Ideas for a simple wardrobe of outfits - going shopping tomorrow!

[Littlemiss74]

I have too many clothes & yet nothing to wear. I’ve always been terrible for sale ‘bargains’ & impulse buys but without thinking what the item will go with. I have a wardrobe full of random items that don’t go together.

I’m 46 work f/t, 2 dc’s, & perimenopausal so struggling a bit with my body changing & feeling too tired to deal with mountains of clothes.

I would like to start again & have less clothes but more that work together. I want to look modern but not like a teenager. I’m 5’3” and size 12.

I’m going shopping tomorrow. Could anyone suggest some ideas for some staple items i could buy and where from? There aren’t loads of shops where I’m going but think there is a Zara, Mango, house of fraser, new look, tkmaxx, oliver bonas, next & a few others.

I’d like clothes for casualwear when at home or wfh & a few smart casual for when I need to go to office.
I don’t go out much but I’d like one outfit for an evening out & one outfit for a day out/lunch with friends/family. This should do to start with!

Really would appreciate any suggestions or maybe some instagram pages I could follow for ideas of how to put things together as this is what I struggle with.

I have this and it's very versatile

shop.mango.com/gb/women/jackets-and-overshirts-jackets/kimono-style-jacket_87046310.html

I wear it with black lace edged vest, black ankle length straight trousers, leopard print sandals.

It would go with jeans and navy stripe top too, or black dress and trainers.

@Littlemiss74 sorry, they should have been links 🤦‍♀️

Thank you @KnobJockey I love that dress

I’m still pondering about the Hush boyfriend jeans. I’m seeing that these look good with trainers but what about in winter when it’s boots time? Not sure I could wear boyfriend style with boots..? So, would it be a waste buying those jeans now, are they more summer style jeans? I’ve always like skinnies or straight for wearing with winter boots so maybe i should look for a new pair in those styles..

I like M&S jeans because they do petite lengths. I agree a really good pair of jeans, maybe some v neck short sleeve t shirts and a blazer to start with.

Don't try to buy everything at once. Pick one or two things you like and then you can add as more collections come in. Shops (high street and online) refresh their new lines much more frequently now than they used to so keep some of your powder dry!

Re jeans the expectation is that we'll wear different footwear with the different jeans cuts but that may take some getting used to!

Thanks to whoever suggested the M&S Lily jeans, great bargain at £19.50 and they fit my shortarse curvy shape well.

I think shopping in person is so much harder now, since Covid. My high street is virtually desolate, as lots of my go to shops have now closed. Why not set aside an afternoon or evening and do an online shop for your clothes. Set yourself up with your computer, a coffee & a biscuit and plan what you need. Make a list based on the suggestions here then go online and order a job lot of stuff to try, in the comfort of your own home. I found the shops had hardly any stock and limited sizes available but online, the choice was much better. The M & S I went to had about 4 different dresses but stacks and stacks of jeans & trousers. When I went online, they had so many more things to choose from & I ordered several dresses & blouses.
For basics that you sound like you want, I would shop online at
Next
M & S
Boden
Joules
Seasalt
H & M
John Lewis

Debenhams & Dorothy Perkins still exist online too, if you’ve previously shopped with them.

I would be tempted to “over order” and by that I mean I would try things that I’m not sure about as some things often look better in real life. You can always send them back.

I would also look at the supermarkets for basic pieces too. Eg, Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Asda.

The thing im struggling with at the moment is the colours that are in fashion look dreadful on me. I have olive skin so jewel colours suit me. There isn't many shops that are not full of autumnal shades.

Have look on La Redoute. Good tops, jackets. Uniqlo is great for basic long lasting tops jumpers and cardis. The merino stuff is gorgeous.

As you are quite petite you might find uniqlo worth a look. I find their skipper tops work well layered over a long sleeved t shirt with either jeans or 3/4 trousers - the latter is usually smart enough for most non-formal events.

I want to know how you’re doing!

Word of advice: do not, repeat, do not wear a jumper in public if you are going through, or starting to go through the menopause, it in the Ridiculous advice to even consider it. You will burn trust me. Buy a cardigan instead. Advice regarding the menopause is to wear cotton, loose fitting clothing and layer up.
I haven't worn trousers (joggers excepted) in ages. They now make my skin itch and my waist and belly have expanded so they are uncomfortable.
I wear dresses.I do have lots of clothes though so I'm not a typical 'capsule woman'.
Advice regarding trainers is to get the brand which suits your feet. My go to are Nike, always a good fit for my feet. Recently bought some Nine West and they are very comfy too. I avoid vans as they draw my feet. Remember they were designed as a skater shoe, not sure if the modern version is much different, you wouldn't wear a pair of real ballet shoes would you so the same logic can apply to skater shoes.
Capsule wardrobes are based on plain, neutral colours so start there.

I agree about independent shops too. I bought a beautiful dress from a boutique a few weeks ago. Worn it twice so far once to the theatre and once for our anniversary meal, both times with my Nine West white pumps.
It's in a colour I rarely find which suits me, a green/blue colour.

Hi just wanted to update & say thanks for the continued suggestions, it’s all so helpful.
I have made a start by going through my summer clothes & being ruthless. Anything i haven’t worn this summer i asked myself why and then either put on ebay or charity bag. I have sent one big bag to the charity shop so far and it felt good to let this stuff go as it was sitting in my wardrobe but I just wasn’t wearing it.
I have ordered two pairs of white trainers to try on.

At the weekend we went to a summer party & I panicked as felt I had nothing nice to wear. I had bought a nice midi skirt earlier in the summer so ended up with that & a top, denim jacket and sandals. It looked nice but there’s something about midi skirts I’m not sure of. I think it’s my middle, because I’m a bit rounder in that area now I felt like the skirt was cutting into me and making me look a bit frumpy and drawing attention to my tummy..Maybe because I’m short too it kind of felt like the flowing skirt was too much? Anyway when I turned up there were lots of other ladies wearing a similar outift either dresses or skirts so I was pleased that at least I’d got the right idea.

I’m still struggling a bit deciding what to buy going forward especially with our strange weather. One minute its feeling like autumn, the next its a heatwave!! I am terrible for browsing shops online especially when I get notified of sales. I spend far too long browsing, then feel overwhelmed then either buy nothing (time wasted!) or buy something random only to not like it and have to then spend more time sending it back!!

I’ve started looking more at what other people are wearing too & trying to make a mental note of things I like. When I went to the summer party there were lots of lovely clothes being worn and it made me think where the heck were the ladies all buying them from as I didn’t recognise any of them from my frequent internet trawls!! I actually feel tempted to start asking people where they have bought things when I see something I like being worn but wonder if that might be slightly weird... does anyone else do this?

@Onlinedilema i totally agree with you re jumper wearing & menopause. Since being perimen I cannot bear feeling restricted in anything too tight or too hot, i have to rip it off! It makes sense to wear the loose cotton clothes but I’m not sure how to do this without looking like they’re swamping me? I’ve never liked to wear loose baggy clothes as I am short & I think they swamp me & look frumpy on me. Any ideas as to how to wear clothing so I’m cool and comfortable but not swamped?

I have started saving pics from instagram & pinterest of outift ideas/clothes I like. I
Trouble with pinterest is they don’t seem to say where you can buy them from which is annoying. I just need to work out what to buy first I think as in what would be most useful & versatile.

Please keep the outfit ideas coming as I am finding that incredibly useful.

@Onlinedilema any chance you could post a pic of your dress, it sounds amazing. I find it helpful to see pics for inspiration.

I know what you mean about lack of info on Pinterest. I just Google a description of the item eg, "tan wool blazer women's" and then select the "shopping" results on the Google results page and I've managed to find decent items doing that.

Definitely find some people who's style you like on Instagram, lots of the people with big followings past links directly to wear they are wearing (they make a commission doing that but it doesn't affect the price we pay)

You might find people like backofthewardrobe70 , whatkathydidnext, Christinadaydreams useful as a starting point?

Instead of going shopping take everything out of your wardrobe and review it. I would personally keep stuff that is expensive, good quality and fits you, because you often just need to buy a little something to complete the outfit.

@Littlemiss74

Hi just wanted to update & say thanks for the continued suggestions, it’s all so helpful. I have made a start by going through my summer clothes & being ruthless. Anything i haven’t worn this summer i asked myself why and then either put on ebay or charity bag. I have sent one big bag to the charity shop so far and it felt good to let this stuff go as it was sitting in my wardrobe but I just wasn’t wearing it. I have ordered two pairs of white trainers to try on.

At the weekend we went to a summer party & I panicked as felt I had nothing nice to wear. I had bought a nice midi skirt earlier in the summer so ended up with that & a top, denim jacket and sandals. It looked nice but there’s something about midi skirts I’m not sure of. I think it’s my middle, because I’m a bit rounder in that area now I felt like the skirt was cutting into me and making me look a bit frumpy and drawing attention to my tummy..Maybe because I’m short too it kind of felt like the flowing skirt was too much? Anyway when I turned up there were lots of other ladies wearing a similar outift either dresses or skirts so I was pleased that at least I’d got the right idea.

I’m still struggling a bit deciding what to buy going forward especially with our strange weather. One minute its feeling like autumn, the next its a heatwave!! I am terrible for browsing shops online especially when I get notified of sales. I spend far too long browsing, then feel overwhelmed then either buy nothing (time wasted!) or buy something random only to not like it and have to then spend more time sending it back!!

I’ve started looking more at what other people are wearing too & trying to make a mental note of things I like. When I went to the summer party there were lots of lovely clothes being worn and it made me think where the heck were the ladies all buying them from as I didn’t recognise any of them from my frequent internet trawls!! I actually feel tempted to start asking people where they have bought things when I see something I like being worn but wonder if that might be slightly weird... does anyone else do this?

@Onlinedilema i totally agree with you re jumper wearing & menopause. Since being perimen I cannot bear feeling restricted in anything too tight or too hot, i have to rip it off! It makes sense to wear the loose cotton clothes but I’m not sure how to do this without looking like they’re swamping me? I’ve never liked to wear loose baggy clothes as I am short & I think they swamp me & look frumpy on me. Any ideas as to how to wear clothing so I’m cool and comfortable but not swamped?

I have started saving pics from instagram & pinterest of outift ideas/clothes I like. I
Trouble with pinterest is they don’t seem to say where you can buy them from which is annoying. I just need to work out what to buy first I think as in what would be most useful & versatile.

Please keep the outfit ideas coming as I am finding that incredibly useful.

Would tummy control underwear help you feel more confident?

It sounds like you’re in the right track!

Absolutely ask people! They are generally flattered and willing to share information! I always tell people if they look lovely and that I love their outfits! Quite often the info is shared without even asking!

I have lovely clothes (my hobby) and people always ask me, I always, always let people know where, when and how much! Haha

I’m in nz, so not too helpful for you. But I had a friend pop over the other day in a beautiful green smal patterned maxi skirt, sandals, a tshirt, she looked wonderful!

content://com.amazon.cloud9.FileProvider/images/screenshot/1631092447912-2086466664.jpg

Not sure how good this will be.