy the process because it can be both cathartic and a revelation. 

This is for a spring and summer capsule wardrobe for stay at home moms. All of the visuals in this post are meant as a guideline to aid you in creating your own capsule wardrobe based on your own clothing, colour preferences, and personal style.

If you are planning to build a capsule wardrobe this spring and enjoyed my Capsule Wardrobe for Stay at Home Moms, please feel free to share it via Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter. Thank you.

You may also like:
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe for Fall
A Year Long Capsule Wardrobe for Stay at Home Moms

Stay at Home Mom Outfit Ideas

Tank Top | Bodysuit | Red Top | Band Tee | Blue Top | White Long Sleeve | White Blouse | Blue Blouse | Sweatshirt | Hoodie | Sweater | Cape | Blazer | Black Dress | White Dress | Culottes | Trousers | Casual Denim | Denim | Black Denim | Leather Jacket | Trench | Scarf | Hat | Sunglasses | Tote | Crossbody | Round Bag | Boots | Sneakers | Flats | Mules | Sandals |

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