Look Lovely in Autumn

A Casual Capsule Wardrobe

As the season begins to turn, our thoughts turn to that every important question “what am I going to wear?”

It seems to me that capsule wardrobe suggestions are usually geared towards women with office jobs.  However, those who are home based also want to look good while managing on a budget.

This casual capsule wardrobe is designed with the busy woman in mind.  Most of the pieces shown cost less than £100, and can be machine washed.  They can be worn in a variety of combinations for a wide range of occasions.

The dress shown above is from Boden and costs £89.  You could wear it with a warm cardigan (as shown) and add ribbed tights and boots to wear it as the weather turns cooler.  Alternatively, you could dress is up with a pretty necklace, put on your posh shoes and look great for an evening out.

As with any capsule wardrobe, I recommend sticking to plain (ratherthanpatterned) key items of clothing.  My ideal is a neutral colour, as these give more versatility.

This grey marl jersey (on right) is from the new Mary Portas collection at House of Fraser. It costs £75, which may seem a lot for a plain jersey, but it drapes beautifully, is figure-skimming and very flattering.  You could wear it with jeans or more formal trousers, and it can be layered with a long-sleeved tee shirt.

If you are thinking that jeans are only for the young, think again.  These days all ages wear jeans.  It’s not all skinny legs and low rise out there.  I’ve chosen these ‘tummy tuck’ jeans by Not Your Daughters Jeans.  These cost £129.95 at John Lewis, making them the most expensive item in this capsule wardrobe.  Although I had set myself a ceiling of £100, I included these because I really believe that most women would wear them enough to justify the price.  They are billed as making you look one size smaller. 

For a slightly more formal look, consider chinos.  The stretch pair shown to the right is from Lands’ End at £49.  Lands’ End offers other styles at lower prices.  One of the great value features of Lands’ End is that they offer free hemming on many trousers styles.  In my experience their clothes last a long time too.

Add colour to your capsule wardrobe with tops and tee shirts, such as this organic cotton scoop neck from Seasalt.  It costs £25.  Seasalt have a good selection of colours and striped tee shirts for the coming season.

Continue the green accent theme with a leather satchel from Boden (£79).  I would use this bag right through winter, especially with darker coats to add a pop of colour.

You will need a light weight coat for autumn.   The funnel neck gives this coat from White Stuff a stylish twist. It is in a useful neutral colour and costs £95.  It is a light shade, but the coat is machine washable. The feminine cut would look good over a dress, but it is sufficiently casual to look good with jeans as well.

Take time now to have a stock take of your autumn wardrobe, then you will have time to fill in the gaps at a leisurely pace.  Happy hunting!

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