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Building a Fall Capsule Wardrobe

July 24, 2017

By:

Erin Schrader

If there is one “it” word or phrase when it comes to fashion these days, I would have to say it’s the whole “capsule wardrobe” phrase or theory. I’ve always been intrigued by this idea of finding several pieces (15-25) that all work together within your wardrobe to interchange and get creative with. The point behind a capsule wardrobe is to minimize the number of items you have on hand while maximizing the number of ways you can wear each piece. From a creativity standpoint, it’s awesome – a capsule wardrobe will force you to be more intentional about making sure all items work together in multiple ways, which really will make you feel like you have a closet full of options with just a few pieces! This not only creates a lot less headache and time in the morning when deciding what to wear but also saves you money as well. I think we can agree that we like saving on all of the above.

With the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in full swing, we thought it would be fun to create a fall capsule wardrobe from the sale with 17 items that will last you through the season. All meant to be worn together in a ton of different ways. With these 17 pieces, you can essentially have all that you need for work and play. An added bonus? Each item is on sale until August 6th, meaning you’ll save even more money with this fall capsule of yours! Don’t forget, Nordstrom always offers free shipping and free returns so you can try this wardrobe guilt and risk-free!

Before we begin breaking down the different outfit possibilities, let’s start with the items at hand.

  • Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee – The perfect everyday tee! This is made up of a super soft jersey like material that offers the perfect amount of flow to it. Again, super versatile as it looks cute alone, paired with a scarf, underneath a jacket and the list goes on! These do run true to size.
  • Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here] – A capsule must-have! This striped long sleeve top is lightweight enough to throw on under jackets and cardigans without the extra bulk. Size down if in between on these!
  • Bp. Plaid Cotton Blend Shirt [similar found here]- Super versatile as it can be worn open, tied, under jackets, alone, around the waist, etc! This top is so soft and a great long length! Dress it up or down depending on where you are going! Size down as it does run large.
  • Halogen Cashmere Off The Shoulder Sweater [similar found here] – The ultimate sweater option when it comes to being both cozy and chic. You may be surprised how you can wear these several different ways, at least I was! Always a classic option in black! I found this to be true to size.
  • Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan – This is my favorite cardigan of the sale! If I told you to purchase one item for your wardrobe, it would be this! Not only does it feel lux, it looks so sharp with just about anything! This is one of those cardigans that will carry you through every season! True to size.
  • Caslon High/low Tunic [similar found here] – For under $30, you can’t beat this tunic! I love all of the color options and also love that you can wear this alone or underneath items when needed! True to size.
  • Socialite Ruffle T-Shirt Dress – I was amazed how well this paired with different items over top! It is super comfortable, not too short and comes in a variety of colors! I found this to be true to size.
  • Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] – This is a sale favorite! I love a great utility style jacket that can be worn with just about anything! This has a great fit and structure to it. I find this jacket to be true to size.
  • Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans – If you like soft jeans, these will not disappoint. For me personally, at 5’4, I love the 27-inch inseam which hits right at my ankle making booties a breeze! These are a great versatile wash to add to your capsule wardrobe!
  • Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans – The perfect black pant for work or play. These are beyond comfortable and have a great fit to them. Ponte pants are awesome in the work place as they do have a dressier look to them! Size down if in between.
  • Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker – A good pair of slip on shoes will take you a long way when it comes to your wardrobe! I am loving these Ellen Degeneres pair in merlot suede! Super versatile for fall and will be a great sidekick for all of your fall festivities! True to size.
  • Born Felicia Knee High Boot – Another sale favorite! I think having a great pair of boots for fall is key. Boots are so versatile and can take an outfit from average to stand out. These are incredibly comfortable and very well made. You won’t have to buy another pair of boots for years [hypothetically speaking of course ;)]. These run true to size and are available in wide calf and regular calf!
  • Lucky Brand Brielley Perforated Booties – A great fall basic bootie! I chose the brindle leather as it is as such a versatile color and can truly be worn with SO much! Super comfortable and true to size!
  • Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal – A great dressier option bootie that is all sorts of comfortable and also plays the versatile fence well. Dress em’ up for work or nights out or dress em’ down with jeans and casual tops for days around town! True to size!
  • Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag – A mix of suede and leather, this bag is the perfect size for carrying all of your essentials while allowing both of your arms and hands to be free! A classic look that can be dressed up or down. The great tornado matte color is also very versatile!
  • Bp. Multi Stripe Scarf [similar found here] – A good scarf goes a long way in creating different outfits! I love this one because of all the different fall colors it brings to the table.
  • Bp. Dual Plaid Triangle Scarf [similar found here] – I love a good triangle scarf as they are so easy to master the look of! If you need any help at all, simply click here for a quick video on how to! This one has a great mix of colors and is most certainly fall ready!

As you can see, we went for a merlot, olive and black color trend – perfect for fall and so easy to mix and match. For this capsule, we included two basic tees, four tops/sweaters, one dress, two pairs of pants, one jacket, two scarves, one handbag and four pairs of shoes. With just these 17 items we were able to come up with 25+ different looks.

Alright, now that we have all of the pieces that we are working with – here’s a ton of ways we found to style them all together [don’t worry, there are even more options that we didn’t cover due to the length of this post!] Sit back, relax and be amazed at the outfit possibilities from such a small selection of items!

  1. Socialite Ruffle T-Shirt Dress

Look One [Dog Days of Summer]: Socialite Ruffle T-Shirt Dress // Lucky Brand Brielley Perforated Booties

Look Two [Fall Appropriate]: Socialite Ruffle T-Shirt Dress //Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] //Bp. Dual Plaid Triangle Scarf [similar found here] // Lucky Brand Brielley Perforated Booties

Look Three [Wear to Work]: Socialite Ruffle T-Shirt Dress // Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

2. Bp. Plaid Cotton Blend Shirt [similar found here]

Look One [Day of Errands]: Bp. Plaid Cotton Blend Shirt [similar found here] // Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee //Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans //  Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

Look Two [Wine Tasting]: Bp. Plaid Cotton Blend Shirt [similar found here] // Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans //  Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker

Look Three [Country Concert]: Bp. Plaid Cotton Blend Shirt [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Born Felicia Knee High Boot

3. Halogen Cashmere Off The Shoulder Sweater [similar found here

Look One [Date Night]:  Halogen Cashmere Off The Shoulder Sweater [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal

Look Two [Wear to Work]: Halogen Cashmere Off The Shoulder Sweater [similar found here] // Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] //Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal

Look Three [Shopping in the City]: Halogen Cashmere Off The Shoulder Sweater [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Lucky Brand Brielley Perforated Booties

4. Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee

Look One [Casual Night Out]: Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee // Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans  // Born Felicia Knee High Boot

Look Two [Transition to Fall]: Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Bp. Dual Plaid Triangle Scarf [similar found here] // Born Felicia Knee High Boot

Look Three [Wear to Work]: Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee // Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan // Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal

Look Four [Day at the Pumpkin Patch]: Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee //Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker // Bp. Multi Stripe Scarf [similar found here]

5. Caslon High/low Tunic [similar found here]

Look One [Tailgating]: Caslon High/low Tunic [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Bp. Dual Plaid Triangle Scarf [similar found here] // Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

Look Two [Casual Friday]: Caslon High/low Tunic [similar found here] // Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans  // Born Felicia Knee High Boot

Look Three [Wear to Work]: Caslon High/low Tunic [similar found here] // Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal

6. Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here]

Look One [Wear to Work]: Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here] //  Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal

Look Two [Night at the Movies]: Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here] // Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans //  Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker

Look Three [Shopping Day]: Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here] //Bp. Multi Stripe Scarf [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans // Lucky Brand Brielley Perforated Booties // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

Look Four [Football Game]:Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here] // Madewell Catskills Jacket [similar found here] // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans //  Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

7. Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan

Look One [Casual Friday]: Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan // Women’s Bp. Pocket Tee [similar found here] // Bp. Multi Stripe Scarf [similar found here] // Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans // Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

Look Two [Day of Errands]: Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan // Women’s Lush Raw Edge Side Slit Tee // Mavi Jeans Adriana Skinny Ankle Jeans //  Ed Ellen Degeneres Aviana Cap Toe Slip-On Sneaker

Look Three [Wear to Work]: Halogen Long Open Front Cardigan // Bp. Plaid Cotton Blend Shirt [similar found here] // Kut From The Kloth Donna Ponte Knit Skinny Jeans // Via Spiga Gaze Block Heel Sandal // Vince Camuto Kirie Suede & Leather Crossbody Saddle Bag

Amazing right? 20+ completely different looks from a such a small “capsule” of items.

If you are looking to build your fall wardrobe with a handful of items [or are just looking for a few super versatile must-have items from this year’s anniversary sale], do by remembering these three things: 1. Choose a color scheme 2. Pick out a few great basics 3. Add in a few statement pieces 4. Mix and match!

Remember that the sale ends August 6th so you have from now until then to save on these amazing NEW pieces for fall and winter!

Who here has done a capsule wardrobe or has any pointers on building another one? I can’t wait to continue to try this with each season we are in [also perfect for traveling]! Now, go have some fun at the sale and report back on which capsule pieces you are adding to your closet!

Shop the post easily below —

Thank you to Nordstrom and ShopStyle for partnering on today’s post!

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