Over the last few months I've been building a colourful wardrobe of clothes from Kettlewell in my colours (Winter), which should last me for several years. It now takes up one half of my wardrobe. And Mr Mutton then issued an edict that my coats Had To Go. From his wardrobe, at least.
So I became very ruthless, putting aside anything that was the wrong colour and anything I hadn't worn for a year. I've even started to get rid of some of my quirky shoes because I can't wear heels any more (boots give more support so are still fine).
My Kettlewell wardrobe is a perfect capsule collection, because every colour goes with each other. Winters are supposed to have a lot of contrast and I found this difficult at first. Red with pink? Bright blue with bright pink? But now I enjoy experimenting.
I was never keen on the idea of a capsule wardrobe before because I was a maximalist, particularly on holiday. I could never do carry-on, except for a one night stay.
But now I find it quite liberating. And it focuses the mind on: where are the gaps in my wardrobe? And what do I have too much of? I certainly didn't need several "fancy" coats, the wool or cashmere type which seldom work in our rainy climate. I also got rid of a couple of patterned cotton shirts. They were lovely but the buttons used to gape across the bust and I always felt the stiff cotton made me look boxy. I prefer softer fabrics.
The other thing is, the way I dress has changed. I've heard this from a lot of women. I'm only going to the office once or twice a week and the rest of the time I'm in athleisure. I used to go to glamorous events in my previous job but that ship has sailed. I may not even need a glamorous party frock for Christmas because it's unclear if there will be an office party. Plus I kept a couple of LBDs, winter being the only season, in theory, that can carry off black!
My Kettlewell wardrobe is perfectly suited to the office, where I don't like to look too casual. The sweaters, soft sweatshirts, beanies and silky roll necks are great for winter walks. Meanwhile, adding some jewellery, colourful boots or an infinity scarf means I can easily put together an outfit for an evening out or trip to an art gallery.
The outfits shown here are all based on Kettlewell except for the skirts. The navy skirt at the top is new, the Cavendish skirt from Boden. The circle print skirt is around 10 years old, also from Boden. The grey trousers are very old from M&S.
A Holiday Capsule
I tried capsule dressing on holiday back in July - below - and it actually worked! We went to a lovely hotel in the Lake District. For the evening dinners, which are a little formal, I took a few Kettlewell pieces which I was able to mix and match, plus just one pair of trousers and one pair of shoes (in addition to my hiking boots and trainers). The Kettlewell clothes rolled up, didn't get creased, and gave me enough variety. Previously, I would have taken a different outfit for each night with several pairs of shoes.
The icing on the cake
Those you in the UK will be familiar with the logistical difficulties in taking a lot of bags to a charity shop. Where I live they're all in shopping streets where you can't park. So I was thrilled to find a charity collection service, I Collect Clothes, which called by to pick up my bags. You choose from their list of charities, or let them decide. In the end there were six bags (I had already accumulated three bags over lockdown) plus two boxes of books. As I watched it go, I, and the house, felt lighter. There's a lot to be said for getting rid of what we don't need.
Do you go through the same process with your winter and summer turnaroumds? Has lockdown changed how you dress? Do let me know in the comments.
No items were gifted for this post and no affiliate links were used.
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Last Week's Favourites
How to Wear a Sweatsuit by Rosemary at Distinctly Southern Style
French and California Inspired Fall Wardrobe by Jennifer at Curated by Jennifer. The skirt featured below is the Cavendish by Boden, which I'm wearing in the top picture!
5 Natural Ways to Combat Stress by Shelbee of Shelbee On the Edge
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