In my recent post about wearing volume on volume, I said that edgier outfits often forgo a little conventional flatter to be more daring, cool and different. The interesting question is, how far will you go to be edgy? 

I think our individual answers depend a lot on two things: what we perceive as a flattering outfit, and our figure flattering priorities. Personally, I won’t wear something that makes me feel unattractive just to be daring, distinctive and different. But I will wear an outfit that is less conventionally flattering because it’s fun, interesting and refreshing to step outside the box. It can feel liberating to go against the norm and be fringe. 

Here’s an example: A pencil skirt, straight leg jeans and a tailored blouse are conventionally flattering choices because they create the so called ideal hourglass silhouette. I will wear these silhouettes, but sometimes I’ll sport edgier silhouettes like drop-crotch harem pants, jodhpur jeans and billowing waist-surrendering blouses because I feel great in them too.

Another example: Dressy skirts and frocks are almost always paired with heels, which is without doubt a very happy marriage. The combination lengthens the leg line and accentuates the calf muscle. But I’ll often wear dressy skirts and frocks with flat footwear like boots, ballet flats and high vamped oxfords because I find the combination more comfortable and more edgy. Less flattering in a conventional sense, but still fab in my book.

Here’s the flip side. Maintaining a regular or long leg line is one of my figure flattering priorities. So I will not wear outfit combinations that make me look and feel short in the leg, no matter how edgy and cool the vibe. This is where it gets interesting because our perceptions can vary a great deal. I’ll wear flats with dresses and skirts because I don’t find that combination leg shortening. But I am extremely weary of cropped pants because, to my eye, it’s a leg shortening silhouette.  

Do you wear less conventionally flattering silhouettes and outfit combinations in order to look more edgy and different? If so, what are these items and combinations? Or do you always feel your best when dressed in a more conventionally flattering way.

If you build a work wear capsule with intention and forethought you will maximize the wearability of the items, reduce their cost per wear, and have “ready to go” outfit combinations when you look at your closet in the morning. 

In this post I want to show you how I might build a work wear capsule with one of my clients. Sometimes we fill in the gaps of an existing capsule, and sometimes we start from scratch. The structure is flexible and provides a solid starting point to mix-and-match separates. 

Establish two things upfront:

• Colour Palette: Choose a colour spectrum to ensure an easy mix and match of the items. I’ve chosen orange and blush pink and underpinned them with soft and earthy neutrals. 
• Fashionablity: Decide which trends you’d like to incorporate into the mix. Because this is a Spring capsule, I’ve chosen on trend orange, pastels, slouchy trousers, soft dressing, voluminous tops and pattern mixing. 

On to the components of the capsule. With careful selection you should be able to create a different outfit using any combination of your tops, bottoms, toppers and shoes. In my examples I’m going to imagine that you work in a somewhat casual office environment.

Five Tops

Choose five tops, one for every day of the week. Create an assortment of colours, fabrications and silhouettes so that you don’t get bored with your choices. Make sure that at least one of the tops is a versatile basic, like a white button down or a black knit top.

I’ve chosen a machine washable mock wrap print blouse, a coral dolman sleeve textured shirt, a boxy blush pink silk pleat placket blouse, a basic white button down shirt, and a black tie-neck knitted top.

These tops can be worn both tucked and un-tucked with bottoms. 

Three Bottoms

Choose three bottoms that will work with all the tops. Again, select an assortment of colours, styles and fabrications to change up the vibes of the outfits. I’ve chosen a pair of soft slouchy pants in slate, a pair of classic wide leg linen trousers in stone, and a faux wrap pencil skirt in a two toned animal print. Yes! You’ll need to pattern mix one of the tops and bottoms in this capsule. For the rest, mix solids with pattern, and solids with solids. Tuck some of the tops into their bottoms, and wear others un-tucked.

Two Toppers

This is an optional extra because you can wear the tops on their own with a camisole. But if you like to wear toppers like jackets at the office, choose two to work with the rest of the capsule. I’ve chosen a classic textured mink blazer and a lightweight Spring leather jacket in blush pink. Remember that you can remove toppers as desired, and pop them back on for a meeting or when you feel the chill. You could have chosen cardigans instead of jackets for a more relaxed work look.

Two Pairs of Shoes

You’re looking for at least two pairs of shoes to work with this capsule. I’ve chosen a pair of classic low heeled pumps in blush pink, and a pair of neutral, high heeled strappy colour blocked snake skin sandals. You could have also thrown in a wedge, booties, peep toes, t-straps or mary janes. You’ll have to be in the pattern mixing mood when you combine the patterned top and skirt with the snake skin sandals. It may not be your cup of tea, but the outfit combination is a stylish and on trend possibility.

A Handbag

Finish off the capsule with a suitable structured bag in the best quality that you can afford. I’ve chosen a textured satchel in taupe that will work throughout Spring and Summer if you don’t like to frequently swap out your bags. 

The Extras

The above items are the foundation of a capsule. Although I haven’t included dresses, feel free to add them, either as stand alone items, or as sheath styles that can be layered with blouses and shirts underneath, and with jackets and cardigans on top. Add in jewelry pieces, a watch, and items like scarves and belts as desired. Throw in a new lipstick and nail polish colour to complement the capsule. 

Do it Yourself

The structure of the capsule serves as a template that you can manipulate to reflect your own style, silhouette and colour preferences. For example, use skirts instead of trousers if you don’t like to wear trousers. Change the colour palette. Substitute prints for some of the solids to be more on trend. Add in cardigans. Throw in a striped blazer or a snakeskin handbag. Add items onto the capsule to create further outfit combinations. 

As you substitute and add more items, do make sure that you have ample mix and match options. The point of a planned wardrobe capsule is to minimize dressing stress and closet orphans. It’s often easier to manage fewer options!

The items I have chosen above represent almost $3000 at full price retail, and I’m not at all suggesting that you have to do this all at once, or at these price points. It represents a plan and a goal. It will keep you on track as you add items to your wardrobe incrementally. And perhaps at much lower prices as you find lower cost alternatives and shop the sales. But having the structure will help you to get more bang for the buck out of the purchases you do make. Once the capsule is complete, or near enough to completion, choose another colour palette and start the process all over again. After all, the fun is in the journey, not the destination.

I’m impressed with KUT from the Kloth’s white skinny jeans (the “Diana” fit) for four reasons. First, the denim is thick, which is oh-so important when fitting white jeans. Second, the pocket linings are barely visible. Third, the rises are pretty substantial (although the dimensions online are incorrect: on a small size the front rise is 8.5 inches and back rise is 12.5 inches). And fourth, they do not bag out during the day.

The length is a tad short, but they are great on petites and fine on regular height gals with little or no scrunch. For $74.50, these KUT’s have outshone a lot of premium white denim skinnies so far this season. I bought a pair last week and I can’t wait to wear them. 

KUT’s Diana fit is also available in dark blue denim and colours. I found that they run pretty true to size in the white, but you may need to size down in the other options.

As the name implies, “high-low” skirts are short in front and longer at the back. The variation in length between the front and back is either subtle or extreme. The overall length of the skirt varies too, ranging from mini to maxi. Some styles are dressy, while others are more relaxed. Some styles reveal your knees and as much as half of the thigh, while others expose nothing more than a little ankle and shin.  

I like these skirts! I still prefer the look of a knee covering full skirt with symmetrical hemline for my own style, but there are many pros for these high-low darlings.

• They make a nice change to the multitudes of form fitting pencil skirts that have dominated shopfloors for countless seasons.
• They are breezy deluxe. Throw on a relaxed version with an airy, somewhat fitted top, a pair of sandals, straw hat and canvas tote, and you are comfortably and stylishly set for a very hot day. 
• They make a great bathing costume cover-up.
• I am not a fan of casual maxi skirts, but the raised front that reveals the ankles and part of the lower leg on the longer styles makes all the difference to my eye. The effect is more like a midi with a dipped back, which I find infinitely more flattering than a casual maxi skirt with a symmetrical hemline. The raised front also makes it easier to stride, although you’ll have to be careful walking up and down stairs. 
• They give off a playful and arty vibe.
• They provide more back coverage than mini skirts despite the high hemline in front. That means you’ll sit on the excess fabric of the skirt when seated, which can be a practical solution for public transport and the like. 
• With the right top, you could successfully sport the volume on volume trend.
• They are quite striking in motion. 

You have the option of choosing a style that is knee-covering if you’re shy about showing your knees. Or, you can go short to show off your gams. 

Does the hi-low skirt tickle your fancy?