5 things I've learnt about my wardrobe this year!

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Advance warning that this is a wordy one.......peppered with outfit of the day shots from this past week.

Bershka jacket

Topshop dress - alternative here

Novesta Trainers

Ok, let's kick right off with possibly the biggest learning - Less is More. I have found that less stuff does actually mean more life. One of my goals this year was to reduce my consumption (in fairness - lockdown did play a hand in this).  So far I've halved the amount of clothing I purchased last year. I started properly experimenting with a capsule wardrobe during winter 2019. Winter is an excellent time to trial a capsule because if you are anything like me you will likely have some kind of uniform that maybe goes a little bit like this - jeans, chunky sweaters and boots with a nice coat. With my lifestyle winter doesn't allow for a lot else so no wonder that with my first attempt at a capsule I felt like I'd got it off to a tee! But it's a learning curve and each season comes with it's challenges. I have to say though that this autumn having less to choose from has made getting dressed a bit more spontaneous which has really taken the drama out of choosing an outfit - a game-changer if you have a deadline time you need to be out by the mornings. It's a win-win as I've found I have more time to do the things I think I never have time to do! It's actually helped me achieve a couple of my other goals for 2020 as well. One such target was cutting down my scrolling time. Now that my wardrobe is smaller it's more cohesive and it all works together so I no longer feel the need to continually trawl through Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. I don't want to be lured into buying stuff I don't really need. Which is great because I'm not lured by the new season temptations! I have enough. I am enough. No more chasing that next must-have thing. I am finally buying with intention - another goal I can check off!

Biker jacket, past season - alternative here

H&M dress, recent but sold out online - alternative here

Veja trainers

Balenciaga bag

Lesson no. 2 With a capsule wardrobe there isn't one formula that fits for all. Please tell me I've not  been alone in pouring over Pinterest looking for the perfect version of a capsule wardrobe to base my own on? All of our lives are different so the perfect capsule is going to look different for everyone. You need to take into consideration what suits you and your 'style personality' and possibly more importantly - your lifestyle. Let's face it - a crisp white cotton shirt probably isn't the best thing to wear to crawl around at soft play and a classic black court shoe is a definite no-no for a stroll around the park......both of those items are in every perfect Parisian capsule wardrobe planner! Not all of the perceived classic items suit every wardrobe either. My own case in point here - having spent years trying to find the perfect white t-shirt it's turns out it's just not one of those pieces in my wardrobe that I tend to reach for - it just doesn't spark joy for me.......give me a stripe any day! Another quick caveat - don't get too hung up on the number of pieces for your capsule either - especially when you are starting out. Going from the choice of your entire wardrobe down to the prescribed 30 odd items can be very daunting. I would aim for between 30 - 45 without including shoes and accessories. That's a good amount to play around with until you can really drill it down to what you actually end up wearing - which brings me nicely on to........
I set myself a little exercise with my capsule - throughout September I decided to post on my Instagram grid so by the end of the month I have evidence of what I do actually wear - at a glance! You could always keep a diary of what you wear if you don't fancy taking an outfit photo everyday. What exactly are your wardrobe staples.....those things you wear time and time again? I will using my information once I've done a little postmortem to plan my next capsule and any future purchases. In the long term I will be continuing to reduce and refine my wardrobe - keep on reducing my consumption and spending less and less on my wardrobe year on year. My big challenge for 2021 will be to do a low buy year. Not sure what that will look like yet - whether is will be a budget set or one item a month, we'll see. The purpose is to have more money in my pocket to tick off more experiences on my bucket list!

HM dress, no longer in stock - alternative hereArizona Loves sandals Arket bag
These leads nicely into lesson 3. Someone asked me recently which items do I prefer to splurge on and which things do I tend to always pick up on the High Street. My initial reaction was to say (no surprise - my standard line....accessories maketh the outfit) shoes, bags et al! But a couple of weeks later I still find myself pondering on that question. The thing is, I am as happy in a pair of £9.99 leopard print hi tops from New Look as I am a £300+ pair of Golden Goose trainers.......and I get the same amount of wear out of both. What I do know though is that there is no point in buying a pair of £300 of trainers unless you are prepared to wear them everyday. Back to that old adage - don't save your expensive stuff for best! And going back to something I touched on up thread - buying with intention. With a lot of talk around sustainability at the moment we often see the quote 'buy less buy better'. However as my lovely mate Gail pointed out a few months ago if you buy from a High Street fashion retailers with the intention of wearing an item 30+ times it's not the same as buying a dress to wear on a Saturday night that is never going to see the light of day again (and will  most likely end up in landfill). That's my definition of fast fashion. Another thing I try to do is steer clear of spending money on 'trend' pieces. The chances are that the items that are all the rage now - I'm looking at you large collars and sleeveless sweaters as you will not be featuring in my wardrobe this time next year.......things I will tire of easily. No more one season wonders for me! It's just all about making considered purchases - wherever they come from - whether they are brand new or preloved. Buy with purpose. I'm making that my mantra. 

Zara dress, past season - alternative hereGolden Goose trainers
Lesson 4. Stick to a colour palette. Not particularly groundbreaking I know, but crikey what a difference it makes. It doesn't have to be all neutrals - though I've found that has really worked for me. But just pick an accent colour or 2 to lift your neutrals (my accents have been my stripes and leopard prints). Your wardrobe just 'flows' better when you keep to a few shades that really suit you and make you feel happy. It really does take the stress out of getting dressed when everything just blends well together.

Preloved M&S mac - alternative here

Joseph shirt, past season - alternative here

Gap jeans, ancient - alternative here

Vans

& Other Stories bag

Last but not least - lesson 5. I have realised I'm not great at styling skirts. I just don't reach for them often. So I've given myself another little project - to try and style my cream pleated skirt and my leopard print skirt in as many ways as I can in order to get more everyday wear out of them over the next couple of months. I'm up for the challenge! Is there anything item of clothing you find tricky to style ? I'd love to hear!
I probably spend way too much time thinking about clothes in the grand scheme of things - however there is no doubt that they are our armour and definitely - for me anyway intertwined with my wellbeing. I actually derive a lot of pleasure organising my wardrobe. It definitely has helped me in this weird year of 2020.
The next stage of my autumn capsule is coming up - what a difference a week makes! Time to start reaching for the sweaters and jeans isn't it!
Back soon, Michelle x