An Edgy Capsule Wardrobe for Summer

A white background with 26 pieces for building an Edgy summer capsule wardrobe.

Tank Top | Sleeveless Shirt | White T-shirt | Black Shirt | Button Up | Green Vest | Sweater | Sweatshirt | Blazer | Grey Trousers | Black Trousers | Linen Trousers | Shorts | Black Dress | White Dress | Coloured Earrings | Hoop Earrings | Sunglasses | Yellow Handbag | Pink Purse | Tote | Blue Fringe Slides | Green Flats | Orange Sandals | Clogs | Sneakers

Every season I always look forward to putting together the edgy capsule wardrobe because it is the one that resonates with me the most, and demonstrates my own personal style the best.

I call this one Edgy Lite because the edge comes more from shoes and accessories and less from the clothes.

These posts give me the opportunity to go through my wardrobe and pick out the things that I have been wearing a lot lately and include them in the capsule wardrobe.

That way I can include links to photos of me wearing them so you can see how they look, and work with a wardrobe.

It’s easy to like something but, often is the case with people and shopping is that regardless of how drawn you are to something many people need to see examples of how to wear the item before making a purchase.

To blindly buy a piece with no forethought to how you are going to wear it doesn’t bode well for getting the maximum use out of it.

This is why I also include a layout of outfit ideas that I place at the bottom of every capsule wardrobe post so that you can get a general idea of how versatile an item is, and whether it is something that you will integrate well into your wardrobe.

Before I purchase any new piece I always make sure to think of a handful of ways that I can wear the item off the top of my head.

My philosophy is that if I can think of at least 3-5 ways to wear something with little thought, then when I get it and am able to try it on I can figure out endless ways with a little thought and creativity.

It helps me to cut out the number of things that I have bought that get no wear.

Research shows that in general we only wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time which is so small.

I would even argue that the number is smaller.

Closer to 10-15% in my opinion based on experience.

That is a lot of wasted money and space.

So with downsizing and planning out a versatile smaller wardrobe you will probably wear 80-90% of your wardrobe regularly.

It is a weird mental shift to go from a closet full of things to a much smaller wardrobe, but it works.

Believe me.

And while I loathe summer, it hasn’t been too brutally hot yet this season aside from a handful of days, so I have been able to wear things that are more me.

This capsule wardrobe will get you through into fall as well with some shoe and outerwear swapping.

When I am wearing a lot of darker and/or neutral colours I like to add some visual excitement with shoes and accessories.

I find that they all add the right amount of edge that even a basic t-shirt and cutoff shorts summer uniform can be made interesting with them.

I have the blazer that I included along with the matching trousers. Wearing them together as a suit with an oversized vintage band tee is one of my favourite looks currently.

Which you can see here.

It is called the 80s wool blazer and many are you are thinking, “wool? In summer?” but what a lot of people don’t know is that

a) wool is a natural fiber and its weave is actually quite open and tubular which allows for a good passing of air through it.

Another thing is that wool actually comes in different weights, and this is a summer weight wool which is much lighter and drapier.

Another piece that I love are the Birkenstock clogs. They are very on-trend at the moment though Birks never are off-trend.

They allow me to go sockless without having to show off my toes because I hate toes, and I haven’t painted my toenails in aeons.

I wore them today and here.

I have a very similar pair of the fringe sandals, but mine are black. I love them because they remind me of a bedroom slipper, and are so much fun.

The blue is a great colour as well. Here is the black on me.

New Balance are my favourite sneakers at the moment. I have 3 pairs, one vintage, and two newer models and every single pair are so comfortable.

And finally, ballet flats.

Up until recently they were a dated style, and now they have circled back, and I am totally here for it.

This mint green is divine and quite the statement colour.

Which is a nice addition when you have a fairly neutral-based wardrobe.

So my advice to you is to start small. If you do not want to get rid of the majority of your wardrobe for a much smaller capsule wardrobe then start by just setting things aside.

Pretend to downsize and see how well it works for you to get all that visual and mental clutter out of your closet, so you can just focus on the pieces that make you feel and look your best.

Embrace colour, even if it is just a handbag or flats.

It can make a massive difference in the way an outfit looks and feels.

And finally, stick with pieces that are versatile so that you will get more than one season out of them.

This will stop you from having to switch out your wardrobe completely every season.

You want to pick pieces that will transfer seamlessly to the next season learning how to make the most of what you already have.

The key is to buy less, and rewear more.

Stay safe.

Women’s Summer Outfit Ideas

A white background with 15 outfits from building an edgy summer capsule wardrobe.

Easy Summer Outfits for Women

A white background with 15 outfits from building an edgy summer capsule wardrobe.

Tank Top | Sleeveless Shirt | White T-shirt | Black Shirt | Button Up | Green Vest | Sweater | Sweatshirt | Blazer | Grey Trousers | Black Trousers | Linen Trousers | Shorts | Black Dress | White Dress | Coloured Earrings | Hoop Earrings | Sunglasses | Yellow Handbag | Pink Purse | Tote | Blue Fringe Slides | Green Flats | Orange Sandals | Clogs | Sneakers

You might also like:
How to Build a Cool Summer Colour Palette Capsule Wardrobe
How to Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget
How to Bring Dopamine Dressing into your Summer Capsule Wardrobe
How to Start Adding Colour to Your Summer Capsule Wardrobe
How to use a Colour Wheel to Help You Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe
The Ultimate Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2022
How to Build a Colourful Summer Capsule Wardrobe

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This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do 🙂

This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do 🙂

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Sara

Sara is the founder and creative behind livelovesara. A George Brown College Fashion Styling Graduate, she provides advice on finding your personal style regardless of age and budget. She is always on the hunt for the perfect wardrobe piece and is a vintage and thrifting enthusiast who can't wait to share her newest finds. She is also trying to learn French.

One Comment

  1. Love it!! I like the vision of a transition between summer and fall.

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