This is an alternative Spring Capsule Wardrobe using the same plan as my previous post showing a Capsule Wardrobe built around a black base,
This is a very simple method to create a useful seasonal wardrobe.
- First pick the base color – in this post I have chosen tones of ivory through pale brown. You will need several outer tops and a couple or more of bottoms. Here I have gathered up whatever I had in my closet – ivory lightweight cord jeans, beige straight-cut cotton chinos, a new suede jacket, a cream boyfriend shirt in thicker cotton, an ivory oversized cardigan, a pale beige sweatshirt and an ivory knitted tank top.
- Then add any tops you like that suit the weather. Again, I’ve used whatever I had in my closet but I’ll probably add a couple of new patterned items as the season gets warmer here in the UK.
- Set aside several pairs of shoes, smarter and more casual, plus sandals if your weather is warm enough. Then rummage through your bags from years past to find whatever will co-ordinate with your shoes or your tops.
- Then think about the final touches – jewelry, a scarf or two perhaps, and hair ornaments if you wear them.
Now you have all you need until the weather turns hot. No more complaining that you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear!
Watch my beige capsule try-on
The simple white linen top
Bright white works really well with creams and beiges. Beige is notoriously difficult to wear next to your face if you have a pale complexion, but the white is fine.
The striped collarless cardigan
You can wear any color top (not outer top) using this basic formula. This thicker cotton cardigan gives some structure to a basically casual look.
The bright blue linen shirt
I guess we all have lots of linen tops. They are so versatile. This bold blue shirt from Boden adds a dash of color to the pale outer tops and cords. On colder Spring days I add two or even three layers.
The black short-sleeved tee
A simple square-cut cotton tee in black can be styled smarter, when appropriate, by adding gold chains, a belt and perhaps a colorful scarf tied to your bag.
The patterned beach shirt
We recently had a few days of warm weather here in England – heralded by the media as a heatwave! So I bought this inexpensive long, wide, boldly patterned beach shirt from Tesco (a big supermarket chain in the UK). When the weather’s cooler (i.e. most of Springtime) I can tuck it into my cord jeans and add a cardigan or the tank top and even the jacket.
The pink striped tee
Stripes look sporty when worn with a sweatshirt and trainers. Add a cardigan, a boyfriend shirt or a jacket to go shopping.
The navy silk shirt
This navy silk shirt has been a staple of so many of my wardrobes over the last few years. But it washes and presses well, so here it is again. It makes a good contrast with my complexion so wearing beige is possible.
I hope you’ve found these simple outfits useful as a starting point to look at your own wardrobe and create new outfits from what you already have. You really don’t need many items to feel put together and ready for the day, every day.
Most of these clothes have been purchased over the last few years from marksandspencer.com. As they are currently experiencing a malevolent bug they are not selling online just now. I’ll update this post when this changes (unless the new tariffs mean UK companies no longer export to the USA.)
Take a look at a similar try-on I did earlier when the weather was colder, basing my capsule on black items: A Simple Spring Capsule Wardrobe at 75.