A Smarter Capsule Wardrobe for Fall (15 items!)

Fall is a season where style can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to. A capsule wardrobe means every piece earns its place. You feel polished, you save money with better cost per wear, and outfits come together effortlessly. And it doesn't just have to be neutrals or basics. So today I'm going to be sharing with you the 15 pieces that are going to be in my fall capsule so that they can inspire your own. And I'll be sharing some styling tips and outfit ideas so that you can get inspiration from your own closet. Starting with the first staple, t-shirts. So I think when it comes to building a seasonal wardrobe, it really does come back down to the basics. These are truly going to be the building blocks of your wardrobe. A t-shirt is just so easy and I think the best part about it is that they can be dressed up and down. If you're just building out the foundation of not even your fall capsule wardrobe, but your wardrobe for year round, I think you will do great with a white t-shirt, a black t-shirt, and then some kind of other color that you really like. For me, I'm going to go for things like navy, gray, and brown. I always like my t-shirts to be made of majority natural fibers so that they stay breathable. And some of my favorite t-shirts have been from Cos, Everlane, Uniqlo, Cotton, and Arquette. This one is the heavyweight t-shirt from Arquette. I've worn it in white before. I really loved it, so I decided to get it in navy. And this one is from Uniqlo. It's a bit more casual, more boxy, flowy, oversized. But if you're not a fan of the plain t-shirt, I think this is your time to really just play around with what resonates with your style. Whether it be things like a graphic tee, a tee that is more embellished with things like ruching and other details, or adding things like stripes or patterns that work on the easiest, most casual days and can even be dressed up. The next wardrobe staple just goes so well with that plain tee, and that is a good pair of denim. I think denim is a staple in every wardrobe, no matter what the season. But if we're talking fall, then that's when it's nice to lean into more dark washes, like your indigos, your blacks, and your grays. And I changed the way I shop for denim quite a bit in the last few years. I used to really just rely on the idea that I'd find one or two pairs of jeans that I absolutely loved, that fit me perfectly, that made my butt look good, that went with everything. And what I would do is I would just buy that same style, that exact same pair, in a bunch of different washes. And I felt good to go. And that's not a bad thing, but what it did leave me craving was a bit more variety. And sometimes it would just make me feel a bit too same-same every day. So what I'd like to do instead is not only look for denim in different washes, that is important because the wash does sort of dictate the mood and how casual a piece of denim feels. But more importantly, I started to focus on the different silhouettes of denim. And this, I think, is what's going to give you a lot more versatility and depth within your closet. And it will help you troubleshoot your outfits as well. So for example, I really like these wide leg dark wash jeans from A. Goldie. Not only did these dress up and down so easily, but they almost feel like a wide leg trouser. So I just feel really elongated and polished when I do wear them. But sometimes I want something a bit more chill. So I might go for something like this with a little bit of distressing. It's more laid back. It's a bit more faded in a more relaxed silhouette. And if I want to feel really polished and elevated, I might go for a more sculptural pair of jeans like these. These kind of have a bit more of a barrel balloon silhouette. So they give you some nice shape. And they are in a dark indigo wash. So it just feels really clean and elevated right off the bat. So I have my go-to denim for when I want to feel more polished and put together. And then I have my more casual denim for when I want to feel a bit more laid back. And I think that's just going to give you a lot more versatility and range in your closet. And help you troubleshoot outfits when something does feel off. Now, sometimes when you're getting dressed, you don't always want to wear a t-shirt. It might feel a little bit too casual. And that's where I think having a nice variety of button-down shirts is really going to come in handy, especially in the fall. And again, with a button-down, it doesn't have to be boring at all. There's so many interesting styles and silhouettes that I've seen come out lately that I feel like has given such a nice, refreshing take on your typical boring old button-down. So you can go classic in a blue or white like this. But I have also really been loving button-downs that just have a little bit of something extra to them. Like this one, for example, it is made of 100% silk. It's kind of like a brushed jersey type of silk. So it's not that precious. But you can wear it buttoned in the front. Or it has an extra button so you can wear it to the side like this. Which just adds that little bit of extra shape and interest to the top. And this one, for example, even though it's a simple basic black top, it actually has some shoulder pads in there. And it's kind of something a little extra to look at. Something more interesting. Some other fun silhouettes that I've been seeing for the season is like this top from Cost. So this is your typical structured button-down shirt. But it does have that little bit of extra something with this balloon shape in the sleeves that just makes things a bit more interesting. But if you want to wear it in a classic way, you still have that option. You can roll up the sleeves. You could tuck these in. You can wear these with skirts, trousers, over dresses. I feel like a button-down is just so versatile. And the button-down doesn't have to always just be made of cotton. I think having a denim button-down or some kind of denim jacket in the fall is such a nice option to add into your capsule. This is the time for it to shine. I love a look of denim on denim. And don't worry, the denims don't need to match. I think it actually looks a little more cool and undone, a little bit more laid back if it doesn't match, if the tones are a little bit off. This is a denim button-down shirt I've had for years. It's from Aritzia from the Denim Forum. I love wearing this on its own, either fully done up or slightly undone. I also like layering it under blazers and jackets to give just a bit more depth and dimension. I think that what I love about a denim shirt is that you can wear it as a shirt, but you can also definitely just wear it as a jacket or a layering piece on its own, which makes it go so much further in your wardrobe than you might think. This next piece is truly a staple, I think, in a year-round wardrobe, not just fall. But fall is also the time for layering. So I think this is truly when it gets to shine. And that is a blazer. Now, I am partial to a blazer. They're probably my most worn piece in my closet. I just love how they elevate things so easily. I love that you can dress them down. I wear blazers with jeans, with trousers, with dresses, skirts, even track pants. In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with a classic black, sleek, tailored blazer. But it really just depends on your personal style and the silhouette you want to go for. Some people really enjoy oversize while others might want something more cropped or even something with little extra details like this, for example. These have some cutout sleeves. This is a perfectly tailored classic blazer, but then I just kind of go like this and it makes you do a little bit of a double take. So you can find pieces like that that just add that little bit of extra to take it from something that feels a bit more classic and expected to a little more unexpected. And just like you can play around with shape and silhouette here, don't forget to play around with things like texture. Like this blazer I am so excited to wear. Again, it's a 100% suede vintage blazer that I got off of eBay that I just think is so cool. I love layering this, especially with things like denim. I think the texture of the brown suede and the texture of the blue denim just looks so cool together. You can also play around with things like leather. This is a vintage Banana Republic leather blazer that I drifted off of Depop like five years ago. I wear this all the time. I love it in the fall, especially. It's so good. And it's just a little less flat than your typical wool blazer. And this is something that's a bit more new in my wardrobe. It's a wool blazer from Kos, but it's just really sleek and beautiful. I don't have anything like it, but it's this kind of stand collar silhouette with one button at the top. So I just think it looks really chic and almost regal in a way. And for me, it's just something that's a bit different, which is what I think is really important, especially if you're building a capsule wardrobe and you just want it to feel like a little bit more than your typical classics that everybody recommends. Classics with a twist. That's what we want. Next, I want to talk about outerwear because this is the time. If you're looking to go classic of classic and you want something that is versatile that you can also wear, not only in fall, but also in springtime, then I think you really cannot go wrong with a classic trench coat. I always like my trenches to be a bit roomy, a bit more oversized, simply for the fact that you can layer underneath them. So the jacket doesn't need to be swallowing you whole. Don't worry about that. It's more so you can still layer your chunky knits, other jackets, things like that underneath without feeling too constrained. You still want to have some relaxation and ease in your outfit and you want to feel that way while you're wearing it too. If this camel collar is not your thing, I've seen some beautiful burgundies, greens, khakis, black, brown. Go for a color or pattern that you love, that feels interesting, whatever speaks to you. But I think just the general idea of a trench coat, especially in the fall, is you just cannot go wrong with. And if you are a blazer lover like me, then why not get yourself a blazer coat? I just love this. I just think it looks so elevated, so polished. I wear this over the most casual, easygoing outfits. And I think it's a perfect layering piece for when it is slightly cooler out, but just not quite where you don't actually need like a proper wool winter coat yet. It is just so cool. I feel it's very like row coated, Olsen twin coated in my opinion. And I just feel like this jacket was just made for me because I am such a blazer lover. I love them that much. But another jacket that's been an absolute fall staple is actually a windbreaker. I feel like you're going to be seeing these quite a lot. The more kind of sporty, anorak kind of utility wear is really popular right now. So I feel like there's no shortage of jackets like these right now in store. But I don't think you're going to fall victim to any trends here because these are so classic and they have such great utility to them. Like they're actually useful. This is the windproof jacket with stand collar from Uniqlo. At the moment it is sold out, but I will leave a very similar one link down below that's actually made of cotton that you might like better. So definitely check that out. But I have been wearing this jacket nonstop and I actually really like to pair it with things that feel a bit more polished and elevated, like a really clean pair of jeans, a pointed toe flat, adding some accessory with it. And then you just kind of throw on this more sporty jacket and just add that cool bit of contrast that still feels really laid back and more importantly, practical. I also really like the high neck here, but this jacket is also really cool too because it has a hidden hood that is built in. So if you get caught in the rain because fall is actually quite wet and the weather's a bit more unpredictable, especially as we get deeper into the fall months. It's a great catch-all jacket that I think looks really good. So I've been wearing this jacket so much since I got it. I'm very fixated on it right now, but we love it. We love being cool and practical. And if you're not really into the sort of windbreaker kind of vibe, you might prefer something like a chore jacket. This one was actually gifted to me from Kos. They must've seen all the videos. I talked about raving about their t-shirts or something. So I was, I was like, are you sure you have the right person, me? They reached out, they said, please pick a couple of items. So I did go with this utility style jacket. This is kind of like a shirt jacket though. You can kind of wear it fully done up and kind of rock it as a shirt, or you can throw it on more like a jacket as a layer. But it is so nice. It's so soft. It's made of 98% cotton, 2% elastane. So it's going to be breathable, but it has that little bit of stretch, a little bit of anti-wrinkle properties in there. But again, I think a jacket like this, you know, you can wear it a bit more casually, but I think it would also look really great with something like a silk skirt, silk pants, silk or satin trousers. You can definitely use this as a contrast piece to bring down the feeling of pieces that feel a bit more precious or dressy. And I think that's a really great way to get a lot more versatility in your closet, especially when you do use pieces like this as a tool to build contrast. Now, I want to talk about a few more bottoms that I think are going to be such staples in your closet. If I was going to recommend just one thing, it would be a pair of dress trousers. I'm always a fan of a classic black, but you can go with navy, gray. You can even go with a lot of really cool colors, patterns. Again, this is where you can really play around. If you're not into wide leg, you might like this more sculptural barrel silhouette like this or something that's a bit more slimline and tapered. It's really up to you and what your style is. But if you are looking to fill that gap in your wardrobe, some of my favorites have been the way high pant from Everlane. The trousers from Koss are particularly awesome because they do majority natural fibers. In the winter, they'll do wool. In the summer, they'll do linen and cotton. And the other really cool thing about the Koss dress pants is that they have this adjustable detail in the waist. So you can let them out if things are feeling a bit tight or you can tighten them up if you need that. So it just gives that little bit of extra versatility that I think is so handy and useful, especially if you want to be on the more minimal side of your wardrobe and just not have a lot of pieces to fuss with. Then having clothes with that built-in functionality is so useful. And this is something, you know, I did want to give these an honorable mention. These are new to me. And I get a lot of questions about like, well, what if I work from home? I don't want to wear a pair of wool dress pants at home, but I still feel really kind of grumpy and polished. I want to feel a bit more put together than that, but I don't want to feel so tightened up and fussy at the same time. And wool is also a bit more difficult to take care of, to wash. That's why I do want to recommend these day drift pants from Lululemon. If you work from home, these are going to be your new favorite trousers because they look like a dress pants. They're pleated. They're flowy. They're really chic and polished, but there are no buttons, no zippers. These are a pull-on waist. So these are kind of like a track pant, but not. I find these really comfortable. They don't wrinkle. They have proper pockets and there's no buttons or zippers and you just kind of throw them on. So I think these are perfect if you're looking for that little bit of extra feeling of polish without a lot of the fuss that kind of can come with that in some cases. This is where technical fabrics like this, I think can really come in handy and I think they look great. They're really comfortable and just looking at them, you would never know that they're not like real dress pants. So I was really excited when I learned about these because I just get that question so much and some people just don't want to wear jeans or wool trousers at home. I get it. So there you go. Something I think you can have a lot of fun with, especially this fall because it is a bit more on trend and I think it is a trend that is easy to adopt that I don't think will feel too costumey or out of the ordinary and that is rocking your more sporty pieces. So whether it be something like a pair of track pants or a pair of leggings and for me, this is a way that I'm going to be incorporating pops of color into my closet. I feel a bit more comfortable wearing color in sportswear and more athletic gear and I think pairing it with all the other neutrals in the closet and the more elevated pieces is just a nice way to play around with contrast and it's a nice way just to feel more cool and fun but still feel a bit more dressed down and casual on those more laid back days. So I actually like pairing these track pants with things like ballet flats, blazers, button downs. To me, they act as a really fun contrast piece that just adds a little spice to... Look at this. Everything is blue and black and brown so this wardrobe needs a little spice, didn't it? And finally for bottoms, I think you know with all the pants and dress trousers and jeans, it can feel a bit too masculine for some people, a bit too menswear which is where I think it's nice to add in some skirts or dresses. In particular for me, I really like a maxi skirt or a midi skirt and in the fall, I love the idea of pairing it with a taller boot because it creates just such a nice, beautiful, long line silhouette. It also keeps you nice and covered for when the weather is a bit colder. I've been seeing things like bubble skirts, cotton poplin skirts. For me, I'm always just a fan of a sleek, minimalist silk skirt whether it be midi, maxi, whatever length that you like and I like the idea of pairing something that feels more silky, soft and feminine with more casual pieces like oversized t-shirts, like button downs. I think this with the denim shirt would look really cool with a pair of boots. So if you're craving a bit more of softness and femininity, I think adding a dress or a skirt is such a nice thing to have in the closet and I'm actually really excited to style this for the fall. And yes, fall is a time for layering but not everybody is going to be down with things like a button down, a chore jacket or a blazer and that's where I think having a couple of cardigans and knitwear comes in handy. Again, I personally like a cardigan to be a bit more lightweight because that way it lends itself to some really great layering. So I always like to look for mine in a 100% cashmere or a merino wool type of cardigan as opposed to materials that are a bit more chunky and thick. Finally, I want to talk about shoes and accessories because I think these categories in your closet in particular are actually quite underrated and underutilized when it comes to really taking your outfits to the next level. So if you have a lot of these classics covered in your wardrobe and you still feel like something is missing, it could be in one of these categories that you can consider adding just to spice things up and really fill that gap. For footwear, if we're going classic of classic, I love a pair of black boots in the fall. These ones have a bit more of a western aesthetic to them but what I particularly like to look for in a black boot for me is a more elongated pointed toe silhouette and I like a kitten heel because not only do I want to be able to walk comfortably to where I need to go but I want to actually be able to get a lot of wear out of my shoes and if the heel is too high, I'm just not gonna wear it. But whatever style you like, whatever color, this is where you can have a lot of fun but if you were starting from scratch then I would say a black boot is a great place to start. In the fall especially is when I like to bust out a tall boot. These ones I have had for absolute years and I love the more snake skin patent leather texture on them. They just add a little bit of something. To me, adding that little bit of detail just takes it to the next level, makes it a bit more interesting but still remain classic and easy to wear. If you are not feeling a boot, this is when I love to wear a classic flat whether it be a ballet flat, a Mary Jane and this is again where you can really play around with things like color, shape and texture. I think a metallic flat is so much fun. These are some of my most worn ballet flats. I've had these for years. I've taken them to my cobbler twice now to be fixed. They're still going strong and they are one of my favorite pieces just to add that little bit of extra interest in an otherwise basic outfit. And if you want something a bit more classic or more menswear then I think a simple loafer is really good. These ones are from J.H. Bass. They're like a classic penny loafer. I'm not a huge loafer wearer but sometimes I really do like to reach for them. I prefer a more slimline silhouette loafer myself. I find if things get a bit too chunky that I sometimes feel like it can look and feel a bit too heavy in the outfit but a classic loafer, I really don't think you can go wrong. With bags, I think you can do pretty much anything you want but in fall in particular is when I like to bust out my suede bags. It always just feels the most autumnal. It is the time for it to shine and I think having a couple of bags in different shapes, sizes, and textures will really help take your outfits to that next level. And finally, we don't want to forget about accessories. So for me, I'm a huge fan of adding a bit of a sporty element to an outfit. So I love a cutie little baseball cap, some great sunglasses. I've actually been enjoying seeing a lot of how bangles are being styled right now. I'm seeing them layered like this over jackets which I think is really cool. If you don't have any bangles, you can also do that with your watch or your timepiece. I think that would look really great and that way you don't need to buy anything new but pieces like this are also so easily thriftable and if you just play around with things like layering or throwing on a cuff like this, I think would look really great with just like a plain t-shirt. I think adding that little bit of sparkle and shine, especially in things like jewelry, is such a nice way to again, take that outfit to another level. So that's everything that's going to be in my fall capsule wardrobe that I am so looking forward to wearing this season. That's just going to make getting dressed feel so easy. Let me know in the comments what you're adding to your own wardrobe this season and if you want to know which stores are worth shopping at that are worth the money, check out this video next to find out. Thanks for watching and I'll see you next week. Bye.