Hey! I have job! AND I am traveling for four days to a conference. Fun! Here is my outfit for the first day: black pencil skirt, black blazer, funky shirt, and navy sparkle flats. I think this is a flattering outfit. I look purty. 
Tag Archives: minimalist wardrobe
Minimalist Wardrobe Hack: Layers
Layers make you look pulled together. Period. End of story. Want to look fabulous? Wear layers. It’s that easy.
This works well also for managing your own temperature. Cold? Put on a cardigan. Hot? Take off a cardigan.
Having basic pieces that layer well together is important for a minimalist wardrobe. New outfits will be easy to create if you can layer your basic pieces in interesting ways.
I traveled recently to Connecticut, just in time for a blizzard. It was a mess – probably the worst “vacation” I’ve ever taken. But I did get to see a lot of good friends, so that was awesome.
Anyway, my two biggest concerns were 1) warm feet and 2) warm body. So here’s what I wore one crazy Tuesday.
Base layer
Don’t you just love polka dots?
This level of being dressed addressed my concerns about cold feet. I’m actually wearing tights AND socks inside my leather boots. So plenty of warmth there.
Layer Two: Cardigan
I added this layer for warmth when I’m inside without my jacket, but I also love this color combination. So it’s a win-win.
Layer Three: Overcoat
And then of course my black wool winter overcoat. I love this thing; my friend Shelley picked it out for me at Goodwill. It’s 100% wool, made in the USA by union labor. Of course it’s vintage, which makes it awesome. It’s warm, beautiful, and a great thrift store find. I swoon every time I put it on. I love it that much.
So there’s one example of how to fashionably dress in layers to be weather appropriate.
Do you have any tips or tricks for staying stylish in cold weather? I’d love to hear them!
Remember when I told you I was going to a wedding? Well, here is what I wore.
Winter Wedding Outfit
I just love this dress to pieces. It was really cold the day of the wedding, but I’m wearing pantyhose(!), a shrug that I borrowed from my sister-in-law, and suede gloves that I have had forever. I was pretty comfortable the whole day; I consider this a win.
Just to compare side by side, here’s how you can wear the same dress in June and in February.
I miss my long hair
AND the other thing I want you all to take away from this is that I updated this look for $9. If you have lots of weddings to go to, you don’t have to spend a fortune on new outfits for each one! Seriously.
Have you ever worn the same dress lots of different ways? I would love to hear how you styled it differently for different occasions.
Capsule Collection Winter 2013 – Outfits #6 & #7
OK, final push! Here are the last two outfits.
Here’s my favorite outfit from the challenge:
Pretty blue dress – outfit #6
I just love this dress. It’s so flattering, and I love the pattern and the color. I was volunteering the day I wore it, and it felt good to feel productive and pulled together. Plus those are my Under Armour running tights I’m wearing, so it was very warm too.
Funny story. I house sitting for my aunt and uncle. We had gotten about 2″ – 3″ of snow overnight. When I left the house to go volunteer, I got confused in the snow and ended up driving onto their lawn. My car got snuck in a snow bank! It took 45 minutes, but I dug my car out of a snow bank. In this outfit. Leather boots can do anything!
And last but not least: outfit #7:
outfit #7
This was my last outfit and my least favorite of them all. It’s not bad, but it felt very boring in all of the brown. Well, they can’t all be winners.
There you go! Eight pieces/seven outfits. Boom.
Back to the beginning
Capusle Collection Winter 2013 – Outfit #3
Welcome back! I promised some more outfits for you, and I aim to please.
Today’s outfit is definitely the warmest of them all, which has become one of my main criteria for dressing these days.
Cashmere! Corduroy!
Here is the first cashmere sweater that I have ever owned – $6 from Goodwill. Seriously. It is such a beautiful sweater, and it is so warm. I’m completely hooked on cashmere.
This picture really doesn’t do this sweater justice. It’s a beautiful cream and tan stripe, which I was able to photograph better here:
Seriously, it’s not just an offwhite blob.
Anyway, it’s new to me and I love how comfy and warm it is. Just wait until I wear it with jeans! It would probably be even warmer layered underneath a blazer or cardigan; I simply haven’t gotten that adventurous (or cold) yet.
In case you missed them, click below for the links to
Even more outfits tomorrow!!
Capsule Collection Winter 2013 – Hiatus
Okay, just to make things complicated, I have a wedding today. So I’m still going to wear my eight pieces over seven days – just not seven consecutive days. Forgive me please.
But I do want to share with you what I’m wearing to this wedding today; you should remember the dress because I wore to the last wedding I attended, which you can read about here and here.
In case you don’t care to read all that boring text, here’s what I wore to my cousin’s wedding in June:
June Wedding – or – my mom and I get sunburned
It was 90 degrees F then, and the weather today is quite a bit different; the forecast is 12 degrees F with a 30% chance of snow.
I love this dress, and I’ve been planning on wearing it again since I was invited to this wedding! But I’m going to make a few wardrobe alterations to make it warmer and more seasonally appropriate. And a picked up a few new accessories to jazz it up.
February Wedding
The first thing I added was this set of opera-length suede gloves. I received them as a present a few years ago, and they are perfect for winter weddings. They are so warm! I’m also going to wear a pair of kitten-heel black pumps and a cute little black shrug I’m borrowing from my sister-in-law.
To brighten up all those dark colors, I picked up this silver clutch ($3!).
New (to me) Clutch
And I have always been a sucker for pearls, so I snagged these adorable earrings for $6. I love them and I can’t wait to wear them!! (Quick thrifting pro tip: always clean the posts on second-hand earrings with alcohol before wearing them.)
New (to me) Earrings
I will definitely post pictures afterwards of what I wore so you can see all the pieces together. I love the challenge of adapting clothes for different seasons, and I almost think that I’m going to love this winter ensemble better than the summer one. I can’t wait to share!
Have a great weekend everyone! Come back tomorrow to see outfit #3 from my capsule collection!
Capsule Collection Winter 2013 – Outfit #2
You may remember yesterday when I shared my first outfit from the Missus Smarty Pants 7 outfits/8 pieces challenge.
Well, I’m not defeated yet. I am back to share outfit #2.
Outfit #2
As you can see, I stuck with the jeans and brown cardigan and just changed out the sleeveless shirt underneath. This purple tank top is a recent addition to my wardrobe, and I imagine that I will get a lot of wear out of it. The color is gorgeous, and the embroidery and beading on the yoke are beautiful. This was the perfect outfit for staying in all day when the weather is -19 degrees F.
What will I wear next? Check back tomorrow to see!
Capsule Collection Winter 2013 – Outfit #1
I follow another fashion blog called Missus Smarty Pants, and she issued a style challenge this week to put together enough outfits for a week (seven outfits) using only eight pieces of clothing.
Well, Missus Smarty Pants, I accept your challenge.
Here are my pieces:
Eight Pieces
From the back to the front:
1. Blue jeans
2. Brown corduroy pants
3. Black running tights
4. Blue geometric dress
5. Brown cardigan/sweater
6. Cream/tan cashmere sweater
7. Brown print halter top
8. Purple beaded tank top
And here is my first outfit:
Outfit #1
Bam. There you go. Easy peasy.
I mostly was around the house all day, and then I had my knitting group, and then I met a friend out for a night cap. I think this was a pretty versatile outfit for all of those events!
OK, see you tomorrow when I reveal what I wear next!
Lazy (Cold) Day
So it’s been cold here in WIsconsin. Really cold. Maybe not as cold as Saskatchewan, but colder than I care for. Today it was 23 degrees so I went for a run outside because it was so nice outside. That cold.
So I stay inside a lot these days. But what to wear when you’re unemployed and cold??
One of the things I keep saying is that chocolate brown is one of my neutral colors, but honestly, I didn’t have that much of it.
Also I had blue jeans and work pants but no casual pants.
As I’ve been shopping recently (at Goodwill, Savers and Plato’s Closet!), I’ve been keeping my eyes out for more brown pieces AND casual pants. When I found these brown cords for $7, I knew they were a no-brainer, especially in this cold weather.
That was a lot of words to say: I like my new pants. They look pretty fabulous with this shirt that I have had forever and LOVE.
What do you wear to beat the cold??
P.S. I’m joining a 8 pieces/7 days challenge! Keep watching to see how I do.
Happy 2013 – Change It Up
Well my life is totally different than it was the last time I posted.
I am getting divorced.
I quit my job.
I moved to Wisconsin from Connecticut.
And you know what? I am really happy, living an authentic life that I choose. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Also I am going to look fabulous doing it! (Recognize those boots? I have had them for a long time, and I still love them!)
