How to Create a Gamine Style Capsule Wardrobe

Yesterday, we looked at how to identify your body type so that you will know exactly what flatters you most. Hopefully, you are closer to understanding your body or style type, if you aren't yet certain.

​In this post, I'll share a little of my own style journey and my gamine style type. I am a Gamine, and we'll also talk about creating a gamine capsule wardrobe.

My Style Journey: Finding Gamine Style

The gamine style is sweet, childlike, gentle, innocent and adorably charming. ​- Lost in a Spotless Mind

My style needs have changed dramatically over the years. As a young woman in my 20s, I wanted to look beautiful & all grown up. I began the next decade worried about looking professional enough.

But once I became a mother, it all changed. I wanted comfort and ease, and then, eventually, a casual mom capsule wardrobe that felt soothing and comfortable, but looked like me.

What followed setting that intention was ten years of exploration, in the quest to find out what would be right for me. I tried many different style systems and read everything I could find, but had difficulty settling on anything.

Finally, I gave up on the DIY quest and found that experts actually knew what they were doing (imagine that).

David Zyla found that I am a Gamine Autumn and using Rachel Nachmias's elimination worksheet confirmed gamine for me. Or, more specifically, Pixie in her system.

It has been great fun, this style journey, but is becoming so much easier without the confusion!
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The Gamine Capsule Wardrobe: Gamine Style Guidelines

Gamine style is not just about creating a capsule wardrobe filled with essential items that can be thought of as gamine. It's about the way you combine those pieces - the outfit formulas you use to do so.

The reason for this is that being gamine means having a combination of opposing features in your own face and body, and it's this combination you need to replicate in your outfits.

A gamine has a mixture of long and angular features as well as short and rounded ones. She also can be a combination of shapes, instead of just one primary one.

So, the clothes in a gamine capsule wardrobe need to create head-to-toe looks that replicate the combo of opposites.

(1) Fitted base - clothes should be fitted at the shoulders, cuffs and hemlines.

(2) Broken silhouette - instead of one, long unbroken silhouette, create breaks. If you were to draw what you were wearing, the potential line breaks are the stops & starts your pencil would have to make.

(3) High necklines - button blouses to the top button, wear crew necklines or higher v-necks than you might normally wear.

(4) Contrasting colors - there are several ways you might create this contrast...

-Color blocking
-Different color at the collar and cuffs
-Different color buttons 

(5) Animated patterns and prints - polka dots, stripes, floral prints and others are all possible, and mixing them is even better.

Does each outfit need every possible gamine element? No, and each outfit will have its own version of enough.

You will know you don't have enough gamine detail if the mirror tells you your outfit seems plain or boring.

Well, we have barely scratched the surface when it comes to creating a gamine capsule wardrobe. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

What's your style type? And if you don't know, tell me about your style journey, thus far.

See you tomorrow!

​Love, Jeanine

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Once you know your style type,
get started with creating
your capsule wardrobe by 
downloading the free printable
wardrobe planner.
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