Winter Capsule Wardrobe
Runaways T-Shirt | Grey Turtleneck | Pink Blouse | Wrap Sweater | White Blouse | Oversized Sweater | Pullover | Pink Sweater | Grey Cardigan | Brown Check Blazer | Grey Trousers | Blue Jeans | Black Jeans | Joggers | Sweater Dress | Grey Coat | Green Coat | Mask | Earrings | Scarf | Black Purse | Brown Purse | High Boots | Low Boots |Sneakers | Converse | Winter Boots |
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Well, the weather is back to cold after the heatwave last week, and I have been wearing lots of layers. It actually made me feel inspired to build a winter capsule wardrobe today.
Yes, I am a glutton for punishment and usually don’t get my weekly capsule wardrobes done (and sometimes started) until the night I post them which is why this is a day late.
I spent my time on the kids’ gift guide earlier this week which took my time form this one. Plus, I had to bake a birthday cake for Tom’s birthday last night as well.
I would love to be like some people and have weeks of posts lined up at any given time but I just can’t seem to make it work with everything else that has to be completed each day.
So here we are.
How to Build a Winter Capsule Wardrobe
There are several ways that people do this.
Most people fall into this first category. They have a group of core items that they use all year long.
These tend to be your basics that you wear the most, and the pieces that transition well to most seasons.
From there they add in a group of seasonal (and sometimes trendy) items that will expand their core capsule.
The bulk of your wardrobe will be the core essential pieces that are the base that you have built your wardrobe on. It gives you a strong foundation to work with.
Some other people like the idea of starting from scratch each season.
To me this misses the mark of what a capsule wardrobe is supposed to entail, and also makes me feel like maybe there wasn’t a lot of thought put into the wardrobe if they feel like they should redo it each season.
The point of it is to build a long-lasting wardrobe of wearable, classic pieces that you will use year after year.
It will cut down on unnecessary shopping allowing you to save thousands of dollars a year.
Honestly, unless you are really good at keeping track of your spending, you might be shocked to see how much you spend on unnecessary clothing.
They key is to buy the best quality pieces that you cand afford within your budget, so you won’t be replacing items every couple of years.
Building a capsule wardrobe that will work for you 365 days a year for all occasions is a continuous work in progress and shouldn’t be rushed.
If you rush it you will end up with pieces that were “just okay” and tentatively checked a box that you were trying to impatiently get checked.
You want to look forward to wearing every single piece.
You want to use these pieces to mix and match creating dozens and dozens of different outfits.
It will save you both time and money in the long run.
Pick a Capsule Wardrobe Colour Palette
This is one where people get stumped and then end up defaulting into the strictly neutral family.
Don’t get me wrong, I love neutrals.
The majority of my wardrobe is neutrals.
BUT…I love to add colour in with these neutrals.
I do this many different ways, but shoes are my favourite. I love colourful shoe like my blue Vejas*.
I originally wasn’t sure about them, but I am so glad I bought them because they are perfect for adding that something extra to any outfit.
*Note: Some people find Vejas uncomfortable. The tongue on certain styles is quite stiff at first and takes breaking in, but the Rio Branco style has a very soft tongue and they were perfect from the first wear.
I also like to add some colour via accessories, or a bold coat. My current favourite accessories is a face mask.
I am really into floral prints, and I even bought a chain for it for a little bit of extra.
I also LOVE a statement coat.
You can see the blue shoes and one of my favourite coats over here paired with a closet staple (and one of my core foundation pieces) the slip dress.
I love that coat so much that I want it in yellow as well. I’m just not sure if it is necessary to have two.
So the moral of the colour palette story is that it is okay to add colour and prints if that is what you enjoy.
But to ensure that you have a fully versatile wardrobe that can be mixed and matched easily, it is important to have a selection of neutrals to tie all those colours and prints together.
A capsule wardrobe will also make travelling easier…when we can actually travel again.
You just take the same concept of your capsule and downsize it to make a travel packing list.
My closet has been a work in progress since the dawn of time, but as the years have gone by I notice that the desire to buy more and more items has decreased significantly because I genuinely love the pieces that I have collected.
I can’t wait to see how it evolves through the years.
They are talking about locking us down again in the city and surrounding area…we will find out tomorrow.
Stay safe.
Note:
- The Levi’s I included are my absolute favourite jeans. They get better with wear. Get your regular size and they will be tight for the first couple of wears, but stretch out perfect. You can see them on me here.
- The grey cardigan I have is the perfect oversized grandpa cardigan I am wearing here. If you like an oversized fit then get your regular size. If you like it smaller then size down.
- I wear that sweater dress all the time. My go-to is wearing it over pants. You can see it here, and here, and here.
- I love these boots. I am not a fan of the shorter booties, but these have a high enough shaft that they even fit under my shorter inseam jeans. The heel is the perfect height for walking. They are a very sleek boot. You can see them here, and here.
You might also like:
How to Build a Winter Capsule Wardrobe
The Ultimate Winter Capsule Wardrobe.
How to Build a Winter Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget.
A Work From Home Winter Capsule Wardrobe – Plus 18 Work From Home Outfits
Easy Winter Outfit Ideas
Capsule Wardrobe Outfit Ideas
Runaways T-Shirt | Grey Turtleneck | Pink Blouse | Wrap Sweater | White Blouse | Oversized Sweater | Pullover | Pink Sweater | Grey Cardigan | Brown Check Blazer | Grey Trousers | Blue Jeans | Black Jeans | Joggers | Sweater Dress | Grey Coat | Green Coat | Mask | Earrings | Scarf | Black Purse | Brown Purse | High Boots | Low Boots |Sneakers | Converse | Winter Boots |
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i agree, whenever i see people who bust out a new version of their capsule collection every season, i think of that commercial (i think it’s a Geico commercial?) where the lady is telling her friends “that’s not how it works! that’s not how any of this works!”. it’s almost like they’re using the excuse that because it’s for a capsule, then it’s ok to keep adding random things.
what i’m still working on is patience, and making sure that what i think i want is something that will actually work with existing pieces in my wardrobe. i do a lot of looking on poshmark, and part of me wants to succumb to the panic buy because i come across an item that i’ve had on my list, but i have to double and triple check that said item doesn’t have holes/snags/etc. like you said, i don’t want to settle, only to feel like there’s a better version out there.
there’s one brand of denim that i really want to try, but i’m scared off by the price point and the fact that their fabric composition makes sizing a bit tricky and i might have a meltdown if i’ve got to try on 87 pairs to find the right style & fit-raleigh denim workshop.
i have a similar irritation with shoes-i like the look of both acne and rag & bone boots/booties, but sizing between the styles seems to vary quite a bit, based on reviews.
ooof, i hope you get some good news regarding your possible lockdown situation. as you know, it’s nearing thanksgiving in the states, so everything is about to kick off yet again. our state has had a dramatic increase in hospitalizations and cases, but they haven’t reinforced any sort of curfews or shutdowns.
i hope tom had a good birthday! that’s got to be so chaotic to have your husband and both your girls’ birthdays within a month, then christmas right behind!
It’s so chaotic! And expensive 😂 I try to start shopping in May to spread the expense over a few months.
And I totally agree about the capsules, that it’s like an excuse to start get a new wardrobe every season. It completely defeats the purpose and makes me feel like you would have to have zero attachment to anything in your wardrobe to just start fresh all the time which is sad.
Patience is sooo hard. I get wrapped up in the moment if I find something that excites me but I don’t need. Especially if it’s a good deal. It’s a habit I’m trying to break. And trying on jeans sucks. That’s why I’ve pretty much been sticking to the same Levi’s in different washes and leg width/inseams. When I find something that works it’s hard to get me to change.
We did lock down today (well not today, Monday but they told us today) but only within the parameters of the greater Toronto area (mostly). We are in the hotspot so they think this is a good idea. I know that people will just drive outside the city and keep breaking the rules. This is getting so ridiculously frustrating. I’m sorry that you guys are going to have a huge increase after thanksgiving for the exact same reason.
Take care of yourself.