Women's lives have changed in 2020, and so have their wardrobes.
"What people are asking for has totally changed," says Toronto-based image consultant Suzanne Colmer. She founded Your Shop Girlin 2008 and spends her time helping people build wardrobes they'll love for a long time.
"People are still craving new wardrobe pieces... But there’s a real emphasis now on comfort and leisure workwear," she explains.
"We're still doing our Zoom calls, but we’re going to the grocery store and a backyard visit with friends in the same outfit. The corporate wardrobe is just ... well, we’re not seeing that right now."
We resonate!
One closet for work and weekend
As a small town retailer, mixing leisure with fashion ... well, it's our thing!
While we do appreciate a good pant suit when the situation calls for it, Resonance has long been expert at blending comfy leisurewear brands like Lolë, FIG and Miik with fashion brands like Part Two, ICHI and Eileen Fisher.
Women in Stratford have been dressing this way all along. And Resonance has helped. So it makes sense that Colmer has been enthusiastically recommending the shop to her big city clients in 2020.
Adapting to pandemic conditions
As her high-touch image consulting business adapted to pandemic conditions last year, Colmer sought ways to help her clients without entering their closets. She began offering virtual services, including a package that caught our eye...
The Custom Canadian Curated Clothing Capsule is a virtual service that provides a personalized shopping list for 10 choice pieces — two bottoms, three tops, four accessories, and an outer layer like a jacket or coat. They all work together in many different ways.
When asked to create a capsule wardrobe from the current Resonance collection, Colmer looked to timeless pieces that have personality built into the details.
Her sample capsule includes, from top, left to right:
A layering piece: Two Danes Sonia Cardigan
Two bottoms:Yoga Jeans Rachel Skinny Jeans + Kut From The Kloth Mia Skinny
Three tops: Part Two Kedita T-Shirt + Soya Concepts Lise Henley Blouse + Esprit Blouse
Four accessories: Lolë Lily Bag + Pyrrha Pendant + Gabor Leather Sneaker + Printed Polka Dot Scarf
What is a capsule wardrobe?
The point of a capsule wardrobe is simply to make life easier. The term goes back to the 1970s, but in recent years, minimalist bloggers have popularized the idea of limiting one's wardrobe to a smaller number of timeless, versatile pieces you absolutely love to wear.
Capsule wardrobing makes shopping and getting dressed less time consuming, more enjoyable, and more sustainable. Everything in your closet fits perfectly. Everything goes with everything. The fabrics and fits suit your everyday activities, so you're freed up to spend more time, more money, and more energy on things in life that really matter to you.
Capsules can also help you be more mindful of how you're using your clothing spend. You'll get more pleasure out of every dollar if you plan your purchases. And you'll avoid making impulse buys.
Versatile does not equal boring
Contrary to our misconceptions about what a minimalist wardrobe might look like, a standard black blazer and a crisp white shirt do not a capsule collection make. While some customized capsules may include those staple items, a good capsule reflects the unique personality of the person wearing it, Colmer explains.
"It’s about the person, not the clothes. What makes them feel amazing? What makes them feel like the best version of themselves? It could be tutus and high tops! I need to make sure I’m finding the best tutu for their body type and the best high tops out there."
To help people shop their own closets, Colmer loves to create capsules around items her clients already own. One woman asked her to build a capsule around a long, fur vest. She pulled it off.
Her goal with capsule recommendations is always to express her client's style, not her own. But when asked to create a Resonance capsule for herself, Colmer enthusiastically agreed.
Colmer selected a complete wardrobe from our website, all without leaving her home. It all works together incredibly well, and we can see why shopping and dressing this way would make life simple for busy women.
"I chose timeless pieces that still had a bit of personality built in," she says. "I wanted a capsule where you could change up one piece and totally change the style profile of the capsule.
"For example, if you substitute the cardigan at the top of the pyramid for this faux leather jacket, you'll get a totally different feel."
Shop Canadian
By recommending exclusively Canadian online sources to her capsule clients, Colmer helps them discover boutiques located on home soil, allowing them to skip the duties, support local businesses, and depend on Canada's consistent shipping infrastructures.
We're pleased to be one of the Canadian boutiques Your Shop Girl depends on. Because we know Canadians want to shop Canadian.
The challenge now is finding the exact needles you need in the vast haystack of the Internet. So we think that providing a curated Canadian shopping experience is a much needed service.
Thanks Suzanne!
Like minds dress alike
Are you a Canadian capsule wardrober?
Do you actively seek home-soil boutiques and brands with a focus on sustainability?
Do you love shopping without leaving your house?
If so, we want to get to know you. We think we'll have lots in common.
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