Help me create my new wardrobe!

[PippilottaLongstocking]

I have never been stylish! But am getting a bit of money to spend on myself so would like to restyle my wardrobe (currently only wear jeans and t shirts) I like natural fibres and earthy colours, particularly linen dresses. I keep looking at ‘wardrobe sudoku’ and capsule wardrobes but can’t figure out how to actually make it work! So please help me create a small wardrobe that I can produce several well-put-together outfits from! Particularly ones that can be altered slightly to work for any season (Photo as an example of the style I like)

How many skirts/shirts/dresses do I need? Which shapes and styles and colours work together? Jumpers vs cardigans? Tights vs legging? Please save me from looking like a scruffy sack of potatoes!

I'm interested in seeing the replies to this as I love your style and have trouble doing the same thing myself.

I have several dresses - they're easy to wear but I get a bit stuck with cardigans/jackets to wear with them. So I end up in jeans, and one of about three decent tops I own. Same with footwear - there's really not a lot of mixing and matching going on! Though I do Birkenstocks with everything in the summer.

I know the best advice I've read is to consider each item carefully and think about how it will fit with as many of the rest as possible.

Sorry, that's not a lot of help but hopefully there'll be some good ideas from others!

Following to see replies, also in the process of changing my wardrobe. I tend to go for jeans and jumpers or t-shirts but think I'm switching to more blouses/shirts and nicer tshirts (rather than my 10 year old New Look ones!!) also want a few dresses and a denim jacket!

I would start with what you've got in terms of jeans and t-shirts that suit you and choose a colour palette of maybe 3 colours to build on. Then add gradually other things that go with with what you've got iyswim. I did the having my colours done thing, which was really helpful in stopping me buying things that didn't suit me.

Currently I own a few pairs of Levi’s ranging from straight (but not skinny) to much too big quite baggy, which I wear turned up and with a belt, and a selection of plain neutral t shirts and wool jumpers in dark/neutral colours. Simple but not interesting!

I also own a nice mustard corduroy skirt but have limited options to go with it so don’t often wear it, and a lovely blue linen dress but I never know how to style it so haven’t worn it all winter!

MidlifeChic did a series in Jan about a capsule wardrobe that was good and not too prescriptive.

Or you could look at what Onthespike says. I like her view that your capsule is just the basics in your wardrobe and you can still have a lime green jacket if you so desire.

For you I'd say look at the colours you already have. Buy a skirt or three that you like that each go with at least 3 tops you already own. Maybe buy some shirts that each go with several bottoms. Then buy a dress or three that go with at least 3 of your coats and/or jumpers. Sticking to a limited set of colours makes this easier, I wear mainly navy but still have, e.g. leopard print loafers that don't go with navy because otherwise life would be boring.

Mustard corduroy skirt sounds fab. Could be worn with black, grey or navy. Do you have t-shirts, jumpers or tights in those colours? Very simply: black boots, black tights, big grey jumper with a French tuck.

Can we see a photo of the blue linen dress?

I've just bought a blue, linen dress too . I'm planning to wear it with a long sleeved tee, boots and tights this spring until the weather warms up a bit and then with bare legs and sandals in summer. The Levi's and baggier jeans sound great. What about blue, mustard and neutrals to start off? I wear lots of navy, but sadly mustard does not look good on me.

I like accessories, but this is not everyone's style but would add interest with those. The pictures you posted show hats, bags these can make you feel more put together.

Not my photo but this is the dress! It’s just below knee length on me

I like the idea of accessories but am never sure what actually suits me!

Accessories are the seasoning that will make your basic capsule sing. Unfortunately, I don't have a universal recipe, but from your outline, I think you should consider a mustard colour bag in a size and shape you think works. It will go beautifully with all the colours you mention that you wear, and clash gently but nicely with many others. I suggest a look at Parfois while you get your eye in. It's a Portuguese company, so shipping in Europe is straightforward, and while the quality is only high street level, it has a huge range of inexpensive accessories while you work out what you want. I have a £19 bag that is one of my favourite things.

Hi, desperately seeking advice. I’m just short of 12 weeks pregnant with twins and all the pregnancy symptoms are killing me! I’m always really constipated, struggle daily with nausea and sickness (no wrists bands or ginger tea are doing the trick) and have now had my lansoprazole changed for omeprazole which out of all, is the worse.
Any tips, tricks and advice would be great, I think if I miss any more work they will be showing me the door 😩.
Has anyone stayed on lansoprazole for pre-existing gastric issues through their pregnancy without any scare mongering/difficulties?
Appreciate it x

@KCBob, I think you've wandered into the wrong thread in error. Suggest creating a new thread or asking @MNHQ for your post to be moved to somewhere you'll get helpful advice.

Thank you, I realised this as I’d pressed done and have been trying to figure out how to edit and move it ever since. Sorry guys 😂

Also following. I have such poor dress sense. I had some tartan pumps on with a snake skin top last night....:-/ partner thankfully spotted before I left the house....xx

XingMing ooh there’s some lovely bags there, thanks! Are headscarves (Rosie the riveter style) acceptable at the moment? I’ve got very short hair but would like to be able to do something with it

I like scarves but Rosie Riveter was a style I wore as a teenager in the 70a and I'm certain that it would look 1960s Corrie on me now!

Do you know what colours suit you? I had my colours and then style done recently which has helped me a lot. I have a lot less clothes now but what I have for me and suit me.

My paperwork suggests having:

• one great fitting jacket
• two cardigans or knitted jackets
• two pairs of jeans or casual trousers
• Two skirts in neutral colours
• two pairs of trousers
• 8 tops, t-shirts and vests
• 2 dresses or tunics for day wear that can be dressed up
• lightweight Mac
• timeless winter coat
• leather bag

Then accessories/jewellery and five pairs of shoes (mixture of heels, ankle boots, knee boots, sandals). Hope that helps you!

That's a nice dress, Pippi, I think it would go with lots of things. I don't know what colours suit you, but going on what you say you already have: navy, blue, mustard and maybe tan? Accessories in those colours would work and "lift" your clothes . I'm another one who likes scarves and have an embarrassing number of them, but they do add interest to a simple outfit.

I'm not sure about the how many of each item, because I think it depends very much on the person and your lifestyle. A suggestion on another thread was to take photos, or have someone else take them, to see what suits and does not. My dp is a keen photographer and that can often make me realise what looks good and what does not. Make a note of things that are particularly flattering: colour, shape, fabric so you can look out for similar things. I have a little notebook that I jot down if I feel I have a gap in my wardrobe, eg. I recently replaced some long-sleeved tees and rediscovered that scoop necks are particularly flattering on me, so I will look out for more of that shape.

Having looked at different colourings I think I’m a ‘clear winter’ which is a pain because all the colours I love are the ones it says to avoid!

I thought I was a winter but when I had my colours done I was an Autumn! In retrospect it makes sense, some colours I am drawn to like royal purple and kingfisher blue are in the autumn colour range. If it’s within your budget, it might be worth getting a proper colour analysis done. Mine was £140 but worth it to stop making mistakes when I go shopping, buying stuff I liked the look of but didn’t really suit me!

faithinfinity I’m definitely more drawn to autumn colours. Would you mine me asking what your colouring is like? I can’t quite figure mine out. Particularly my skin, I read that if your wrist veins look blue you’re cool and if they look green you’re warm but mine looked blue last night and green this morning! I’ve got mid-dark brown hair and blue eyes with yellow in the middle.

I thought I was a winter, but I'm a summer! Tbf, I am a deep/jewel summer, so almost a winter. They are guidelines, though. Navy, blue and yellow would suit winter or autumn, though.

I’m pale skinned, rosy cheeks, light brown hair. I can see blue veins but I’m a warm colour. I always thought I could wear black but in retrospect it’s not a great colour on me. I went to House of colour to get my colours done.

Some people have quite neutral toned skin, I had directional colour analysis, which measured me in terms of warm/cool, dark/light, bright/muted colours. So I'm very cool, a bit light and a little bit muted. I had very dark hair (now silver), pale skin and pale blue eyes. But if you're clear, the most important thing is bright colours, not necessarily coll or warm, iyswim.