Capsule Wardrobe for Spring 2011

A capsule wardrobe comprises a number of items of clothing that work together, and which can form the basis of several other outfits.

When thinking of a capsule wardrobe for spring, you need to consider a lightweight coat or mac as a key piece.  We like to imagine that spring will consist of sunny days and warm breezes, but the reality is often cool weather and frequent rain showers.

If you can only afford one mac, try to choose a neutral colour so that it will not clash with colour or patterns in your other clothes.

I’ve chosen a navy mac available online from Boden for £150. This is the most expensive item in my selection, but it would form the backbone of a spring wardrobe. There is a matching navy skirt in the current Boden collection which would be a good combination if you need to look smart for a professional work environment. 

I’ve shown some casual clothes on the right of the picture.  The floral blouse is from Seasalt (£40), the jeans are from Debenhams (£45) and the white loafers are Kickers (£35).  The denim bag comes from My-Wardrobe.com and costs £83.  This may seem expensive, but denim reappears year after year on the fashion hit parade.

The floral dress could be worn with flats for a casual look, or dressed up with the peep toe shoes shown for going out.  The dress costs £60 and is available online from White Stuff.

For work wear, pair the navy mac with navy trousers.  I’ve shown a classic cut from Wallis that cost £33.   You could go for a serious look with the pin stripe blouse from Joules (£49) or soften the outfit with the flowered blouse available from John Lewis.

Navy can seem a bit dull for a sunny day, so I’ve chosen a light coloured bag by Mischa Barton at Debenhams (£69) and some similar-toned shoes from Boden (£99).

Remember to ensure that you have sufficient pairs of tights or stockings.  The easiest way to stock up is to shop on line at either MyTights or TightsPlease.  Both sites are a good source of special offers so it’s a good idea to sign up to their email notifications.

Tea at the Ritz 

Whether or not you are going out for Valentine’s Day, it is nice to have somewhere special to go at this time of year  Christmas is a long time gone, and summer is in the distant future.

Perhaps you have already been invited to tea at the Ritz?  This top flight London hotel offers a delicious afternoon tea in beautiful surroundings.  The expectation is that hotel guests will dress for the occasion; gentlemen are expected to wear a jacket and tie.

If you are considering a treat to alleviate the dark days of winter, tea at the Ritz would fit the bill nicely.  If you live a long way from London, find out what your nearest posh hotel has on offer.

Our nearest grand hotel serves tea every day, but on some Sundays a string quartet plays to add an extra dollop of style to the occasion.  We usually treat ourselves to tea at our local hotel in the weeks before Christmas as an antidote to the stress of holiday preparations.  It is a pleasure to have one’s coat taken and carefully hung up, and then to sit in a comfortable chair in beautiful surroundings while somebody else brings tea and sandwiches.

We’ve picked out a few things that we might like to wear for this dream outing.  The trench coat is from Joules (£149), the red dress is Boden (£95) and blue spotted dress Joules (£55). The slate grey fit and flare coat is by Reiss at John Lewis (£325).  The sensible black shoes are LK Benet from John Lewis (£140) and the blue open-toed shoes are Boden (£99).  The red handbag is by Julien Macdonald at Debenhams and costs £45.

Choosing the right handbag

As I write this the winter sales are just about finished and spring collections are filling the shops.  It is still winter and far too cold for anything other than warm clothes, but those bright new things look so tempting.  The answer to my craving could be a new handbag that I could use now to give a touch of colour and new style to my existing wardrobe. 

The bag shown on the left is from the Boden 2011 spring collection, available online now.

 The right handbag can last for years, so choose with care.

Looking at handbags in the shop:

Is all the stitching intact, and are the handles secured firmly to the body of the bag?

If it fastens with a zip, test it to make sure it opens and closes smoothly.

If it is a formal bag (as opposed to fabric), is it lined? If so, is the lining smooth, without any loose threads?

Are there any internal pockets, say for your mobile phone, or to hold keys? -Expect more as the price increases.

Will it be comfortable to carry? Pay particular attention to the handle - if you have to carry the bag during the day, or perhaps back and forth to work, this is important.

Make sure that the bag is not too heavy.  Some bags are so embellished with buckles and chains that they are heavy before you have put anything inside!

Does it fasten securely? If you will be carrying the bag through crowds - say commuting to work - would it be easy for someone to steal things from inside your bag?

If you have items that you really want to carry in your bag, such as a BlackBerry, make absolutely certain that they will fit inside, together with everything else.

Buying a bag on-line:

Check the measurements. If measurements are not given, ask for them before you commit yourself to purchasing the item.

Make sure that the supplier has a returns policy! 

When your purchase is delivered, check that the bag meets your specifications as soon as possible.  If it is not satisfactory, return it as soon as possible.

Finally, once you’ve chosen a new handbag, try to look after it.  We’ve got some suggestions on our Wardrobe Care page

Tiny bags for evening chic

You may ask what is the point of an evening bag.  They are too small for the things that you carry around every day, and unless you live the life of a movie star they are not often used.

Next time you are at a formal occasion take a look around to see if anybody is wearing a party dress and carrying a large day bag.  The bag will look so out of proportion that it will spoil the appearance of the dress.

Evening bags need not cost a fortune, and the clutch design is a classic, so your bag will not become unfashionable.

You will not need to carry much in your bag for most evening events.  Perhaps a hankie, lipstick, house key and maybe enough cash for the taxi fare home.  Even if you feel the urge to take your mobile phone, most models are slim enough to fit into a tiny bag.

The bags shown from left to right are available online as follows:

·         Vintage frame clutch from Wallis (£25)

·         Black ruffle bag from Coast (£35)

·         Beaded clutch bag from John Lewis (£39)

·         Blue satin bag by Julian Macdonald at Debenhams (currently £20)

·         Kate bag with chain from John Lewis (£49) 

Checklist for a Working Wardrobe

When you need to look smart for work every day, you can save time and stress by ensuring that your wardrobe contains a basic set of clothes.  These clothes should work together in terms of colour, so that you can put together a number of outfits.  From a practical point of view, if your capsule wardrobe is colour co-ordinated you won’t have mornings when you can’t find a top and skirt that look good together.

Our suggested capsule working wardrobe consists of these items of clothing.

Skirts/ and or trousers, at least 3 in whatever combination you prefer.

(The yellow skirt and grey cardigan are  Boden, black skirt  John Lewis.)

Blouses or plain (smart) tee shirts, minimum of 5, but 8 if possible to save panic over laundry deadlines.  (The blouse in the photo is from Debenhams.)

Jacket/cardigan, at least 2 in a plain style to provide maximum versatility.

Shoes, 2 pairs in styles that are suited to your working environment.

Handbag in a neutral colour that is large enough to hold daily essentials.

Raincoat and umbrella (or hat) because its not fun to get wet.

   = =            

   click to return to Home page