Day 2 of 30 FASHION CODES in 30 DAYS

It’s Day 2! Today I’d like to do my part to remind us all that it is November, and thus the start of what I like to call, “The Dissecting Periods” Events which require a level of dressiness that also accommodates the recipes you wait patiently for all year. It’s like Christmas, but with less stress, and more eating and drink with family and friends. This is a celebration, okay? You want to dress in a way that gives the occasion a sense of festiveness, but also comfortably enough to be able to enjoy all the amazing dishes, lol. But how will you dress for these events or future events, if you don’t have the reliable staples?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of classic pieces that work together with versatility, allowing you to create look after look with just a few items. A capsule wardrobe consists of your most essential clothing items, which serve as the building blocks of your closet. You can create entire looks with just the capsule wardrobe, and you can also layer capsule pieces with seasonal pieces and trendy, fast-fashion items.

Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

A complete capsule wardrobe comes with a few great benefits:

1. Versatility: The beauty of a capsule wardrobe is that it's so versatile. You can mix and match every day for the next few years and feel like you have something completely fresh. Each item in your capsule wardrobe can be worn with many other pieces within your closet, and it doesn't feel like it's been seen a thousand times over.

2. Simplicity: Having a versatile capsule wardrobe of reliable basics will help you get dressed in less time and avoid decision fatigue. By working with a minimalist wardrobe, you can become your own stylist, coming up with outfit ideas for a set number of pieces.

3. Longevity: Although your style may change over the years, a capsule wardrobe should work for any age. The items in your capsule collection are investments—timeless pieces that you can rework for years to come.

Essential Items to Include in Your Capsule Wardrobe

The majority of the items within this capsule wardrobe work for males and females.

1. A great piece of outerwear: Whether it’s an overcoat, a denim jacket, or something heavier-weight, make sure you have a great piece of outerwear.

2. Button-up shirts: You may not want to wear a button-up shirt every day, but, eventually, you will need a button-up shirt. And it can be used in a very casual, fun way; It doesn’t have to feel super-corporate. So invest in a couple. Go for a white and a black, or other colours that make you feel like you, for example, a navy, a brown, and a beige. Stick with neutrals. It's a lot easier to play around with those.

3. A great-fitting suit: This does not have to be expensive. You can get something relatively inexpensive and have it tailored. But make sure it fits you to perfection. Again, choose a neutral colour : It can either be a darker neutral (like black or gray) or a lighter neutral (such as beige or cream). It does not matter if you don't have a job that requires you to wear a corporate suit. Break the suit up into a blazer and black pants or a pencil skirt, and you can wear it in so many different ways beyond your work wardrobe.

4. Knitwear: You will eventually need knitwear at some point of the year. Stick with something relatively neutral that really flatters your body shape. If you like a crew neck, go with a crew neck. If you are slightly shorter, go with a cropped sweater. If you embrace a longer length, go with something longer. You only need two pieces: Consider one cardigan and one pullover.

5. T-shirts: A T-shirt is something that is so simple you can get it from pretty much any store. Go for whatever feels like your neutral colour: black, white, brown, gray.

6. Denim: Denim is a major component of your capsule wardrobe. Decide on the shades of denim you like. Decide on the fits of denim you like by trying on multiple options. And then, once you've narrowed it down to a pair of jeans that you know that you will appreciate for many years to come, get a couple of pairs of those jeans, in different colours, such as a black that will go with almost anything, and a pair of blue, which is universal. Denim is easy to dress up and dress down.

7. Footwear: You’ll want at least two pairs of shoes. A white sneaker will never go out of style because it goes with everything. For work or special occasions, you might want something dressier. If you are the kind of person who likes a heel, go for a heel, but in a more neutral colour, such as nude. For those days when you don't feel like walking around in a heel all day, try a dressed-up flat that isn't a sneaker. Go for something neutral, again. A black is perfect: It's going to go with pretty much everything in your closet.

8. A belt: Every now and then, you'll want to jazz up your outfit. A statement belt does exactly that. If you need the belt to hold up your pants, consider buying pants in a different size or getting your pants tailored. The statement belt isn’t about function; it’s about fashion.Look for something that you know you'll wear for years.

9. A dress: Keep it super simple. You can go for a little black dress or a little green dress. Choose a colour that makes you feel confident, something that goes well with the other pieces in your capsule. Look for a classic shape, like an A-line dress with spaghetti straps—which is a fit you can rework endlessly—in a high-quality, classic material, like satin.

Now, go forth and ace that look You have my unwavering support. Cheers!