Guardian capsule wardrobe article- what items do you agree with and ones that you don't?

[PragmaticDramatic]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/24/the-ultimate-capsule-wardrobe-the-only-20-items-youll-ever-really-need
I am assuming you need multiples of these items.

I would look at the guardian s list as suggestions, i.e. not this exact same coat, but a coat etc.
Looking at Anne-Marie s list, that would be too many pairs of shoes and jackets and not enough jumpers and sportswear for my lifestyle.

I would love a reduced wardrobe but I couldn’t make the Guardian wardrobe work, I need more clothes than that!

I had a couple of pairs of pointy slingbacks back in the day. Never did get the hang of how to wear them comfortably. But my walk is more galumph than geisha. Hence loving all things chunky at the minute.

They’re nice. I almost always found with those that the sling back part of the shoe either didn’t stay on my heel so just slipped off. I do like a kitten heel though, one of my smarter Dune black suede kitten heels is a staple for me.

The lack of colour and print is what puts me off these clothes in the article and other capsule items. I do like colour and print.

One jumper?! I read this and was really confused it felt like something from 10 or 15 years ago. Capsule wardrobes were massive in the early days of style blogging.

It feels completely fake as a concept because it takes no account of current trends. So it feels hyper consumerist- you ditch everything, buy your capsule, then replace that capsule once you realise nobody else has cigarette pants or whatever it is. Maybe could work for a work wardrobe but only in a certain kind of work culture.

Also feels disingenuous because people also need exercise gear, swimming stuff, all the rest of it. You still need space for that stuff.

I think I must just be extremely cynical, plus jaded by influencers, but the only thing I think when I see articles like this is “ahhh, the Guardian have a quota of paid partnerships to fill”

I imagine the “fashion editors” with their list of brands to shill - “Right, this week we need to mention Sunspel, Me + Em, and M & S. How can we shoehorn all these brands into one article? Aha - it’s the beginning of autumn, we haven’t done a capsule wardrobe list in a while! We’ll make a list of items that sounds vaguely capsuley, one from each of those brands, copy and paste some links and photos and get the intern to write a bit of meaningless crap at the start. Easy peasy!”

For this reason I can’t understand why anyone even gives articles like this credence, let alone why there are nearly 300 posts on this thread discussing it as though you’d expect it to be useful in any way. At least most posters have pointed out the reasons why it’s a pile of shite. At the end of the day, it’s just clickbait.

@ScamanthaBrick I think you may be right!

Well, none of it needs to be discussed, does it. It’s S&B, not the future of the planet. I think the people taking potshots are taking it far more seriously than the ones just having a nice chat about clothes.

I’m petite with broad shoulders. I look like a dumpling in a shirt. Despite this, I have bought many over the years on the back of a fashion or style article telling me they will elevate my style; that they suit my preppy aesthetic; that they will ‘go with anything’. The truth is, they do not suit me. I now have 2, blue and white striped, which I wear as a cover up on holiday, with the buttons open.

I will never buy any more as I have finally accepted that they do not suit me.

Of all those things I only own versions of 6. I own a classic wool coat for funerals. A proper waterproof raincoat with hood. I also have jeans (but not 501s because the thighs sag on me), white trainers and a pair of kitten heels (sparkly Jimmy Choos, so not for everyday wear. And many dresses, but not one of them sleeveless because I don't have arms like Michelle Obama.

I hate capsule lists. They are so bland and generic and make no allowances for different heights, body shapes or personalities. They are lazy, uncreative space fillers.

It’s not even brands for clothes. I recently bought Top Sante magazine as it had an article on tummy flab and how to deal with it. The only thing it didn’t say was we are basically promoting X practitioner of this stomach reducing treatment/machine which costs X amount and once you buy it your stomach flab will be gone after using it for X weeks/months. So basically a schilling article.

It had very little actual advice on tummy flab only how hard it can be to shift over a certain age.

I've started to wear shirts recently but they are very much casual - linen, jersey or the shacket kind - all worn open over a vest or tee shirt with trousers/ jeans . And I do have a white one. Very much not 'crisp' though.

@ScamanthaBrick
You would think though that if that's what they are doing, they would at least be looking at new trends, eg burgundy, tweed etc (Or whatever is said to be coming in for autumn. I only remember the burgundy colour)

I think some people suit certain things so on the whole a shirt or shacket is out for me. Same with blazers and jackets. But I wear them more now.

I like the items in theory.
But these look dated. Breton t shirts under a white or denim shirt ( only choices if too hot for a jacket) really ? Cami vest and jeans/ cigarette pants is so old.
Nice silver sling backs but none of the shoes work well with the dress.

I mean we wear 20%of our clothes 80% of the time. That's the capsule wardrobe done.

I'm agog that anybody would spend £80 on that very underwhelming, basic stripe tshirt. EIGHTY QUID?!

Don't get me started on the ballet flats. I used to rock an identical pair from bloody primark in my teens.

Why would anybody spend so much money on such things when you can get those very things, in good quality for so much less? M&S etc.

Some people have more money than sense and don't know what to do with it.

I love Jess C M’s sense of style. They’re all versatile items that can be styled in different ways, timeless, quality that will last.

Love M&S styles, but false economy to buy products such as their jumpers made from recycled plastic bottles. They’re not wearable after a season.

I’d like to see how to style the grey jumper Jess C M chose, and maybe some of the other items.

I basically lack time, energy and confidence in what I like or suits me and much of a budget for clothes. I lack living space and therefore space for clothes storage, So on paper I would love the idea of a capsule wardrobe that would work for me, that I can just easily and quickly buy into. That some kind of clothes expert has already put together. That would cover all, or most of daily life. Brilliant.

So I’m kind of annoyed at myself for even reading things like this because I actually still have that tiny hope of gleaning something useful, when logically I already know it’s nonsense. Articles on the ultimate capsule wardrobe are actually just a little annoying reminder that daily life in the fashion journalist universe is very very far removed from daily life in mine. Nothing against Jess Carter Morley who I do rate.

I disagree about being able to buy quality for so much less. If you want good quality leather shoes, wool/cashmere jumpers and silk/cotton/linen tops then you tend to have to pay more.

But as several PPs have already pointed out, the article isn’t attempting to dictate that the examples given are the exact things you must buy. You’re supposed to take them as suggestions and find equivalents that work for your taste and budget.

I wore (I’m not confident with them having larger boobs) a black cami vest with black leggings with diamanté strip down one side and a cropped red blazer last week when out to dinner.

I don’t think but must’ve done cigarette pants but I’d rarely wear a cami out with blue jeans. It’d hsve to be grey or black jeans.

Yeah exactly. I doubt the Primark ballet flats were goatskin leather...

That's where I don't think that money adds value though- a Breton top is not going to be £80 worth of better looking than a lower value one, it might be slightly nicer, or wash slightly better, but you'll look (in my case) like a middle-aged lady in a top with horizontal stripes that's quite out of fashion in the first place.

If you lack basics, you need to go where the money has added value- so leather shoes and bags, a coat with wool in it (almost impossible to find now, they are all polyester sweat-traps). I do that off Vinted as I can't bear paying £100's for something that is worse quality than what I used to buy in Dorothy Perkins 25 years ago.

There quality ie non synthetic, well sewn clothes and paying for a label. Hence the amazing sale prices and TK Maxx and similar.

A lambs wool jumper will look better and therefore last longer than acrylic one. It will still go at the elbows the same as a cheaper version.
And h whilst I have plenty of clothes that are decades old and still wearable I had to wait from the 80's until the early 2000's for skinny jeans to be cool.
501's wear out much quicker than cheaper brands.