Winter 2024 Capsule Wardrobe Pieces

            

            Thanks for reading along this month as I have experimented with a new capsule wardrobe project. As I shared last week, my goal was to consolidate my wardrobe in a way that allows me to mix and match pieces better, use what I have, and find new-to-me pieces that are affordable and work well for me. I don’t expect at all to get this right the first time or to love every single piece I’ve chosen. My goal is to find what works, eliminate what doesn’t, and continue to figure out (over time) a good mix of items that I can wear for years to come, while rotating some pieces in and out for fun, changing as the seasons change.

            Today I wanted to show you what I chose for this first round!

            Before I begin, I will remind you that this post from the Clothed in Grace blog inspired my winter capsule. I followed her general pattern of pieces to build mine. I don’t wear hats or coats as accessories, so I do not have those in my capsule. I also don’t count jewelry as capsule pieces. I just wear what I have according to what I’m feeling that day.

Dresses:

            Winter in Indiana is COLD. Other than church and speaking events, I don’t have to dress up much. Because of this, I decided to only have one dress in this capsule. Maybe in a future year I’ll decide to add more, but for now, I chose this one blue dress that I bought a little over a year ago for my dad’s birthday party. I can add jackets and sweaters to change up the look. (Also, this dress was drying when I photographed it, so ignore the subtle shade changes. Ha!)

Pants:

            I have a mix of dressy and casual in this part of my capsule. I will start with the dress pants. Last summer, before I spoke at the Chosen Conference, I bought black wide-leg pants on clearance at a local boutique. They are seriously like jammies with pockets, so I LOVE THEM. They have an elastic waist and are ridiculously comfortable. (Here is a similar pair.) Also last summer, when I started working at LifeWise and needed more black pieces to wear for work, I found a pair of nice black jeans-style pants at a consignment shop. (They are not denim but are slimmer fitting and feel a bit like jeans. (Here is a similar pair.) As I put together the capsule, I scored a pair of black joggers at a thrift store for about $3.00. (Here is a similar pair.) I also purchased these black leggings – my first ever regular leggings. They were recommended by a blogger, and she was not wrong. SUPER warm and comfortable. (No pockets, by the way.) I also threw in this pair of leather coated leggings I had gotten a year or so ago. I probably wouldn’t have sought them out to add to the capsule, but since I already had them, I put them in. Finally, I purchased two pairs of jeans at a consignment shop – a lighter wash and a darker wash. I sprang for them because the jeans I owned were several years old and looking pretty rough. I think I paid about $5.00 for each pair I purchased. That rounds out this section!

Skirts:

            The capsule I patterned mine after only used one skirt, and I only owned one that really could work for winter. (And that’s kind of a stretch.) It’s a knee length khaki skirt I bought back when we were at WillowBridge, and I needed more skirts. I got it at the Goodwill, but here is a similar one. I’m not sure it’s the best choice for a winter capsule, but it’s what I have, and I haven’t found a better option yet, so it’s working for now.

Shirts:

            I started with a blue sweatshirt I already owned. It was a gift from one of our Kokomo small group ladies, and I love it. It says “But First, Coffee” and I’ve found it on Poshmark, but not in stores anymore. (This would be a similar choice.) I also added two plain long-sleeved tees I already owned. One is black and one is white. Both of them are Christopher and Banks brand and were hand-me-downs probably back in our Kokomo days. (Here is a similar version.) Also from Christopher and Banks is a teal/black/white long sleeved tee that Mom gave me for Christmas years ago. I just love it and have kept it through several capsules and moves. It stayed again! (Here is a similar version in pink.) My sister gave me this tee for Christmas, and even though it has short sleeves, I included it. I can add sweaters, and I didn’t want to wait until summer to wear it! While considering short sleeves, I also added a plaid shirt I bought at Walmart last summer to wear to the Chosen Conference. It’s easy to dress up or down! (Here is a similar one.) I also added a thin, blue shirt Ryan gave me for Easter many years ago. I love the color and length, especially. (Here is a similar one.) I did go to the consignment shop to add a few finishing pieces: five to be exact. I got a white linen hoodie (similar), a black sweater (similar), a gray sweater with a fun little tie on the side (similar), a tan turtleneck (similar), and a white, high neck, long-sleeved shirt with pretty eyelets (similar).

Sweaters and Jackets:

            Sweaters and jackets are what make fall and winter capsules so easy to mix and match! For the most part, I worked with what I had in this section. While we were at WillowBridge, I bought a (practically brand new) long tan cardigan at the Goodwill, and I still get tons of compliments on that sweater! It stayed. (Here is a similar one.) I’ve owned a gray cardigan forever – got it from my Mom for Christmas not long after Ryan and I got married – and it stayed. (Here is a similar one.) When Allen died, I bought a lightweight black cardigan for his funeral, and it has become one of my favorite pieces. (Here is a similar one.) About a year and a half ago, I bought this black blazer at Maurices (for an interview), and I really love it, too, so it stayed. I love it so much because it’s not boring! The only new pieces I added for this capsule were a blue hoodie my Mom gave me for Christmas this year (here is a similar one) and a multi-colored knit vest I bought at a thrift store for a couple of dollars. (I couldn’t find anything really similar to it – but this might be the closest.)

Shoes:

            I bought more shoes for this project than anything else, I think. (And by that – I mean new. Not thrifted.) I tend to buy shoes in cycles – getting several at once, and then they all wear out at once several years down the road. My last shoe buying spree had been in 2019, so they were wearing thin. I did have a pair of black heeled ankle boots – similar to these – that still had life in them, so I kept those. I also have a pair of nude heels I bought for Easter several years ago, and those stay. (Similar pair here.) Then I bought these black sneakers, these black Chelsea boots (SO WARM!) and brown ones too. I also got tan ankle boots similar to these. (Mine were on clearance at Walmart and I can’t find them on the site now.)

Scarves:

            I did use two scarves I already owned. I have a black infinity scarf (similar) one of my friends handed down to me years ago and a gray scarf (closest I could find) with some other colors woven in – pretty sure it was a gift for Christmas one year. I have been using those as accessories along with jewelry and headbands.

            So that’s it! The winter capsule! My goal for this winter is to have fun each week mixing and matching the pieces to achieve different looks. I also aspire to learn more about what I like in patterns, colors, and textures, and continue to hone this capsule with pieces I truly, deeply love and want to wear for years to come!