How-to: Get The Most Out Of Your Capsule Wardrobe

How-to:

get the most out of your capsule wardrobe

Fall is in full swing here in Canada, with the picturesque landscapes flooded with colour, the brisk wind, and cool temperatures. All the plaid, wool hats, turtlenecks, and boots are officially out. I think fall is the perfect season for a capsule wardrobe enthusiast as you can really push your creativity and discover new outfit combinations through the simple styling trick of layering. There are so many ways to layer and so many pieces that are layering-friendly. The most obvious and typical layering piece I have is big cozy cardigan. As many of you know, I’m a huge turtleneck lover! There are many reasons why I love turtlenecks. One being that they are such a comfortable thin layer that adds an exceptional amount of warmth. Since it’s so thin, it easily allows for more layering with other pieces. I also love the silhouette of the turtleneck and how simply it elevates an outfit.

I wanted to share a little styling post with you, sharing some fun ways to layer and transition summer-dedicated pieces into your fall wardrobe! Even if you don’t have the exact pieces that I have in my closet, I’m sure you can still adapt these tips for your own wardrobe.

layering with a turtleneck

In the summer, rompers and jumpsuits are so much fun to wear and so easy to throw on. However, once the weather starts to cool down, we don’t think much about them with our minds filled with cozy knits and sweaters. Here’s how I like to style my romper for fall. If you live in a warmer place (not for me anymore), this just might be the outfit for you! I took my beloved romper from the spring/summer season and layered a ribbed turtleneck underneath it for some warmth. If you have a jumpsuit, you can use the same layering trick here for extra warmth. You can also check out how I styled Encircled’s Jetset Jumpsuit for the fall months here!

layering with a shirtdress

Another item I love to wear during the spring/summer seasons is a simple shirtdress. It is so easy to just throw on and pull together a look with some casual sandals or runners. I’ve also been finding that it’s quite an interesting look styled over more smart trousers for a comfortable, yet appropriate office outfit. For an extra layer of warmth during the cold fall days, I’ve been layering a turtleneck underneath the shirt dress.

layering with simple camis

The final way I get the most use of my summer blouses and camis is to layer them underneath jackets, blazers, and cardigans. Sometimes camis styled over turtlenecks is another great way to layer up in the cooler months, and is also perfect if channeling that 90’s vibe. I’ve styled this mauve tank I wore tons in the summer, for a more corporate environment with a long line duster and some black trousers.

None of these tips are mind-blowing, but I find it just takes a little effort and some thought to get the most out of my wardrobe. I love that layering pieces adds dimension and texture to outfits and allows me to get more wears out of items that are typically more geared for spring/summer months.

What are your favourite ways to layer and get the most out of your wardrobe? Care to share your favourite layering piece or best layering tips?

Fall 2018: Capsule Planning

Fall Capsule 2018

my capsule planning

Every day during my morning commute, I can feel the air getting colder and crisper. Although I love the warm summer weather, I am excited for a new season, particularly fall. I wouldn’t say I’m ready for the Canadian winter yet. This fall capsule is a bit of an experiment for me as I’m still learning to adjust back to the temperatures here in Canada because 17 degrees here is not the same as an Australian 17 degrees! I’ve broken down the way I planned my fall capsule into three steps - gather, curate, wear.

gather

First is to gather - literally gather information. I search for the general temperatures for the next season and then begin by looking at my previous capsule to see what I can transition over. If you haven’t already read my previous post about transitioning your wardrobe, take a look at that post if you’re curious! After I have chosen some transitional pieces, I take a look at what I have for the upcoming season. From my current fall/winter clothing, I take out some pieces that I’d like to put into my fall capsule. Bring on the turtlenecks and knits! I’m totally a turtleneck person, so I was super excited to whip those out. From my summer capsule, I transitioned a few tops I thought I could use for layering. After all, fall is really all about the layers!

curate

Step 2 is a bit of a mix between gathering and curating because you kind of need both for this whole process to work. However, I would say this is the bulk of process where I begin to “curate” my wardrobe.

Since I recently started a new job, I wanted to make sure my capsule would be flexible enough for my corporate life, be casual for the weekends, and still have my style captured. Now is when I decided to add some pieces to my capsule. After settling on the clothing I already have, I look to see if there are any gaps that need to be filled or maybe there is a piece that you’ve been eyeing. Now is the time to bring in something new! With capsule wardrobes, I find that it often takes time to fill those gaps or maybe you never end up finding a piece that you’ve been looking for before the season ends. That’s definitely happened to me before! For this fall, here are a few things I’ve been looking for and am still on the hunt for. A classic white button down, warm-toned trousers/pants, black Chelsea boots, black denim. These items are not “musts”, they are just items that I’m keeping in mind.

Now is when I go to Pinterest. I think a lot of people start here, however, I find Pinterest helpful for putting outfits together and it helps me use what I already have in my wardrobe! I try to look for pictures and styles that I like with pieces that are similar to the ones in my closet so that I can get more wear out of particular pieces. Here’s a little peak at my Pinterest board, but if you’re curious to see what I add throughout the season, head over there to follow along! Clearly the warm rusts, oranges, and sand colours are really inspiring me this season. Hoping to add some colour to my wardrobe this season for a bit of a change. Any changes you’re making to your wardrobe?

These photos are not my own.

wear

Time for the fun part! The final thing I do is to style my capsule wardrobe and discover different ways to make the pieces I have versatile. I think the most challenging thing so far for me this season is to style interesting corporate looks. Corporate looks can be a little sterile sometimes because of the guidelines, but I’m hoping to spark some creativity into my wardrobe.

Let me know below, would you be interested in some how-to style posts around office outfits?