Sweata Weatha and the Case for a Capsule Wardrobe

You should know: I am the complete opposite of a hoarder. The seasonal closet purge is one of my favorite pastimes, and fall is hands-down the best season to shop for. "Sweata weatha" is my Super Bowl, full stop.

But this year, I did things a little differently.

I love clothes — boots and sweaters, IYKYK — but I also have three kids, a business I run from my master bedroom, and about four minutes to get dressed each morning before someone needs a snack or a signature. As I've gone from pregnant to postpartum to IVF to pregnant to postpartum again, my style has drifted from boho chic to maternity to something closer to whatever's clean. Not exactly glamorous, but it holds up when you're running a company and shuttling two seven-year-olds to two different sports on the same Tuesday. It feels a little boring, though, and rediscovering my style has become a bit of a project.

That means getting 60% of what I never reach for out of my closet, and replacing it with outfits, not items: pieces that go together, that I can grab while half-asleep and still look like I have my life together (I don't, but I can look like I do).

I'm doing it on a budget, too, which means Gap barrel pants, Old Navy cardigans, and Aerie outerwear (hello, Labor Day sales!), with the occasional Madewell piece thrown in when I trade in old jeans for their $25 credit toward a new pair.

While I want to say this is about being a minimalist, the more honest reason is my ADHD: if my closet is disorganized, if there's stuff I never wear, I don't know what I have, and I’ll just throw on the same old things.

I've already spent too many years not recognizing my body through IVF, pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood — my closet doesn't need to join that list.