As summer is sneaking its way out, and my life is giving way to fall – cool mornings, lunch packing and lots of soccer – I’m reflecting back on the past few months, and realizing a lot has changed with my style!
In the City…
I experimented with some new silhouettes this season, and have really enjoyed the results. Each season I feel I settle into my style a little more, but this summer I’ve particularly honed in on what I like. A big part of that is getting comfortable in my new life in Portland – we moved here from a smaller city almost two years ago. I feel like living in a bigger city gives me some freedoms to just really be myself. There is a lot more diversity, and no one gives you side-eye if you walk around in a particularly exotic outfit. This freedom has allowed me to embrace my instincts for what I love, instead of what I think I should love.
That being said, if you live in a smaller or mid-sized town, I want to encourage you to throw out any ‘hinderances’ you think you might be feeling. I should have done that years ago. It’s important to remember who you get dressed for in the morning (hint – it’s usually you!). Embrace it! Don’t worry too much about what other people think, most of the time it ends up being a waste of your resources.
Words and Shapes
At the tail end of spring I spent some time reviewing my favorite outfits, and I came up with a few words that could be linked back to each look I favored – COOL and SIMPLE. And these words have continued to hold true through summer. In fact, I think summer stirred up a deeper passion for SIMPLE. I enjoyed trying to create simple looks that still made an impact.
As noted in the spring, I’m a big fan of unconventional shapes, and this continued to be a trend in my summer styling, notably here and here.
Most Influential
As I reviewed my summer outfits, a handful of items rose to the top as my favorite, and most style-shaping pieces:
Relaxed Linen Shirt, Everlane – This isn’t as statement-yielding as some of my other favorites, but I feel like I’ve finally found what I’ve been looking for. The linen fabric gives and relaxes in the most beautiful way, it drapes just right and there is nothing stuffy about it. I know it’s a good one when the shirt rarely makes it to the closet, it’s either on my body, or it’s in the hamper.
Cropped Flares, DIY – This was one of my most successful closet revisions this summer. One afternoon I took a pair of flares that just weren’t getting a lot of use, and chopped them off. Then I proceeded to wear them all summer long. I am a big fan of the wider leg we’re seeing on the denim scene, particularly when cropped. I feel a little bit bohemian and a little bit awesome when I wear these. It’s also like an instant update to almost all the tops in my closet. I’m excited to embrace the wide leg this fall too!
Lou Jumpsuit, REIFhaus – It’s no secret this is a closet favorite of mine. The people who see me in my day-to-day life are probably so tired of me wearing it all the time, but I love it! For me, it’s a million-dollar outfit. I feel great every time I put it on. The shape is unique and different, yet I always get compliments on it. I’m excited to layer it with sweaters underneath for fall. Another great bonus about this, the way it’s designed to hang away from your skin means you can wear it like a dozen times before you wash it! I know, I sound like a hippie, but it’s no lie. The award for most style influential closet item probably goes to this piece.
Longline Cardigan, c/o IMBY – At first, I wasn’t sure if this style of cardigan was something I would wear a lot, but once I put it in rotation during my Summer 10×10 Closet Challenge, I began to wonder how I lived without it. Often I feel like cardigans are hard to get right. There are born out of a necessity (to keep warm in layers, without having to commit to a pullover) and often they look like it. They are boring or unimagined, and leave me feeling like I should be answering phones or shelving books. The length and fabric of this cardigan keeps me warm and feeling a little more interesting. Unfortunately, this color is sold out for fall, but it looks just as good in black.
Poplin Shirtdress, Everlane – This was a last-minute summer addition, one of those quick buys going off instincts, and I love it more every time I wear it! I wore it to church a few weekends ago, and got complimented on three separate occasions. Not that I dress for other people, but when they weigh in, it kind affirms you are doing something right with your styling. This dress can be worn so many ways, over pants, and even as a duster.
Not Winners
And of course, when success is an option, failure is a real possibility too. I am comfortable with the idea that to win some, you must be okay with losing some, and this summer I did have a few ‘losers’ when it came to my closet additions.
Longer Cutoffs, Levi’s – Early in the summer I was convinced I needed a second pair of cutoff shorts. I added them, wore them a few times, and then never touched them. I think the shape of them just doesn’t quite sit right with me. Too tight and long. But because I don’t like to be hasty, I’ll probably wait till next spring before I officially part with them.
Tan Clogs, c/o Sandgrens – These are GORGEOUS shoes. Beautifully designed and well-made. Unfortunately, my feet were just too wide for them. Ooops. I wish I would have chosen a different pair. Again, you win some, you lose some.
Goals for fall.
I’ve completely un-capsuled my closet now. All the sweaters and boots are out (not that I have tons). In a few weeks I might tuck away my three shorts and some tanks, but that’s about it. I want to continue to make sure my closet is a well-oiled machine, consisting of only things I love, with a balance between style and function.
When it comes to skirts and dresses I tend to be a fair-weather fan. I rarely wear them when the cooler weather sets in. This fall, I want to go against my natural grain and utilize dresses a little more. I picked up a few lovely dresses this summer that I think will work nicely in the fall. Namely, my Sotela Cocoon Dress, the striped dress I just shared with you guys, and this little number.
I want to work on getting creative with layering. I was pretty inspired by the REIFhaus and Lauren Winter fall lookbooks, especially the way they layered turtlenecks under tops and dresses to make them more cold weather friendly. I can’t wait to put some of those strategies to work with some of my fall additions, which I am excited to share with you guys in the coming weeks.
As I’ve made my final selections and purchases for fall, I am mentally switching back to maintenance mode, not shopping mode. It’s hard to stop once you start adding to you wardrobe; it can feel addicting. I want to make sure I have balance in what I’ve added, what I have, and in my budget. A fall reprieve from spending is certainly in order.
Enough about me. What about you? What are your goals for fall?
I also have a goal to wear dresses this fall! Last fall I stocked up on an unnecessary number of formal dresses when what I really should have found was fall casual dresses. I have a few of those now, so I’ll see how I do wearing them. One of my blockers to wearing the one I have last fall was not having a long rain jacket, so I solved that problem finally, which means I can freely wear dresses his fall!! I’m really hopeful that my fall wardrobe is sturdier than my summer one was and my spending will be lower.
Yay for solutions! I’d love to hear more about your long rain jacket. Sounds like a smart piece.
I really wanted a trench coat, but a coat without a hood that is meant to be worn in the fall/winter simply won’t get much wear in my city Seattle lifestyle. I love my shorter GORE-TEX jacket for its practical purposes, so I realized a long black GORE-TEX jacket would be the solution. I tried on Arcteryx’s options last winter (they actually make some interesting city style options) and didn’t like the Codetta or the other one they had at the time. This spring, they came out with the Imber jacket which solved all of my annoyances with the Codetta, so I bought it once I found it on a sale! Now I can wear formal (or casual) dresses without wearing an odd-looking jacket over them!
Wow, that is a nice looking ‘functional’ jacket!! I feel your coat situation 100%! I am always looking at how pretty trenches are, but a coat without a hood just doesn’t make a ton of sense around these parts. I have been using my Everlane anorak in light to medium rain with some pretty great success. In the heavier rains my old Columbia jacket comes out, but I always have my eye out for an update. I like that Arcteryx rain jacket! I’ve also eyed some options by Patagonia in the past.
Really enjoyed this, Andrea. It also made me kick myself again for not waiting for those linen shirts, and jumping on the poplin – the poplin just doesn’t work for me, and I’ll likely be parting with it. My fall goal is to un-capsule! I need to go through everything and determine what I really need to add – I’m finally honing in on what I truly wear.
Oh Stacy, I feel ya! I made the same mistake, only it was even before the poplin, I bought one of the men’s white oxford shirts, and it was just never quite right, and I ended up parting with it. I really love the linen shirt! It definitely has more of a wrinkle factor that poplin does not though, in case that’s a factor that concerns you.
Excited for you as your sharpen your style focus!
My fall goal is to purchase ethically and conscientiously. I’ve flirted with capsule wardrobes for the past year, and now that I know what I really like, it’s time to fill the few holes I have with items I’ll use for a long, long time. Number one on the list is a new winter coat!
Good luck Brita! I hope you find a good coat. Do you ever shop second hand? I have found gorgeous wool coats at goodwill over the years. Trenches too!
i love the suggestion about wearing turtlenecks under tops and dresses! i have written down a list of items that i’ve browsed online and have really made an effort to think about the purchase as a whole, rather than just clicking away and buying whatever i fancy! living in the southeast, the weather has a tendency to get a bit crazy, so it helps to have layers. plus i have to factor in that my husband and i travel back to the UK to see his family 1-2 times a year and we also try to fit in a trip elsewhere around europe, so i have to think about clothes that do double duty. 4.5 years later and i still struggle with what to bring!
Lizzie, have you looked at any of LO’s packing lists? I find them very helpful for considering double-duty items!
I agree, I think looking at my wardrobe as a whole has helped me make more effective purchases. I think that’s one of the great takeaways of the whole capsule experience, it made us look at our wardrobes as a whole.
And lucky you for getting to travel back to the UK a few times a year! :)
a capsule tomboy wardrobe? be still my beating heart!! thanks so much!
Yay! I love, love her wardrobe! It always inspires me. :)
Love the perspective of win some/loose some. I’ve been trying to make shift dresses work for me because they seem so easy to wear. No more. For fall I’m going to embrace what I know works for my build, and focus my efforts there. All waists will be defined this autumn! :)
Isn’t it great when we learn important clues about what works for us and what doesn’t? It makes getting dressed so much easier. And it makes for fewer wasted purchases!
I feel like shift dresses are tricky for me too. They have to have a bit of an a-line shape or I feel too much like a rectangle. :/
I just got a dress that I’m hoping to wear during the week and not just Sunday :) i love those shorts. I never buckeled down to get s pair and really wish I did
Great post, Andrea.
One of the most difficult things for me to do when it comes to shopping is to wait for the right item to come along. I’ll see a detail that is somewhat off and I’ll think I can live with that, only to find that I really can’t. So, one of the things I’d like to practice this fall and winter is just waiting for the right items to come along and not compromising because I think I need something.
Here, here! I have struggled with that too. It’s all too easy to ignore tiny warning signs in the moment of anticipation of buying something. I totally get hung up on the little things that bug me, wish I wasn’t such a perfectionist, it sure would make life a lot easier!
Good luck, you can do it! When it doubt, wait it out. Things always become clearer after a few days of consideration.
My goal is to continue to purchase ethically as well, just like Brita above. I want to add a longer cardigan for fall and possibly a pair of clogs. I really love Cuyana’s long cashmere cardigan, but not sure my budget will allow it. I also have a FashionABLE tote on my list for my birthday so I hope to get that, too. I also will need a coat, but I hope to find one second hand. Although we have colder days here in Virginia in the fall, I won’t need a coat regularly until December or January, so I have plenty of time to find one. I also want to get use out of my flares I bought last spring. I have yet to wear them! That’s were the clogs come in…..I think they would look adorable with the flares. Loved your summer wrap up!
Wow, I didn’t realize Virginia was so warm! We need coats here by the end of October, but a lot of that has to do with the rain. That Cuyana cashmere cardigan is gorgeous! But yes, price! I bought and have been wearing an Alpaca cardigan from Zady, and I really like it! It’s heavier than cashmere, but really warm. Yay for a FashionABLE tote. They offer so many great colors, how will you ever choose?! Good luck!
Love reading all of your reflections. And I am still planning to add that linen shirt to my closet if not this fall then next spring! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.
I too convinced myself and added a pair (two actually) of jean shorts that I rarely wore all summer. When planning for my summer wardrobe I realized that I had absolutely no shorts that fit. So I added a pair of track shorts (which were worn endlessly) and three pair of (thrifted) jean shorts to “round” out my staples list. Turns out one pair was too baggy and long and the other to dark, short and tight. In fact, I ended up wearing tirelessly the light wash pair I thought I would wear the least! Haha. Goes to show you that sometimes those “must haves” creep in where they don’t belong — no matter how hard you try and safeguard against them.
Yay! I bet you will love the linen shirt. It’s a really nice piece! I think linen in general is just pretty cool.
Oh man, hindsight is 20/20, right?! I only had two pairs of shorts, and I thought that wouldn’t be enough. Turns out it was! It’s funny how that works. Yes, and you’re so right about those “must haves”!