115. Standardised Capsule Wardrobes Got You Nowhere? Try This Instead
The Seven Look Season of Caroline Joy.
For most of my adult life, I woke up to that familiar feeling of ‘I’ve got nothing to wear.’ Leaving getting dressed to the last minute meant pulling outfits I didn’t feel excited about from a bloated wardrobe, and starting every day frustrated. I saved great outfits for ‘good days’ and accepted ‘just fine’ as the default. That was until I experimented with a wardrobe system, which I now call the Seven-Look Season. By planning and leaning on a few great outfits on repeat, I removed all decision fatigue from getting dressed without sacrificing creativity. This monthly column highlights the Seven Outfits of women who’ve adopted the framework. Find past editions of the column here.
In January, our mutual friend Meredith messaged us, ‘I have a feeling you’ll hit it off ❤️.’ She was right. That’s how I met Caroline. From the first chat, we bonded over two things: the systems that make getting dressed easier and the shared experience of a mid-thirties breakup. We compared notes on our more practical, lived-in takes on capsule wardrobes, the messy in-betweens of life, the second-chance energy that doesn’t always match where your friends are, and ways style can hold you steady when life is anything but. As she puts it:
‘My clothes definitely told the story of what I was going through. At first, right after my divorce, I just needed to blend in and take time to grieve, and my wardrobe reflected that.
Now, three years later, my style feels alive again. There’s vibrancy, playfulness, sensuality. It wasn’t a quick flip of a switch. It’s been this gradual, messy, very human process and I’m still in it — moving from comfort, to curiosity, to confidence.’
Caroline started blogging in the early 2010s. Before the grid, pre-algorithm, a time when Emily Weiss was still posting Top Shelfies on Into The Gloss. When we still read posts and bookmarked links. She started doing ‘outfit posts,’ motivated by the fact that she couldn’t find fashion online that matched her everyday style. Her feeds showed fantasy wardrobes and staged shoots, so she pointed her phone at the mirror and documented what she actually wore. All these years later — now 39 and living just outside Dallas, Texas — she still shares this kind of practical, repeatable inspiration through her Instagram and the aptly named Unfancy, her excellent blog, which she recently moved to Substack. In addition to her writing, she’s also a personal stylist, helping clients dress for their real lives and reconnect with themselves through expression.
Caroline has been discussing capsule wardrobes since her early blogging days, and we’ve had numerous conversations about how the standard checklist approach falls short. The Seven-Outfit Season framework really resonated with her:
‘I’ve always loved the idea of capsule wardrobes, but my old method — picking the same x tops, y bottoms, z shoes as everyone else — left me with a wardrobe that didn’t quite function the way I wanted it to.
With your Seven-Outfit framework, I build full looks first: head to toe, plus finishers (jewelry, hair, even socks or perfume). Then I take all the pieces in those seven outfits, and there you go — it’s a capsule!
Surprisingly, it mixes and matches even better than if I’d been making sure everything in the capsule “goes.” It’s those slightly weird or unexpected outfit combos that make the capsule interesting.’
When I discuss it with friends or subscribers who have adopted the framework for several seasons, they also share that it has helped them go further in exploring their style and taste. A lot of us strive to ‘define our personal style’, but there’s often the style we have on paper, and then there’s what we wear. I asked Caroline how the looks she chose this season and the style she has on paper line up, and if anything surprised her after she shared the looks for this interview. She says:
‘I definitely see the off-duty minimalism there. But the sporty and Y2K elements are more subtle than I expected. It’s so interesting to see this! It helps me realize that my style has been shifting.
The biggest tell is my bags: I only carried canvas totes for years — not a single leather purse in sight. And now I almost exclusively carry leather handbags. That shift alone feels huge.
Just a couple of years ago, I dressed almost juvenilely while I was deep in grief over my marriage ending. Now I’m showing up more empowered – still casual, still simple, because empowered doesn’t have to mean a sharp blazer.’
Below, my dear friend Caroline’s Seven-Outfit Season: a practical framework, real clothes, and a style story that’s still unfolding.
Outfit 1: The Easy Errand Uniform
📍Where Caroline wears it: To run errands, write from her local coffee shop, or do general daytime out-and-about things.
‘I’m the kind of person who wants to wear t-shirts and jeans every day, but I like finding ways to give even that basic combo a distinct point of view. I found these men’s vintage Levi’s years ago; they’re ripped to shreds and so comfortable and cool.’
‘The way I’d describe my style is casual, off-duty and minimalist — baggy jeans, fitted tees, flip-flops, a tiny shoulder bag. Clean, unfussy, and unbothered. I also have a sporty thread running through everything — running shorts, bike shorts, hoodies, and even a little Gorpcore in the wintertime. Lately, a hint of Y2K minimalism is creeping in, which includes parachute pants, low-rise bottoms, fitted jackets, but done in neutrals and pared-back colors.’
Outfit 2: The Meeting-Ready Look
📍Where Caroline wears it: To client meetings or styling sessions.