AUTUMN CAPSULE WARDROBE

This is it! My autumn 2014 capsule! What do you think? I'm pretty happy with it. There were some last minute changes which I'm discussing today.

*New here? Read about capsule wardrobe and my reasons to start it here.

*Ready to try it yourself? Read the first step here.

This is what my capsule wardrobe includes:                     As opposed to the planned:

I've used mostly clothes I already had in my closet. Because I had a small budget, I couldn't afford to buy too many or too expensive pieces, so I had to make do. I'm sure a lot of you are in a similar situation and don't have hundreds of pounds/dollars to spend on your wardrobe. And that's fine, capsule wardrobe ≠ expensive. 

I've said before my ideal budget would have been £300, and I can imagine having some fabulous pieces for that money, but hey it's not like the world's gonna fall apart if I don't.

All but one of the new pieces are from C&A - a company that is now gone from the British market but still has lots of shops in mainland Europe. They have a good selection of basic cotton tees that I like, but this season I was quite surprised by their sweaters - a big selection, good fit, and cosy feel.

The only other thing I bought are the black gap legging jeans. Super comfortable, stretchy, and a great fit. Oh and none of that low-rise thing. I'm never buying low-rise trousers again - such a struggle to wear! I have one pair of low-rise jeans and they are the dark blue h&m jeans on the fifth line. I've only included them because I love the colour and they fit me really well, but I am looking to replace them with similar ones with medium or high rise waist.

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So you see my final number stayed 41, but the other numbers changed a little. I let go a pair of a pair of trousers and a jacket in favour of two dresses. When it gets cold I'll be substituting one of the dresses for a warmer jacket. I'll see which one I wear the least and store it away.

I'll also be making some shoe substitutions. One thing I really really wanted to get were cognac ankle boots, and I have yet to find the perfect pair, so when I do I'll swap it for the birks - for obvious reasons. 

I might swap the beige pair of gabor shoes for white leather converse, but that's only if I'll have some money to spare. I really like the gabor shoes but they are a little tight and a little too stubborn to stretch - so I can only wear them when too much walking isn't required. The reason I am still keeping them is because they are a great colour and made of leather, and I'm hoping if I wear them now and then they will finally give up and stretch.

Number for tops is still 15, not 9+6, like planned, but 8+7. Again, had my budget been bigger, I would have got either a dark blue chambray shirt or a beige blouse and dropped one tee-shirt. Maybe for a winter capsule?

I'm really glad I did all the planning and gone through the five steps before the shopping trip. Apart from the number changing a little because of my budget, I followed it to the dot. It made shopping that much easier - I walked in and only looked at pieces I needed. No distractions, no overspending. 

I've learnt a lot of things about my style and my wardrobe in the process. I found my uniforms, defined my style and developed a colour palette, but mostly I tried to stay true to myself. I can't wait to share some outfits with you guys soon!

Here are links to each of the five steps if you need a recap :-)

CAPSULE WARDROBE: A 5 STEP GUIDE

Step 1 - Find Your Uniform

Step 2 - Find Your Number

Step 3 - Define Your Style

Step 4 - The Colour Palette

Step 5 - Shopping List & Budget

Are you doing capsule wardrobe too? Are you considering it? Any questions? Let me know in the comments!