During 2019 I have made a conscious effort to rework my wardrobe and create a capsule wardrobe which would work for me for any occasion. I have watched plenty of videos of the essential items you would need and I would say my wardrobe is definitely near completion, but over the last month or so I have increased the size of my wardrobe.
There are so many how to guides to building a capsule wardrobe and the thing I love about capsule wardrobes is that you don't need to follow any. You can have as little and as big a capsule wardrobe as you like. I think as long as the items see you through multiply seasons and can work with anything in your collection then you can join the fam!
When I first tried a capsule wardrobe in probably march time, I really took my wardrobe back to basic. I did a mammoth clear out and condensed my items to about 50. Half of the items I gave away to friends and family who loved it because most of the items were in perfect condition, and then I packed the rest of my wardrobe away because it wasn't seasonally appropriate. So I was left using 1/4 of the wardrobes in our bedroom (1 section is Cals, 1 is for house items and the last 1 I used for washing baskets).
I loved using my more condensed streamline wardrobe and found it really easy to work with for the first few months, I think with it being summer it was easy to rework outfits for different occasions. Then the weather changed and I found it a bit harder to maintain the wardrobe. I pulled out all of the jumpers from storage and rediscovered some of my favourites which has meant I haven't purchased any jumpers this autumn winter which is great, but I felt like all I was wearing was a jumper and leather leggings.
I knew I had some room for some cute dresses that I could wear with tights and boots during the winter months so I have recently purchased a few different styles which I have wrote about here. All items which i can work with for spring summer with some sandals. Apart from two winter boyfriends coats that I purchased from Newlook, these dresses are my only other purchases since April time which I am proud of. The concept of a capsule wardrobe has really stuck with me because only last year, I was routinely buying new clothing for no real reason. Now I look at my wardrobe and see what I am lacking and what would work with what I already have.
Other than the new dresses I have recently purchased, to give me more options in my wardrobe during the colder months I re-evaluated my summer wardrobe in storage. I have loved splitting my wardrobe into seasons because it gives me more room in my wardrobe and most importantly, I tend to forget what items I have in storage so when I take them back out, I feel like I have a new item again. Saying all this, I needed some items to change up my wardrobe so I wasn't wearing the same outfit style every day. I have posted about some of the summer items I brought back out here. Now that I have purchased a few dresses I have no need for my summer items of clothing, so they have now gone back into storage ready to rediscover for summer.
So after this year how do I feel about a capsule wardrobe? I still absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone. It helps you love your clothing on a daily basis and takes the stress out of trying to make a outfit. I love watching peoples videos of their capsule wardrobes and seeing how everyone's is different.
I currently have about 70 pieces in my wardrobe (excluding shoes and accessories) and to some people, they would say that that isn't a capsule wardrobe. To them people I say, the great thing about capsule wardrobes is that you can tailor it to however works for you and if you saw the number of clothing items I used to own, you would be proud!
P.S. I use Pinterest every day to help me create different outfits with the items I already own, take a look at my boards to see if they give you inspirations! Chelsea Loves on Pinterest
Does anyone else find it extremely difficult to get themselves into gear during the winter? I am quite a lazy person at the best of times so once the mornings get darker and the nights get colder, you can imagine how much of a sloth I become.
Here are a few steps I find help me stay motivated during the winter months!
# make a routine
I know not everyone likes having a routine to stick to but I find if I don't have one, I just sit in my pjs any time I'm not at work. Whether its an evening routine to stop me getting into bed too early or a weekend routine that involves going out for a walk and visiting a new village, it just means I feel like I have done something with my time rather than waste it.
# batch cook and plan your meals
I love planning my meals for the week, for one because it means I can buy in the ingredients I need beforehand and two, because it means I have a delicious dinner to look forward to. It can be so easy to finish work, finally get home when it is pitch black outside and not know what to cook. Let alone the effort it takes to make a cooked meal!
I like to batch cook something like a lasagne or Sheppard's pie on a Sunday so that I have a warm lunch all week or a easy homecooked dinner to fall back on. I also find the easiest thing to do in the winter is to stick a load of ingredients into the slow cooker first thing in the morning when you have the most energy so by the time you finish work, there is no cooking to do.
# lay out your clothes ahead of time to remind yourself not to get into your pjs
When I do decide to have a workout at the gym I like to lay my gym clothes on my bed in the morning so by the time I get home, I have the urge to actually put them on and go. If I am planning to go out for the evening with friends, I also like to pick my outfit ahead of time because when I finish work in the evening, you can be sure I'll want to go out in some leggings and a baggy jumper.
# make plans!
I know it can be so easy to spend most evenings and weekends relaxing at home in the comfort of your fluffy pjs but I try and make plans on a weekly basis during the winter. I am an introvert person at the best of times so I know what it is like when your don't want to leave the house at all but, I do make myself busy. I like to plan meals with my friends during the week or Christmas events with my family at the weekend. I know during the Christmas periods most peoples diaries are jam packed anyway, I know mine is already! Got to love the season!
Let me know how you stay motived during the winter months!
First up is a new dress which I mentioned already in my last post and I haven't been disappointed. I wore this dress from Shein to a Christmas house party and I absolutely loved how it looked with knee high boots and black tights. I always think you can't go wrong with a black and white spotted dress in any season.
And since I love black and white spotted dresses so much, I picked up another one from the same website and have been wearing it to work with my cropped H&M jumper on top for extra warmth. I've picked them both up in a size medium so that it would be too tight on my back and I love the way they hang lose but look fitted with a simple black belt on top. I do need to stock up on baggy ditsy dresses so I may need to make another order!
Next up I have a green smock dress I purchased a few years ago from H&M which again is big and baggy but I normally pull it in with a belt. To make the dress more weather appropriate I just wore a black roll neck underneath with some black tights and a black belt to pull the outfit together. During winter roll necks are your best friends and I have been wearing mine none stop. They do sell this dress in a number of different colours and I stopped myself picking up the black version as I didn't think I got enough wear out of my green dress but now, I may need to keep a eye out on the website.
My last actual dress is a purple velvet number I picked up from Primark a few years ago and this is a dress which looks super cute during the summer with some little black heels but I think it looks even cuter with a black long sleeve and tights underneath. Sometimes I think I look a little bit young in the dress but then I try it on and fall back in love.
Lastly I have a jumpsuit (similar) which I thought I would add into this post because it is such a staple summer piece because of the design and I thought I wasn't going to get any wear till next spring. The materials of the jumpsuit isn't the thickest so I can only wear it for a few weeks before I need to layer some tights underneath. I have teamed it with my white roll neck to bring out the light colours but I can also wear it with a black roll neck which works better with the tights and black boots.
Do you have any spring/summer items you've reworked for the colder months?
Starting off with the most important product - lip balm! Everyone in my RL knows that I have problematic dry lips and sees the effects of them every week so I never skip this step in my morning or evening skincare routine. I have exclusively used Glossier Balm Dot Com since I first tried them some years ago. I don't know any other lip balm that rivals them. This is a crucial step in my routine to make sure my lips are looked after for the day so I always start my day applying lip balm.
Next I have what I call an under base product which comes in so handy during the colder months. I only first tried serums a few years ago and I do think the effects they give your skin are unlike any other type of product. During the day I like to use the Glossier Super Bounce Serum which gives your skin extra moisture and plumps your skin to make it feel younger and smoother. I find this teamed with a moisturiser is the perfect base for my make to last all day and my face to stay hydrated for hours.
Before I go to bed I like to apply Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate which I am pretty sure is magic in a bottle. I first picked this up in Brighton this year and after a little demo from the sales assistant I was go excited to try it! I have reads reviews where people have explained that the serum has brought them out in spots, I have experienced that myself but I was using it every night for about 2 months. I find this is a perfect product to use as and when your skin needs it. I like to keep this on my bed side table so after I have done my skincare routine and let the other products sink in, I then decided before I fall to sleep whether my skin needs some extra help that night.
Lastly I have two moisturises which are both affordable products from Boots. I have previously been a bit of a skincare snob when it came to moisturisers (bar the Sukin Facial Moisturiser which is actually the bomb and great under make up!) but when I ran out of my favourite Clinique Moisturiser I needed a replacement which was easily assessible and a bit cheaper. I tested the Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream in store one day and couldn't believe how light and hydrating the product was, and at £6.99 for 50ml (currently £4.66 on offer) I had to try it. You definitely do not need a lot so the tub lasts a long time and paired with my Glossier serum, my skin feels amazing afterwards. Full post of my favourite moisturises here!
My last moisturiser is the Sukin Moisture Restoring Night Cream. I am not a religious night cream wearer, as sometimes with dry to combination skin you can over moisturise, but hen I do I like to use this. Sukin is an Australian made, natural, cruelty free, vegan, carbon neutral brand and if none of that takes your fancy, its products feel so luxurious. At £14.99 for 120ml you really are buying a greta product from a great company at a great price. They have difference ranges which range in price but I have found with all the products I have tried, that they last so long. I first tried this product along with a few others last January and I still have some much product left (see blog post here).
Have you got any products you swear by this time of year?
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