How to Build a Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Twenty four pieces, endless combinations to wear all season long.

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I never considered myself a capsule wardrobe kinda gal, but recently I realized that I do end up wearing the same 6-7 outfits, or rather, outfit recipes, on repeat each week, so I thought I’d give it more of a formalized go for the upcoming season – aka, my favorite season for dressing (and everything else).

Tips for Creating a Capsule Wardrobe

1. Consider your lifestyle & needs first. My office has a very casual (nearly non-existent) dress code, so I have a lot of outfits here with jeans that can double as work clothes too. But I also like dressing up just for my own sake, so I end up wearing a lot of skirts. I also walk A LOT since I live in a city and don’t have a car, so I need footwear options that are cute but also comfortable for walking long distances in. And you’ll see lots of layer options, since I live in the Midwest, and the temperature during the fall varies widely day to day and sometimes hour to hour.

2. Stay true to your personal style while investing in basics and pieces that will stay in style year after year. For instance, I’ve learned that I’m drawn to exactly four colors in my wardrobe – white/cream, brown/tan, black, and burgundy/red. You will clearly see this reflected in my choices below. It’s really ironic, because design-wise, I’m very drawn to lots of color and pattern, but that rarely reflects in my wardrobe. I like to add pops of color in the way of fun shoes or bags, or maybe a cool jacket, but usually that’s it.

3. Don’t feel like you need to buy a ton of new stuff. I’m sharing a lot of pieces here – I’ve by no means purchased all of these. Some I already own, like the Sezane gingham pants, and wanted to figure out how to work those into more outfits. Many are representative of other things I already have in my wardrobe. I get a LOT of my clothes secondhand from ThredUp, Poshmark, or local thrift stores. So I’m definitely not suggesting you go out and buy a ton of new pieces, but rather use this as a jumping off point to think more holistically about your own wardrobe, and how you can better mix and match pieces you already own or invest in a few key pieces that will be in style for years to come.

The Pieces

Sweaters

• White Turtleneck, H&M, $25

• Black Turtleneck, H&M, $25

• Brown Cardigan, Old Navy, $35

• Tan Cardigan, Old Navy, $37

Pants

• Black Wide-Leg Jeans, Gap, $40

• Medium Wash Flare Jeans, Abercrombie, $68

• Plaid Pants, Sezane, $160

Skirts

• Suede Midi Skirt, Rihoas, $40

• Plaid Mini Skirt, Old Navy, $20

• Floral Midi Skirt, Rihoas, $25

Shirts

• Graphic Tee, Junk Food, $52

• White Blouse, H&M, $25 (I fell in love with this shirt during the course of putting together this post, and ordered it. It arrived yesterday, and I love it even more – it’s a soft jersey fabric so it’s flattering but not scratchy or stiff. My only qualm is that I’ll definitely need to wear a cami underneath it, but being that it’s from H&M, I assumed as much. Anyways, highly recommend!)

• Lace-Trimmed Crop Cami, Old Navy, $7

Shoes

• Black Chelsea Boots, Target, $40

• Brown Heeled Booties, DSW, $65

• Brown Tall Boots, Loft, $100

• Brown Loafers, Boden, $180 (There are plenty of way cheaper options, I just love these shoes. I do not own them, for the record. But I aspire to own them.)

Jackets & Coats

• Brown Leather Jacket, Abercrombie, $83

• Denim Jacket, American Eagle, $66

Accessories

• Black Tights, Sheertex, $35 (Pricey for tights, but they are SO hard to tear! I used to go through like 6-8 pairs of cheapo black tights during the cold months because I would inevitably snag it on my weirdly sharp engagement ring, or my dog would jump up on me and tear them with her claws. I have two pairs of these Sheertex ones and they’ve lasted me two autumn/winter seasons with pretty heavy use and are still holding up marvelously.)

• Gold Hoop Earrings, Quince, $118

• Small Crossbody Bucket Bag, Old Navy, $25

• Shoulder Bag, Old Navy, $30

• Croc Crossbody Bag, J. Crew, $57

Clearly Old Navy is killing it this season when it comes to basics. Not sponsored but god I wish it was. And also, wow I like brown. Moving on!

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Outfit Recipes

I could have iterated almost endlessly with this set of pieces, but I capped myself at nine looks because after a while, you get the point. I like to call these combos “outfit recipes” because they can really be mixed and matched with other pieces, but the general “ingredients” stay the same.

My typical go-to outfit recipes for the fall are as follows:

• Turtleneck sweater, mini skirt, black tights, ankle boots.

• Turtleneck sweater, midi skirt, tall boots.

• Light wash flare jeans, loafers or ankle boots, sweater, leather jacket.

• Black flare jeans, loafers or ankle boots, graphic tee, cardigan or denim jacket.

• Plaid pants (I have a couple different pairs), sweater, ankle boots, leather jacket.

Any given day, I am wearing one of these five combinations unless I am in my home wearing my comfy clothes.

So with that in mind, I created looks with the pieces above that I’ll share to demonstrate how versatile it can be to mix and match pieces when everything in your wardrobe (for the most part) goes together.

Outfit #1: Client Meeting

Structured and dressy enough to meet with clients, but still plenty cozy and comfortable for sitting at your desk all day.

Cardigan | Blouse | Pants | Loafers | Earrings

Outfit #2: Saturday Morning Errands

I have this thing where, even if I’m just running errands or something, I still need to feel cute. Even if it’s casual and cozy. Hence the cardigan and fancy purse here.

Cardigan | Tee | Jeans | Boots | Earrings | Bag

Outfit #3: Thrift Shopping with a Friend

Cozy, comfy, cute, with a pop of color in the form of this adorable little green crossbody bucket bag from Old Navy which is sitting in my cart taunting me as we speak.

Cardigan | Boots | Pants | Bag | Earrings

Outfit #4: Autumn Street Festival

This is almost wholesale the same outfit I shared in my “What I’m Reading & Wearing This Autumn” post because I love it so much. It’s giving dark academia vibes, and it reminds me of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina which overall I was lukewarm on, but I absolutely loved the vibes, aesthetic, and costumes.

Cardigan | Camisole | Skirt | Tights | Boots | Bag | Earrings

Outfit #5: Dinner Date Night

I love the more eclectic vibe of this look, and I’m always a fan of pairing a vintage-inspired graphic tee with a fun midi skirt. It’s dressy but still feels casual with the tee and denim jacket.

Jacket | Tee | Skirt | Bag | Boots | Tights | Earrings

Outfit #6: Working from a Coffee Shop

Casual and comfy but still stylish – my sweet spot.

Jacket | Sweater | Jeans | Bag | Loafers | Earrings

Outfit #7: Sunday Brunch

This feels very “Stevie Nicks does her grocery shopping” to me – the blouse and boots make it feel very 70’s white witch-y, but it’s still casual and comfortable enough to toe the line. I really think I’m going to be wearing this blouse a lot this season.

Blouse | Jeans | Boots | Bag | Earrings

Outfit #8: Local Bookstore Event

This is another look that crossed over from my last post. It feels very witchy and suitably autumnal without feeling costume-y at all. I could also absolutely see Lorelai Gilmore wearing this, which is how I make a lot of my wardrobe decisions nowadays, so there’s that.

Jacket | Sweater | Skirt | Boots | Tights | Earrings

Outfit #9: After-Work Drinks

And last but not least, another classy-but-casual outfit that goes from day to night (a scenario that teenage-me though would come up a lot more, considering how often it was mentioned in the magazines of the 90s and 2000s).

Jacket | Sweater | Skirt | Boots | Bag | Earrings

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