My Fall Capsule Wardrobe

I had heard about the idea of a “capsule wardrobe” through a few bloggers. (see here and here). The specifics and details can vary but the concept is the same: wear only a few pieces for a specified period of time (usually a month or a season). The idea is to think minimal, 30 pieces or so for your entire wardrobe. Some people include shoes and accessories in this total, some don’t. The tiny rules don’t matter to me as much to me as the overall idea – to simplify your wardrobe.

Even though it seems counterintuitive, I’ve heard people say they experience greater freedom, creativity, and flexibility in their wardrobe by being forced to work with fewer pieces. Another upside is that you’re choosing the pieces you truly love and doing without the thousands of ones you just kind of “like” and are cluttering your wardrobe and your morning decisions.

I jumped on the bandwagon for this trend and coerced/asked my friend Erika of Rouge and Whimsy to join me on this adventure, since I knew I was going to need some moral support. We’re each choosing 30-ish pieces for the month of October. You can follow us both on our blogs and Instagram to see the outfits we're putting together. We're considering this month our trial period, and at the end, I hope to evaluate and possibly tweak my wardrobe only slightly to continue for the rest of the season.

Here are my pieces!

Details from top left: gray sweatshirt (target) // beige silk top (thrifted) // floral silk top (urban) white tee (michael stars) black lace top (forever 21) // white sweater (forever 21) // gray sweater (mark garmets) // black open shoulder top (nordstrom rack) // black and white checkered shirt (j.crew) // black top (forever 21) // army green silk top (TJ Maxx) // navy long sleeve (forever 21) // red dot silk top (nordstrom rack) // beige long sleeve (forever 21) // striped long sleeve (j.crew) // denim jacket (forever 21)

Details from top left: leather jacket (a fave! forever 21) // black LBD (nordstrom rack) // black skirt (h&m) // striped skirt (h&m) // black zella leggings (nordstrom) // black jeggings (TJ Maxx) // distressed denim (forever 21) // dark denim (forever 21) // black jacket (lululemon) // burgundy leather jacket (forever 21) // tan booties (forever 21) // brown booties (forever 21) // black booties (forever 21) // tan booties (forever 21) black hunters (nordstrom) // tan flats (payless)

Details from left: Tory Burch flats (nordstrom) // gray marbled long sleeve tee (forever 21) // black open knit sweater (forever 21) // navy striped sweater (ella moss)

36 pieces total, plus two outerwear items (a black patagonia puffy vest and a long black puffy jacket, and a denim chambray not pictured because I forgot it was in the wash, typical). This is the breakdown:

18 tops (mostly sweaters plus a handful of fancier silk tops)

2 skirts

1 little black dress

4 jackets 

4 pants 

7 pairs of shoes 

I picked my favorites, and mostly neutrals, both for ease of mixing and because I can add scarves or whatever accessories I want, which aren't included in the total count, and these can really change the feel of an outfit. 

I'm so looking forward to this project! Will be posting updates throughout. Are you also following a similar capsule wardrobe idea? Link to yours in the comments! I love seeing the variety in people's wardrobes across the country, especially with different climates and styles by region. Make sure to check out Erika's blog and follow along there as well!