Fall/Winter Capsule Wardrobe: Key Pieces

Happy Monday! This past weekend I worked with a wonderful new client, a special education teacher, who is in her late 20's. Her main wardrobe goals were to fill in the gaps with the key pieces missing from her wardrobe, learn how to update her outfits, and learn how to incorporate trends into her look. Also her biggest fashion fear was not having anything to wear. So for our styling session one of the things we did was to identify her "wish list" or items that are missing from her wardrobe. By filling in the gaps my client will have a more complete wardrobe for fall/winter. And having these foundational pieces will allow her to have the confidence to create outfits and get dressed faster so she can focus on what really matters to her.  My client's wish list included tall boots, a moto jacket, silk layering tanks, and accessories like scarves and necklaces...to name a few. 

So today I am sharing some of the key pieces that I recommended to my client- these are key pieces every woman should have in her wardrobe for the fall/winter season. And while this list is not inclusive it is a great place to start. 

Head over to CAPSULE to check out these products and more and if you're interested in starting your own capsule be sure to check out my recent post on CAPSULE FAQ's.

On Air: Holiday Fashion at Fox5DC

Yesterday I stopped by Fox5DC/GoodDayDC to share some outfit ideas and style tips for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season. Whether you have a family dinner, trendy Friendsgiving, or you're meeting your significant other's parents for the first time, I've got you covered with some fun and festive outfit ideas. Finding a stylish ensemble for a food filled frenzy can be confusing and tiresome and it requires some careful outfit planning in advance. The outfits featured are food friendly and stylish!

3 Key Style Tips for Thanksgiving and the Holidays

1. Dress a little nicer than usual. 

2. Focus on outfits that are not fussy and not too casual. 

3. Plan your outfits in advance to take out the anxiety and stress of getting dressed on the day of the event.  

All the looks featured on the models were provided by Morley Bethesda. 

Holiday Looks at Fox5DC

With my fabulous models- Brianna, Colleen, and Grace

This morning I was over at Good Day DC /Fox5 sharing some outfit ideas and style tips for Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season. All the holiday looks featured were provided by Morley Bethesda. And you can check out the entire TV clip here.

I wore a white lace dress by Ministry of Style and gold pumps by J.Crew.

With Gemma- owner of Morley Bethesda

Capsule Wardrobe FAQ

Image via Beige Renegade

I get tons of questions about capsule wardrobes so I thought I would share some FAQ's on capsule wardrobes.  

What is a capsule wardrobe?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of high quality, versatile, and essential pieces that define your style and that you LOVE to wear. A capsule wardrobe varies from season to season; consists of 15-30 items; and can be tailored for work, travel, holiday wear, and more.  

Does that mean you only have 15-30 items total in your wardrobe?

Definitely not. You may still have a closet full of clothes if you choose but this capsule is meant to be for your "go to" and in season items. The majority of us only wear about 20% of our clothes 80% of the time so the idea here is to identify and curate a mini wardrobe of essentially those items in the 20% category. Creating a capsule with these items will take the stress out of figuring out what to wear all the time. Also you can absolutely still wear other pieces in your wardrobe but these are the pieces you wear the majority of the time and these are the pieces you can mix and match with other items in your wardrobe. 

Does a capsule wardrobe really work?

I believe it does work. Some may view a capsule wardrobe as being restrictive and limited but it really isn't designed to be that way. A capsule wardrobe should consist of beautifully tailored and versatile pieces that you love to wear.  And having a capsule wardrobe makes shopping easier and getting dressed faster so you can focus on the things that really matter to you.  

I don't have the budget to create a capsule. Can I build one without spending a fortune?

You can definitely create a capsule on a budget. The key step is identifying what you already have in your wardrobe that can be part of your capsule. Then all you have to do is fill in the gaps with items that are still high quality but fall within your wardrobe budget. And you can do this slowly over time-especially if you are unable to purchase several items at a time. 

I like variety in my wardrobe. Can I still build a capsule wardrobe?

If you like variety in your wardrobe that's great and yes you can still create a capsule. Your capsule may be a little more expansive or it may contain the foundational pieces and then you mix and match those with the statement pieces in your wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe shouldn't feel so restrictive and limiting-instead it should be a fun way to organize and set aside all the pieces you love and wear most of the time. 

How do I build a capsule wardrobe?

The process is simple and it works. The first step is evaluating what you have already and getting rid of the items you don't wear or don't like. After assessing what key pieces you already own and fit into your capsule you can begin to shape your capsule wardrobe and fill in the gaps by purchasing the missing items. You can create a capsule for work, the weekend, lounge wear, travel, or a capsule for the current season. 

Shop my picks for a fall/winter capsule collection- HERE

Learn more about Capsule - HERE

Dresses by Byron Lars

Last weekend my friend Lee got married and it was such an intimate and beautiful ceremony on Cape Cod. I decided to wear new this little black dress I got from Anthropologie. Since I love black and lace so much purchasing this dress was an easy decison. I also love Byron Lars dresses because they are feminine, comfotable, nicely detailed, and they fit really well. 

Carissima Sheath Dress  | Margot Pencil Dress