My Spring / Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2015

My Spring / Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2015

If you are unable to see the video above pleae click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILKZ2qzXnI8


My Spring/Summer 2015 capsule wardrobe video is here! The Capsule Wardrobe is all about having fun with fashion and freeing yourself from a confused closet packed with too many clothes.

These are my everyday clothes.This wardrobe will take me from now until the end of Summer. Some items are new, but a majority of the garments are old (you will recognize many returning pieces).Some, like the River Island blouse,  Next dress and Zara dress I’ve had them for over four years while the Miss Selfridge dress, Zara pink cardigan and Stefanel skirt are more than 7 years old.


This  video is not about the brands mentioned. It is to give you an example of what one woman’s capsule wardrobe + extras can look like. You must tailor the capsule wardrobe to work for your life situation.

Here is a list of clothing items shown in the video:

10 Core items

Dresses

Miss  Selfridges dress (over 7 years old)

Cath Kidston dress *new
Zara dress  (over 4 years old)

Next dress  (over 4 years old)

Tops

New Look sleeveless top
River Island blouse (over 4 years old)

J Crew sweater  *new
Principles top 


Jeans

Ted Baker dark blue skinny jeans
Topshop jeans in light denim (over 6 years old)

Extras: 

T-shirts

Zara beige tshirt

Zara blue stripes   (nautical) 
Zara white stripes (nautical)
Banana Republic white tshirt

Sweaters and cardigans

Gap lightweight nautical sweater 

J Crew blue cardigan 

Zara pink cardigan (over 6 years old)

* If you live in an unpredictable climate like me, where the weather often turns, include some in your core items and keep as many as you need in your extras to stay warm.

*Please note: the lightweight trench coat by Comptoir des Cotonniers is not shown in this video.

Blazers

Hobbs blue blazer
T.M. Lewin blazer  

Additionally, special occasion clothes for wearing to the theatre, weddings & special events, etc.

Evening / Special occasion wear 

TM Lewin dress (transitional item)

Hobbs Blue Tapestry Swirl dress

LK Bennett top and Stefanel skirt (over 10 years old) 

Zara blouse *new and Gap black skinny

Hobbs Loreley dress 

Shoes

French Sole nude ballet flats 

L.K. Bennett nude ballet flats
L.K. Bennett nude sledge heels

L.K. Bennett blue stila heels
Piede a Terre Imperia sling back espadrille wedge

Accessories:

Chanel classic flap bag (a great luxury birthday present 4 years ago from my hubby)

So things to consider are what does your day usually consists of (board meetings, working from home), the season, the weather and of course your style and personality (fashion forward, classic). The selection of my 10 items fit my needs as a stay-at-home mum and have been customised to my particular lifestyle and the climate where I live: I am a wife and mother in my 30ies and I live in London - which in my experience has very cold and changeable weather.

My days consists of taking care of the home and my son, running errands, meet ups, going on play dates, writing etc but I always like to look presentable.

Keeping in mind your own personal style, your body shape, your daily needs and your budget, are you ready to begin thinking toward a core wardrobe? Have fun with it! 

You do not need to stick to ten-core items. There are no strict rules. This video shows you the clothes I will wear from Spring through Summer in London.

The point of having a capsule wardrobe is to cut the clutter in your closet. It's not so much about money or labels (I mention the brands purely for information) as it is about simplicity and ease of dressing. If you have a few pieces that fit you well and flatter your shape, then you never have to spend time trying on twenty outfits whenever you go out. You can easily pull out something to wear and know that you will look presentable. It is liberating!

This will not only save you time but also money as good quality can last you longer:) 

Let me know what you think. Are you trying the capsule wardrobe? How is it working for you? I'd love to hear from you.

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My signature scent : Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

Have you ever changed your signature scent? Or have you been content with the same fragrance for years? Are you still on the search for your signature scent?

Over the years I have worn and changed fragrances many times and never had a signature scent. But as  get older I felt I needed to have one. A fragrance that encapsulates you and that your family associates with you.

Over the past months I have sampled a lot of fragrances and learned a lot about my tastes, preferences and the various phases I go through depending on the season and what mood I am in.

After much research, I can now say that I have found it! I've fallen in love with Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. It is simply delightful and for now I am loving it as my signature scent.

I say 'for now' because I have become so entranced with fragrance that  as I get older I notice a longing to change my perfume.

Now perfume is a very personal thing and what is pleasant for one person, can be nauseating for another. So while Chance Eau Tendre by Chanel is my  signature scent, it might not be your cup of tea. Enjoy the hunt and take your time to find the perfect scent for you that you absolutely love.

I would love to know what is your current signature scent? How long have you worn it? Are you looking to change? As you get older do you notice a longing to change your perfume?  

Let me know in the comment section.

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My Winter 2014 Capsule Wardrobe Update

TM Lewin Cara Textured Blazer A/W 2014 Collection

Many of you have asked about my Autumn/Winter capsule wardrobe. I haven't purchased much since I showed you my Autumn / Winter capsule wardrobe for 2014. I only purchased one blazer from TM Lewin to update my wardrobe because my Jack Wills blazer has now become my jacket for when it is not really cold.

While the Zara blouse is from my Spring/ Summer 2014 capsule wardrobe and I just decided to now include it in my winter wardrobe.

TM Lewin Cara Blazer *New ~ Zara blouse from my Spring/Summer 2014 Capsule Wardrobe
~  Top Shop black skinny jeans 

These gorgeous Jimmy Choo tourmaline shoes I received as a Christmas present from my wonderful husband! 

Jimmy Choo Gilbert Tourmaline Shoes A/W 2014 Collection

These three items are the only new addition to my winter wardrobe since shooting my capsule wardrobe video in the Autumn.

However, I'd like to give you a tip for the capsule wardrobe. We are coming to the end of winter season and a lot of your favourite stores are doing clearance sales for the winter items.  And here is where I like to purchase some staples, some classics  at a very discounted price from really great brands and I can use them in the up coming fall winter capsule wardrobe. Burberry was having a sale so I got a winter coat and a wool scarf at a very discounted rate from them. These two will be in my Autumn / Winter capsule wardrobe 2015. These are both classics and I bought things that I know I am going to need for next year. 

The key is not to get crazy with the sales and buy a lot. No, still think about the capsule wardrobe and only buy where there is a need. So if you realise you'll be needing to replace your sweaters for next year, now is a great idea to purchase from the sales and grab a great quality item but at a reduced price. 

Let's take my Ted Baker winter coat  and  my Burberry cashmere scarf, these are an example of a high brand - and how many seasons have I used these items? I had the TB coat for almost 5 years. This is my only winter coat  and I have been wearing it everyday. Although it still looks good right now it 's starting to show wear and tear. I will wear it for the rest of this winter but am now thinking about it's replacement as I did want to wait until it becomes unwearable. So bearing that in mind it makes sense now to purchase a coat from the sales this year, save me a lot of money and have something ready for next year.  Again, the key here is to only pick items that have a 'classic look' that won't go out of fashion, that you would have considered purchasing anyway and are of good quality.  That way even with daily wearing the items will last a long time.  Just to re-iterate, better to have one 'great item' that you really want and feels good to wear as opposed to many 'ok ones' that you're constantly replacing or adding thus building up more clutter. 
With regards to my BBY scarf (almost 5 years old) I really love it because it does keep me warm during winter and I had no intention of replacing it anytime soon. But what I've realised is I only have one winter scarf and I needed another one for when it gets dirty and is at the dry cleaners. 

I am really happy with the two purchases I made because I got  high end very good quality products that I really want and fill a gap in my wardrobe but at a very discounted price. In my view that's a win! 

Hope this helps and would love to know about any great items you might have added to your capsule wardrobes.  

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My Autumn/Winter 2014 Capsule Wardrobe...

It’s finally here! My capsule wardrobe video for  Autumn / Winter  2014.

If you are unable to see the video above please click here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-qbnmisNio&feature=youtu.be

These are my everyday clothes. This wardrobe will take me from now until the end of winter. Some items are new, but a majority of the garments are old (not purchased this season). Some, like the Monsoon wool dress, Topshop brown polka dot dress, Gap brown wrap sweater, Burberry Scarf, Ted Baker wool coat  I’ve had them for over four years while the black blazer from Max Mara and Miss Sixty sweater are more than ten years old.

This  video is not about the brands mentioned. It is to give you an example of what one woman’s capsule wardrobe + extras can look like. You must tailor the capsule wardrobe to work for your life situation. This will all depend on who you are, where you live and what sort of lifestyle you lead. A business woman will, of course, have a different core item wardrobe than a stay-at-home mum.

So things to consider are what does your day usually consists of (board meetings, working from home), the season, the weather and of course your style and personality (fashion forward, classic).The selection of my 10 items fit my needs as a stay-at-home mum and have been customised to my particular lifestyle and the climate where I live: I am a wife and mother in my 30ies and I live in London - which in my experience has very cold and changeable weather.
My days consists of taking care of the home and my son, running errands, meet ups, going on play dates, writing etc but I always like to look presentable.

Keeping in mind your own personal style, your body shape, your daily needs and your budget, are you ready to begin thinking toward a core wardrobe? Have fun with it! 

You do not need to stick to ten-core items. There are no strict rules. This video shows you the clothes I will wear from autumn through winter in London.

The point of having a capsule wardrobe is to cut the clutter in your closet.  It's not so much about money or labels (I mention the brands purely for information) as it is about simplicity and ease of dressing. If you have a few pieces that fit you well and flatter your shape, then you never have to spend time trying on twenty outfits whenever you go out. You can easily pull out something to wear and know that you will look presentable. It is liberating!

This will not only save you time but also money as good quality can last you longer:) 

Here is a list of clothing items shown in the video:

Ten core items: 

Polka dot dress tea dress by Topshop (over 5 years old)

Intimissimi dress 
Monsoon green and black wool dress (over 4 years old)
French Connection black and white dress (over 4 years old)

Gap brown wool wrap sweater (over 5 years old)
Zara blue silk blouse (over 4 years old)

Zara cream blouse (over 4 years old)

Zara black printed blouse 

Black skinny jeans by Topshop (over 5 years old) 

Blue super skinny jeans by Ted Baker *new

Extras

T- shirts: 

Banana Republic white t-shirt
Intimissimi grey t-shirt

Gap brown t- shirt

Cardigans and jumpers:

Intimissimi wool cardigan 

Hobbs grey wool cardigan

Miss Sixty black jumper (over 10 years old)

Ralph Lauren green v-neck jumper (over 4 years old)

Blazers:

Max Mara black blazer (over 10 years old)

Topshop blazer 
Jack Wills blazer 

Coat

Ted Baker black wool coat (over 4 years old)

Additionally, special occasion clothes for wearing to the theatre, weddings & special events, etc.

Evening / Special occasion wear 

Banana Republic black dress 
LK Bennett wrap dress  *new

Principles black lace dress (I wore this on a party this summer)
Phase Eight rouch grey long sleeves dress 

Accessories

Shoes: 
Tory Burch ballet flats (over 4 years old)

French sole ballet flats * and few extra pairs of boots and heels not shown in this video

Geox brown suede ankle boots

LK Bennett black sledge shoes 

LK  Bennett blue stila shoes *new 

Prada Bauletto Saffiano Lux Sabbia bag *new 

LV pochette 

Chanel classic flap bag (a great luxury birthday present 3 years ago from my hubby)
YSL black clutch bag 

Alexander McQueen scarf (gift from my hubby last year)

Burberry scarf (over 4 years old)

I love to hear from you. Please let me know what you think. Are you trying the capsule  wardrobe? How is it working for you?


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Get your autumn/winter capsule wardrobe ready...

Autumn is officially here and this week I wanted to talk about getting your autumn/ winter capsule wardrobe ready. Many of you have probably already started this. I have and am shooting my autumn/winter video soon. 

If you are joining us for the first time the capsule wardrobe is a concept that I read from the book Lesson from Madam Chic. I wrote about how I was inspired by the author of the book. If you'd like to read that please click here 

http://reliablerealist.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/why-im-aiming-to-only-have-10-items-in.html 

http://reliablerealist.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/why-im-aiming-to-only-have-10-items-in_25.html

http://reliablerealist.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/my-capsule-wardrobe-for-spring-2014_11.html

http://reliablerealist.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/my-spring-capsule-wardrobe-2014-chat.html

Now it's time to store away your spring/summer items that you no longer need, bring out the clothes from last autumn/winter that you plan to use again this year and mend anything that needs mended. Go from your clothes last year autumn/winter and decide what you want to keep. It might be time to bring some of them back. In fact the higher quality pieces you buy the longer they'll last. I will definitely be bringing old pieces into my autumn/winter capsule wardrobe. 

Everything else give them away or donate to charity. If there are items that you can't simply part with but you are not sure you want to use them on your up coming autumn/ winter capsule wardrobe, put them away in the closet in another room in the house. You might get into the middle of winter and you might want to inject some different clothes into your wardrobe. You might pick those or might not and just bring them back next autumn/winter. There are no strict rules you just have to do what works for you.

As you go through your items keep a shopping list of items that you need to update your capsule wardrobe with. Let's say you feel might want to purchase 1 new dress and 1 top or you need a new pair of jeans or a coat. Whatever it is keep it in your list and the next time you are out shopping you can keep an eye for those items and not end up buying things just because they were on sale and you did not really like.

From now on when you go shopping you won't be just aimlessly wondering through the stores. No more wasted money and time because now you know your style, what you like and what you need. You now know what to get and won't end up buying things that you don't really need.

So for example I needed a new pair of jeans this year that went on my list along with a new dress (I love dresses!) and I have now purchased them. But it made my shopping time much for focused and specific, with a clearer idea of what I'm looking for and what will work with the rest of my items.  

I will be shooting my autumn/winter capsule wardrobe and it will be out soon.

I'd love to know how is your autumn/winter capsule wardrobe coming along. I'd love to hear from you on twitter, facebook and instagram too! 

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