Fall Capsule Debrief

Happy day, dear reader!

It’s that time again! It’s the end of another capsule season (fall) and time to see what worked, what didn’t, and to take those lessons into the next season! Here’s a walk-through of how I go from inspiration to realizing the capsule in my closet. As always, if you find something you like or find helpful, please feel free to Pin as you like, and share on social media. I’m always up for making new friends!

If you missed the earlier fall posts, here was my fall inspiration board:

Did my closet support this inspiration? Not quite… Some of the main pieces were missing. I don’t have wine trousers, and didn’t see any that swept me off my feet, so the blush and wine look never materialized. Nor could I bring myself to splash out on a blush tote. I may have to bite the blush bullet for winter though, because it’s one of the first things that landed on my winter inspiration board! The silver shoes aren’t in my closet either. I looked at the pair above on my trip to NY; they were simply not comfortable enough, especially for the price! I do want a pair of silver pumps, and am keeping my eyes open, but most of the silver I see are higher heels than I need. I want an everyday heel height, two inches or so. They aren’t important enough to hunt down, but when they come my way, I’ll make the purchase. People find that funny, considering part of my job is to shop, but for me shopping is work. I spend hours looking for items for clients and to create visuals and inspiration boards. I love that part of my work, but shopping isn’t a pleasure jaunt! I am looking forward to pulling a different grey jacket into my capsule for winter for that more structured look with the jeans.

Wins

I love, Love, LOVE my white booties (I know it’s not polite to shout, but LOOOOOOVE!), even if it took me some time to get around to wearing them. I’m doing a little happy dance here at my keyboard just thinking about them! Another love was the blush/teal combo that features twice in the look book below. Each time I wore these two colors together, it felt fresh, modern, and grounded. Fall’s hematite jewelry crush took me through the whole season and is still going strong. I like how it gives a touch of black for definition and edge, without looking heavy or harsh, like a black outfit would. I’m looking forward to rolling all three of these wins into winter!

Surprises

A huge surprise was blush and red as a colorway! Since I didn’t have the wine to pair with the blush, I thought I’d try it with red… And loved it! Red and white feels stark and too candy cane, but in a Goldilock’s moment, the blush was just right. (And absolutely perfect with this Breast Cancer Awareness scarf from Talbot’s!)

I’m loving the red and blush colorway so much that it’s got a date with my jeans, too! They might even be called soft wine…

Now I need to find a blush sweater to carry me into winter… I saw one at my favorite consignment shop, and didn’t snap it up. I should know better. I lost out.

The second pleasant surprise was skirts. I have avoided skirts (for the most part) for the past few years, because the proportions are hard to get right on me. Since I am short, I need knee length; long skirts look dumpy frumpy on me. Unfortunately, Knee Length Skirt + Blouse usually ends up creating a very unflattering 1:1 proportion. This fall however, skirts just seemed to work better. Taking more care selecting tops has made all the difference!

Learning Experiences

They are only mistakes if you don’t learn from them!

Cream Colored Short Sleeve Lace Yoked Blouse (That’s one heck of a string of adjectives!)

I added this to fall’s capsule, figuring it would be great for those days when sleeveless was too bare, and long sleeves were too hot. I wore it a grand total of… twice. That’s a capsule fail! I thought this would be the season it would get a workout. I imagined it with my white jeans and booties, and it barely made it off the hanger. I went right from sleeveless into long sleeves. My blush floral top had only one wear. The floral felt too summery. Note to self: Save the blush floral for spring and try again.

Chambray Shirt

Sometimes you just find yourself sick to death of something, and that’s okay! The chambray shirt was done at the half-way point. I wrote more about it here. I put away the chambray for the season, and expect I’ll love it again in the spring. “It’s not you, it’s me… I think we need some time off.” I still have my denim shirt, so I’ll be okay!

Wine Tee

Even though my wine tee is a good color (skin and lip enhancer) for me, it’s not going to make a reappearance. I’ve worn it year ’round for two years and it’s getting pilly and snagged. It’s worn, and feeling too dark for me now. With two strikes against it, it’s time for it to go. I still have a wine lace top that I’ll keep in my holiday capsule. It will be cute with some skinny jeans and metallic heels if I find a party to go to…

Animal Print Shirt

I threw into my capsule at the last minute (because ANIMAL PRINT), and it was a poor choice. I bought it years ago when my coloring was much darker, and it looked great. Now it’s just too heavy, too dark, and too warm. It’s time to let it find a new home. For winter, the grey leopard cardigan I found at the consignment store at the beach will be my new (and more flattering) animal! Now I just have to pray for cold enough weather for cashmere… Pray with me, people!

A Tighter Palette Makes Me Happier

I let this color palette get a little loosey goosey… I added the brown for experimental purposes, and really like it, but not how it played with others. Usually I keep my color palettes really tight. Two neutrals + two accent colors is it. Along with some white. This time the four neutrals, 3 + Brown, was just too much choice for me with the two accents. Something’s gotta give for winter! That will probably be the teal…

Fall Favorites Lookbook

Rather than making you scroll ad infinitum, I thought I’d try a little video… Let me know what you think!

And as is my MO, my favorite old Levi’s 501’s with the frayed hems are the most worn item hands down. They are the first item in my winter capsule, and I’ve been working on my inspiration board for winter, along with some other handy capsule plans for you!

How about you? What have you been wearing most this fall (or spring for my southern hemisphere friends)? What hasn’t seen the light of day? Is that a weather issue, or something else? A little self-examination never hurts! Let me know what you’ve learned this past season in the comments below…

I do so love to hear from you!

Stylishly yours,

Thanks to Nancy at Nancy’s Fashion Style for starting out my weekend right with her fabulous Link-Up!

And… Heartfelt thanks to Jess at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish for hosting her Tuesday Link-Up Party!