I finally broke down. I purchased a couple of new items for my summer capsule. BUT, it was a deliberate breakdown. Let me tell you what happened. There were two items in my capsule that I just wasn’t feeling no matter how hard I tried: my striped sun dress and my light colored (maternity) shorts. So I replaced them.
Here’s the thing, I have really struggled with body image since giving birth to Kit. It has been hard for me to feel good in anything I put on. My body has changed so much that it feels…foreign. I’ve always been pretty in tune with my body. We used the Fertility Awareness Method of birth control for five years successfully and so I’m not kidding when I say that I knew what was going on at all times. Now my hormones aren’t predictable, I bloat in places I never used to, I have gobs of cellulite, etc. I know that my body went through an incredible thing and I’m not writing this for sympathy or to complain. Sometimes it just helps to verbalize something. You know?
All that to say, the shorts and the dress were making me feel especially self conscious. The shorts were just too short and they really emphasized my muffin top and the dress was just too tight and short. What I don’t want is for my capsule to turn into a punishment device and so I decided to break my own rules and get two items that I feel so much more confident in. And you know what? I’m not sorry I did. Here’s the difference from what I would have done before though: I deliberated, talked to David, and stayed well within our budget. It felt good! What about you? Have you ever broken your own rules because something just wasn’t working? Do any other post partum mom’s struggle with this? Please tell me I’m not alone!
I have bought a few things this capsule, too. I replaced one pair of shorts because the ones I had bought were too small. I must have been having a skinny day when I bought them, or they shrunk in the wash, because they certainly weren’t comfortable! Rather than stuff myself into them all summer and feel self conscious I decided to size up. I also replaced a shirt because one in my capsule had a hole I could not fix. And while I am far removed from having children I can certainly relate to my body playing tricks on me. Usually it is diet related as the older I get the more things do not agree with my system causing weight shifting and bloat. I find with pants and short I need to have a couple different sizes available to me that I interchange because of this. I think the most important lesson of the capsule concept is not to live within a strict number, but to really rethink shopping and our motivation behind our wardrobe. It sounds like you handled it perfectly!
Sorry for the lack of comments recently…….I have been faithfully reading on my kindle, but have been traveling so I don’t have time to comment as much. Another perk of the capsule wardrobe!! Since I shop so little now I have money to travel, which I love…….and packing is a breeze! 🙂 Have a great week!
I can TOTALLY relate to shopping on a skinny day! Haha! It’s so hard sometimes isn’t it? I completely agree about having a variety of sizes. I used to have a size that I new would fit every time, across most brands. Not anymore! I agree 100% that it is not about a number, but about rethinking shopping. Well said!
I have to admit… I wondered where you went. 😉 I’m glad you didn’t go too far! I’ll be traveling next week as well. I absolutely used money that I made selling old clothes to fund this trip. Love it! 🙂