Do you ever stare into your closet, feeling completely overwhelmed? Are you drowning in trends you never actually wear? Do you scroll endlessly through Instagram and Pinterest, only to feel frumpy despite all the effort? What if you could ditch the chaos and create a chic, timeless ten item spring wardrobe that makes you feel guapa (Spanish for good-looking) without emptying your wallet?
I’m sharing wisdom I learned in Spain, plus a step-by-step process to transform your style more or less overnight. Maybe I’ll call it the Guapa Capsule Method! Let’s make your spring wardrobe enchanting.
If you’d rather, you can watch the video here:
It’s so tempting to chase fast fashion, grabbing that cheap, trendy piece. But often, you don’t feel great in it, and it just piles up in your closet. You end up with a mess, too many options, and nothing to wear.
I remembered back when I studied abroad in Spain. People didn’t have as many clothes as I was used to seeing. They just wore the same nice, pretty things repeatedly. They didn’t hesitate to wear the same outfit two or three times a week, but they always looked really nice.
Once I learned about the ten item wardrobe from Jennifer L. Scott, and I compared that to what I remembered from Spain and France, I started to adapt that into a ten item wardrobe that I’ve rotated four times a year for the seasons. The result is so much less stress about clothes. I have so much joy, and I’m really developing my own personal style that I absolutely love.
The “Aha!” Moment: Quality Over Quantity
“Style isn’t about quantity; it’s about curating with intention.”
My inspiration came from Jennifer L. Scott’s ten item wardrobe concept and my experiences living in Spain and France. I noticed people wearing the same, nice things repeatedly. So, I decided to build a ten item transitional spring wardrobe. I’m focusing on quality over quantity and timeless beauty, all on a budget.
Step 1: Purge with a Purpose (But Gently!)
Okay, I know what you’re thinking: “90% of my closet? That’s terrifying!”
Don’t worry, we can do this gently. Instead of immediately getting rid of everything, pack most of your clothes into big plastic bins or garbage bags. If you’re not comfortable parting with items right away, just stash them away for later. Keep out only ten items that you think you might wear this spring.
This way, you’ll have nearly empty drawers or a mostly empty closet. It’ll feel so serene and good! Plus, you can see if you miss any of the clothes you’ve packed away. If you don’t, you can get rid of them and declutter your house further. If you do miss something, you can always pull it back out, no problem.
To maximize space, try folding your clothes Marie Kondo style, so you can see everything at a glance in your drawers.
Step 2: Hunt for Thrifty Treasures
Every season, I like to add new pieces, and I mainly do this by hunting for thrifty treasures. I love to source high-quality secondhand items. For example, a silk scarf in the spring or a nice button-down shirt. In the winter, I might look for a wool coat.
Now that I’ve developed my style further, I’m always looking for specific things that I know I want at the quality level and price point I want. These pieces elevate your style on a budget. If you want to add in some trendy things, you can do that, too. It’s all about a good mix.
This year, I’ve really been wanting to try those long, flowy, boho skirts that have been in for the past year or two. I finally bought a couple of Old Navy skirts on clearance. They’ve made their way into my transitional spring wardrobe. I’m not sure if I like them or not, but they were only $5 each, so I feel good about trying them out.
Step 3: Mix Thrifty Finds with Classic Staples
Mix your thrifty treasures that you found on the clearance rack or at the thrift store with some classic staples that you might already own. Think of a great pair of jeans or a t-shirt that fits just right. It wasn’t necessarily the cheapest thing, but the best thing.
Step 4: Plan 10 Outfits to Start
Take your ten items and plan out ten outfits to begin with. I have found that with the ten item wardrobe, you can easily get 30+ different outfits. But it helps to have ten in mind to start, outfits that look really nice and that you can pull out and feel confident wearing.
A good way to do that is to film yourself in different outfits, like I’m doing in the video. Then, you can see what works and what doesn’t. Some of the outfits I tried, I ended up discarding because I realized just from seeing the footage that they weren’t going to work.
As you go through the season wearing each piece, notice what makes you feel really guapa, really beautiful, and adjust accordingly. If there’s something in your ten items that doesn’t make you feel great, get rid of it and put in something that does. Even if you get stuck wearing a few things in a given season that don’t make you feel that great, you can always readjust the next season or the next year.
Last summer, I had some things in my ten items that I really didn’t like, but I just kept wearing them because I didn’t have time to go out and find anything else. But I’ve since donated them, so I’m excited to develop a summer wardrobe this year that I really love, and I’ve had the whole year to think about it!
The Enchantment of a Curated Wardrobe
Once you have your little wardrobe together, I find that it helps me to feel gratitude. I feel gratitude for each individual piece of clothing, and it really enchants my day-to-day life. It just feels enchanting to be wearing something that I love.
My Transitional Spring Wardrobe: A Closer Look
Here’s my ten item spring wardrobe I’m currently rocking to give you some inspiration for developing your own!
- Item 1 & 2: This silk button-down flowered shirt from A Love’s A that I got at a consignment store last summer, and this striped midi/maxi skirt from Old Navy clearance. I’ve really wanted to try these skirts out, and I got this one on clearance for five bucks! I like the skirt on its own; I’m just not sure if I like it on me.
- Item 3: These blue plaid capri pants from Banana Republic that I thrifted last spring. I wore them a lot in the spring. I feel like capri pants are a tricky item. There’s a limited window you can wear them, at least here in Kentucky. These ones are lined, so they’re probably good for early fall and early spring only, but I really like them.
- Item 4: These white jeans. I have never had white jeans before! I thrifted these a couple months ago; they were on the dollar rack at the thrift store, and they were in pristine condition, brand new from Urban Outfitters. So I thought, “Well, for a dollar, I will give it a try!” I’m always hesitant to get white clothing because…stains! But I’m going to give them a try and see. I’ve read that you can put white shoe polish on white jeans if they get really dirty, so maybe I’ll try that, too.
- Item 5: This blue embroidered blouse that’s loose on the bottom. I like things that are loose on the bottom because it hides my tummy. I got this thrifted last year, and I just love this boho pattern for spring and for summer.
You’ll notice that I’ve got a color palette developing of blue and white for spring. It really helps with your ten items if there is a cohesive color palette, so all of your pieces can be mixed interchangeably. This blue top goes with these capri pants; I wore this outfit a lot last spring, and I still like it, but if you’re anything like me, you get tired of things. I’m kind of tired of it, but I’m like, “Yeah, it looks good, but I’m tired of it.” Now, here it is with the striped skirt, and it’s a new combo for me!
- Item 6: Another new-to-me top I just got thrifted. It’s from Talbots. I love how it has this little scalloped edge on the bottom and on the sleeves; it’s 3/4 length. I guess it’s a mariner top. I’ve stayed away from these for a couple of years because I don’t know if horizontal stripes are the most flattering on me, but I love them, so I’m just going to give it a try. I am really enjoying it with the white jeans and my little basket, which doesn’t count as one of my ten items; it counts as an extra, an accessory.
- Item 7: This gray pinstriped button-down shirt. It’s good for these days when the weather doesn’t know if it’s going to be warm or cold. It’s nice to have a long-sleeved shirt you can roll the sleeves up or down.
- Item 8: This green button-down shirt from American Eagle Outfitters that I thrifted last year.
- Item 9: This white eyelet skirt from Old Navy that I got on clearance for, let’s see, I think it was $6 on clearance. So, I’m trying out these long skirts. The jury is still out, but at least the soft green and white colors go with my blues as well. I do like how the white eyelet skirt looks with the horizontal mariner striped top as well! It also works nicely with the blue silk A Love’s A button-down shirt and my blue embroidered blouse.
My wax jacket is another extra, which I can just throw on in these uncertain temperatures for a little extra layer. I could also do that with my trench coat or with sweaters. All of those things—cardigans and jackets—just count as extras. They don’t count in my core ten pieces.
- Item 10: These wide-leg cargo pants I just got new at Old Navy. I absolutely love wide-leg pants; I love cargo pants. It brings me back to the ’90s, which were the golden age of my youth! I’ve really been enjoying wearing these, and the neutral khaki color is working nicely with a lot of my tops as well as my extras.
My blue t-shirt I count in my extras, as well as some tank tops I have. They don’t count in my core ten items because they’re just little t-shirts; they’re not blouses or anything. Anyway, it’s kind of up to you what counts as an extra and what counts as a core item, but I tend to count things like t-shirts and tanks as extras.
- Item 11: This V-neck moss green cashmere sweater from Vince. I’m using this as a core item for spring because it is still cold here, and it’s a great piece to throw on when the weather is doing its crazy things in this transitional time of year. It’s kind of like an awkward season, but there’s something really fun and beautiful about awkward seasons as well.
Of course, a trench coat is a great spring coat for the rain and things like that. I’ve been enjoying this one that I got on Poshmark; it’s a Banana Republic collaboration with Olivia Palermo. I just love how she’s feminized this trench coat with the three buttons on the side and the big bell sleeve. It’s just making me really happy; I love this coat!
I’m also using this blazer as an extra layering piece, and I’m really enjoying it with these khaki pants. I guess it’s because it’s fitted, and then the pants are really wide. That’s one of my favorite silhouettes—fitted on top and wide on the bottom. I always love that silhouette so much. It appeals to me greatly, which is something I’ve discovered by purging my clothes and working on this wardrobe so much.
Conclusion: Embrace the Guapa Capsule Method
So, there it is, the Guapa Capsule Method for a ten item spring wardrobe! I hope this helps you simplify your spring fashion.
If you loved this, please hit that like button and subscribe to my channel for more Spain-inspired elevated living. For more information on this wonderful fun topic, check out my 10-item wardrobe playlist below. You can also grab my free guide on a Fall 10-Item Wardrobe Checklist.
Let me know in the comments how you’re getting on with your wardrobes! Share how you’re doing planning outfits or any treasures that you have found at the thrift stores or elsewhere. And there’s no shame in buying new either; I love to do that as well!