a lovely living

Ok girls, this was a lot to cover in one post, but I did it and there’s no going back. After having requests from readers and friends alike, I decided to tackle the over riding question of ‘what are the fall wardrobe staples that I need?‘ I get it. Many of you enjoy being stylish, love reading blogs and magazines but don’t have the time to shop and work together a wardrobe that feels cohesive. You don’t have endless funds, but you also don’t want to waste your money on crap things that don’t wear well. You’ve likely heard of the whole Capsule Wardrobe concept. If not, search for it on Pinterest, they never let you down. It’s basically creating a wardrobe of around 37 articles of clothing each season and mix and matching from it. For those of you that feel that you can never piece outfits together, this may be your answer. Now, I’m not saying you need to start from scratch by shopping for 30 some pieces each season, but more so narrow down your wardrobe and then add what is missing. Did I confuse you? Let’s pretend not and continue…

Now, I didn’t exactly create a capsule, but it’s right along those lines. What I did was curate a board of what I feel are the fall staples you need to have in your closet in order to create daily outfits with ease. For those of you that work in a more professional atmosphere (ie you don’t have kids hanging on your legs day in and out), you may need to tweak this a bit ;) But those that I have been hearing from have flexible careers and/or are full-time moms of multiple children that want to keep some sense of style! I hear you. I started this blog as a way of holding myself accountable and for the most part, it’s worked!

So here you have my Fall Staple Wardrobe with a total of 32 pieces. I’m going to dive into the details of what I selected and why below the image. If you’re still with me, jump below and we’ll continue…

(click images below for details)

Tops: You can see that I’ve included a number of tops, because to me, they’re the most important. Some of these, such as my tanks and t-shirts, carry through all the seasons. For this reason, I often spend a little more on them so they have a better chance of lasting longer. Another point of a capsule wardrobe is to only include pieces you love. In my opinion, a good t-shirt is totally worth it. You’ll want some solids, but patterns such as stripes are always great to include because they add some interest to your overall outfit (think throwing on the long-sleeved striped tee with a utility vest, jeans and booties…done). Button up chambray, a must for all seasons. Alone, layered, you name it, you need it. And for fall, the same goes for a flannel…or two. The turtleneck sweater. I jumped on this last year and I only want more this year. It’s perfect because you can wear it alone, layered with a long sleeved tee or chambray under it and there’s no bulk if you need to throw a jacket over top. A cardigan is pretty obvious, and a t-shirt dress will get more wear than you’d think…and for you full-time moms, talk about looking pulled together…it’s just too simple! I threw a cute sweatshirt on here to keep things real. No shame in that!

Outerwear: To be honest, I didn’t wear many vests before I started blogging. But once I started seeing myself in photos I came to realize that a few tweaks to my outfits made a world of difference. A simple vest, be it utility or denim, can do so much for your outfit and give you just enough warmth for brisk fall days. Light anorak jackets are a must for me. They’re my go-to Sept-Nov. A denim jacket is a wardrobe staple if there ever was one. Just be careful on the cut. You don’t want it too boxy or over sized. Mine has a slim cut and hits at my waist (not hip). And the trench coat. I finally found the one this past spring after wanting one for years. Figure out if classic khaki is you or maybe army green or navy. And if you plan on keeping it around, you may want to invest a little more on this one. A definite staple for every spring and fall.

Bottoms: Denim. You need denim and you need to put up the fight until you find denim you love and that loves you back! Once you know some brands that work for you, you’ll be able to order a new pair every once in a while with much more ease. I included skinny jeans in a light and dark wash as well as black (which get worn very often in the fall and winter) as well as a looser pair of girlfriend jeans because sometimes my legs need a ‘skinny’ break. Also, leggings…again, keeping it real, they are a must.

Bags: Well, those of you who know me, need not even look! You know my Madewell tote bag has been by my side for years! Boring and predictable? Or classic and timeless? I vote for the latter ;) I threw in another bucket bag that I now have my eye on. But you get the concept. Get one you love with great quality and this will make getting out the door every day that much easier.

Jewelry: When it comes to my everyday jewelry, I keep it pretty classic and consistent. A few nice, go-to pieces and you’re set. You probably see me wearing my engrave-able necklace in every other post ;)

Shoes: This was tricky. Tricky to narrow down that is. I love shoes, but I also love comfort. So this is another place that I tend to splurge a bit (but not a lot…a budget is a budget). A pair or two of booties are a must. As are (for me) a pair of casual sneakers. I also included my Sperry’s because they are certainly a fall staple for me. Rain, pumpkin picking…these make all those outfits look just a bit better. And finally, I included a pair of mules. They are being added to my staples this year because of the shear ease of being able to slide my feet in them and walk out the door with a baby in one hand and my tote in the other, feeling perfectly put together…minus the goo that is inevitably on my shoulder ;)

That’s it! If you made it through, I congratulate you, my fingers hurt! But hopefully you feel slightly empowered and eager to tackle your fall wardrobe staples! Once you have a good handle on these, then you can have some fun adding in cute tops, fun dresses, scarves, lace up shoes, overalls, jumpsuits, faux fur, capes,statement necklaces, chokers and all the other fun trends going on! But basics first, trust me ;)