Hi everyone, as many of seem to be evaluating 2016, I thought I’d write a post about the “Essentials” Capsule I’ve been using for the cooler weather months

When I say essentials, I’m referring to Angie’s definition: “Wardrobe
essentials are indispensable staples without which your wardrobe would not function…Wardrobe essentials are usually very versatile, simple in design, and current. Wardrobe essentials are not necessarily the most interesting part of your outfit but they are a very important ingredient. They are like the foundation of an outfit, or the glue that makes the other pieces come together in a cohesive whole. If your wardrobe essentials aren’t in place you will probably end up with many more closet orphans. They make the rest of your closet a lot more wearable.” See her great post on this topic here: http://youlookfab.com/2014/10/.....ssentials/

Capsule advantages:

· Contains items appropriate for most of my day-to-day activities

· The versatility allows me to maximize a small number of clothes. I’m not really trying to go minimal, but changes in work environment and weight are creating new needs and I can’t replace everything at once.

· I am drawn to culture and print, so an essentials capsule of neutrals is a good base on which to add my dynamic (to me) pieces.

Inspiration:

· Angie’s capsule posts

· A random article from Stylist that I returned to over and over. It’s not that the contents was particular unique (I could have used one of Angie’s capsules as a template just as easily), but I think the combination of colors just seemed restful and appealing. I used the items featured in this article as a starting point for what might work for me.

How I did it:

I started in August and hung all the capsule possibilities where I could easily see them (mantle of my guest room fire place). As the season progressed I removed items I wasn’t wearing and selectively bought to fill in the gaps. I evaluated things like whether I needed lighter, darker, or mid-tones, how many pants to I actually wear, etc. As the weather cooled, I added seasonally appropriate pieces based on my summer observations and repeated the evaluation process.

The Results (Cool Weather Version – November to February)

I settled on a black, gray, ink color palate (tried to include white, but learned I do not reach for it!). The capsule covers my casual to polished casual environmental norms. Here are the items:

· Thin black sweater (easy to layer over)

· Thin gray sweater (easy to layer over)

· Oversized gray turtleneck

· Chambray button-up shirt

· Printed button-up shirt

· Charcoal knit blazer

· Gray moto jacket

· Blue skinny jean

· Black skinny jean

· Blue flared jean

· Black legging

· Black cropped pants

· Black pencil skirt

· Black flats

· Silver loafers

· Black high tops

· Black equestrian boots

· Black Chelsea boot

· Ink cocoon coat

· Black puffer

· Pink cashmere scarf

· White hat

· Gray gloves

· Medium black satchel

· Silver pendant necklace

Moving Forward:

· Wear the heck out of my capsule

· At the end of season, make notes about possible adjustments and identify what needs to be replaced due to wear

· While shopping, keep eyes open for more lux versions of what is currently in the capsule. Also, buy statements will the confidence and heart with the knowledge I already have my essentials covered. Add refresher items as appropriate to keep things interesting.

Photos: 1 and 2 are the Stylist inspiration photos, 3 shows my capsule in-process back in September. I'll try to take more WIW photos to do document the capsule in action.

Well, that turned into a book. Thanks for reading and happy planning,
shopping, saving or whatever you’re up to style-wise this January!