I have said it before and I will say it again, I am a sucker for a capsule wardrobe. Sustainability is something that is very important to me. I want to make sure that the items that I am adding to my closet have a very low carbon footprint. For this reason, I have vastly reduced the number of items that I have in my closet.
Now I have key pieces that I can wear in interchangeable ways, that are going to stand the test of time. So, today, I am going to share the key items in my capsule wardrobe. These are the things that I would recommend. That I have got my money’s worth out of and that I would purchase again if required. Here are my capsule wardrobe essentials.
White linen shirt.
I am talking about this first because this is by far one of my most worn items. Whenever in doubt, I think that the best thing to do is to wear a linen shirt. It doesn’t matter what you are pairing it with, a linen shirt is always the way to do. Mine is one that I picked up many moons ago from Topshop and the quality is still amazing. My favourite way to wear this is with a denim mini skirt in the summer months. That is my ideal way of dressing summery, without going too overboard with pattern and colour!
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Cashmere jumpers.
Most people will probably know this about me, but I am the coldest person in the world, As much as I love having my arms out, the chances are the most of the time I am too cold for that. I have a wonderful collection of cashmere jumpers, but some of my favourites are them that I picked up from M&S. They are wonderful and quite fitted, so it helps to show off your figure while keeping you warm and looking respectable. Some of my other favourite brands for cashmere are the likes of Joseph, John Lewis and so many other brands.
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Basic tops.
I have a draw in my closet which is just for t-shirts and basic tops. In here I have all of the key pieces that I can need. For me, this means a variety of ribbed vest tops, long sleeve crew neck t-shirts and more relaxed boyfriend tops. No matter what I wear these with or how I match them, they always look fantastic. Something that I have improved over the years is the quality of my basic items. They used to just be cheap items from ASOS and Zara, but I want to improve the carbon footprint and I think about the workers involved. Now, I spend a little more for higher quality items.
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Black skinny jeans.
The emo in me will never move away from skinny jeans. Even though for quite some time, my style may change. I always come back to the black skinny jeans. I may wear these to the office depending on who is around or what I have on. For me, I just change up what I wear them with. For a day in the office, I will throw on a blouse and a pair of heels. If I am heading out for brunch with the girls, I might just throw on a simple baseball t-shirt with my trainers. I know that the Gen-Z kids of today hate the skinny jeans, but for me they are here to stay. Not to mention that they suit my body incredibly well.
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Blue boyfriend jeans.
I honestly do love the black skinny jeans that I have just mentioned, but the blue boyfriend jeans is where my heart is at. For me, if I want to get an off duty look, I am wearing blue boyfriend jeans. My favourites are the good old Levi 501’s. I am pretty sure that I have had a pair of these hanging in my closet for as long as I can remember. I love that they look undone, whilst being a great piece of denim that hugs you in all of the right places. I also think that Redone has some amazing denim pieces that work for women with more curves. A great addition to my capsule wardrobe essentials.
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Work dresses.
As much as I wish that I didn’t have to mention these, I live in work dresses, they are one of my capsule wardrobe essentials. I am working in the office five days per week, which means that I need a whole hoard of office-appropriate clothes. I always find dresses are a super-easy way to dress. I like to go for nice A-line dresses. Nothing too short that show too much skin. Nothing too tight that I might get comfortable in. I can belt them to synch them in, let it all hang out if needed and I just adore them. I like to keep around 10 or so office dresses in my collection. That may seem excessive, but they will last me for many years and be worn on rotation.
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Miniskirts.
The reason why I like miniskirts over any other length is that they are so versatile. I can wear them in the summer months and depend on how I style them, they can be casual or work appropriately. Or, as the weather starts to drop colder, I can pair them with some thick tights. My personal favourite brands for miniskirts have to be Reiss and All Saints. Their pieces are always super versatile and you can wear them in many ways. Just make sure that they are not too booty short if you are wanting to wear them for work also!
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White trainers.
If I am not working and I am just running around, I am wearing white trainers. My personal favourites are either Converse or Golden Goose. For me, there is nothing quite like wearing a pair of boyfriend fit jeans, with a basic t-shirt and a pair of white trainers. Even if you look like your outfit is incredibly and just thrown together, you always look smart. There are no rules to the white trainers that you want, just something that looks the part and that you are comfortable with. Like I mentioned, Golden Goose are well worth the investment in my eyes.
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Black heels.
Even though I am a lover of all things heels. I am sure that you will know that if you read my blog frequently. However, for the purpose of my capsule wardrobe essentials, it is black heeled pumps that you need. Whether it be for work or an evening out, a black pair of heels is always in style. I have a pair of Christian Louboutin Izira Pumps that I have now had for around 5 years. I have looked after them and they still look as good as new. That is why I love buying quality key pieces.
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Tan sandals.
Last but by no means least is a wonderful pair of tan sandals. You can bet your bottom dollar that between April and September, I am going to be in tan sandals. Whether they are flat or heeled, it doesn’t matter, they are going to be on my feet. I think that for me, tan sandals just scream class in a wonderful summery way. I have had other summer shoes over the years, but it is always sandals like these that I come back to. Some of my favourites are the Loupe slide on sandals from Dune. They set you back a fair amount, but they stand the test of time!
I hope that you guys liked this blog post and getting to learn more about my capsule wardrobe essentials. As I mentioned, these are all things that I love and that I wear. With these key items, I know that I can make plenty of outfits. Don’t get me wrong, I do have the odd special item hanging in my closet, but I wouldn’t deem it part of the capsule wardrobe. As always, I would love to hear from you guys.
Make sure to leave me a comment and let me know if you have a capsule wardrobe. Do you think about the carbon footprint of your clothes? Or is it something you are looking into further down the line?