Winter Capsule Wardrobe OOTD

Happy almost Friday! To celebrate the end of the week I'm excited to share my first official winter capsule outfit. Jason and I shot this look a little over a week ago while we were walking around downtown and I've already re-worn it a few times since then - with different accessories of course. 

One of the things I love the most about this look is how simple it is. The base of grey cashmere sweater, moto jeans and simple black booties can easily be worn alone, but can also be changed completely with a few tweaks in accessories, outerwear and shoes. 

On this particular day, we weren't doing much so I stuck to simple black sunglasses, a polka-dot silk scarf and basic black purse. 

There was a slight chill in the air so I topped it all off with a simple black tweed jacket that I've had for ages - though I'm still considering adding this one to my collection if it ever goes on sale. As always, I've embedded each of the capsule items, accessories, outerwear and shoes that make up this look below.

Capsule Pieces: Everlane Grey Cashmere Sweater / Zara Grey Moto Jeans (A few years old)

Accessories: Dior Sunglasses (Old), Similar here / Ralph Lauren Polka-Dot Silk Scarf (Old) similar here / J.Crew Black Purse (Old), similar here, here and here

Shoes: Marc Fisher Yale Booties

Until next time,

Audrey

Nice To Meet You! A Few Fun Facts About Myself

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today's post is a little different than my usual content. One of my 2017 goals for this blog and my YouTube channel is to inject a little more of myself into it. While in the past I've stuck strictly to fashion, moving forward I would love to personalize the whole thing just a little more.

In doing so I hope that you'll be able to see more clearly just how a normal 29 year-old like myself uses a streamlined wardrobe to enhance my day-to-day life. After all, isn't the point of all of this to spend less time worrying about to wear and more time living? So, beginning with this quick sit-down chat that I filmed, I will be sharing more about what I'm doing each day, week and month in my normal life and how my closet plays into all of that. I hope that you enjoy and I'm excited to share this next step with all of you. 

Until next time,

Audrey

My Winter Capsule Wardrobe

It's that time again! After waiting til January to switch my closet over I finally had a chance to film my winter capsule and I'm very excited to share it with you today. My capsule this season consists of 35 pieces but as always it does not include shoes, accessories or outerwear.  I filmed a quick overview of my closet ethos along with a close-up of each piece so I'll save you the length post here. That said though, I've listed each piece in my capsule below for you along with how long I've had each item (and any links when available) - because it doesn't need to be new to be exciting. I hope you enjoy and as always, let me know if you have any questions!

1. J.Crew Long Sleeve Navy Tee - 2 years

2. J.Crew Long Sleeve Black Tee - 2 years

3. J.Crew Navy & White Tee - New this season

4. J.Crew Black & White Tee - Over 1 year

5. Brooks Brothers White Shirt (Old) - Over 4 years

6. H&M Pink Blouse (Old) - Over 1 year

7. Everlane Black Silk Shirt (Old) - Over 2 years

8. J.Crew Chambray Shirt (Old) - Over 3 years

9. Zara White Peplum Top (Old) - Purchased last spring

10. Everlane Navy Cashmere Crew - Less than 1 year

11. Everlane Black Cashmere Crew - At least 1 year

12. Everlane Grey Cashmere Crew - New this season

13. Forever 21 White Ruffle Sweater - New this season

14. LOFT Black Skirt (Old), Similar here - Over 1 year

15. H&M Black Pleather Skirt (Old), Similar here - Over 1 year

16. J.Crew Green Lace Skirt (Old) - A few years

17. Massimo Dutti Silk Skirt (Old) - At least 4 years

18. H&M Black Pants (Old), Similar here - At least 4 years

19. Madewell Mid-Rise Jeans (Old) - New this fall

20. Zara Grey Moto Jeans (Old) - At least 5 years

21. Levi's 501 CT's - At least 2 years

22. LOFT White Jeans (Old), Similar here - Last December

23. Little Black Dress (Old) - 2-3 years

24. Club Monaco Silk Dress (Old) - 2-3 years

25. Ralph Lauren Shirtdress (Old), Similar here - Birthday present last year

Until next time,

Audrey

Adding Trend Pieces To Your Capsule

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I finally filmed my winter capsule yesterday (it will be live tomorrow woo!). While I was setting everything aside to film I started noticing (unsurprisingly) that the majority of the pieces are classic essentials that I can wear season after season regardless of the current trends.

That said though, a few key pieces are 100% trend driven (like this sweater pictured above) and likely won't make it past a season or two. This dichotomy got me thinking about how I've arrived at this thoughtful mix and finally stopped buying into trend after trend only to have them sit unworn in my closet. Which brings me to the topic of today's post - how do you add trend pieces to your capsule without breaking the bank or your clothing rack?

To start, let me say that I love trends. Even though I tend to only invest in high quality classics that I can wear for years, trends have a special place in my closet each season. To utilize them to their full potential without losing sight of my personal style, budget and sartorial goals I like to add trends in three phases. 

PHASE 1 - What's In & What's Out?

Before I make any trend purchases each season I like to take note of the trends that are new and those that are phasing out. Once I've done that I review my closet (accessories and shoes included) and jot down the trends I already have and any that I still want to add.

PHASE 2: Set My Budget

Next, when I set my budget for the entire season I set aside a portion specifically for trends. In general I try not to exceed half of my overall budget on trends unless there are no classics that I need to add and/or any of the current trends can last me longer than 1 season. 

PHASE 3: Shop! And Fall In Love With Accessories

The last step in this process is also the most fun. Once I've set my budget and know the trends that I'm looking for I hit the shops (online or in-person). Even though this step seems like the most straight-forward, I like to stick to a few pointers to help keep me focused and from feeling defeated if a trend I've been dreaming about doesn't work out. 

1.  If a trend doesn't suit me, it doesn't mean theres something wrong with me. It just means that I can spend more on a great pair of classic shoes or a new handbag ;)

2. Accessories are your new best friends when it comes to trends. Instead of trying to force a new jean style or new sweater silhouette into my closet, I like to stick with accessories like hats, jewelry and shoes. I also like to use this tactic if I happen to be between sizes. Plus, accessories take up much less closet space than actual clothing so it's always a win-win. 

That's all! Those are the 3 steps that I like to take each season when adding trends into my classic wardrobe. Before I go though, I'd love to know how you shop for trends. Are there any that you're loving this season? Let me know in the comments down below and happy Saturday!

Until next time,

Audrey