Does My Current Capsule Wardrobe Fit My New Style?
It occurred to me that I’ve never really assessed my current wardrobe in terms of my newer, more masculine style. So I thought I’d make an objective evaluation of whether or not my capsule wardrobe items really fit into my slightly tougher, somewhat masculine aesthetic. I rated each item on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least desirable and 10 the most. The criteria I took into consideration were:
Is this item objectifying? (Bad)
Is this item revealing? (Also bad)
Is this item traditionally feminine? (Sometimes bad)
Is this item infantilizing? (A hard no)
Do I like how this item looks? (Usually a good thing)
Would I feel comfortable in this item at a social occasion or in public in general? (Also good)
Does this attract the wrong kind of attention? (Hard to explain, but a bad thing)
Is there a context to consider? (What do I wear it with?)
Scores for my current capsule wardrobe, from high to low, with a bit of explanation in parentheses:
Two Navy J. Crew tees 10 (Loose, higher neckline)
Three ASOS crewneck tees 10 (Loose, very high neckline)
Black oversized silky blouse 10 (Oversized, long)
Grey cashmere sweater 10 (Loose, high neckline)
Hoodie 10 (Oversized, is actually men’s)
Green corduroy shirt 10 (Oversized, could be men’s)
Black puffy parka 10 (Loose, could be men’s)
Black raincoat 10 (Loose, could be men’s)
Tan anorak jacket 10 (Loose, utilitarian, could be men’s)
Grey men’s pants 10 (Loose, are actually men’s)
Linen wide leg pants 10 (Loose, long)
Black V-neck sweater 9 (Slightly fitted, could be men’s)
Two scoop neck navy tees 8 (More feminine neckline, loose)
Two scoop neck black tees 8 (More feminine neckline, loose)
Oatmeal cotton sweater 8 (Long sleeve, loose, high neckline, little pointelle pattern at top)
Two black utility shorts 7 (Loose, fairly revealing, utilitarian, could be men’s)
Striped tunic 4 (Bold pattern, swing shape, drapey, feminine neckline)
Looking at these numbers, I realized that I haven’t worn the striped tunic since I put it into my capsule 6-7 months ago. It just attracts too much attention for me to feel comfortable wearing. While I might not mind someone noticing my boots and commenting on them, I just feel self-conscious when someone comments on this top. It’s the only thing in my current wardrobe to score below a 7, so I think it has to go. I also realized that I no longer have dressy black pants to wear for the unexpected special occasion, so I’m going to pull some size 14W black skinny jeans from storage and put them in my capsule. That still leaves me at 23 pieces, although the black jeans would score a 6, so are a bit less than ideal. But they’ll be fine with my black oversized blouse and heels should an occasion come up.
I also realized that one of the main criteria for scoring should be, “Could this item be (or is this item) men’s?” I didn’t set out to exclusively wear men’s clothing, though menswear is a part of my new aesthetic. But I still prefer certain shapes that are cut for women. Even though to look at my anorak jacket, you might think it was men’s, there is something about the shape of it which suits my body better than a true men’s jacket would. I find men’s tops to be too big in the shoulders and too tight in the waist. So while I may not like a tailored women’s hourglass-shaped jacket or top, I don’t like a men’s T-shirt either. Hence so many of my clothes still being women’s when I am blatantly seeking a more masculine look. My T-shirts tend to have scoop necks and a subtle feminine drape to them, maybe a little more fitted in the bust and more floaty in the belly. My coats are also tailored to a woman’s body despite appearing pretty androgynous. So the items which only scored 8s are still right up there in terms of my ideal, they just didn’t meet these particular criteria. A certain amount of femininity is something I still enjoy and look for in different pieces. I just really love men’s pants and boots.