Help me build a casual winter capsule wardrobe!

[Miss888]

I went through all my clothes and Vinted them in the summer. Now I need a new capsule for the winter. I have jeans so not worried about them, but would like some new tops and bottoms - not too expensive, I'm thinking M&S, Mango, H&M, John Lewis
Anyone fancy helping me/us build a 'casual' capsule wardrobe for the winter

and I have wasted an hour looking at knitting patterns and hot pink wool.

I'm a totally shite knitter so its never going to happen :) I could ask my sister as she is an incredible knitter

Following for comfy shoe recommendations. Seem to be living in sports trainers but would like something to wear with black tights with dresses that can easily walk for 8k steps a day

Ha, I thought exactly the same - quickly followed by wondering if I’m now too old and that’s why I don’t know the difference 😂.

I just ordered the “normal” black. I can confirm that they are, indeed, black. I almost wish I’d ordered both, just to see if I could spot the difference!

I have updated my style by following insta like these people. I've bought a couple of pieces in certain colours instead of random buying. I'm really noticing how this works.

@Epoisses @Porcuine20 thank you for introducing me to the set at Next. I’ve never seen it before but it looks great!

I am not good at capsule wardrobes but my Mum gave me this great idea of buying a jumper in a block colour of your choice that goes with most of your clothes, that way you only need a couple of jumpers rather than several jumpers that only go with one dress each.

All gorgeous - sadly bright pink is not my colour, which makes me hanker after it more!

(I have compensated for it at home with one sofa in Designer's Guild Crocus linen, & various shades of pink silk cushions on the other (blue-green) sofa. Much better than wearing fuchsia pink when you're pale & gingery!)

Maybe she'd found herself at the bus-stop one too many times without her skirt on??!

The article does state the obvious, but she does acknowledge that she was trying to fill gaps in her wardrobe through observing stylish women. To me, the obvious thing she's forgotten about (& which you can see in the images collated of such women, in contrast with those of her outfits) is the difference that accessories make. Jewellery, scarves, bags etc - they're the things that complete those women's style, whereas the author's outfits look a bit ... unfinished??

Does "casual" include skirts or dresses? And by greens do you mean sludgier ones like olive & khaki? What is your usual style, & what's a typical outfit for you?

I'd try & ensure any jumpers/cardigans/coats/jackets all have a good wool/alpaca/mohair/cashmere content - as high as possible. I'm amazed at things being described as "wool-rich" when the percentage is 5 or 10%!!

So to do that I'd look on eBay/Vinted - if you don't want to end up buying random items, make a list of pieces & brands etc, & save searches for certain items.

For instance, I'll be keeping an eye out for these in the sale, & saving searches for them too, as I have a couple of that style in other colours from previous seasons. They're really comfy & Jigsaw footwear (& bags) are IMO some of the best quality on the high street. I got these boots on eBay last year - admittedly after a wait of a couple of months!

Look in the clearance section on next and type in the set. Loads of sets of long sleeve tees and jumpers from £10.50 for 3!

I should have said it's the trainers not the suit that I'm after. Forgot that I also got this on Vinted last year from M&S Autograph - it's more cropped & boxy in reality - I have worn it a lot & it still looks new. I would recommend them for knitwear.

These are all more classic basic things than uber-fashionable stuff - but they work really well with my existing wardrobe & will be out again this winter.

I've just bought aubergine straight cord jeans from M&S just in...great because they are not huge and flappy nor skin tight on my ample thighs. Lovely soft cord and colour, also in black brown and olive Theyre shorter than other styles tho I had to have Long tho I usually dont. I've tried nearly every pair on in there, at last a pair that looks good are are not too high waisted. Now to find the rjght colour tops...

If black or beige (or red or grey) would fit in with your colour scheme, this oversized jumper from H&M is 100% wool & a real bargain. The dark blue mohair-blend one is pricier but a great jumper IMO. I want both of them!

https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1356638004.html
https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.1353726002.html

M&S has these wool jumpers at £36.

https://www.marksandspencer.com/pure-merino-crew-neck-jumper/p/clp61224914?intid=mobile_app_pdp_share&color=Moss

@EleanorMc67 I picked up one of those H&M ones in the sale last year, and it was really, really poor quality, had to be returned

I picked up a J Crew mohair jumper very similar to the brown one at a vintage shop last year - £20.
It was my buy of the year - really light and very very warm. I wore it a lot last winter & I guess I will this winter too.

Agree there are a lot of "wool rich" & "wool blend" knitwear out there that is mostly polyester. Always check the details.

Oh that's annoying. I've not seen them in the flesh - just playing at keyboard stylist!

But I'd thought their buying power might mean the quality was decent for the price. Hopefully the M&S ones are decent - though Autograph quality is better for not much more money.

I bought a really lovely black mohair one from By Malene Birger on Vinted - loose weave, slightly oversized, wide bell sleeves. A bit Morticia if she did jumpers! It was a mainstay last year & will be again this year.

One thing I did notice in my H&M search was the absence of green & the prevalence of grey ... So, @Miss888 , you might have to hunt a bit harder for green & even burgundy - fashion says they're so last year!!!

(I'll be ignoring that anyway - & will be avoiding grey as I look bloody awful in it!!)

Thank you. I have just ordered nornal black as well 😄

If you like Cashmere M&S items can often be found new on eBay. One of my Winter 'uniforms' is a Cashmere cardigan worn unbuttoned over a scoop neck t shirt ( inspired by Sezanne). I now have them in several colours all bought from one seller. I love neutrals so i originally bought them in beige/brown /navy/black.

I have to second Chat GPT.
it has helped me sort through my wardrobe with what suits me and what doesn’t, helped me buy a few pieces that I needed to fill the gaps in my wardrobe and it has put together a style bible for me.
Honestly it’s amazing.
All I do now is tell it where I’m going, what the weather is going to be and the style I’m going for and it suggests 3 or 4 different outfits

I've had a Vinted frenzy this morning and have purchased 6 wool/merino/cashmere/mohair jumpers (though none are pink), all good for layering, 3 dresses, a hoodie (DD will probably snaffle this) & a vintage silk scarf.

I am prepared to layer like I have never layered before.

I've lost 54 kilos the last 2 years, and have gone from someone who was always hot to someone who now feels the cold badly. I'm having to change how I dress entirely.

This would be my ideal jumper! Do you happen to know if it has a name so I could search for it new (or on Vinted)?

This is it - the Autograph Ribbed Funnel Neck Jumper with Cashmere, in Forest Green. But if you're searching for it, I wouldn't be that specific? I would just search for Autograph Green Jumper in the women's section, with your size added (allowing for Vinted's crap sizing).

There's one on eBay in a Small right now, & as you can see they just call it "Marks & Spencer Women's Autograph Wool and Cashmere Jumper Green UK Size XS"

https://ebay.io/m/WMWnco

I had forgotten though that I got TWO green jumpers from Autograph! One was Vinted & the other a Christmas present (chosen for me by me on behalf of my partner ...!!). That is the longer one - this is round neck & more cropped & I also wore it loads.

A medium is on eBay. Can't find the M&S Autograph photo of it, but it's really nice on.

https://ebay.io/m/jEi2ew