Fall Capsule Wardrobe Lookbook 2016

I'm beginning my second year of capsule wardrobes with another Fall Capsule Wardrobe!  Come along and take a look at a couple outfits pulled from this season's capsule - from casual to business to date night!

Watch here or on YouTube, and don't forget to subscribe to my channel!

Want more?

See my full Fall Capsule here, along with a recap of my first year of capsules!

Or, watch my YouTube video where I walk you through my process of building a capsule and talk about each piece included this time around.

Until next time,

Fall Capsule Wardrobe 2016 + One Year Capsule Update!

I can’t believe I’ve completed a full year of capsule wardrobes!  This year has been so eye-opening and life-changing - I honestly can’t believe I ever handled my closet any other way.  I’m excited to share all about my fall capsule wardrobe for this year and to chat with you about my experience doing capsule wardrobes for a whole year!

On Monday I posted a video talking through my process of building a capsule and talking about each piece I included through this time around and why I chose it!  Watch it here or on YouTube for a more in depth look at my method!

Here’s a list of each piece I included and where you can buy it (whether it be the exact piece or something similar!)

TOPS (22)

1. White Flowy Cami (Aritzia) 
2. White V Neck Muscle Tee (Aritzia)
3. White Button Down With Pockets (Zara)
4. White Button Down (Zara)
5. Beige Trench Coat (Forever 21)
6. Long Line Grey Cardigan (Forever 21)
7. Knit Cropped Tank (Brandy Melville)
8. Oversized Denim Shirt (Zara)
9. Grey Lace Up Tank (Urban Outfitters)
10. Deep V Crop Grey (Aritzia)
11. Grey Pocket Tee (Aritzia)
12. Dark Grey Tee (Aritzia)
13. Black Lace Up Tank (Urban Outfitters)
14. Black Cami (Aritzia)
15. Deep V Crop Black (Aritzia)
16. Black Sleeveless High Neck Blouse (Aritzia)
17. Black Sleeveless V Neck Blouse (Aritzia)
18. V Neck Black Tee (Urban Outfitters)
19. Black Pocket Tee (Aritzia)
20. Black Long Sleeve Top (Aritzia)
21. Black Henley (Urban Outfitters)
22. Black V Neck Pullover (Aritzia)

BOTTOMS (9)

1. High Waisted Denim Shorts (Urban Outfitters)
2. Low Rise Distressed Jeans (Hollister)
3. Black Dress Shorts (Club Monaco)
4. High Waisted Black Jean Shorts (Lulu's)
5. High Waisted Blue Jeans (Urban Outfitters)
6. Black Skinny Jeans (American Eagle)
7. Cropped Dress Pants (Zara)
8. Black Zipper Leggings (Zara)
9. Dress Pants Yoga Pants (Betabrand)

DRESSES (2)

1. Black Deep V Dress (Lulu's)
2. Black Jumpsuit (Lulu's)

OUTERWEAR (3)

1. Black Blazer (Zara)
2. Black Vegan Leather Moto Jacket (Lulu's)
3. Black Coat (Aritzia)

SHOES (7)

1. Vegan Doc Martens (Doc Martens)
2. Vegan Leather Black and Nude Pumps (Call It Spring)
3. Dotted Apollo Sneakers (Native Shoes)
4. Vegan Leather Oxfords (Aldo)
5. Black High Top Chucks (Converse)
6. Two-Tone Flats (Melissa)

You may have noticed that I surpassed my usual maximum limit of 40 items this time around… don’t worry, it’s not a mistake!  After the difficulty I had last year trying to put together a wardrobe that could carry me from almost 30 degree weather in September all the way to snow and freezing temperatures in November, I decided to give myself a couple extra items to improve my chances of being covered no matter the circumstance.

As you can see, my neutral wardrobe is here to stay for another season.  Until I began my capsule wardrobe project I didn’t realize how wonderful it would be to remove colour from my closet!  I was always a big fan of all black outfits and neutrals, but it wasn’t all I wore by any means.  The freedom and satisfaction I feel while rocking a colour-less outfit is so worth it that I pretty much have no colourful pieces left!

Don’t forget to watch my YouTube video to get more details on each piece and why I chose them as well as my lookbook video!

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A Recap Of My Full Year Of Capsules

As you may recall, this past year I've had four capsules:

Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Winter Capsule Wardrobe

Cruise Capsule Wardrobe (+ Cruise Capsule Lookbook)

Summer Capsule Wardrobe (+ Summer Capsule Lookbook)

The verdict?

I would say my capsule project has turned out to be a roaring success!

I was pretty wary of the whole thing at the beginning, to be fully honest.  I didn’t think I would be able to stop shopping constantly, or be happy wearing the same pieces and outfits over and over.  But I have, and I am!  I feel as though such a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, as dramatic as that sounds.

I spoke about this briefly in my One Year Of Minimalism Update video, but I was a serious shopaholic for several years.  Shopping gave me a rush that helped me forget my problems and combat my developing depression.  The idea of removing my self-prescribed antidepressant from my life was terrifying.  But I honestly feel that taking that shot of endorphins away has allowed me to look deeper and to begin to work through my problems, rather than run away from them.

Capsules have cut my morning routine in half.  I don't spend time walking from the closet to the dresser, trying to decide what to wear.  I check the weather, grab some bottoms, grab a top, and go.  Everything is on the same small rack, easy to find and organized.

I feel like my style is more consistent and I feel more put together no matter how recently I rolled out of bed.  Which is definitely a bonus considering how much I love to sleep!

I have realized through the capsule process that the vast majority of my wardrobe no longer fits my style, and have donated far more pieces than I ever would have thought possible a year ago.  I've even sold some pieces, making some extra cash on the side!

Planning and doing a small amount of shopping for each new capsule has become something I really look forward to.  I find myself barely going into shops, and when I do I can easily stick to window shopping rather than giving in and buying things.  (This is a seriously big deal for me!)

I have saved hundreds of dollars that I surely would have spent on pointless clothing pieces had I not been doing capsule wardrobes.  With a wedding to pay for, this was so important!

So many people are curious about my capsules and want to learn more.  I often get asked whether or not I'll go back to the standard way of dressing.  

The answer?  

I really can't see why I would ever want to.

Capsule wardrobes were my gateway drug for minimalism, and baby I ain't ever going back!

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Have you tried capsules yet?  If not, what are you waiting for!

Use these to get started...

How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe (blog post)

Free Downloadable Capsule Planning Worksheet

How I Plan My Capsule Wardrobes (video)

Until next time,

Summer Capsule Wardrobe Lookbook

It's time for another lookbook video - this time for my Summer Capsule Wardrobe!  

Please forgive the lighting, my office is currently in a big transition mode (yes, this is the room that used to be bright purple!) and I haven't quite figured out my filming set up yet.  If you have any tips for me I would LOVE to hear them!

Watch it here or on YouTube!

If you have a capsule wardrobe I'd love to see it!  Leave a link in the comments and I'll check it out :)  If not, let me know which outfit was your favourite!

Until next time,

Summer Capsule Wardrobe

It's summer in the city!  Ever since I returned from the Disney Wonder, Toronto has been seriously hot.  I had planned to continue wearing my cruise capsule for another month or so, but it's too warm out for that by far!  As you know, my cruise capsule wardrobe was about 50% clothing for the heat of Mexico and the Bahamas, and 50% clothing for around the ship (a highly air conditioned environment).  At this point I'm in need of a 100% warm weather wardrobe, stat!  

I'm jumping into my Summer Capsule Wardrobe which I plan to wear for June, July, and August of this year.  Let's get into it!

Summers in Toronto can range from mild sunny days to extreme heat and humidity, usually averaging about 25 degrees celsius (but regularly creeping over 40).

I need a wardrobe made up of lighter weight fabrics to keep me cool and pieces that work for me time as well as work in a casual retail environment.

As always, I stuck with 40 pieces total...

You may recognize some pieces from my fall, winter, and cruise capsule wardrobes in here, but I also picked up a couple fun new items!

As always, my wardrobe is almost entirely void of colour.  I like dressing in black, white, and gray for the versatility and how classy it makes me feel!  The one struggle I foresee is a lack of sandals...  I might end up replacing a pair of docs with a strappy pair if the summer gets any hotter.  I also felt the need to include a couple colder weather pieces, just in case the heat is a bit of a fluke and we go back to spring temperatures for a while.  I've been loving high waisted bottoms with crop tops lately, and you can definitely see that reflected in my capsule!  

I feel like this iteration of my capsule is a good mix of old and new with 8 new pieces and 32 standbys from my wardrobe.  For anyone interested in the pieces featured, the following is a list of exact or similar items:

TOPS (22)

1. white snap crop
2. white fringe crop tank
3. white lace up tank
4. white v neck tee
5. off-white knit cropped tank
6. beige tank
7. grey cropped tank
8. grey lace up tank
9. eat fruit not friends tank
10. grey crop tee
11. grey tee
12. long grey tee with slits
13. long grey cardigan
14. black crop henley tank
15. black lace up tank
16. black & grey reversible cami
17. black sleeveless v-neck blouse
18. black tank
19. beatles tank
20. black cropped tee
21. black deep v neck tee
22. black t-shirt

BOTTOMS (9)

1. black maxi skirt
2. black jeans
3. black leggings
4. black high waisted shorts
5. high waisted black jean shorts
6. high waisted light wash jeans
7. high waisted jean shorts
8. light wash denim shorts
9. ripped jeans

DRESSES (1)

1. white lace backless dress

SHOES (5)

1. white eyelet chucks
2. white floral docs
3. black and white dotted sneakers
4. black vegan docs
5. black flip flops

OUTERWEAR (3)

1. beige trench
2. beige vest
3. olive jacket

See my capsule in action in my Summer Capsule Wardrobe Lookbook!

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Want to make your own capsule?  Check out my post on How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe and download the free capsule planning worksheet!

What are you excited to wear this summer?  Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time,