Hello fall! It’s hard to believe today is the first day of fall. I feel like the older I get the faster the seasons go by. Or maybe it’s the blur of keeping up with three small kids. Either way, I am trying to live in the present and enjoy each season as it arrives. Something that doesn’t come naturally for me. :)
I’ve finally put together my fall capsule to share with you guys, but it’s going to look a little different than how I shared my summer capsule. Inspired by the girls over at the Refined Woman, I decided to share my clothes in categories and names rather than pictures. My reason is two-fold. One, I liked how when I read Em’s capsule wardrobe post the focus was more on the type and style of item rather than a particular item. Two, I feel like I am just a teensy bit tired of seeing and creating photoshop mock ups of every item in my/others closets.
Before I share with you my fall capsule, I wanted to show you guys three of the things I am most excited to wear this fall:
1. My husband’s white button down shirt. I have been jones’ing for a white button down something fierce lately, and thankfully I didn’t have to look too far. I love the relaxed feel of a men’s shirt (it’s Medium slim cut) and the semi-wrinkled look makes it just un-formal enough. I just hope we don’t want to wear it on the same day.
2. My favorite plaid shirt. (Love this similar one!) One of my favorite thrift finds ever, I love the fit and softness of this shirt. It layers under sweaters, acts like a cardigan, works for cozy nights on the couch, and doesn’t look bad with a skirt either.
3. The new white dress. I am looking forward to learning how to style this number. The more I follow my instincts on what I like to purchase and wear, the more it takes me into new territory. Like this dress. Never worn anything like it before, but love how chic it makes me feel. Hoping I can pair it with tights and booties in the winter.
And without further adieu… what I’ve included in my fall capsule
TOPS
two white tanks (1, 2) / two white tees (1, 2) / one gray tee / one navy tee / navy striped tee / gray striped top / black long sleeve / cream henley (similar) / heather gray tunic
ivory short sleeve blouse / cap sleeve chambray blouse / black long sleeve blouse / cream blouse
cotton chambray / tencel chambray / plaid button up / oversized flannel tunic / husbands white button up
merino wool cardigan / cocoon cardigan / maroon grandpa cardigan / gray cape / cream pullover
BOTTOMS
dark skinnies / black skinnies / patchwork skinnies / maroon skinnies / boyfriend fit 501’s / flea market flares* / Zella leggings / charcoal crop pant
OTHER
black Loveapella dress / black easy skirt / white dress*
denim vest / black blazer
JACKETS
boyfriend fit denim jacket / military style jacket / “leather” jacket / Wilfred wool wrap
I believe this puts me right around 40. Not that I am really counting this time, instead I’m focusing on including only items I really like and no filler. Sadly, I am a little heavy on t-shirts, but that is just the stage of life I am in right now. Three kids under six often makes for a mommy-napkin. As much as I long to be chic in all I wear, a lot of the time my days call for a t-shirt. Well at least it will be a cool t-shirt, dang it! (Thank you Everlane)
But what about the shoes? I decided not to include them this time. Right now I still have sandals in my closet (hello sunshine) and whole bunch of other items. I didn’t want to limit myself too much because I anticipate using nearly all my shoes this fall between standing in the rain at soccer games (trusty Frye’s that are older than my kids), quick school pick-ups (Vans), and a heavy rotation on my favorite ankle boots. I so badly wanted to add Everlane’s Modern Loafer to my closet for fall. I ordered the loafer in two sizes and neither fit. They are just too narrow for my feet. What a bummer!! Now having bought and returned three pairs of shoes I’m still on the lookout for the perfect black shoe to add to my closet. Trying to find ethically made shoes is no joke!
You’ll notice I did not link to very many of the items in my capsule, this is because many of these exact items are no longer in stores, and my hope is to link to similar, ethically made / USA made items. Instead of trying to link those all here I will link to the items on individual outfit posts. My plan is also to start sharing my favorite ethical shops with you guys. I keep discovering more and more! It’s like uncovering a whole new sector of the fashion industry!
cheers for now,
andrea
*New item for fall.
Can’t wait to see your fall outfit photos!
Thanks Nicolle! I am pretty excited for fall!
So excited for this season! I love the tone of this post. :)
Thanks girl! Best of luck on your fall wardrobe too. :)
That’s too bad about the Everlane loafer. I’m excited to hear what you uncover about ethical shoes! I’m trying out the Nisolo smoking shoe this fall; we’ll see how they are!
I know! I am super bummed about those shoes. The yet to be released Chelsea boots by Everlane do look super cool though! I would love to hear how you like the Nisolo smoking shoe! I eyed that one, but I don’t think it fits my style. I think those and the chukka boots are really cute though!
Lovely! I also really like this method of presenting a capsule. Clean, simple, easy to read and even more inspiring than a collage.
Thanks Erin! I really appreciate that feedback.
I love your previews! I just wish we could see all your items at once, but I know making a graphic is incredibly time consuming. I can’t wait to see your outfits, especially as we start to transition out of summer and into cooler months.
I’m not sure what your shoe size is, but if you’re interesting in thrifting a pair of black shoes, I’m sure you’ve noticed there are so so many loafers and oxfords at thrift stores. I’m a 10W and 8M, so I can sometimes find ones that fit, but if you’re much smaller than you’d have to only look in womens for them and that can be a pain! Good luck!
Kate
kateintheclassroom.com
Hi Kate, please welcome me to the big feet club. Yep, I am about a 9.5 or 10. I tried the Everlane loafer in a 10 and 10.5 with no luck. The length was good, it was mostly the width. I will keep my eyes peeled for thrifting shoes, that is a great idea! I never thought to look in the men’s section. Though it does freak me out a little bit, the thought of wearing someone else’s shoes… Maybe if they looked super clean!
I love everything about this – the looks you put together are so great and I love your style purpose right now. I think you’re giving women great information and doing it in a realistic way, so thanks for inspiring us to be better shoppers!
I’m so excited to see we have some similar items in our capsules and I can’t wait to get some ideas how to mix and match some of my items here!
xoxo,
Paige
Thanks so so much Paige! Your words mean a lot!!
Aaaaaah love seeing fall gear…plaid flannel just makes my 90s grunge-loving heart happy. (#eddievedderforever) And while those of us moms of multiples give you an “amen” to the napkin comment, it’s the “it’ll be a cool tee” comment that really resonates for me. My real-life bounces from SAHM to casual/creative office. Bottom line? Sturdy, washable garments that do double duty are non-negotiable, but with a little effort they can also be fantastic. (Band tees for me.) That’s the capsule wardrobe happy place in my book!
Well said Maggie, well said! Sturdy, washable and double duty. Exactly. Where do you get your cool band tees by the way?
I was a little late to the 90’s party, I didn’t get into music until I was older, but yes, I love me some Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Never gets old.
Oh, man, some of my earliest memories are of my Dad playing records for me – The Doobie Brothers, The Beatles, Steppenwolf – I’ve been rocking since before I could walk. :) I’ve tried to do the same for my littles, although find it more challenging editorially because – LYRICS!! Anyway, check out Junk Food Clothing for made in the USA band tees.
This may sound weird, but it seems to me like you’re now really getting a hang of the capsule wardrobe. I was really surprised that you’ve only added two new items, even though you have talked about it here – and not because I didn’t believe you, but because I definitely cannot stick to getting just three new items a season. Bummer. Still trying to find a sustainable answer to my ever changing style over here ;). Honestly, I dress in various styles and silhouettes and somehow they always look me (how do I do that??). But that means lots of stuff starts to feel outdated quickly.
Anyways, super excited to follow your journey! Love your answer to the white shirt problem, your husband must be pretty skinny though, judging by the size of that garment :)
And I can relate to what you said about the white dress – the more you listen to your instincts the more you discover about your style – like the other day… I thought I was over patterned tops but I saw some beautiful ones in a store and now I have two. And I love them. It may just be the fall mood bringing these traits up to the surface.
xo Kat
Kat – that IS pretty impressive that you can change your looks dramatically while still feeling true to yourself. That is a skill for sure,
Thanks, I think I am starting to feel pretty “good” at utilizing a capsule wardrobe. It is very helpful to me indeed. As for the three items I did have one “cheat” and I added a black blazer that I thrifted, that makes a total of 4 items, 3 new, one thrifted. I mostly purchased it because it was on my “life” list and was so thankful to have found it. I am not sure how I’ll manage or if I’ll aim for the rule of three in future seasons, overall I do intend to keep my goal to “slow” changes in my wardrobe. I think that’s what works best for me!
So excited I found your blog. Love seeing other people’s approach to capsule wardrobes, and I especially appreciate you’re not a stickler for a number. It’s all about whatever works!
Thanks for stopping by Lo, your tumblr feed is gorgeous!
yay!