How to Build a Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe for Fall

Minimalist Wardrobe for Women

A white background with the pieces for a minimalist capsule wardrobe for fall laid out in rows.

T-shirt | Bodysuit | Black Button-up | White Button-up | Sweatshirt | Oversized Sweater | Striped Sweater | Black Sweater | Blazer | Denim | Leather Pants | Trousers | Slip Skirt | Sweater Dress | Coat | Quilted Jacket | Beanie | Sunglasses | Earrings | Crossbody | Tote | Boots | Heeled Boots | Converse | Loafers | Sneakers |

There is a woman that I follow on Instagram that has minimalist style nailed down solid. She is very Moira Rose in only wearing black, whites, greys, and occasionally tans…except I don’t believe Moira ever wore grey and definitely not tan, just an occasional colourful wig.

I digress…no matter what she is doing, and where she is going she always looks so chic and put together.

Even when she was wearing her pyjamas to pick up her kids.

It’s crazy how some people are just that good with filling their wardrobe with pieces that always make them look 100%.

This week I decided to incorporate some of her vibe. When I am talking about a minimalist capsule wardrobe today I mean the general aesthetic versus the amount of clothing one has.

I figure if you are venturing onto a capsule wardrobe journey then you probably have a little bit of the minimalist wardrobe implemented already.

While her tastes lean to the more expensive side, she is also really good at offering lower-priced alternatives.

The key to having such a minimalist colour palette and not look like you are wearing the same outfit every day is buying pieces with different textures.

Having a selection of cashmere, chunky knits, leather, suede, silk, all of these not only make your wardrobe look more lux, but they also give you the visual variety needed so that you don’t look like you have a uniform that you wear every single day.

When you are wearing the same colour or tones of the same colour than having pieces in different fabrics and textures will elevate that look.

If you feel frustrated every single day when you go to get dressed, it is probably because the items that you own do not, or no longer reflect who you are.

To have confidence in your appearance your style and lifestyle must be connected.

If this feels really off to you then you probably are stuck in the habit of buying without considering who you are and whether it will work in your life.

This is something that we are all guilty of.

It is a hard habit to break but is necessary to allow your clothes to help you be the best version of yourself.

Five things to remember when building a fall capsule wardrobe.

1. First and foremost bring over every single piece that will work from previous seasons. There is no point in starting from scratch if you have some key foundational pieces already. It’s a waste of money and time to buy everything new every season.

2. When you are buying coats make sure that you can wear a sweater underneath. Often times you may have to go up a size to accommodate bulkier seasonal items. With a fall blazer or leather jacket, I make sure I get the next size up because trying to move your arms after you have stuffed a sweater sleeve into it is not very fun.

And not very chic.

3. Make sure that you have pieces that you can layer. Fall weather can be all over the place and different temps throughout the same day. Make sure you have things that will work and layer with one another so that you can always be prepared.

4. Waterproof your leather goods. This includes footwear, jackets, and purses. Leather and water do not mix and they can extensively shorten the lifespan of your items.

The point is to buy less, not more, so take care of what you have.

5. Don’t get sucked into the trends. It’s okay to get embrace a trend or two per season but you should really be investing in pieces that you like, and make you look and feel your best.

Pieces that you know you are going to wear season after season.

Your wardrobe should not be more than 20% trendy items, and if MUST have something then make sure that it goes with at least 3 things that you already own, AND it should be something that you love so much that you will wear it again and again.

Get use out of the trend because it will only be around for a short period of time.

Hopefully, this will help give you some new perspective and guidance so that you will no longer have the desire to douse your closet in gasoline and burn it all, every time you walk in there.

*Note: I have that asymmetrical sweater. I bought it when it first came out last year and it sold out quickly as it appears to be doing again. If you want it do not despair, I find that it gets restocked frequently so just keep your eye open. I was able to snag mine on a restock. It fits true to size.

Take care, and stay safe.

Minimalist Outfit Ideas

A white background with the pieces for a minimalist capsule wardrobe for fall laid out in 15 outfits.

Minimalist Fall Wardrobe

A white background with the pieces for a minimalist capsule wardrobe for fall laid out in 15 outfits.

T-shirt | Bodysuit | Black Button-up | White Button-up | Sweatshirt | Oversized Sweater | Striped Sweater | Black Sweater | Blazer | Denim | Leather Pants | Trousers | Slip Skirt | Sweater Dress | Coat | Quilted Jacket | Beanie | Sunglasses | Earrings | Crossbody | Tote | Boots | Heeled Boots | Converse | Loafers | Sneakers |

You might also like:
How to Build a Dramatic Classic Capsule Wardrobe for fall
How to Build a Stay at Home Mom Capsule Wardrobe for Fall
How to Build a Complete Fall Capsule Wardrobe
How to Build a Fall Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget
The Ultimate Fall Capsule Wardrobe
How to Build a Fall Work Capsule Wardrobe
Fall Capsule Wardrobe Essentials

SHOP THE UK LINKS

This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do 🙂

Sharing is caring!

Sara

Sara is the founder and creative behind livelovesara. A George Brown College Fashion Styling Graduate, she provides advice on finding your personal style regardless of age and budget. She is always on the hunt for the perfect wardrobe piece and is a vintage and thrifting enthusiast who can't wait to share her newest finds. She is also trying to learn French.

6 Comments

  1. You talk about being frustrated when getting dressed because there’s not alignment between lifestyle and the clothing in your closet. This is me. Before the COVID lockdown, I worked out of the office 5 days a week. Now, I only go in to the office once a week. I don’t like dressing schlumpy at home but I don’t have the motivation to wear my dresses and blouses and dress pants at home. I also know at some point I will return to the office on a larger basis but I feel caught between two worlds. Anyways, great post as usual. Good tip to size up for coats and jackets.

    • This is so tough and something that so many people are feeling, so you are not alone. Would it help to keep your work stuff totally separated if you don’t already? All together on one side of the rack? Then just move out only the things you can easily wear in everyday life to your daily wardrobe side. That way at least you don’t have to dig through it everyday. It sometimes helps me to build a mini capsule within my wardrobe using pieces that I love the most. Then I’ll just wear them in rotation in as many outfits as I can come up with.

  2. I know it’s not your usual style, but I’d love to see a capsule wardrobe for fall/winter with pastel colors!

    • It’s definitely something I can look into! Pastels can be harder to find in winter but it might work out.

  3. Hi Sara, thanks for doing a cool colored capsule for fall. Please do more. I find most bloggers or YouTubers tend toward warm palettes. While I love the warm colors of fall they do me know favors. Of recent years finding cool colored clothes has been near to impossible. Luckily I love gray, black, and white. I add navy, burgundy and and green if they are on the cooler spectrum and shades of royal and cobalt blue. I may add some red as well.

    • I love to jump between warm and cool palettes. I always find the cool colours to give an edgier vibe which I love. I’ve just started adding navy to my wardrobe after not owning anything in the colour. I’m not sure why I always skipped it but it’s a great neutral to have.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.