This summer, I decided to simplify my wardrobe with a personal color analysis. I simply don’t want to spend extra time in the mornings in a spiral of indecision! What started as curiosity about how to save myself the energy turned into a full summer capsule wardrobe refresh. Honestly, I’ve never felt more confident in my clothes.
This whole journey actually started with a phone call from my friend Amy Porterfield. She had just gotten her colors done and was absolutely glowing through the phone. She told me she found out she was a silver girly and had already placed a Sephora order with makeup that matched her skin tone. She even laughed that it might explain why she’s always hated eyeshadow.
Then she said something wild: she was mailing me my favorite orange shirt from her closet because it no longer worked in her palette.
Color me intrigued.
What Is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is basically your closet… simplified. It’s a curated collection of clothing (usually a smaller number of versatile, intentional pieces) that all work together and make getting dressed feel easy. Think: your go-to jeans, your favorite cozy tee, that one dress that always makes you feel like a 10. It’s not about having less just for the sake of minimalism. It’s about having enough of what actually fits your lifestyle, your body, and your taste.
Your capsule can be as flexible as you are. Maybe you want a full seasonal capsule with just 30 pieces for summer, or maybe you just create a little section in your closet with your “I need to think less today” lineup. It could be for workwear, activewear, travel days, or all of the above.
The beauty of a capsule wardrobe is that it frees you up to focus on the feeling you want when you get dressed, not just the look. You get to say goodbye to decision fatigue, guilt over unworn clothes, and the pressure to chase every trend. And hello to ease, clarity, and confidence.
What Is a Color Analysis and Why Should You Consider It
A color consult is a session with a trained expert who evaluates your natural features (your skin tone, eye color, and hair) to help you discover the color palette that best complements you. Think of it as aligning with what’s already working for you, visually and energetically.
It’s not about following fashion rules or tossing out your whole closet. It’s about understanding why some outfits make you feel radiant and others make you feel like you’re trying too hard.
After Amy’s transformation, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. She had this new clarity around everything from her makeup to her go-to outfits. It got me wondering: what if I’ve been wearing all the wrong colors, too?
The Moment I Knew I Had to Try It for Myself
A few weeks later, I was in Nashville watching our friend Stacy speak at an event. She walked across the stage, and I mean it, she was glowing. Her lipstick popped, her outfit looked effortless, and her hair color made her skin look luminous. Amy texted me, “I bet Stacy got her colors done.”
I didn’t even have to ask. She was right. Stacy had joined the color consult club, and she told me she gets ten times more compliments when she wears her palette.
Soon after, for my birthday, Amy gifted me a color consult of my own with color expert, Holly Bernatz, at her business, House of Colour. Truly one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received.
And when I told my mom and sister about it, they were in, too. This wasn’t just about clothes. It was about confidence, identity, and clarity.
My Personal Color Analysis Experience
OKAY… let me just say: getting my colors done was such a fun experience. Think less “stuffy fashion consult” and more like getting coffee with the most delightfully funky, intuitive stylist ever. The woman who did our session was warm, quirky, and so full of knowledge. She even brought her college-aged daughter along, which made it feel even more relaxed and real.
I did the consult with my mom and sister (a girls’ day for the books), and get this: we were ALL Autumns. Yep. All three of us. I was so sure my sister Kate would be something totally different. She has olive-toned skin, darker features, and a whole different vibe than me, but nope! We’re each a different kind of Autumn, which was such a beautiful reminder that color seasons are so nuanced and personal.
The process itself took some time. There’s draping with all these beautiful color swatches, skin tone analysis, and they even do your makeup to show you how your “season” translates beyond clothes. By the end, you walk away with your own curated palette and this new sense of ohhh, that’s why I’ve always loved that dress but never wore that top. It all just clicked.
What Surprised Me About My Color Consult
Honestly? I wasn’t super surprised by my results, but only because my photography brain kicked in. I kept thinking about white balance, warm vs cool light, and how color harmony just makes visual sense. Most of my wardrobe already leaned into those cozy, golden Autumn tones… but let’s just say I still did a pretty major closet edit after the session.
Goodbye, bright white and jet black. Hello, warm browns, ivories, and rich earth tones.
My mom, on the other hand, had a little bit of a moment. She’s been wearing black for years, thinking she was a Winter (because of a community ed session she did way back in the day under (you guessed it) fluorescent lights in a multipurpose room). So this new Autumn diagnosis felt like a real shift.
But our consultant was so kind and clear: this isn’t about tossing your favorite pieces, it’s about having a guide. A palette that helps you feel more you, not less.
Also, can we laugh at the fact that I spent years trying to be a cool-toned blonde? Between purple shampoo (which also, not so fun fact, totally stained our bathroom grout ) and toners that made my hair feel anything but natural, I was fighting what was already working for me. Since embracing warmth, letting my hair do its thing, and ditching the silvery filters, I feel more like myself than ever.
How My Color Palette Helped Me Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe
I don’t want to spend 30 minutes standing in front of my closet every morning. I’ve got a five-minute skincare routine for a reason: I crave simplicity that works.
We make thousands of decisions every day, and more than 200 of those are about food. So if I can reduce wardrobe stress, I will. Getting my colors done gave me a clear framework to simplify how I get dressed and shop.
Now I filter by color when I shop online. I skip the scrolling and go straight to my palette. Shopping feels less like a guessing game and more like building a wardrobe I love.
Creating a capsule-style closet doesn’t mean giving up variety. It means curating pieces that feel amazing and reflect who I am now.
What I Let Go Of and Why It Felt So Personal
So much of my wardrobe used to reflect a version of me I was trying to be. Neutral pieces that felt “safe” or outfits that were trendy but didn’t feel like me.
One dress I wore for maternity photos in Hawaii held so much emotional weight, but it doesn’t fit anymore. Neither does that version of my life. Same with a pair of designer jeans that I held onto just because they were expensive.
Letting go of pieces like that is emotional, but it’s also freeing. I gave myself a rule. If I packed something away and didn’t go back for it within six months, I’d donate or release it.
This closet clean-out wasn’t just about decluttering. It was about making space for the woman I am today: someone choosing clarity, confidence, and comfort.
My Summer Capsule Wardrobe After My Color Analysis
This summer, I’m leaning into outfits that make me feel like I just got back from vacation, even when I’m sipping iced coffee on the porch between meetings and preschool pickup.
My Go-To Outfit Formula for My Summer Capsule Wardrobe
- Warm neutrals and earth tones like rust, cream, olive, and sand
- Light, breathable fabrics like linen and soft cotton
- Matching sets that mix and match easily
- A go-to summer dress with a denim jacket that always pulls it together
I want to live my life in outfits that don’t hold me back, waste my time, or require any fuss, just a comfy shoe and feeling like I face my day confidently. That’s the vibe.
How Wearing My Colors Gave Me More Confidence (Even on Camera)
One of the best parts? I get more compliments when I wear my palette. Not because the pieces are fancy, but because they actually suit me. People tell me I look refreshed, glowing, and pulled together… and that feels extra good knowing I threw my outfit on in about 45 seconds.
I’m not big on patterns, but I’ve started reaching for more color. A bright red tee, a pop of fuchsia, even lipstick that works with my undertones. It’s subtle, but powerful.
It’s also made showing up online feel easier. I’m not fiddling with the lighting or wondering if I look washed out. I just show up as I am and feel good doing it.
You Can Apply This Capsule Mindset to More Than Just Clothes
This whole experience opened my eyes to where else I was overcomplicating things. What else could I simplify?
Here are a few places I’ve brought in the capsule mindset:
- A simplified skincare routine with my favorite Primally Pure products
- A rotating dinner menu that keeps things easy and stress-free
- A set of toddler outfits that actually match (no more morning chaos)
If life feels noisy, start with one small area. Ask yourself, how can I make this easier?
Want to Dive Deeper into My Capsule Wardrobe Journey Over the Years?
Here’s a quick reading list of other ways I’ve simplified my wardrobe for life, travel, parenthood, and decluttering. It’s wild to see how my style has changed over the years, but as a lover of documenting what I learn, I get to see my own little (and big!) transformations.
- My Fall Capsule Wardrobe from 2015! Did you have any of these pieces?
- I’m modeling my winter capsule wardrobe here from 2017.
- I still love some of these pieces from my 2020 vacation capsule wardrobe, too.
Final Thoughts on Style, Simplicity, and Self-Love
Getting my colors done wasn’t just a style upgrade. It was a personal reset.
It helped me reconnect with the version of me I am right now. It gave me permission to let go of what no longer fits, physically or emotionally, and make space for what does.
More than anything, it reminded me that getting dressed can feel good again. That style can be simple. That confidence doesn’t come from following trends, but from honoring who you are.
Look at All My Summer Must-Haves!
I only share my tested and most LOVED favorites for home, business, and everything in between.
