Hi guys! I’ve missed being here the last week. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I spent some time up near the beautiful McKenzie River celebrating the wedding of one of my oldest and dearest friends. It was so much fun and joy to be a part of. But I am glad to be back here, with you, chatting about clothes and conscientious closet building.
Taking a break from my daily blog reading, and OOTD intake was quite refreshing. I love blogging and sharing in fashion adventures and clothing industry quandries with you guys, but I have to be honest – if I’m not careful it really spurs my desire to consume and buy more and more. If you’ve read my blog for long, you know that is something I have been working on elminating from my life: overshopping and overconsumption of apparel goods. My journey started more than a year ago with my first capsule wardrobe and a break from shopping.
This fall, I am taking a bit of a different approach to my wardrobe. I am only adding three items (excluding essentials likes socks and underwear of course, but I think I am pretty set in those departments anyway). Inspired by this blog post and this one, I decided earlier in the summer that I will only add three items to my closet for fall.
Why? you say. Here are some of my reasons:
- Simplicity. I am a girl who gets overwhelmed easily. I turn the radio down when I encounter traffic on the freeway. I want my wardrobe to be a fuss-free zone. My ideal closet would be lean and well-selected. Which leads me to my next reason…
- I want to buy less and buy well. For me buying well means: high quality, made responsibly and high impact on my closet (ie. stylish item that mixes well). Buying less and buying well makes it very easy to avoid the trappings of fast fashion. In fact, it makes fast fashion and drive-by shopping seem very unappealing.
- The other big reason: the challenge excites me very much! The idea resonated with me when I first came across it, and it has stuck. I have come across various blogs, and viewpoints that affirm this route for me.
Without further adieu, I’d like to share with you what’s currently on my short list.
Simple dress. (Responsibly made in China.) I first saw this dress here, and fell hard for it. I had already been following the brand, and loved everything they stand for. My wardrobe is pretty slim in “dressier options” but the white factor does scare me a little bit.
Loose white button up. (Responsibly made in China.) I keep coming back to the idea that I need the perfect white button up shirt in my life. It’s a tricky situation though, I am not sure I’d want anything delicate, like the beautiful one by Cloth + Stone that I bought and returned from Anthropologie (story of my life), but more of a work horse shirt. Remember when I wore my husband’s shirt here? This oxford from the men’s section seems a little more practical for managing my brood and I imagine it would be über cozy under a sweater.
Classic stripes. (Responsibly made in China.) Classic stripes, enough said. I got my first Breton style shirt about five years ago and wore it until there were holes. I have been (unsuccessfully) looking for a replacement ever since. I like this, but I wish it was a bit more black on white than white on black, if that makes sense.
Neutral plaid. (Made in the USA.) I have a few good plaid shirts stashed away for fall, so I probably won’t buy another one, but I have been rocking the neutrals hard this summer, and I really don’t want to stop. Sometimes I wonder if my foray into color was only because I felt like I “should” to “add variety” to my wardrobe.
Flared denim. I mentioned it here, and I’ll say it again, flares have a hot spot in the denim line up right now. I am not one to usually chase trends, but flares have piqued my interest because I love the idea of a completely different look from my usual skinnies. A look that is just as effortless and easy. Not to mention: legs for miles.
Black loafers. (Made in Italy.) Yes, please. I have been eying these since the spring. The slightly pointed toe totally makes them. I just hope they don’t make my feet look too big. Leah from Style Wise had a great breakdown on ethically-sourced black loafers (or smoking flats) here.
There you have it, my little list for fall. Hint: I’ve already purchased two of these things, and hope to get one more. I have really enjoyed the process of mulling over what (well-crafted and special) items to add to my wardrobe during the summer.
Will I do a capsule for fall? The jury is still out on that one. I am leaning toward no, but I probably won’t know for sure until I get ready to tuck my summer items away and bring out my cooler-weather ones. (This will probably happen mid-September.) I still need to make sure my closet is lean, but how I intend to do that remains to be seen. More to come!
cheers,
andrea
Sidenote: As you know, I am a big fan of the company Everlane. If I’ve introduced you to them, and you’d like to sign up using my referral link, you can do so here. Thank you for supporting my blog! :)
I can’t wait to start building my fall capsule! I’m definitely looking for simple, work-appropriate dresses.
Fall wardrobe is probably my favorite of all time! :)
I have also decided to buy 3 things or less this fall, and a striped long-sleeved tee is on my list! I am also thinking of not doing a seasonal capsule. Instead I will concentrate on making my entire wardrobe something cohesive, practical to my lifestyle, and small enough to comfortably share the small closet with my husband. I don’t have any holes in my wardrobe I want to fill, so any new purchases will be to replace something that is worn out or to upgrade to a better quality, classic piece.
Hi Rebecca! Sounds like we are in a similar place with our wardrobes. Isn’t it nice to be able to slow down and make quality purchases? The more I streamline and take the fuss out of my wardrobe, the happier it makes me.
I’d agree that when your wardrobe is taking up lots of headspace and/or keyboard time, it’s easy to feel the shopping urge. I get that “I’d just like to be DONE already” feeling. Of course it’s never done, I’ve realized of late, as I’ve been challenged by a number of replacements for irreparable oldies. Curious whether and, if so, how you consider that in your rule of three?
Great question Maggie! You always have the most thoughtful of comments.
I think I will gauge each season to see whether the rule of three is appropriate. For me it’s not so much about the rules as it is the underlying principal of participating in slow and ethical wardrobe building. Giving myself a limit of three really forces me to choose wisely. If I was faced with several gaping holes I would probably assess and see if anything could wait till next season, and then after that create a priority list, and add what my budget would allow. Because well-made and sweatshop free items often cost more, my budget only allows for a few items anyway. I hope that makes sense!