November has been an exciting month full of change for my closet. After two years of slowly decluttering and working on defining my personal style, I’ve finally decided to commit to my first official capsule wardrobe for winter! (If you want to learn more about what a capsule wardrobe is, I suggest reading this article.)
I love the idea of having a capsule wardrobe and all its benefits, but had trouble letting go of the final vestiges of clutter in my closet. It wasn’t until this season that I finally set one up properly, meaning I planned all of the items I wanted to include, decluttered what I don’t need from my closet, and put away my non-seasonal clothing. I’m so excited to wear this wardrobe for the next three months!
I’ve spent a lot of time simplifying my closet over the past year or two, but it was still a big process to finally set up my capsule wardrobe for good. I used my 5 Steps to a Simpler Wardrobe as a guide to help define the overall style I am going for, declutter my closet, and plan my capsule. It really helped me get inspired, stay organized, and just do it once and for all.
The result is I was finally able to create a basic capsule wardrobe of 43 items which all go together, fit my style, and most importantly, that I love to wear. If you want to see what’s in my closet as well as some outfit ideas for the winter season, just keep reading!
My Winter Capsule Wardrobe
You might be thinking this looks like a pretty basic wardrobe, and I totally agree. Aside from a couple of the skirts and maybe the blouses, most of the items are what I would consider basic essentials. Since this is my first time actually committing to a capsule wardrobe, I thought it would be a good idea to stick to the basics! I also chose mainly dark, neutral colours that are easy to mix and match, which I prefer to wear in winter anyway.
What I get in return for ‘basic-ness’ is a lot of functionality. All of the pieces are cohesive and streamlined, allowing me to mix and match to create an almost infinite number of outfits. I think it will be a great base to build on for the spring and summer, when I’ll probably add more colour and a couple of trendier pieces.
I made this capsule using 40 items I already had in my closet, and only had to purchase three new items to freshen it up a bit: the loafers (these have been on my wish list for so long!), black heels, and grey jogger pants.
Most of the items in my wardrobe are from Aritzia, Zara, Asos, Aldo, and a few other places. These days, I’m trying shop more at brands offering more ethically-made and sustainable clothing. But I still have a lot of pieces from old shopping habit days which would be a waste to not wear and get use out of.
Outfit Ideas
I like to create a few looks for different occasions and keep them on-hand using my Stylebook app (affiliate link). That way if I need some inspiration or am in a rush, I can easily select an outfit without having to think too much about it.
I couldn’t resist putting together some different outfits from my ‘new’ and definitely improved wardrobe. Here are a few of my favourites – I have a feeling I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of these the next three months!
Look 1 – Dinner Date
Look 2 – Office Appropriate
Look 3 – Off Duty
Look 4 – Sunday Brunch
Look 5 – Holiday Party
Look 6 – Running Errands
I post outfits from my capsule wardrobe on my Instagram, so be sure to follow me there for some daily inspiration. If you’re interested, all of the items I decluttered from my closet are also available for purchase on my Depop.
I plan to keep this wardrobe through winter until March, when I will start setting up my Spring capsule. Until then I’ll keep a record of what I use the most, which outfits I love, if there are any items I don’t use so much, and anything else I could have used/felt was missing for next year.
If there’s anything you’d like to know more about, whether it be my planning process, where I shop or where I find inspiration, let me know in the comments! I’ll respond as best I can or possibly write a future article with more detail.
I hope you enjoyed this article! If you did, make sure to subscribe and follow me on my social channels to be notified of new posts. Thanks so much for reading!
Emily xx
Thanks for putting this together! Such good inspiration! Classically beautiful. Am wondering where your white windowpane button-up is from? I like that it’s a bit different from a plain white shirt.
Thank you! The shirt is from Aritzia: https://www.aritzia.com/en/product/reno-shirt/64036.html?dwvar_64036_color=13725 And it’s currently on sale too!
Good ol’ Aritz. Thanks!
When you start setting up your next season’s capsule wardrobe, do you put this one into storage? My issue with a capsule wardrobe is that Melbourne has such variable weather conditions. One day 40 degrees centigrade, the next day 17 and raining. I’d really like to try it, but I’m afraid of having nothing to wear!
Actually I think a lot of these same pieces will make it into my Spring capsule, aside from some of the warmer items (sweaters and boots and such). I normally recommend storing off-season items to keep things uncluttered and so that you don’t get bored of seeing the same things year-round.
But I totally see what you mean – Vancouver is much the same where one day it’s pouring and cold and another it’s mild and sunny, so for that reason I normally keep everything in my closet even if it’s not part of my current capsule. Also I don’t have any other storage in our small apartment so my clothes all stay in the same place year-round 🙂
You could try separating the items which are off-season off to the side or in one drawer so that they’re accessible if you need them but not cluttering the space. I think you’ll find that having fewer items in your closet that all work together and that you love will actually reduce that feeling of ‘having nothing to wear’ and make it a lot easier to get dressed in the mornings!!
Emily, where did you get the pointed toe boots? Thank you for putting this all together!
They are old from Aldo. I love the Everlane Boss Boot for a sustainable, ethical option!
Hi Emily, I just discovered your blog and I love all of the outfits you’ve put together. Could you tell me where you got the black dress with sheer sleeves? I’m looking for a classic holiday party option this year!
Hi! I bought it several years ago from The Bay. I still have it to this day and it’s such a cute party dress. I’d recommend checking out Everlane for an ethical/sustainable option – they tend to have really nice dresses. I also love the dresses at Aritzia – though I’d consider them fast fashion, the quality is really good so their pieces will last a long time in your closet.