fall 2018 capsule wardrobe
The sunflower bloom is over, the leaves are starting to change and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. Everything is signaling fall here in California – except the weather. It's still sunny and fairly warm here.
In the past, this fake fall has made it hard for me to build a fall capsule wardrobe. As much as I love summer, I'm also obsessed with sweaters. If I could only wear one outfit for the rest of my life, it'd be a good knit sweater, high rise skinny jeans and a flat chelsea boot.
Yes, I have thought that hard about it!
Once September hits and fall is on its way, I start itching to wear my knits.
Although the leaves are changing and falling, the weather is not. We get anything from mild mid-70s to hot mid-90s weather during fall here, meaning my shorts and sandals get good use until the rain shows up.
This is my third time making a fall capsule and I'm finally comfortable with the process. I've learned to embrace the limits of the weather and create a capsule wardrobe that gives me the perfect California fall vibes.
A lot of that work is done by the colors of my clothes. If you've been reading for a while, you know my color palette doesn't change much from season to season – or year to year.
Instead, I've spent years finding pieces in the earthy colors I've found myself naturally drawn to.
I decided to stick to 37 items this season. Really, it’s 33 right now, but I’m leaving one spot open for a nursing friendly dress and two spots open for some shoe purchases I’m hoping to make soon. Then there's one wildcard spot in case I find something like another midi skirt or a jumpsuit I like.
Funnily enough, I tried this number two years ago and hated it. Back then, 37 felt too restrictive a number. But in the weeks leading up to September, I noticed I was wearing a smaller number of clothes than what I had in my closet...and the excess was overwhelming me a bit.
Maybe it’s part of being a new mom, maybe I’ve just finally adjusted to wanting fewer pieces to choose from. Either way, I finally felt comfortable enough to be ruthlessly realistic about my lifestyle and limit myself to 37 pieces.
MY FALL CAPSULE WARDROBE
As usual, I’m working with a color palette of browns, greens, denim blues, and a little bit of black and warm white.
16 tops, 9 bottoms, 1 dress, and 7 shoes currently make up this fall’s capsule wardrobe. I didn’t include outerwear because I rarely wear it in the fall. It's just not necessary in the middle of the day and I’m usually home in the evenings thanks to my adorable baby.
I currently live in t shirts and you'll see that reflected in my items. They're easy to wash, they're easy to nurse in and not too expensive to replace (hello, spit up). I did make sure to include a few button up shirts and pretty blouses to give me enough variety.
OK, let’s jump into the clothes!
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TOPS
01 | off the shoulder top (old) similar, similar
02 | black crew neck tee by Madewell
03 | gingham shirt from H&M (old) similar, similar
04 | stripe henley long sleeve from Old Navy
05 | stripe tank top from Madewell (old) similar, similar
06 | white v neck tee (old and almost needs replacing) similar I plan on buying
07 | stripe crew neck tee by Project Social T (old) similar
08 | off white thin knit sweater by Gap (old) similar
10 | drapey tee by Gap (thrifted) similar
11 | linen tank top from Target -- on sale!
12 | rust orange v neck tee (old) similar
13 | button up shirt by Universal Thread at Target (almost sold out) similar
14 | tie front sweater from Madewell (bought last winter) similar
15 | sweatshirt tee (thrifted) similar
16 | green tank top similar
DRESSES
01 | floral wrap dress from Urban Outfitters (old)
BOTTOMS
01 | Cotton shorts (old) similar
02 | Denim shorts by Levis, also here and here
03 | Denim short overalls from Madewell
04 | Perfect Summer Jean by Madewell, also in petite and tall
05 | High Rise Slim Boyjean from Madewell (almost sold out) still available in tall, similar
06 | Denim overalls from Madewell (last year's version), this year's wash, similar, similar for less
07 | Blue midi skirt by Who What Wear at Target
08 | High rise skinny jean in Black Sea from Madewell
09 | Button front high rise skinny jean from Madewell (old) similar from Madwell, similar
SHOES
02 | Lace up suede espadrilles by Avarcas, similar
03 | Tassel loafers by Nine West (old) similar, similar
04 | Teva Original Universal sandals
06 | Braided sandals (old) similar
07 | Slide sandals from J Crew Factory (old) similar
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I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this is my favorite capsule I’ve made so far. I just feel like I’ve hit my stride in my color scheme and uniform during this weird transitional weather. As the weather cools, I’ll switch the tank tops and sandals for more sweaters and boots. But for now, I’m very much looking forward to enjoying my closet!
