outfit ideas


Winter capsule wardrobe 2024

winter capsule wardrobe 2024

Winter capsule wardrobe 2024 from top left: green blouse / blue sweater / silver hoops / golden hoops / silver bracelet / black belt / cardigan sweater / spice striped sweater / black trousers / black pencil skirt / denim pencil skirt / black jeans / flare jeans /

OK, ok, I know. I made a collage instead of a flat lay. To be frank, half of these items were in the laundry when I needed to make a flat lay so I opted to create a collage instead.

What I like about the collage is that you can see all of the tops and bottoms and how they mix and match. I think it is a clearer visual than a flat lay. What do you think?

As you can see, this winter season is again, a casual one. I am opting for investment pieces such as classic black pants, pencil skirts, cozy sweaters and jewelry. I love a classic look which can carry me from season to season without looking dated. I mean, we all have those photos from the late 1980s somewhere in our photo albums with hair sprayed hair, wild patterns, and, dare I say it, shoulder pads! The horror!

To keep memories like that from becoming cringy, timeless style is the way to go. Not only will the photos look good thirty years from now, but we can all save money over time by not buying one-season-wonders. Love that!

Shop my winter capsule wardrobe 2024 online:

Check out my outfits section of the blog to see some of these pieces put together.

What are you loving for your winter capsule wardrobe this cold weather season?

Stay tuned for more seasonal yet timeless capsules!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO

Cathy


How to shop your closet for fall 2023

how to shop your closet for fall 2023

pictured: black western style boots /

It is that that time of year again when fall starts hitting store shelves! This means you may have the urge to start stocking up on all the shiny new fall merchandise popping up everywhere. Before you dive right in, make sure you aren’t duplicating what you already own! The first thing you need to shop for fall is your closet!

If you are wondering how to shop your closet for fall 2023, you have come to the right place. Shopping your closet can be just as much fun as shopping in a store. You never know what you might find! So, block your calendar, make sure your air conditioner or fan is hitting your closet and get to work.

The first thing you want to do in your closet is empty out anything you don’t wear. If this seems overwhelming, do it in steps. I also sort my shoes first, then my clothing. This seems to make it easier. If you have any shoes which hurt your feet or you are wondering why in the world you own them, decide if they have resale value or if they should go in the donation pile. Then, start pulling the shoes forward in your closet which are hot right now and in style for the fall season.

What to look for in your closet when it comes to shoes. Western style footwear is still hot, so bring them back out from the back of your closet. Also pull out your Mary Janes, Ballet Flats, Classic Loafers, Lug Sole Boots, Classic Pumps, Street Sneakers, and utility style boots. Everything else can be stored in the back of your closet for a future season.

Now let’s sort clothing! Again, pull out anything that doesn’t fit correctly, or you don’t like anymore. Sort them into a donation pile and resale pile. Then, let’s rotate your closet!

If it seems daunting, go in this order. Start with your denim collection. Rips, tears, and heavy distress are over. Pull forward your wide leg jeans, flare jeans, straight leg jeans, and trouser leg jeans. You can keep your favorite skinny’s but put them at the bottom of the denim pile or store them in the back of your closet. Looser denim styles are still trending for fall 2023. Autumn colors are trending too. If you have shades of brown, black, or burgundy, pull those jeans out too.

Talking about pants, let’s keep going! For your non-denim pants, look for classic cute, straight leg, and wide leg. Again, skinny styles should get stored. Trousers paired with a blouse or sweater are hot for fall both in the workplace and on casual days paired with street sneakers. Pull those styles forward!

Speaking of sweaters and shirts, they are both hot for fall and well into winter. You can wear cropped sweaters, oversized sweaters, cardigans, turtlenecks, all of the above! If you have sweaters which look worn or were discovered by moths, recycle them, otherwise, pull forward your favorite sweaters and rock them this fall. Button down shirts worn loosely and oversized are also hot for fall. Pull those shirts forward too!

Powersuits are still hot. Keep your power suits and keep rocking them this fall!

Also, tweed blazers over jeans are still hot this fall season, so keep those in the front of your closet to wear instead of outerwear when the weather is mild or cool. Love them!

When it comes to outerwear, look for trench coats in your closet, peacoats, and the jackets you wear on the ski slope. Outerwear is being shown in both fun colors and neutrals, so enjoy!

Handbags are staying anonymous and when it comes to size, anything goes. Look for high quality investment bags, hobo bags, shoulder bags, totes, and Lady Bags in your closet. Pull them forward and store your logo bags.

One of the big trends coming up for fall is the pencil skirt. You might have some in the back of your closet, if so, bring them forward! Denim pencil skirts are hot too!

Look for the fall IT colors in your closet as well. In addition to neutrals and black, look for shades of red, green, and pink.

There you have it! Found any holes in your wardrobe? Start your shopping list and stay tuned for my fall 2023 trend report coming up soon!

On my fall wish list:

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

fall 2023 boot trends

Spring 2022 capsule wardrobe

spring 2022 capsule wardrobe casual

Casual spring 2022 capsule wardrobe from top left: yellow/white stripe tee / pink tee / beige classic cut jeans / G buckle belt / boyfriend jeans / green puff sleeve tee / green long sleeve tee /

Spring feels different this year. Perhaps it is because we are moving away from the pandemic, dropping the mask mandate, and enjoying the scent of spring. Aren’t the cherry blossoms beautiful? Also, the pear trees; despite the allergy inducing pollen they create, those white blossoms are so pretty! I am so happy spring 2022 is here! Yay!

Since spring has sprung, and the blossoms are everywhere, it is time to talk about my spring 2022 capsule wardrobe! I have two capsules this spring season, one casual capsule wardrobe, and one power suit capsule. Normally my capsule wardrobe builds on itself from season to season, but I am down forty pounds since last April, so I was forced to replace most of my wardrobe, and this means my clothing capsule is mostly new. While all that shopping is fun, the point of a capsule is to build on one’s wardrobe each season without buying all-new; but this season I had no choice. Moving forward, these pieces will be built on each season since I am stable in my weight now and will maintain my current size.

For the spring 2022 season, my capsule wardrobe consists of classic boyfriend jeans, colored jeans (because this is a huge trend), and brightly colored tee’s. Color is in! I love the cheerful look these pieces bring to my closet. I love mixing and matching these pieces together for a cheery spring look. The only mix and match I am not doing is the yellow tee with the beige jeans, I don’t like that look. The beige jeans look fabulous with green, neutrals, and pink. Love!

Spring 2022 power suit capsule

spring 2022 power suit capsule

Spring 2022 power suit capsule from top left: single breasted black blazer / double breasted blue blazer / black trousers / blue trousers / green one shoulder blouse / black layering tee / white layering tee /

I am sure you have heard; the power suit is back. The power suit is perfect for a capsule wardrobe since it can be broken up into so many different outfits! I decided to invest in one classic black suit, and one trendy blue suit. These pieces can be mixed and matched into four different suit combinations. Plus, the blazers can be paired with jeans and shorts later in the season. This green top is perfect for adding some spice to a suit. It can also be worn with trousers or jeans for a going-out-at-night look. It’s a great evening top to keep as part of a spring and summer capsule wardrobe.

You cannot go wrong with layering tees. These black and white tees’ fit nicely underneath the blazers, and don’t add bulk or warmth. That is perfect for warm spring days. One huge trend with power suits right now is to wear a cropped top underneath the blazer. While this looks fabulous on some people, it isn’t really my style, so I am sticking to layering tee’s.

The look for jewelry right now is simple and understated, which means a blank neckline. Since I wore power suits back in the day, a blank neckline is weird to me. I have the urge to pair my blazers with vintage neckerchiefs from the 1990s, so stay tuned to see how that plays out. Since I wore suits all the time to work in the 1990s, I also have the urge to pair blazers with necklaces, but that isn’t a thing right now. Think simple and chic. Let the brightly colored blazer do the statement-making. Let’s see if I can do this without a scarf or necklace. haha

Shop my spring 2022 capsule wardrobe online:

My spring 2022 jewelry and accessories capsule wardrobe:

Are you excited for the return of color? Also, the return of the power suit? I know I am!

Stay tuned for my shoe and handbag spring capsules next week!

XOXO
Cathy