White T-shirt (similar)| Black Top | Band Tee | Graphic Tee (similar)
Kimono Top (similar) | Black Sweater | Favourite Pullover (similar)| Blazer (similar)
T-shirt Dress | Leather Jacket (similar) | Distressed Jeans | Denim (similar) | Grey Denim
Sandals | Slip-ons | Converse | Booties (similar) | Moto Boots | Rainboots
*A lot of these items I have had for several years so they are no longer in stock. I posted items similar items in the same price range when necessary. Continue Reading
Spring is here and I just retired my winter coat back into the deep darks of the front closet. Let’s hope I don’t have to dig it out again and the weather is actually not messing with me. With spring right around the corner this would be the time I would be putting out my newest “capsule” wardrobe for the season. But I am not there yet. The first capsule I put out was built entirely from items that had been in my closet for years. We went through many years of being broke and replenishing my wardrobe each season just wasn’t an option so I made do with what I had and what I had worked for me at that time. Last season I added a few things and replaced some worn items. This year I am trying to go about it a little differently.
In my capsule revelations post I talked about what brought me to the point of wanting a smaller, but more substantial wardrobe. I achieved the smaller but now I need to figure out how to build the best wardrobe (more substantial) I can on a relatively small budget that reflects both me and my lifestyle. I am a SAHM so my wardrobe needs are not going to be the same as a working mom. But I do always include dress up and business like clothing because I feel every wardrobe needs to give you options for every dressing scenario. I have purchased a few items over the last few months that I know will last and stick around for a while but other items I have I am realizing aren’t really working for me. There are also some holes that I need to fill and I know it will be a longer process to get them filled but I don’t want to rush it. I want to make sure that I am choosing the right pieces not just temporary ones.
Many people in the blogger universe have started making the slow switch to shopping ethically. This is something that I admire a lot and long-term I would like to not just see me going that direction but most people making more ethical shopping choices when possible. Below are a list of some ethical companies to shop from if you are interested in going that route. There are so many more options out there now and a little googling will tell you whether or not your favourite shops fall under that category. When in doubt you can always shop vintage which is an extremely ethical choice.
Now for some of the holes I need to fill in my current wardrobe. I am noticing that some sweaters are getting worn out, t-shirts have holes, several of my tank tops are not looking new or fresh anymore and as basics these pieces need to look nice not worn out. I want a really high quality pullover sweater to replace my current favourite, maybe two in different neutrals (black and grey?) and a cardigan because I noticed I only really have a leopard print one left after a purge. A boyfriend style cardigan might be nice. I would like to buy a Cuyana Cape in one of the three colours they offer (I mention this all the time but I really intend to. It’s one of those classic pieces that I am saving for). A nice pair of dark denim, and some girlfriend jeans (boyfriend style didn’t seem to work for me). A belt, it’s weird but I don’t actually have a belt. I have a leather obi style but not an actual belt I can wear with jeans. I need a new hat (not sure what colour), leather jacket (I am looking for “the one”), some low converse (I only have high tops but I usually find my converse second-hand) and a kicky pair of summer shoes since I only have one pair of sandals. Maybe some colourful flats also since 99% of my footwear is black. For spring and summer I would like to have a breezy maxi dress or two, a little black dress that can be both casual and dressy, a white button down (I was shocked to realize I didn’t have one), a striped long sleeve, the perfect white tee, and one in grey, and black. The same for tanks. I also need a pair of black pants, a boho peasant blouse, a 90’s floral grunge dress, striped dress, and some wide leg pants.
It seems like a lot and it is. So I guess these are more longterm goals vs getting everything quickly now for the new season or a new “capsule”. There is no way I could go out and buy each of these pieces today brand new. I might be able to find some of them second-hand, but again probably not in the exact style I am looking for. So buying them all now isn’t realistic for me or for most people. The thought behind this was discovering what I feel was missing from my wardrobe and to get it out on paper (or online) so I can now begin the process of filling these holes. I plan to go through my current wardrobe again and purge more because there are some glaring pieces that I know have no business being in my closet anymore that I just wasn’t ready to part with last year. So as it stands my current spring/summer “capsule” wardrobe is a work in progress to hopefully evolve into a year-long wardrobe not just seasonal.
I have compiled some general ideas of what I am looking for in style and quality for my new pieces. I have included some of them below.
*I received an email today about the fact that I mentioned shopping ethically and then mentioned wanting some items that aren’t deemed ethical in my wish list (leather items and cuyana cape which is made from alpaca wool). I wanted to respond to that by saying that I mentioned ethically shopping as a long term goal not something that I was pursuing as an all or nothing cause right now. It would be a life change and realistically I am working one thing at a time. I mentioned ethical shopping to bring it to the forefront so that people who may not be aware of what it is will know about alternative options. I am a work in progress just like it will/would be to attain a 100% ethical wardrobe. Thank you for the message and allowing me to clarify things.
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1.T-shirts – white, grey, black | 2. Cuyana Cape | 3. Everlane E1 Tunic Sweater
4. Joe’s Jeans dark Denim | 5. Free People Always Dreamin Dress
6. Boyfriend Blouse J.Crew | 7. Tanks Black Everlane Silk cami, Grey, White
8. Suede Belt | 9. Free People Mont Blanc Sandal | 10. Gap Girlfriend Jeans
11. Floral Dress | 12. Madewell Red D’orsay Flats | 13. Topshop Striped Tee
14. Ale by Alessandra Gaucho Hat | 15. Free People Marrakesh Dress
16. Free People Lace Up Blouse | 17. Just Female Ava Dress
This is part of the extensive gardens that surround our condo. Now that the snow has melted and spring is in the air everything is starting to reveal itself. These plants are usually vibrant green with little white clusters of flowers all over it. It is actually quite lovely, but I also find this lovely because it is the moment before it transitions. I was trying to pan out to get a larger shot but as I did you noticed something else all the melting snow reveals……all the dog shit people don’t pick up that the snow keeps covered until spring. I panned out and immediately was “pan in…pan in!” Nobody needs to see that 😉 Continue Reading
1. Leather Biker Jacket* – Madewell | 2. Cuyana Cape* – Cuyana
3. Skinny Jeans* – Citizens of Humanity | 4. Vintage Looking Band Tee – Urban Outfitters
5. Purse** – Elliot Lucca | 6. Bralettes – Hanky Panky | 7. Loafers – Yosi Samra (sale)
8. Boyfriend Jeans – Banana Republic | 9. Faux Fur Collar Coat – Modcloth
10. Oversized Alpaca Sweater* – Cuyana | 11. Sneakers – New Balance | 11. Wool Hat – Nordstrom
*Denotes items that I consider luxury since they are out of my price comfort zone (and reality zone).
**Not necessarily looking for this purse. It’s just a general idea of what I want, black, leather, satchel style.
This is the brief story of my style evolution. For as long as I can remember clothing/fashion/style has been an important part of my life. I always put a lot of thought in to what I was wearing. Even back in the Grunge days when clothing consisted of worn in Levi’s, vintage t-shirts, plaid shirts, and thrift store cardigans, putting in a lot of thought was to make it look like you didn’t put in a lot of thought. One thing I did regularly was to slit the side of my jeans up to my knee and then sew in a triangle of fabric making them in to flares. That way I never had to get them hemmed, and they were original. The only problem was that the back dragged and got stepped on and they ended up wearing really bad.
Next came college where I wore animal print pants, camisoles as shirts, platform shoes, and bleached and cut my hair to look like Drew Barrymore in the movie Mad Love. A year or two into college I got a job at a Skateboard shop in the mall. This was a forced evolution since I had to wear clothes from there/that style and they gave me a great discount. I switched to really low riding pants, studded belts, fitted t-shirts, tanks, and hoodies and sneakers of varying brands and styles. My favourites were a pair of old school Vans that were bright blue with red laces.
During each of these stages they all had one thing in common. That was that I didn’t give a f*ck what people thought about what I wore. In fact, the more people didn’t like what I wore the more I enjoyed it. My favourite coat during this time was a vintage camel coloured knee-length belted trench, with a large faux fur shawl collar very much like this one but a bit shorter. It was amazing and I wore that thing until the fur was completed matted and unsalvageable. I miss it.
Fast forward to 2004 and I became pregnant with Roo. It was a weird time with a lot of life adjustments taking place. Not only was I pregnant, I was also getting married and living with boyfriend/fiancé for the first time in my life. Big adjustments. A lot of this time period is a blur, some of it I just want to forget. What should have been a wonderful experience was overwhelming, with all kinds of emotions (a lot of negative) that forced another evolution. This time I thought that I needed to start dressing as a mother should. In other words I completely lost myself. I bought things and wore things because I thought that I should not because I wanted to. There was an image I thought I had to project and sadly this carried on for years. It wasn’t until recently that I decided I needed to find that carefree college student again. The one who wore what she wanted, enjoyed every minute of it, and knew who she was without a doubt.
That brings me to today. Trying to find that satisfaction and joy when you find something that is distinctly you. While you won’t find me wearing shirts that are actually handkerchiefs anymore 😉 I would really like to find a vintage or vintage looking band t-shirt in a soft, worn in cotton. A black, leather, large satchel purse is on my list but I haven’t found one I love yet. In the more luxury items I want a Cuyana Cape and Cuyana pullover (I have been saying this for a while now but I think I am finally ready to do it). I am having serious issues deciding what colour though. I want the pullover in black and I think I narrowed the cape down to camel or grey. Your opinions would be greatly appreciated to help me decide when the time comes. I am always on the hunt for a leather jacket that will be my lifelong friend, and I kind of want to find one of those 70’s style vintage trenches with the big fur collars like I had an eternity ago (I love this one but sadly it is sold out). For shoes I think I need some sort of flat in a colour or leopard print, and some new casual sneakers like New Balance in a colour. Red maybe. I want a pair of boyfriend jeans which I am having trouble finding, and a more expensive pair of skinnies that fit like a dream. I also need a new bra (that needs to be ordered online due to my obscure sizing that they don’t sell in stores here) and a bralette or two to wear under my more sheer tees. A new hat is on my list because the black wool one I have is slightly too big. I also wouldn’t mind a pair of Spanx because? You can figure out why 😉
This journey of evolving my wardrobe to match myself will probably be a slow process but I am looking forward to it. I just wish that I could go shopping and into a change room without having an audience of one.
How do you decide what pieces are a must for you? Do you look around for inspiration before shopping or do you go with your gut and know when you see it?
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White T-shirt | V-Neck T-shirt** | Blouse** | Pullover** | Light Blouse** | Kimono**
Dolman Sweater** | Animal Print Cardigan** | Open Front Cardigan** | Casual Blazer**
Poncho | Distressed Denim | Kimono Jacket** | Mid Denim | Dark Denim | Grey Tee**
Baseball Tee | Black Denim* | Long Sweater** | Black Tank** | Band Tee** | Black Tee**
Black Sweater | Oversized Blazer** | Dressy Blazer | Leather Jacket** | Shift Dress
Fitted Dress** | Wrap Dress** | Black Pants | Leather Pants | Rainboots
Moto Boots* | Converse | Slip-ons | Flats** | Booties**
* I replaced these boots back in March with a pair of Frye boots I found on sale.
** A lot of these items are older and no longer available. I have linked to similar items in this case, they are marked with **. Continue Reading
