This is a nice template to build your wardrobe. I think your plan is very good to have some dressy classic items, as people in Japan are into dressing up. A Burberry trench is a staple of Tokyo style. Burberry trenches come in many colours, so when buying in store, you can select the right neutral shade for you.

Lovely list! I do think that your one-year plan is a little optimistic though.. But you seem to have an excellent plan!

Kkards! Thank you. The mini is from Boden and they do different lengths so i'll order the long length for people over 5'10", perhaps the picture is of the petite one.

As for the heels, it says 2.5 inch, again perhaps they've pictured the smaller size shoe as heels look bigger on those as there is less length so steeper looking than the larger sizes. The taupe boots are 3 inch and I'm iffy with those, but they are boots. The 2.5 should be okay I think. Maybe they look less high here.

What fun to be able to build a whole wardrobe from scratch! It’s like playing with paper dolls right now, but I’ll echo Staysfit about not getting too invested in any particular item. This is something I still struggle with...it’s difficult sometimes to separate a piece from the idea of that piece, if that makes sense, and “perfect on paper” can end up being a mistake in real life.

That being said, your collection looks great, and this is a super-exciting project.

Jenny NZ I research everything like this, always have. Diet, home wear, furniture anything i'm buying I look into. I think its because i'm a scientist, we like our research haha. I don't think I can easily shop in store anymore unless I already know what i'm going for exactly. I don't tend to be as happy with anything i've bought on the off chance and often regret it. I seldom regret any of the purchases i've researched, unless they aren't what I expected when it arrives, and then they get returned straight away. My current closet is the way it is because I wasn't taking into account style at all, only ethics and sustainability and they very much fit that bill. I've got to the point though that I want to start looking good too.

Synne you might be right about the one year plan being optimistic. I think so too, but i'll have a fair amount if it bought within a year anyway. Will keep buying the following year so that I don't have to replace everything as much as I do now. I read somewhere you should expect to get at least 30 wears out of each piece of clothing...well since I wear all my pieces at least once a week, sometimes even more, they'll have been worn at least 50 times in one year. One year seems so little, I want to keep my things for at least 10! Maybe i'm asking the impossible haha.

Jenn, you are right! I actually do this a lot, make lists and over plan things, and things don't always turn out how I expected, though most things do, however I do have experience with things that don't work. I usually return straight away or will sell on. I'm not someone who tries to hang on to things hoping they'll work. I can usually tell if something isn't right (be that clothes, furniture, kitchenware etc)

Super! I think the sweaters with the interesting stitching are so cool.
Navy and red and some of my favourite colours to wear too.

Really lovely picks. Make sure you’ve got all your seasons covered, and to buy enough for your dominant season.
Good job!

I love this! I’ll try to give an in-depth analysis because I think that’s how you operate with planning (I do too, so I appreciate it).

Overall aesthetic: I think you nailed it for the look you want. This is a beautiful and coordinated yet interesting mix.

Gillian that is so helpful, Thank you!! I was actually thinking the same about the ankle pants. Maybe it is the colour, i'm not sure. I did find a skirt in a similar colour, but it is corduroy so might also be a bit casual?
The swimsuit print is gorgeous!! I do want to add some more prints like that one to the wardrobe but even though there was a matching dress (though I think more for poolside) the shape wouldn't work well.

The neckline of the cardis over the cowls is something id not thought too much about so that is very useful. Yes I think i'd need some different necklines maybe for the cardis.

Yes I was thinking about the sandals probably needing to be a bit earlier too
I do want to get the linen pants though too, though I suppose the jeans can wait...maybe i'll have a little switch around.

Yes I realised that both the purses were burgundy, I really need a navy one or a lighter colour one instead. The choice in vegan bags is limited, so even finding one in the right colour with the right colour hardware is a bit difficult. Plus I prefer to use the companies that try to use recycled materials. I'll have to keep my eye out.

As for pumps, yes probably i'll wait until I have some ballet flats or loafers in another colour. The rothy's look good but until I get the first pair them i'm not sure how sophisticated vs casual they look. They do come in a lot of colours and styles though so could get another pair if I like the first ones.

If you keep your eyes peeled, I bet you’ll find more dark florals.

Good on you for research and planning! I am in the science field too and research many things thoroughly but in the past not my wardrobe! When I was young what to buy seemed to come instinctively ( pre-children) , then I sort of lost my way for a while, then in late 40s weight gain and desperate buy,buy, buy... things are better now

Yay I’m so glad it was helpful! I love how thorough you are with your plan. I think that corduroy skirt looks more cohesive with the rest of the capsule than the pants, so I am thinking that it isn’t just the color. Looking at the pants again, I think it is the visible pocket stitching that also makes them look more casual.