Help reviewing my capsule(-ish) wardrobe?

[VintedV]

Hello

For various reasons, I'm in the process of building a new wardrobe almost from scratch. If I upload some photos of what I already have and what I am intending to purchase, would some of you generous women help me deciding what I really need, what kind of shoes and coats I should buy, and so on?

Tight budget so I'm mainly shopping on vinted.

I'm 37, size 8, 5'4, short dark hair and blue eyes. Small boobs, actually v slim upper half in general, larger bum and thighs.

I have a new p/t role in a university, it's smart casual. I also have young kids at home, so need inexpensive clothes/clothes that can stand up to being washed multiple times after being smeared in chewed up rice cakes...

Let me know if you would like to help and I will upload pics 🙂

Thank you

@Answeringaquestiontonight I think maybe darker plain dresses for winter? What kind of dress do you wear in winter, out of interest. Thanks!

Also apologies - so much angst!

Regarding clothes saying something about you - well yes, but perhaps not quite as literally as you imply. Obviously you can buy a piece of black tubing that covers you from three inches below your armpits to one inch beyond your behind, and most people will infer that you intend to project sexiness - but generally it’s more nuanced than that. One can’t (as some people seem to imagine) buy an ‘arty’ top and be magically transformed into someone recognised as an artist.

What works is to choose clothes you love, and put them with other clothes and accessories you have chosen over time because you love them. That totally individual curation is a sort of declaration of you - and people seeing you will draw their own conclusions.

(And you don’t have to buy only mass produced clothes. But seeking out niche brands and handmade craftwork might take more time and energy than you can spare right now.)

Ah, well, this would come back to the point about liking different things as I do quite like a pattern on a dress. Some are just summer ones, but others have thicker material or cord or I have a brushed cotton one. Mostly Sainsbury’s or Joanie.

Just parking some skirts and chunky shoes ideas here.

Seems like I need charcoal socks...

Also, worth a go for £4 (plus postage etc?)

@OffToSeaInABlizzard I'm reminded of Marie Kondo's advice to have objects that 'spark joy'.

I like these too, I think.

I like the Zara ones but the black ones look like safety boots to me, sorry.

Honestly I think a lot of it is trial and error. Sometimes things can look boring in the shop, then you try them on and think YES. Other times (depressingly more often), clothes look beautiful in the online pictures, and then they arrive and you're like meh.

So one of the best things you can do is go hang around shopping centres and charity shops, and try tons of stuff on, even clothes and footwear you're not initially attracted to. Notice which ones you don't want to change out of. Those are the pieces that will end up being the backbone of your wardrobe.

@Overnightfloats I think they're very similar to these, maybe slightly chunkier

They do have a mild safety shoe look to them I guess ☺️

@zaxxon hmm maybe I need to take some annual leave for browsing... Otherwise I'd have two boys and a baby in tow. The boys would definitely be playing hide and seek or swinging off the rails x

@VintedV
sounds like you're incredibly busy with navigating through some fairly significant life changes- end of mat leave, starting new? role and the no small matter of the dc.
Instead of a capsule, for now could you focus on 5/6 complete outfits? Don't try and mix n match at the moment. Keep it simple til you're well into working (so not back-to-work mode) and then reassess?

So a bit less angst for now? But certainly don't apologise for asking for help!

Re shoes. Do you have good legs and ankles? (Full disclosure - I don’t!) because chunky lace ups, brogues, and Chelsea boots can be tricky to wear. I’d say don’t buy more than one pair of shoes that do the same thing. I like the shoes and socks in the image you posted much better than the Chelsea boots. But it’s about what suits you and is comfortable.

Re jumpers. Uniqlo is great. I have also started buying men’s ones from M&S. they are great value compared to the women’s ones and you can sometimes get a bargain on eBay (look for cotton, merino and cashmere only).

M&S may also be good for you as a pear shape. I am shorter and heavier than you and some of their styles suit me well. Otherwise I wear skirts and dresses.

Try and figure out your colours. Saying you’ve got grey and cream things makes me suspect you don’t know yours. I love grey and think it’s very chic but makes me look like one of the living dead, increasingly obvious as I age! So it’s worth getting a vague idea and knowing colours really helps with capsule thinking.

Aw thank you @BlueBlueCowWondering yes it's a new role (same workplace but different department).

The life changes extend to how I feel about my body. I think I said up thread, but I feel more stretched and flabby after this last pregnancy. I've lost the baby weight, but I'm a slightly different shape. I feel like a new wardrobe might perk me up - if only metaphorically.

Yeah, maybe the complete outfits make more sense. Perhaps I will have to separate them into work and home, as well.

Out of interest, how many work outfits do people have? I'm a bit paranoid about repeating the same few clothes over and over. I guess this is where changing accessories comes in as well?

Erm @SisterTeatime hmm well I tend to carry weight on my thighs/bum. My calves and ankles are, I would say, standard. When I was looking at the pictures on Pinterest I was thinking these girls are younger, thinner, smaller boned and taller than me. But I also think I have to accept I'm not going to look like a model in whatever I wear.

It feels like a lot of clothes are designed with taller women in mind? It's harder to look impressive when you're short, I think!

I have come across the concept of colours, but I've never thought about looking into it for myself. I'm wondering about ditching the idea of pale colours after I accidentally got someone's discarded raspberry stuck to my knee, while trying to bf DD in a play park 🙄

That's interesting about the men's jumpers! I liked the v neck dark grey jumper in one of the pics up thread, m&s men's dept is probably a better bet for something similar actually!

I've re-listed the green skirt on vinted as actually it's a bit big on the waist. No point hanging on to it if it's not great...

Why are you worried about repeating outfits? Isn’t it normal that most people have what is almost a uniform ?

look at the men in the dept - bet they are in the same outfit year after year !

@BlueBlueCowWondering chat gpt reckons I'm soft autumn...

Maybe a pair of black DMs instead of shoes and boots? They go well with dresses.

And I agree with PPs re starting with just a couple of things and thinking outfits, rather than items.

H&M is very good for basics and not very expensive. You can order online and return in store/at a parcel place if needed which is easier than trying on loads of stuff in shops. I find their clothes very soft/comfortable. Also I have some outfits/trousers I would wear for work with loafers and then dressed down with trainers out of work.

Thanks so much for all the help!

OK these are the first 3 outfits I think I will work on. I'll switch around the colours

Outfit 1: skirt with t-shirt and knitted vest.

Outfit 2: dress with knitted vest. Would the blue stripe work? Also I already have the white maxi dress with the small red flowers, but for some reason I feel stripes might work better with a vest. Unless I go for a cream/very pale vest.

I guess the vest could work with both? I already have a cream tshirt. Maybe I'll refer to my new autumn colour palette.

Outfit 3: dark blue maxi skirt with beige sweater. As I already have a beige sweater.

Love the Zara dress! And outfit 3 looks great for winter. Happy shopping