Help! Non-traditional Capsule Wardrobe

[PandaEyes56]

After years of wearing jeans, tshirts and trainers, I'm trying to overhaul my style.

A bit of background - I'm 39, 5ft 2 and size 18. I have a depressingly large mum tum after having 4 huge babies and despite eating well and exercising, the weight won't budge so I'm resigned to dressing the figure I have rather than the figure I wish I had.

I live on a smallholding in a very rural area and am mostly at home with the kids, though I do some voluntary work in an environment that lends itself to dressing nicely, but not "office wear" if that makes sense. We are an outdoorsy family.

I am drawn to the idea of a capsule wardrobe, partly because I'd rather have less stuff and partly because I've come to appreciate quality over quantity. We're now at a place financially where I can buy some more expensive pieces (Though realistically, probably not more than £100 per item, which rules out some of the lovely shops I often see recommended on here sadly!)

Items often suggested as capsule wardrobe "must haves" just don't seem to suit my life - crisp white blouse, little black dress, etc.

I've started by getting a good haircut, new underwear and well-fitting jeans. I guess I'm looking for ideas of pieces I could dress up or dress down for a polished "everyday" kind of look and some nicer pieces for the occasional dinner with friends or date night with hubby. Some ideas for shops/websites I could browse would be great too!

I used to love bright, colourful patterns, but I'm moving away from that now. I'm afraid if I go too classic I'll end up looking like my mum though! I'm drawn to vintage looks but haven't had the confidence to wear them until now.

All advice appreciated! Thank you if you've read this far!

I would start by making a list of clothes you want to buy, there is a lot of info on You tube and the net on capsule wardrobes. EBay and Vinted are useful also charity shops. If you want to get brand new you could go to Marks for instance and see things and try them on.

Yep I think it's totally possible to build a capsule wardrobe that is right for your lifestyle and embraces colour/pattern/fabric that you love.

You can find lots of good-condition pieces from quality brands /quality fabrics on resale sites for very reasonable prices. I have bought second hand cashmere jumpers for days with my toddler, for example. I only now buy things in colours that really suit me - and patterns are fine because they fit in with the colour palette.

I find a basic pair of earrings and a couple of rings or a light chain or two just lifts what I'm wearing. Lipstick and specs.

My work outfits are mostly smart casual - i find wearing a blazer with jeans/dress and trainers/boots makes me feel that much more "together". But if I'm working from home I might be in a chunky jumper and leggings. Is that the kind of thing you're thinking of?

Think about cuts. Anything that shows wrists or ankles lends itself to making you look feminine and put together.

Perhaps rolled hem jeans with nice trainers or ankle boots and a v neck jumper that finishes below the elbows, decorated with dainty gold necklace and bracelet.

Think about silhouette. I'm a slim apple shape with small boobs so I go for stuff to accentuate my bottom, like baggy boyfriend jeans or high waist cargo pants and a fitted bodysuit or crop that meets the waistband.

Perhaps you could go for baggy bottoms or a high waist cord flare with a slim fit, vintage colour and striped fitted top?

You’ve missed the sale but I wonder if you might like

Palava

You could search for pieces pre-owned, or just wait for their next sale. (Or splash out on a dress?) Ethically aspirational; vintage inspired.

If it hasn’t yet been suggested you should definitely look at

Community Clothing for hard wearing everyday wear.

Another place you may (or may not) adore is Damson Madder. Marmite on MN but everything I’ve seen is beautifully made in natural fabrics. Link is to their SALE.

Do you really need a ‘capsule wardrobe’ though? Why not embrace the freedom you currently have to experiment and explore?

If I were a smallholder I'd be really leaning in to the work wear vibe (which I love, though the closest I get is being a gardener 😄) monty don, etc.

So I'm thinking practical boots that you keep in top top condition (not docs, more outdoorsy), nice drill trousers, dungarees if they feel like you, linen trousers or 100% cotton chinos for warmer weather.

You could go a bit feminine on the top, traditional small florals can look great with work trousers as do knits in merino or cotton (chunky or slim, depending on what suits you). Little flourishes like a neckerchief or great hat to move through the seasons (wooly in winter, cap or sunhat in summer).

Choose a practical coat or jacket you love. I find Barbour wax to be the best for being outdoors but smarter when needed, and the double direction zip is so helpful! You can buy really good second hand barbours on Vinted if you know your size and are quick.

As well as community clothing already mentioned, I love Carrier Company (bit more expensive, again).

I also rate Howies for 100% cotton with outdoors sensibilities and they have sales. Outdoor shops generally can have surprises in terms of nice linen tops and the cuts are less 'fashion' so normally closer to what I want in terms of classic shapes.

Otherwise, I just search by fabric. 100% cotton and linen is becoming more common in the high street.

Carrier Company was another place I meant to mention - but something distracted me! Good call (as they say).

(My own country life era involved a mixture of Droopy & Browns flounces, farm shop overalls and hand-me-down Harris tweed jackets. And racing into the nearest city for the theatre, still in our wellies. Good times …)

Probably not leggings, maybe still jeans for home. I'm adding a blazer to my wish list though! Thanks!

Some great tips here, thanks! Exactly the kind of advice I need :)

Thank you for all the suggestions! Lots of websites I hadn't heard of :)

Maybe capsule wardrobe is the wrong term...I'd just like to have less clothes and look more polished. If I could mix and match things, that would also be great!

I love these ideas, thank you :) Not sure if I am stylish enough to pull off some of your suggestions, but I might try!

I've been simplifying my wardrobe recently and have got a list of basic items which I'm slowly buying and can mix so you might want to just write your own rather than using someone else's.

I'm outdoorsy, live rurally, mainly work from home and when I do go to the office I don't need to look smart so we're probably fairly similar. I do have a small number of smarter items that won't date quickly so I can dress up if needed.

Recently I've been shopping at Community Clothing (already mentioned) and Finisterre (they're a bit more pricey so I wait for sales). I've also got stuff from Howies (great jeans) and a couple of Toast jumpers.

Have a look at Lanx for great quality boots that also last and look great.

Also look at Rew for trousers (and anything else you might like).

I second the recommendation to use Vinted for Barbour jackets.

Yes I'm not saying you need to wear leggings more to demonstrate that a capsule wardrobe doesn't have to be all LBD and cigarette pants.

If you are regularly getting muddy at home but then want to be smart out and about I'd reconsider having the same clothes for both purposes. Or you might decide to have the same wardrobe but not long hemlines and you can just change into clean shoes