YouLookFab Forum » Topic: WIW: Winter Capsule week 3

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: WIW: Winter Capsule week 3 https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3 Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 23 May 2026 23:13:23 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php SarahD8 on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882133 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 06:12:24 +0000 SarahD8 1882133@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, you are all so lovely, thank you! I appreciate the commiseration, the reassurance, AND the solutions you all are offering. Toban, great idea to try to find some petite items to try on in store and gauge initial fit that way. I will look out for that possibility next time I am doing brick and mortar shopping. tanstaafl, you’re right, wearing a dress or skirt more often might be just the ticket, giving me a break from pants. La Ped, thanks for the kind words about my jewelry. Oh, and yes to pants mistakes due to convincing oneself that they fit!!! That is exactly what happened with my current jeans. I’m sorry to hear this plagues you as well but sort of relieved that I am not the only one. Wind chime I am IMMENSELY flattered to know that my color scheme was inspiring enough for you to mention it irl. I’m blushing! Barbara Diane, great idea to look into alterations. (And you know, when it comes to knit bottoms...sometimes I just fold the waistband over!) I am feeling renewed confidence and readiness, even excitement, to create more outfits with this capsule this week! Barbara Diane on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882127 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 05:44:18 +0000 Barbara Diane 1882127@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree that you look better than you feel. About rises-mid-rises hit my waist, Sometimes taking off the waistband works. And if the waist is too big Angie says to fit the rest of you and have the waist taken in. And I just can’t do itchy. And so many fabrics make me itch. Windchime on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882079 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 02:18:21 +0000 Windchime 1882079@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think this Challenge has presented each participant with some sort of difficulty or frustration. It sounds like the issue with the rises in your capsule pants, and a shortage of satisfying tops are the areas where you can focus and make some changes going forward. That being said, I love your cardigans and your northern lights color scheme! I actually told a friend about your color scheme idea because I think it's awesome, and so does she. We're probably all feeling constricted by 30 pieces going into the last week of the Challenge; it will be good to swap out some pieces for other things in our closets! LaPed on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882077 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 02:11:51 +0000 LaPed 1882077@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I LOVE the dress + crocheted tee. I don't see Star Wars extra at all; I see Creative Eclectic. The overall silhouette is great and I think the boots and topper are good colours for each other. Also -- you choose your jewelry so well. You always have the right accents, it seems. I would never guess, from these outfits, that you're feeling frustrated. Definitely break the rules, and pull in as many items as you need from outside the capsule to make it work. I feel you're pain re: pants. I usually want higher rises, rather than lower, but the right fit is perennially elusive. I never feel like my pants options are particularly rich or interesting or diverse, because fit and comfort are such huge constraints. My returns-rate for bottoms is astronomically high, second only to shoes. And I make a lot more mistakes with pants, because I convince myself they'll stretch/mold/something when really they just don't fit. Ugh. Anyway, yes, I feel your pain. tanstaafl on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882075 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 02:07:38 +0000 tanstaafl 1882075@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I can’t be much help with the petite sizes, but I do sympathize with you about the struggle to find the right fit and working with limited wardrobe options. Since your pants are a problem for you, could you wear more dresses and skirts? I like your dress outfit here and don’t get a Star Wars vibe at all. Toban on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882073 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 01:47:34 +0000 Toban 1882073@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ SarahD8, I echo your frustration in lack of petite sizes in stores requiring a lot of online shopping. I wear almost exclusively petite size clothes, except for gear. My "mid-rise" Lululemon tights fit like a "high-rise" on me. Regular size tops have too big of arm holes, and so on. I try very hard to try on whatever petite clothes are in brick & mortar stores, then order online for the colors and styles I want. This improves my success rate with online ordering, but I still return >50% of my purchases. It is worth this effort, though, as the petite clothes fit me much better. I've been successful with Talbots, Ann Taylor, Jill, Macy's, Nordstrom's and a couple Canadian chains when I travel to visit family (Laura, Cleo).  SarahD8 on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1882006 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 22:52:38 +0000 SarahD8 1882006@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thank you ALL for your kind words today! You have really lifted my spirits. I hope it goes without saying that when I say I am frustrated with the challenge I am really just frustrated with my clothes -- YOU ALL are of course GREAT. Thanks for reminding me that I am learning a lot already. YES. You are all so right. Learning what I like/don't like, and identifying wardrobe holes, is so important. I am reminded of Angie's "picky, patient, and practical" formula. I think I am doing a good job of being picky and practical. What I am learning is that patient is hard! jussie, thanks so much for the links to those tops. I like the plaid one especially. I have several other plaid shirts in my wardrobe but a light colored, low-contrast one with a large-scale plaid would be different and very useful.  Joy I have never tried white bottoms but I will give them a whirl and try some on next time I am out shopping. Sterling you have a good strategy with respect to trying on multiple different sizes in lots of cuts and leaving no retail stone unturned. I will do this as well. It is a bit complicated as I take petite sizes which are often only carried online. Mainelady, funny you should mention petite sizes! It seems to me that many of the mid-range brands that I tend to wear are no longer cutting a different rise for their petite and regular sizes (perhaps part of the general decline in clothing quality of late?). The jeans I am whingeing about are J. Crew toothpick jeans -- they are marketed as having an 8" rise, and that is true of the petite version I am wearing.  I just remembered that H&M has a jean marketed as being low-rise. They did not have any in-store when I checked. I will order some and see how they go. Re: tops, Sterling, yes that is a good point that different bottoms require different tops! I realized that my new black long-sleeve tee is really cut for the current high-rise pants, since the highest point of the curved hem comes up so high. Nevertheless it is ok with a topper over it, which I will almost always be wearing. I think my trouble is a little different, I have trouble imagining what I want, so when I shop I don't really know what I'm looking for. Intellectually I know I need basic tops in general, but without something specific in mind they don't "jump out" at me, if that makes sense. I know this is just a matter of training my brain. I will keep working at it. I was musing on the top problem this morning and I thought I might try to find a couple of silk blouses secondhand. Something with a bit of a vintage vibe, but I would wear them casually, untucked with jeans. I think in combination with my soft cardis they would do that "cozy vintage" thing that torontogirl mentioned. I hear you all saying that you like the crochet topper from last week's outfits! I am wearing it again today, trying to experiment a bit to see if I can stay warm enough, and also combine it with a top that leaves me less itchy. I appreciated the love for this piece and you all provided the push I needed to try to make it work! Katerina on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881882 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 17:01:26 +0000 Katerina 1881882@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am sorry you feel dissatisfaction with your capsule and discomfort with the excercise. Please, do not get discouraged. The outfits you have posted do not reflect this at all. You look fab in all these outfits. I especially love no 2 - the scarf combination is so lovely! No 6 is also excellent and so interesting. As Shevia has mentioned, you are so good at using your delicate jewelry to elevate each outfit. I understand your frustration with not finding jeans you feel would fit perfectly. I have a similar problem, although not with the rise. I have practically given up on jeans because I cannot find any, which would fit the way I expect them to. This year I am on a mission to find a good pair for me - not succeeding yet. Bonnie on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881856 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:30:46 +0000 Bonnie 1881856@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow, you have learned a lot already. You have identified wardrobe holes which is really important. I admire that you are continuing while feeling frustrated. My favorite is the dress outfit.  The crochet topper is a great piece.  Angie on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881855 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 15:20:52 +0000 Angie 1881855@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fun to see you in a dress - that's my fave of this bunch.  Helena on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881832 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:40:32 +0000 Helena 1881832@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think you have a cozy-vintage style. I also like to crochet pull-over. There was a forum member named E. who your looks remind me of ... perhaps some of her outfits might provide inspiration if you can find some old threads.  Mainelady on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881796 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 11:46:42 +0000 Mainelady 1881796@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sarah, I am sorry you are finding some aspects of this challenge to be dissatisfying. I know that can be discouraging. Cheers to you for sticking with it. You are learning a lot along the way! Might the rise of the pants be addressed if you try petite sizes? I am not sure how that would effect length, but it petite sizes might really help with the rise. I really like how you take close up pics of your pieces and accessories. That is so helpful! My fav outfit on you is the black dress with the crocheted topper. I love the colors and the lines. Anonymous on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881773 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:44:16 +0000 Anonymous 1881773@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hi Sarah -- I like whatever format of presentation you choose.   What fascinates me about these challenges is how much I learn in a protracted amount of time.  It is like months and months of observation get boiled down into a few hard core lessons in days.  When I have months of time to think about something, I sometimes miss the forest all together.  It is harder to do that in 30 days (if that makes sense).   So your honesty is not only appreciated, it is applauded.  I understand the feeling of dissatisfaction with your capsule because mine has frustrated me for so many different reasons.  I take that as a learning experience that I hope will help me with future buying plans.   So what I am hearing from you is that (1) pants are hard to fit.  You are having issues with higher rises (which I CANNOT wear comfortably either).  In fact I hate them.   I don't have a lot of advice, and I don't know what your personal situation is, but I am taking Toban's advice.  I am going to the malls and trying on a lot of different clothes (not buying anything yet).  I am experimenting with different BRANDs and different styles.  I am committed to trying on multiple sizes.  If you have the time and resources to try this approach, you might have success at finding a few bottoms that might be right for you.  I am making this change very slowly. Joy's suggestion of white bottoms is brilliant.  You might find white jeans as magical as I do.   (2) The lack of coordinating tops is a second issue.  This is a HUGE discovery.  I frequently buy tops that I love without remembering that the tops have to actually coordinate with the bottoms.  It was hard for me to understand that different cuts and styles of bottoms needed different types of tops.  So even if I had a multitude of tops in my closet, I might not have the styles of tops that best suited the bottoms I was trying to wear.  This realization hit me like a ton of bricks.  It was disheartening.  I don't know if this your issue or not, but it is worth thinking about.   I found pinterest to be invaluable.  I pinned hundreds of outfits.  I slowly narrowed it down to a series of three or four silhouettes that I liked and suited my body type.  Once I discovered those very few silhouettes I shopped for similar pieces.   I hope this helps.  I'll swing by later today today to see what other comments had to say.   rachylou on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881762 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 07:07:02 +0000 rachylou 1881762@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I really love the crochet topper over the dress. I like the shapes. Anonymous on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881755 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 06:42:15 +0000 Anonymous 1881755@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It sounds like you are sensitive to what you like and why. 7/8 is my favorite on you. Maybe you would be happy with other black/white combinations. Have you tried white bottoms with a black top? jussie on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881744 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 05:28:31 +0000 jussie 1881744@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sorry to hear you’re not feeling good about your clothes at the moment. Pants are tricky. I actually think the jeans you feel have a too-bright wash look really nice on you. The popover tops seem like a good choice for you. Here’s some tops anthro have in stock that you might like (sorry I don’t know how to do finds). They’re all the kind of thing that could work under your knit toppers. <a href="https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/cloth-stone-plaid-swing-tunic?category=tops&color=008&quantity=1&type=REGULAR" rel="nofollow">https://www.anthropologie.com/.....pe=REGULAR</a> And <a href="https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/josephina-embroidered-tunic?category=tops&color=010" rel="nofollow">https://www.anthropologie.com/.....;color=010</a> And <a href="https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/ally-striped-sweatshirt?category=tops&color=041" rel="nofollow">https://www.anthropologie.com/.....;color=041</a> Best of luck with it all Jaime on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881740 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 04:33:05 +0000 Jaime 1881740@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nice outfits!The scarf in the first one is beautiful on you and I admire how you use delicate jewelry to enhance your outfits.  SarahD8 on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881710 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 02:41:55 +0000 SarahD8 1881710@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh hey also: Do people prefer the format some posters have adopted of starting a thread at the beginning of the week and adding each day's outfits in the comments? Happy to switch if so. SarahD8 on "WIW: Winter Capsule week 3" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-winter-capsule-week-3#post-1881709 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 02:40:45 +0000 SarahD8 1881709@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Another week, another set of outfits. At the end of week 2, I had a worn total of 27 items (indoor clothing and shoes — does not include accessories or outerwear) from my capsule. This week I wore an additional 1 bottom, 1 or 2 tops (see Monday outfit below), and 2 toppers for a total of 31 or 32 items worn. (There are additional items in my capsule that I haven’t worn yet.) I have to be honest, I am feeling some dissatisfaction with my capsule and discomfort with the whole enterprise. I am committed to continuing the capsule experiment, just trying to be frank about the feelings that arise during the process. I think my dissatisfaction has two causes: 1. I have 6 casual bottoms in my wardrobe. Three of them are jeans that “fit but don’t fit right.” A fourth, my black ponte leggings, fit better but are uncomfortable. The problem in every case is the same: the rises are too high. I am not sure how to fix this given what is currently available in stores. I sort of dread getting dressed. 2. I am really feeling the lack of tops in my capsule. I have tried to shop for additional tops to add and have been moderately successful. I must admit that I feel a bit of a failure of imagination in this department. I welcome any suggestions that any of you might have about what to look for. On to the outfits: 1-2: mid-wash skinny jeans, light pink long-sleeve tee, burgundy long cardi, gray tall boots. The pink long-sleeve tee was a new purchase but I wore it for several hours and decided that it is too thin/see-through. I returned it. 3-4: mid-wash straight jeans, black long-sleeve tee, gray-blue cardi, tan clogs I realized on this wearing that the wash on these jeans is significantly brighter and lighter than what I was picturing in my mind’s eye when I bought them. I always feel unsophisticated in them. Also, I had to size down to get the waist to fit and as a result the cut really doesn’t look much different from skinnies. I need to think through a little better what I mean when I say I want a mid-wash straight jean and probably keep looking. 5-6: black knit dress, purple crochet vest, gray tall boots. In retrospect I would have preferred a different pair of boots, with the gray I feel the look is a little too “Extra in the next Star Wars movie,” not quite the look I was aiming for. I really like this little crochet thingy. As I suspected though, it is not really warm enough for me to be comfortable for a day of working from home. It is also itchier than I remembered. I will experiment a bit more to see if I can make it work in my wardrobe. 7-8: black ponte leggings, white tuxedo popover, black jacket-y cardi, cognac riding boots. You all saw this outfit in my jacket-y cardi post last week so I won’t say much more except that I am squarely back in my comfort zone and this was my favorite outfit of the week. 9-10: gray skinny jeans, black popover, blue-gray cardi, cognac riding boots. The black woven popover is new. I am happy with the fit and it is a nice soft cotton with a subtle plaid in the weave. I think the proportions of this outfit are better than the outfit with the same sweater earlier in the week (that black long-sleeve tee is cut quite high at the sides). I am not sure about the color scheme however. The cut of this sweater is unusual (not surprising for vintage) and it’s taking some experimenting to figure out how best to wear it. That’s it for this week! As always, thanks for reading and commenting.