When
I decided to undertake the capsule wardrobe project, I knew the hardest
thing for me personally would be the lack of shopping. I mean, I've
built a series on the blog from things I've found in the chazza, I post
outfits fairly often, and my style, whilst pretty constant, benefits
from a new item now and again to change up a look. The idea that I
wouldn't be bringing anything new to the wardrobe was a scary one.
However,
it was also quite liberating. Walking into shops, I found I was
actually looking at products that I might need, not just those I liked
or were slightly adjusted repeats of things I already owned. Way back at
the beginning of this blog, almost 6 years ago, I posted about the
affliction of 'sale blindness' (read that post here) and despite that being said,
I'd rarely walk into a store in the full swing of sale and leave empty
handed. The upshot? Out of season clothes that would never be worn, as
the weather didn't permit, and by the time the following season rolled
around, I was bored of them or felt they didn't suit my style any
longer. I would honestly buy coats in June, bikinis and sandals in
October and booty shorts in January. There was no cohesion to my
purchasing style.
For
the most part now, I'm finding I'm bypassing sale sections completely.
They can't really offer much to me; the same sad old stock that's been
lingering around since the summer might now be as cheap as chips but the
realisation that I don't need it, simple though that sounds, has been eyeopening. Instead, I'm buying in a more considered and methodic way.
My
budget for the autumn capsule wasn't very large as I didn't want to
spend much on this first part of the project when I still have clothing
in storage; this will be addressed as I change autumn to winter capsules
over as I will be able to see what has worked and what hasn't. There
were a few missing elements that I felt I wanted to include; rather than
buying them all at once, I decided to invest in two key pieces now, and
I'd look again at the rest when shopping for the winter capsule.
I
wanted a jumper dress first off. I don't have any skirts in this autumn
capsule, and only one casual dress, a cord pinafore, for downtime. I
wanted something comfortable, cosy and warm that would work for both
work and days off. I chose this boiled wool, midi length dress by a
brand I adore called Finery. It's a UK brand, who produce high quality,
beautifully made clothing, and a sort of mid-price point; less expensive
than Whistles for example but pricer than Topshop. I chose this dress
and I absolutely love it; it's very much my style and looks as great
with ankle boots or brogues as it does with vans for days off!
I
was also after a smart jumpsuit. Jumpsuits are a mainstay of my
wardrobe and as I find I rarely wear smart dresses, they make a good
workwear alternative. This was bought purely with work in mind but I
would definitely wear it outside work with slip ons or loafers for a
more casual look. The judo styling of this one
puts it on trend whilst not too over the top and the wool fabric means
it's ideal or winter. It's by Topshop Boutique, a slightly more
expensive, premium range which is only available at selected stores,
which is a pity, but I took advantage of the 'collect from store' option
on the Topshop website to waive the postage fee.
The
dress came in at £65 and the jumpsuit cost £95 (though I had 10%
discount on this so paid £85.50) totalling £150.50 spend for the autumn
capsule. This breaks down to just over £50 per month for the length of
the capsule which is pretty reasonable if you ask me! I used to be the
sort of person who could happily spend £150 in an afternoon in Topshop
(and have nothing to show for it!) so I definitely feel that more
consideration and investment have gone into the items I've bought for
this autumn capsule.
XO Amie
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