Capsule Wardrobe Outfit - Summer's Final Florals

With Labor Day Weekend gone, and the unofficial start to fall in full swing, I am eagerly awaiting the cooler weather. 

The promise of chunky knits, crisp morning walks and cozy nights by the fire have left me feeling re-invigorated and excited for what the next few months will bring.

Unfortunately, Charleston hasn't gotten the memo and we still have temps well into the 80's. 

To tide me over until late September and help keep my summer capsule fresh, I am reworking the core pieces with some of my favorite transitional accessories.

Specifically, I have loved wearing a neutral base of core pieces with lightweight layers and richly hued accessories - like my go-to clutch and tortoise shell necklace.

Recently for a semi-cool afternoon, I turned to my favorite white tee and white denim shorts for the perfect base to make my accessories pop, and allow my floral blazer to shine one last time before it goes into hibernation. 

This Zara blazer is undeniably gorgeous. The bold floral print, modern silohette and subdued pink shades are the perfect compliment to a neutral base - which you know is my favorite.  

All-in-all, I loved this look for the late summer weather and will likely re-work it again in the coming weeks. As September grows older thought, I will pair this same tee and shorts with either a light green blazer, or a great sweater and silk scarf in fall hues. That way, I can still remove the blazer or sweater if the temps get warmer in the afternoon, but will still have hints at fall before the season finally begins.

So, as you find yourself growing tired of your summer wardrobe just keep in mind this simple outfit formula for transitional success.

Neutral Top & Botton + Transitional Accessories & Layers (scarves, blazers, bold necklaces, tights)

=

Transitional Outfit Bliss  

What's your favorite way to refresh your wardrobe at the season's end? Do you have any accessories that instantly transform your look for the better? I'd love to know in the comments below!

Also, I have outlined the exact pieces I used to create this look and put together a quick OOTD video of this look that you can view below or on my YouTube channel. 

Outfit Details

Capsule Pieces: Everlane U-Neck Cotton Tee, Levi's 501 Shorts

Accessories: J. Crew Tortoise Shell Necklace

Shoes: Stubbs & Wootton 

Purse: Louis Vuitton Clutch

 

Until next time, 

Audrey

A Week In Breckenridge, Colorado

Day 1

Earlier this month I traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado with my family for a week of Rocky Mountain views. As someone who has never visited Colorado before, I was eager to see what the Centennial state had to offer and was blown away by the intense natural beauty almost immediately. On the day I traveled to Colorado, I caught a very early flight into Denver. After landing in the late afternoon, I met my family at the airport so that we could make the two hour drive to our rental in Breckenridge. From the moment we left the city the skyline opened up to reveal some of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. That night I tucked in early to help fend off a slight bought of altitude sickness and woke the next morning eager to explore. 

 

After relaxing for a bit, we set out for the Snowflake Trailhead which was conveniently located a two minute walk from our rental. 

                                                                             I wore my navy blue long-sleeve t, white Levi's 501 CT jeans, Forever 21 hat and Massimo Dutti belt.

The trail, which is really more of a light walk, was such a great way to acclimate to the altitude. Winding gently through bubbling streams and delicate waterfalls, the trail eventually opened up to a perfectly serene lake and sweeping landscape views. Needless to say, I was completely smitten and didn't want to leave.  

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Day 2

On the second day, I was still fighting a little altitude sickness so we kept it simple with another light walk. This trail offered continuous mountain views, the freshest air, and the loveliest wildflowers. To suit the cooler than expected temps I wore my Everlane u-neck tee, Madewell jeans and Zara shawl. 

I kept my accessories simple and stuck to my J. Crew bangle and Massimo Dutti belt. 

 

This adorable little cottage at the end of our hike, was staged as it would have looked during the gold rush. 

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Day 4

On our third day in Breckenridge we drove back into Denver to pick up my sister! Unfortunately I left my camera at home so I wasn't able to take any pictures. BUT, on our fourth day we took my favorite hike of the whole trip and snapped more than enough pictures to make up for the day before. 

 

Known as Hoosier Pass, this gorgeous trail sits at an elevation of 11,539 feet and offers some of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. 

The weather on our fourth day was absolutely freezing so I wore my black long-sleeve tee, Madewell jeans and Zara leather jacket. For accessories I wore my favorite turquoise Zara necklace, Massimo Dutti belt and Forever 21 hat. 

Simply picturesque, there is truly no other way to describe it. This hike featured a gradual climb and appeared to be nestled in the clouds. Lined with endless wildflowers and gorgeous evergreens, the hike far exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area. 

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Day 5

On our fifth and final day in Breckenridge we ventured on another hike - I promise we did more than hike, I just left my camera at home for the downtown walks and delicious dinners. Instead, I captured those parts of our trip over on Instagram stories. Anyway, our final hike was just as lovely as those before it, but definitely a little more difficult. The weather this day was also much cooler than it had been prior so I pulled out my sweater to stay warm. 

The endless hues of green were simply beautiful.

Winding upward into the mountains, this hike was the perfect blend of forest and trails. As if the fresh air and gorgeous views weren't enough, the trail was also covered in lush greenery and had the cutest chipmunks I've ever seen! They were adorably friendly and even ate out of my hand!! I felt like Snow White and managed to capture it on film - included in my trip lookbook below. 

The weather on our final day was the perfect blend of rainy and exhilarating. To suit the cool temps I wore my cream L.L. cableknit sweater, Madwell jeans and new hiking boots. About 15 minutes into our hike it started to rain so I pulled my hair back with a tortoise shell J. Crew barrette. 

All-in-all, I can't recommend Colorado enough. The gorgeous scenery and unbelievably fresh air made it the perfect week long getaway. 

My Perfect Summer Capsule Combination

There is no denying that Charleston is H-O-T during the summer months. This intense heat means that staying cool while still feeling put-together, requires lightweight, simple separates. With this goal in mind, I recently put together this effortless look for an afternoon around town. 

When the temperatures skyrocket, my favorite thing to wear is a simple white tee. Not only are they easy to pair with anything in my wardrobe, but they are also a great way to stay cool without feeling frumpy. 

One of my favorites is this J. Crew tee that I picked up for my summer capsule. The lightweight cotton and pocket design works perfectly with everything from jeans to shorts and skirts. 

For accessories I kept things fun but simple to add some interest to an otherwise basic outfit. My new round frame sunglasses from Ralph Lauren coupled with my bright blue Julie Vos earrings added some pizazz, while my go-to crossbody and pointed toe flats rounded everything out. 

Also, how amazing is this bright green door? The front doors in Charleston never cease to amaze me. 

Capsule Pieces: Everlane U-Neck Cotton Tee, J. Crew Striped Skirt

Accessories: Ralph Lauren round sunglasses, Julie Vos Earrings

Shoes: Everlane Modern Point 

Purse: Louis Vuitton Crossbody

Until next time!

Capsule Wardrobe Combination For Transitional Weather

It's hard to believe that August is already here! With September (and fall!!) right around the corner, I have been reworking the pieces in my capsule to create some early transitional outfits. Case in point is this lacey look that I wore recently. What I love about this combination is that both pieces are light enough for a summer day, but still pulled-together enough to feel (almost) fall ready. When worn together, this look can easily tide me over until the official start to fall without feeling like I'm jumping the gun.

Having lived in both the south and the north, there is an undeniable difference in transitional dressing between the regions. That said though, some key points hold true regardless of your geographical location.

The first of which being that neutral or muted colors are a great place to start because they allow your accessories to do the talking. For example, with this look I opted for pale green and white so that I could showcase bold gold and rich browns which instantly call to mind cooler temps.

Next, when putting together transitional outfits keep silohette in mind and try to choose pieces in light fabrics that feature a cool weather shape like the long sleeve silk shirt I wore here. While the color is neutral and the material is light as air so that it can be layered or worn alone, the silohette automatically feels more autumnal than say a plain short sleeve tee.  

This pale green, lace skirt from J. Crew is one of my favorites for transitional wear. The lightweight fabric is comfortable enough for august, while the muted color hints at cooler weather to come. 

My third "rule" for transitional dressing is to lead with your hair and makeup. While it is still too early for bold lips and rich nail colors (I would wait til September for those), you can slowly signal that fall is on the way by favoring a more refined coif.

In fact, mid to late August is the perfect time to begin phasing out the beachy waves and re-incorporating carefully curled locks. My fourth and final rule of thumb plays off of my first and involves transitioning from dainty everyday jewels to bolder costume jewelry. With temperatures and humidity beginning to dip, bold accessories can feel like a comfortable option once more.

Plus, by pairing your go-to summer pieces with bolder accessories, they will instantly feel more elevated than they did in June and July, and will help signal that chunky scarves and mitts are soon to follow. 

For accessories, I stuck with a bold gold palette and wore my J. Crew link necklace, gold bangle and new Ralph Lauren sunglasses that have the perfect round frames. 

To let the skirt shine, I kept my other accessories simple with three shades of brown. My favorite Chanel ballet flats are the ideal walking shoe and are both parts comfortable and chic, while my vintage Gucci bag adds just enough structure to any look.  

As mentioned in this post, from now on I will be sharing the exact pieces from my capsule, accessories, shoes and purse collections that I used to create each of my outfits. My hope is that by showing the pieces used from each category I will help inspire you to get creative too and see how far a few carefully chosen pieces can take you. I have outlined these below for you and have also put together a quick OOTD video that you can view here or below. 

Capsule Pieces: Everlane round collar white silk shirt, J. Crew green lace skirt

Accessories: J. Crew gold link necklace, J. Crew gold bangle, Ralph Lauren round sunglasses 

Shoes: Chanel ballet flats

Purse: Vintage Gucci Kelly bag

Until next time!