Winter Workwear Capsule Wardrobe _ Smart Casual Office Outfits (BQ)

Are you struggling to get dressed before work in the morning? Then this video is for you. I've put together a 22-piece winter workwear capsule wardrobe that is classic, but still quite stylish and trendy. Now, I say this before every single capsule wardrobe video that I do, but I do think it's worth repeating. Everyone's capsule is going to be different. And so they should be. They should reflect who you are as a person, your lifestyle, and just what you enjoy wearing. If there are certain colours or silhouettes in here that don't necessarily work for you, then swap them out for something that does. This capsule is really indicative of my personal style at the moment, and it's just full of things that I'm really, really enjoying wearing. So hopefully it's here to give you some inspiration. Another thing to note is that I would say these are more smart, casual outfits. They are more kind of polished and refined versions of my everyday looks. I've never worked anywhere where I had to be really formal, very business office looks. And so my capsule reflects that because that is what my wardrobe reflects. At the end of the video, I'm going to give you 25 outfits, but there are obviously many, many more ways to style these pieces together. Let's start with bags because this video is in collaboration with Oleada. I've worked with them twice before. I've shown their bags before. You would have seen them also in my styling videos because I do use them quite a lot, and I think their bags are great. They are a sustainable brand that uses really interesting materials, and I have two bags to show you. The first one is the Captain Sleeve, which, as you can see, is a laptop sleeve, but it's not just a laptop sleeve, which I will show you in a minute. Now, the reason why I get quite excited when I get to work with Oleada is because their designs are made for women, and they really cater for the things that we actually need. So all their bags are really multifunctional, and you can wear them and use them in loads of different ways. So this laptop sleeve fits up to a 16-inch laptop. The magnetic closure is really secure, and it's really comfortable to hold as well. And when you turn the sleeve around, you can see that there's an additional pouch that clips onto the bag, and you can put in any additional accessories, such as your mouse or your laptop charger. And what's cool is that it unclips from the laptop case so that you can carry it around like a clutch. It's perfect for when you wanna go on your lunch break. You obviously don't wanna take your laptop case around with you. So you can unclip the pouch, carry it around like a clutch, put all your valuables in there, and it's just so easy to take around. But it doesn't just stop there. So this laptop case also has a built-in foldable laptop stand so that you can use it to prop up your laptop when you're working on the go. I think some of you might think I'm a little bit lame, but I used to carry around this metal portable laptop stand so that I could prop up my laptop, and it would just make my bag extra heavy because it's metal. And then I would also get really annoyed if I left it at home, but not anymore with this laptop bag. So I mentioned earlier that Oleada is a sustainable brand, and this kind of leather-feeling material that you see here is actually made out of recycled plastic bottles. And then the front piece here is cotton canvas, and inside is lined with microfiber. So it's really soft when you put your expensive laptop inside. So the next bag I have to show you is the Marina Bucket Bag. This is in the mini size, but you can fit a lot inside, which I'll show you in a bit. The bag is made from by-product leather that's recycled from the food industry. The material feels very sturdy. It's water, stain, and scratch-resistant, so it's a really great everyday bag. There aren't any pockets on the inside of the bag, but because it's that sort of bucket style, it can just fit so much inside. It does, however, come with a pouch that you can attach to the bag, and you can put any of your valuables inside of the pouch. Again, super versatile. You can see that I'm carrying it right now by the top handle, but it also has an adjustable shoulder strap so you can wear it on your shoulder, or you can wear it cross-body. And I like that it's a thick strap as well, so the weight is kind of more distributed on your shoulder, and you don't have anything digging in too harshly onto your shoulder. So like I said, you can fit a lot inside, and I managed to fit in my water bottle. I've got my Kindle and an A5 notebook. I put in my glasses case. I've got my phone, which is the iPhone 14 Pro Max, so the really big one. And then inside the pouch, I also have my keys, a lipstick, and a wallet. And you can see that it just clips on really easily, so that you know that your valuables are safe inside. There are also slip pockets on the outside so that you can put anything in that you just need quick access to as well. This bag also comes in a bigger size that does actually fit a laptop in. So if you're looking for a different kind of work bag, then this could also be a really good option for you as well. If you're interested in any of these bags, Oleada have, of course, given us a discount code. At the moment, they have a holiday offer with a few of their bags already at 20% off, but with the code ADELINE20, you can extend the 20% off site-wide. And every purchase made between now and the 27th of December will receive a $100 gift card, which will be valid until April 2024. Everything will be linked in the description box. If you are looking for any last minute gifts or you just wanna treat yourself to a new work bag, then now is the perfect time. So let's whiz through these items in the capsule, and then we can get onto the styling portion. So starting with trousers, I have one pair of black smart straight leg trousers. These are from And Other Stories, and they're great because I didn't have to alter them. That's always a win. Not only do black trousers kind of go with most things, but they also suit most occasions as well. So I think these are really, really useful. Next, I have a pair of light colored trousers. These are the mason pants from Reformation in the petite size. So again, didn't have to alter them. Always a winner. They're just a really comfortable and smart looking pair of trousers. Next, I have a pair of dark wash jeans. These are the arch jeans from COS, another pair that I've raved about. If you're petite like me, they just fit so well. And I always go for dark wash as I think dark wash denim looks a little bit smarter than like a lighter blue. And then lastly for trousers, I have a pair of faux leather trousers. These are from Mango. I've always worked in pretty casual places because I worked in marketing. So I guess it's, you know, like creative industry. Wearing these to the office would have been fine for me, but obviously if you work somewhere a little bit more formal and leather trousers might be a bit too out there, then of course you don't have to include something like this. But I think it just comes down to the way you style it. You can make these look really dressy, but also you can kind of dress them down and make them office appropriate. Lastly for bottoms, I have one skirt. This is a tailored maxi skirt from COS. If you watched my what's new in my wardrobe video, you would have seen this. I know quite a few of you have also bought this and I just love this skirt. I'm personally not really a dress or skirt person too much, but because this is very sleek and it's in that maxi length, this is almost like an alternative to trousers for me, if that makes sense. I have two shirts in this capsule. The first one, of course, classic white shirt. This is the tomboy shirt from Cezanne. I recently uploaded my Cezanne collection review video, so you can see my thoughts on this shirt if you want. Spoiler alert, I absolutely love this shirt and I think it's perfect for the office. Second shirt I have is a brown one. This is from With Nothing Underneath. Just loving brown at the moment, so wanted to include this. Next, I have a couple of thin knits, which are great for layering under your shirts or jackets. So the first one I have is this merino wool knit from COS. This one is slightly see-through, so you definitely have to wear something on top of it for the office, but it's just a great piece to have that extra layer of warmth without being really bulky. The next thin knit I have is this black turtleneck. This is also merino wool, but it's slightly thicker than this one. So it's not see-through, you can wear it on its own, but you can also layer it under shirts as well. And then lastly, I have this cashmere short-sleeve turtleneck from Marks and Spencers. I think it's really kind of chic, this kind of short-sleeve turtleneck look. So again, this is one you can wear alone, but because it's quite a thin cashmere, you can also layer as well. For slightly thicker jumpers when it's really cold, I have this one from COS. This is a new in-piece for me. Like I said, I am just loving brown at the moment. So when I saw this, I had to buy it. And then secondly, for a different sort of color, I've got this cashmere jumper from Reformation. Another piece that I am just loving at the moment. No office capsule would be complete without any sort of smart jacket, and I've got two. The first one is this plaid one from W Concept. It is 100% wool, so it's gonna keep you warm, but it's still quite thin, so you're not like overly bulky. And the second one I have is also from W Concept. This is in more of that sort of boot clay fabric. And then I also think the buttons are different than your normal kind of round gold buttons. So it makes it a little bit more modern and interesting. And then I do of course have one coat. This is a black sort of long tailored coat. And I honestly think this is the most versatile coat that I own. It just sits so well on top of like majority of what I own in my wardrobe. I think a coat like this is, it's just so versatile. And just a side note, when we get to the styling portion of the video in a second, I'm not gonna style this coat because you will just see me wear it on top of every single outfit. And I don't think you need to see that 25 times. So this is what the coat looks like on, and just trust me when I say it matches with all of the outfits in this capsule. And then lastly, I have three pairs of shoes. So the first pair are of course a pair of boots. I absolutely adore these boots. They are the perfect heel height for like a day to night. I can go all day in these, no problem. And I just love the shape of them. I think the elongated toe looks really expensive, but these are just from And Other Stories, and I've had them for two or maybe three years. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore, but I have been looking at some dupes online and I think I found a few, so I will have those linked. Then I think if you wanna have a more casual office day, I do have a pair of converses. Again, like I said, I've always worked in pretty casual places where no one would bat an eyelid if I wore converses, but obviously, you know your office best, and if you need a slightly smarter pair of sneakers, then that's what you go for. And then lastly, a pair of brown suede loafers. These are from Dear Francis. I don't think they're available on the website anymore. They have a different pair of brown loafers, which I'll link below. And also Arquette have their version of a brown suede loafer, which I'll also have linked. Obviously, suede is like not the most practical shoe choice of wintertime, especially if you live somewhere that rains a lot. I've sprayed these with that spray that kind of repels water. Obviously, I still wouldn't wear this if it was like pouring with rain, but a little drizzle here and there, I think is okay. And then lastly for accessories, I have two belts, one black leather belt from Totem, and one brown suede belt. This is from Andersons. Again, dark brown suede, or just brown in general. I'm just really, really loving. And I think this is one sort of major tip for creating a cohesive capsule wardrobe. You need to go with a color palette that kind of work well with each other. So you can see that I've got a lot of quite dark, muted, earthy tones. They obviously don't all have to be neutrals. I mean, I've even got like a red jumper in here. As long as they are all in that same sort of tone, that same shade, and they all manage to work with each other, then that is the key to a successful capsule wardrobe. So without much further ado, we can finally get onto the styling. A brown shirt, black trousers, and boots, a perfect smart casual formula. If you need another layer for warmth, you can wear the cream merino knit under the shirt. If you want to look more formal, you can wear the plaid jacket on top instead. Or if you want to dress it down, then you can change to converses. If you don't want to wear converses, but still want to dress a little bit more casual, you can switch to jeans and loafers. If you want to channel a modern day Steve Jobs, then you can wear the black turtleneck with sneakers and a black belt. And you can always switch up the outfit by adding a jacket and changing to boots. What's great about these thinner knits is that you can layer a shirt on top, so you can continue wearing your cotton shirts throughout winter too. For a really minimal look, I love the turtleneck on its own with a pair of smart trousers. And what's so great about these trousers is that they're in the petite length, so I can wear them with flat loafers too. For a really cozy look, I have matched the brown loafers with a brown knit and brown suede belt. For a cozy yet slightly more refined outfit, you can wear the cream cashmere turtleneck with the cream trousers. And for another layer, you can add the plaid jacket too. This is 100% wool, so it will keep you really, really warm. To change the feel of the look entirely, I've just changed the trousers to the faux leather trousers. This could be a great look if you have drinks after work. The black jacket also works really well over this outfit, and it follows the three-color rule so that the look is really cohesive. Of course, you can always go for a classic white shirt. This neutralizes the tough leather trousers and dresses them down, making them more office appropriate. If you want to go for a trendy but still classic outfit, then you can opt for a maxi skirt. This also pairs really well with the thin cream knit and black jacket. Another great look if you have after work drinks or dinner. If you feel like that's too much black for you, the plaid jacket also looks really smart too. The crop jacket works so well with the maxi length skirt. Another cozy bear look is to pair the maxi skirt with the brown jumper. You can even pair this with flat loafers. I love the look of the brown suede peeking through. For a more festive look for this time of year, we can switch to the burgundy cashmere jumper. I absolutely love the cropped fit and the wide sleeves. And this jumper obviously goes really well with the cream trousers and the jeans for a more casual look, or the black trousers for a smarter look. So this is not every single outfit that can be created with these pieces, but I think you get the picture. And I really hope that this gave you some inspiration for your winter workwear outfits. Remember that you can get 20% off Oliara's website with the code ADELINE20, and any purchases made between now and the 27th of December will receive a $100 gift card. Thank you so much for watching, and I will see you in the next video.