I love 6-7 on you. If you send everything else back but keep this gilet, you will never regret it!!!

Not liking the Rebecca Taylor peplum sweater, the white J Crew blazer (with these clothes), the Vince hoodie. None of these are stylish enough for you.

Oh and I prefer #23 to 24/25 jacket.

Pretty much everything else looks wonderful on you. Good luck making the necessary 'cuts'...you really found some terrific items.

Will look forward to the final results!

Of the tailored pieces, I prefer the Boss, very chic and modern fit (the Max Mara looks severe and conservative to me - but maybe it's what you need for your job - and I'm not vowed by the cut of the white jacket and green pencil skirt).

Of the blouse, I find the Boss most flattering.

I don't understand your outerwear strategy : do you need a sweater coat, a parka, a puffer, a tailored vest...?

None of the knits look quite right in my eyes - I think I prefer the shape of the Vince, but the fit seems a bit off, a bit tight on sleeves/armholes.

So I'd keep all the Boss items and send every else back.

Wow, interesting. To my eye, the R&B vest is the standout piece. That is brilliant on you. I also love the pictures of the HB suit that preceded it. Nothing else stood out in the same way, but I need to take another look.

Skylurker, I am looking for a gear jacket or coat to help, extend the time I can walk outdoors with my neighbor. Once it's 40F I start to hibernate! A jacket like the one from TNF should fit nicely over my gear allowing my walks to continue until the snow plow can no longer see us coming around the corner!

I'm not sure what you mean by snug sleeves unless you are referring to the majestic turtleneck I layered under the Vince hoodie? That is the only top with snug sleeves. It's a shirt for layering really, so it should be snug, right? If I get it any bigger, it will look sloppy under things. I'm returning the hoodie anyway.

I am also looking for clothing that is appropriate to wear to a funeral or a religious service. I suppose I could wear a suit to work, but my work attire has generally been casual or smart casual. Actually, I wear whatever I'm in the mood to wear to work. It runs the gamut from a linen tank top and shorts to a formal sheath dress. I'm not very consistent. It depends what I will be doing. Some days I'm out playing basketball with 8 year olds. Some days I'm sitting in an office with a family. Some days I'm walking around the hallway with a teenager. It's hard to predict so my wardrobe needs to be functional, practical, neat, and something I can easily move around in, etc. One of my students showed in high heels the first day and after she was out on the playground she stated that she would bring sneakers to change into. I work in multiple buildings so temperatures vary widely and having an array of toppers to chose from is necessary. One building is freezing, another too hot, etc.

I hope that explains the wide variety in my wardrobe. If I worked in one place my life would be much simpler!

Well all I can say is WOW ! WOW ! I have come back to this 3 times to look.
The Boss items- perfect, fit, color - absolutely suit you.
The gilet vest... very good- really great as well.
The MM suit- wow ! You have a lovely figure... looks spectacular on you.

The knit and casual items - I know they have a good comfort level- but you shine in the tailored pieces.
The is another top with purple in it that is very good as well.
The green skirt is a great shape and would actually be fun for summer.
The grey turtle neck and sweaters, hoodie... just not smart enough for you... but again... if it feels good and has that great comfort level than go for it.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this

I meant the #22 sweater, because I see it wrinckling around the armholes and the sleeves look a tad short.

For your purpose, TNF seems the better choice, I like the S better.
The R&B looks stellar, but I can't see the use of it - you'll have Angie's guidance on this though.
You look overwhelmed by the sweater coats.

The Max Mara suit looks great for a funeral.

So sad right now. My mother just called and my aunt passed. I have a funeral to go to unexpectedly.

i'm impressed with the variety and yet clear straight line thru all of these.
haven't read the other comments….thought i'd give mine 1st and then go back and read the others.
love the hugo boss suit --its so fab….the blouse you are wearing with it, IMO not so much…its nice and it works, but lacks the fabness of the suit
the R&G gilet ---well, what can i say….love
the Hugo Boss blouse - i rather like this…i'd say its my fav of all the blouse you have in the collection
the rebecca taylor sweater --this is great. a little different, can see this working both dressed up and casual
the majestic turtleneck is nice…
i like the blue TNF jacket, and prefer the smaller size, but it really depends on how you layer it.
the max mara is TDF
i'm on the fence with the Caroline Issa sweater coat,i can see it being fab or drab….
i'm not loving the balance of items.

Staysfit---just read your note…..so sorry for your loss.

Oh, no. My condolences.

I am sorry for your loss. I much prefer the Boss dress and jacket over the black suit, which seems too stark. Ink blue is a good color for funerals unless uber traditional.
I'd definitely keep everything in 1-7. The rest is not bad but not wow either. My least favorites are the tops in 8 & 15, both sweater coats, and the black sheath and jacket.
Of the puffers, I like the light one best on you, but the blue is nice too. Can you keep them both. Size I commented on in your other thread. The smaller size looks most flattering, but sit down in it (zipped up) in the driver's seat to see how it feels. Keep the utility coat if the color works in your wardrobe.

Staysfit, I am so sorry for your loss. You were sadly prescient about your need.

So sorry to hear of your Aunt. You look stunning in all of the clothing, the suits especially wowed me.

You look awesome in the tailored pieces. Stunning!

Oh no. I'm sorry, Staysfit!

Wow! It took all day to coordinate plans with my mom, brother and cousins, but now everything is all arranged with family. Miraculously flights were worked out so we all arrived in the same city at the same time. Even one person traveling from Israel! Now, I need to cancel work, and plan a travel capsule that will last two weeks and allow for a funeral, a memorial service for my Mother-in-law, and travel to a college town for college orientation. It needs to carry my all across the country too, from California, to Michigan, to Vermont. I need to get it together tomorrow!

So, in the meantime, I have been thinking about what to return in terms of the practical functions of the items as per all the lovely comments Suz made in my post about structure vs. drape.

Keepers: The Boss suit ensemble. I think the entire grouping is a winner. Each piece fits me well. Even though the color is much darker than my typical palette it lends itself well to coordinating with the darker and midrange tones of my palette. I think it is like a deep ocean, and in that it is serene. It is definitely elegant. On the practical side it ticks off the boxes of being appropriate for all those occasions I often wish I had something more conservative to wear. For example, funerals, religious services, presentations in front of groups, interviewing people for jobs and various functions, representing my program in the community in an official manner, and possibly breaking up the pieces and using them individually in a mix and match way.

The Max Mara suit ensemble: I think this is also a keeper. I have debated back and forth on this. The jacket sleeve is short, but if it can be lengthened, this looks outstanding and is so comfortable. It has a very different vibe than the Boss ensemble. It's less formal. It's knit. It's stretchy. It's like wearing gear or sweats. The pants are a bit snug, so I ordered everything a size larger, plus that was Angie's reccomendation. So I will wait and compare.

The gilet: I was so happy to see Inge's reply to a question about how to style this. I have many of these potential options. I am so pleased with this piece. It's a showstopper! This isn't just something that fit. It looks smashing. I felt awesome in it. I'm keeping it. It's also darker than my ideal but somehow, I am okay with that.

The Lafayette blouse and Boss Blouse: I think these threw people off. This is where the dark colors were right up against my face. I need to play a bit more with some blouses in my closet and see if anything I have will look nice with the suits. I like the idea of a print, but I may be better off with a solid. These had high collars, and maybe a lower collar would better suit.

The NYDJ tops: I mixed these with pieces that were already part of my wardrobe. It's funny how people did not like these or my wardrobe items after seeing the Boss ensemble. It's as though once you see something sublime you cannot then look at something lesser and accept it. However, these had been perfectly fine and even nice items before. The mint J Crew pencil skirt was particularly puzzling to me. In any case, I have no great fondness for any of these tops, although I like the prints on the two I tried. I think they work with the Boss suit and make its more versatile.

The sweaters:
1. Pullovers - In terms of practicality, the Trouve sweater is silly for me. I have a couple of lightweight sweaters and that's all I need. The season for them is remarkably short. I should return this because I have other sweaters and they are colorful and nicer than this grey.

Vince hoodie - returning. I love hoodies, but this is not flattering. It's just cozy. If I want cozy, I have plenty of other things to wear.

Vince zip turtleneck - keeping. I love this. It's not a heavy thick knit, but it's still looks like it's textured and it's large enough to layer over a top. This type of top plus denim and interesting weatherproof shoes/boots are the mainstay of my winter uniform.

Nordstrom Signature/Caroline Issa turtleneck: I really love this one. It has a unique shape. The arms are interesting. I really liked it with my coral wool pencil skirt. Once again, this is the type of top that forms my winter uniform. Keep!

Rebecca Taylor Peplum cardigan: so perfectly practical for my life. I love it. It's an interesting cardigan. It's a good length for dresses and high waisted jeans. It's not too tight in the arms. Keeping.

Madewell Jacket: This is a denim jacket alternative. It's pretty much the same color as my eyes. Grey - green. It fits well. I can imagine wearing this over something dressy to tone it down. It's admittedly not great with a grey turtleneck. I plan to keep.

Sweater Coats: Returning both. I actually like the Nordstrom Signature/Caroline Issa coat, and it fits, but it's truly hard to style. It looks okay but not stellar with the NR dress in my drape vs. structure post. It feels too much like a cozy robe and that's not right for work.

Shoes: SW Sea Blue block heel pumps - I'm hoping I can stretch out the 8.5's. The 9's are going back.

Aquatalias, Paul Greens and Sorels are perfect updates for this upcoming season.

TNF coat: keeping the blue medium for now but realized that for practical reasons, maybe the brighter coral color would make more sense. It's for outdoor walks. I need to be visible. This isn't really a fashion wear item in the classic sense. Yes I like to look nice when I'm out and about in my neighborhood, but I would like it even better if I don't get hit by a car!

If I didn't mention it, it's going back.

I love all the blouses...did I miss something?

I'm keeping them for now Rachy, but there were quite a few naysayers for various reasons. I like them.

Sound decisions on a day when you had sadly too many to make. I am really glad everything worked out for the travel. Good luck with the packing and all the best for your trip!

Wow, just wow, I almost can't pick anything to say no to, you have a super haul here. That first suit is a must to keep, I wish suits looked that good on me! And I really like that long vest on you (gilet?) and the pastel purple colors as well. Clearly this year's NAS was perfect for you! Nice finds here.

#1 - #12, #14, and #32 are all keepers. I think the sweater in #19 looks a little too big. I can't really tell the difference between both sizes of the jacket, so I would go with whichever feels best under a thick sweater.

I'm sticking up for the NYDJ tops which I think look very elegant on you, but also nice and summery
I'm so sorry for your loss, StaysFit, but it sounds like things are fairly well organized. It is nice that loved ones coming from all over.

I, too, am sorry to learn you lost your aunt. Best of luck assembling that challenging capsule and making your way across the country.

Your suiting pieces are so entirely elegant on you! Great tops, especially the Lafayette (is the Boss top a near-duplicate?). Your keeps/returns make perfect sense, but that long cardigan is lovely on you (but I find that length hard to style, too).

Cerinda, I like that the Boss top has sleeves, of a sort. That is becoming rare in my closet!

Truthfully I am ambivalent about the long marbled cardigan. I think of it as a practical piece to keep me warm, and it is so beautiful in person. Pictures don't do it justice. It may look sloppy in photos though. It sheds a bit on whatever I am wearing it with. I will need a roll of tape and lots of patience when my day is over! I wear long cardigans all the time at work because I get cold. I happen to love them because they fly behind me as I walk and feel like a superhero cape, which I sometimes wish I really had!

I think I just talked myself into keeping it. I need to rescue it from my return bag! Pronto!

I am so sorry to hear about your aunt. I know this is a sad and stressful time for you.
Re the coat: Yes, for practical reasons you might want to keep the coral color since it will be more visible. I choose my winter "going for a walk" coat based not only on warmth, but on what color is most visible. In the winter it gets dark so early, so this is a must!

You certainly have too much going on right now. My condolences on your aunt's passing.

I'm mostly studying the replies of others to learn, but I agree that the tailored pieces look fantastic on you. Both puffer colors look good, I'm sort of leaning toward the lighter one because I'm thinking of myself and a desire to not get stuck in dark-colors-only land this winter. So that's about me, not you The blue is probably a bit more flattering on you. I agree that the R&B sweater/coat does nothing for you. This brand is so gorgeous and well made but that's not enough reason to keep.

I also agree with the comments about the grey sweaters being not smart enough for you....they fit well and look nicely made but something is missing.....

I love your descriptions of wearing long cardigans that feel like superhero capes

p.s. kudos to you for ordering such an extensive (expensive?) haul even though you didn't expect to keep it all! It's so great to be so open-minded.

For me, the standouts are the suits, with the Boss being my favorite. That dress/jacket combo look--so versatile--is really great on your trim figure, and both of these look made to order for you. I also like the blue puffer coat.

Thanks again for the kind words everyone! I am realizing how wonderful the Boss sheath and jacket are now that I have laid out my travel capsule. I have a ton of events to attend, mostly unexpected, and these pieces are so perfect! They are about to earn their keep!

LOVE IT ALL, accept my suggestion is to size up on #22. Sleeves are short. And pass on #26.

Either TNF puffer will work depending on how you want to layer underneath. I vote grey.

Sorry for your loss. And I also vote great for the TNF puffer! And I just want to say that as I clicked through the images -- I kept saying to myself -- well that's a winner, that's a winner. Well done!

Thanks for the feedback Angie! I agree looking at the Vince turtleneck, the sleeves are short. I can try the medium and see if that works better. I ordered the coral TNF coat. I already have a grey winter coat for non-gear use. I want to be visible when I wear it for safety. I'm hoping it isn't an awful color for me because it's a nice enough coat to do double duty.