After a few comments on my recent organisation post I feel it necessary to take up the challenge and pull together a winter capsule wardrobe.

Whether or not I will achieve the 37 pieces advocated by Caroline of Unfancy fame is debatable. One thing I do know is that after my recent clear out, I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR and I urgently need to buy some new apparel. The mix and match element of a capsule closet really appeals to me as does the pared-back approach.

Palette

Selecting a palette for the season is pretty easy for me. Most of the items left in my wardrobe are black or grey so this seems like a good place to start. In theory this sounds super boring, however when I look at the Pinterest board I have for fashion in the cooler months, lots of the looks have a dark base but throw in a bold lip, a great hat or a strong nail and they’re suddenly more interesting.
I also plan to take heed of the suggestions in my recent layering post and mix in textures and patterns to break up the monotony. I adore stripes, leopard and tartan so I hope I can accent a few outfits to stop them becoming too dreary. I fear I will quickly tire of the capsule wardrobe otherwise.

Exclusions

Thankfully my minimalist capsule collection doesn’t include accessories so I hope to really get the most of my extensive costume jewellery collection and drawers crammed full of scarves.
As the winter wardrobe will take me through the festive period I plan to include a few dressier pieces however attire for weddings, new year’s eve etc isn’t going to be included.

First on my list is to sort out my work wardrobe. I work three days in the office and two days from home so I need quite a variety of clothing to get me through the working week.

Working-from-home

I think I pretty much have the ‘working-from-home’ wardrobe nailed. The ‘top’ half consists of several fine knit slouchy jumpers in varying shades of grey, a chambray shirt I bought last year from H&M and a plaid one I bought a few months ago from the same place. I like to go for comfy, yet fitted ‘bottoms’. I’m all for the recent trend jogger trend. Obviously not Joey Essex style but something a little more structured. I have a pair of black joggers with thick cuffed bottoms from Primarni and a more tailored dark grey cotton pair from Zara a few years ago. During the winter months I’ll need to throw in a thick cardi or two and a few woolly jumpers. Before you know it that’s twelve pieces making it into the capsule wardrobe.

In the Office

I’m struggling a little for dressing in the corporate world. A duck-egg polyester number may work for Dolly Parton but my go-to piece for professional wear is always a well-fitting black dress, paired with a smart blazer and a snazzy shoe. I have a black skater style frock I picked up from the H&M Trend label several years ago and it’s still going strong. However other than this item I’m seriously lacking in the dress department. After Miranda’s recent winter florals post I definitely need a printed frock. I’d also like a long-sleeved fitted dress too but all I can seem to find the bodycon variety which would require some serious Spanx to stop me feeling too self conscious. And shoes? Don’t even get me started. I need ankle boots and low heels as all my other chaussures are falling to bits.

Moving on the trousers I am desperately searching for a couple of pairs of slim leg black pants. As far as I’m concerned a well-fitting pair of trousers in an absolute essential to the wardrobe and can be worn on many an occasion. Over the years I have bought loads and loads of pairs but am yet to find the perfect ones. A few months ago I bought a high waisted pair of black jeans from Dorothy Perkins. I loved the fit and the style but after several washes they already seem to have worn out and have become ill-fitting. I would absolutely love it if any of you could let me know where you’re getting your trousers from?

Once said black trousers are sorted I plan on combining with a few silky shirts or perhaps throw in a few of the fine knits from above. Last year I bought a leather pencil skirt from Next and to be honest didn’t really get much wear from it. I’ve noticed a lot more leather-clad ladies around the office so I see no reason why I shouldn’t join them.

As you can see, this capsule wardrobe experiment is going to be far from cheap. However this is my own fault for having such an extensive clear out and I imagine in the long run it will be far more cost-effective. In the next couple of weeks I hope to share the ‘leisure’ side of the collection and when I’ve narrowed down the whole list I will share photos of the whole lot.

How are you getting on with your own capsule wardrobe? Have you any recommendations for the essential black trouser? What are your go-to outfits for dressing for work?