Personal style may vary with individual tastes, but the power of luxury clothing has endured through decades. Timeless pieces like well-tailored trousers, the perfect pair of jeans, a leather jacket, or a cashmere sweater are all classic pieces — better known as the clothing items that never truly go out of fashion. They're what some might call investment pieces: more expensive than fast fashion, but crafted from premium fabrics likelier to stand the test of time, especially for those with busy lifestyles.
One of the more affordable ways to insert the power of luxury clothing into your closet while remaining budget-smart is by adopting a capsule wardrobe. By making a conscious choice to curate a relatively small everyday wardrobe featuring only proven closet mainstays, you can achieve chic everyday style for daily life without breaking the bank.
The Essential Pieces for a Chic Capsule Wardrobe
These days, the notion of chic capsule wardrobes that pare overflowing closets down to tasteful yet essential pieces and classic options for daily life are currently all the rage. Not only does a basic capsule wardrobe full of investment pieces pave the way toward a coveted catwalk to closet sense of style — it's also heavily associated with the growing movement toward sustainable fashion.
How Conscious Consumerism and Sustainable Fashion Improve Environmental Issues
A growing awareness of environmental issues has led to a boom in conscious consumerism. Accordingly, high end brands are increasingly investing resources in innovative designs featuring natural fabrics and other eco-friendly materials. Eco-minded consumers will be pleased to learn that there's now a whole market for sustainable clothing by reputable designers.
Including sustainable materials and natural fabrics in your wardrobe are a great way to preserve our planet for future generations. However, wearing eco-friendly materials isn't the only way to save the environment. Embracing capsule collections — and thus eliminating wasteful clothing purchases — also reduces damage to our ecosystems.
These proven benefits have led many fashionistas to turn a critical eye to their own current wardrobe, trying to identify its staple pieces for all four seasons.
Cozy Choices for a Winter Capsule Wardrobe
Staying warm is the order of the day for a good winter capsule wardrobe. Invest in cozy choices for outerwear like a good wool coat. A classic trench coat, bomber jacket, or barn jacket can also be a good option, if it's got sufficiently warm lining like down feathers or fleece. These already timeless and comfortable styles have also inspired puffer jackets with similar silhouettes, which are a great way to stay both cozy and chic.
Owning a couple good pairs of jeans is usually a solid year-round investment, but for winter, a nice woolen pair of trousers — or a pair of trousers boasting innovative designs for preserving heat, such as luxurious fleeced interiors — might be bang worth your buck, especially if you're dealing with particularly frigid temperatures. Cashmere sweaters, elevated crew necks, and chic cardigans, meanwhile, will keep your upper body nice and cozy, while still showing off your sense of fashion.
As for footwear, in the past, the equestrian-inspired boot made waves for autumn wardrobes, but these closet staples can be converted for winter with an appropriate sole and insulation. You can also DIY boot insulation with the aid of leg warmers or thick socks. This trick works well for classic black ankle boots too!
Key Pieces for a Summer Capsule Wardrobe
While sandals and sundresses are classic choices for summer, there's also something to be said for variety. While a cozy barn jacket probably isn't the best option for a hot July day, ballet flats can be a good warm weather compromise for girls who prefer close-toed shoes over sandals.
Consider chic, unexpeted silhouettes that still work for the weather — for example, a sleeveless turtleneck crafted from summer-friendly fabrics.
The Sleeveless Turtleneck LITE
In-Between Seasons: Taking Your Summer or Winter Capsule Wardrobe into Autumn and Spring
Classic designs for hot weather and cold weather might feel obvious to you, but what about those pesky transitional seasons like autumn and spring? Never fear. If you already have good summer and winter staples, your everyday style should translate pretty seamlessly into more moderate temperatures.
For example, the elegant evening jacket you wear over a turtleneck in winter looks just as classy over a sleeveless silk blouse for spring. The flirty A-line skirt you rock over bare thighs in summer can still be worn over a good pair of tights during cooler autumn seasons. Pair those A-line skirts with the cute cardigan you bought for winter, and you're all set.
As for outerwear, instead of layering your chic cardigans under a winter puffer or wool coat, opt for a bomber jacket or barn jacket for the fall. As a bonus, these classic jacket options also look great over that little black dress you wear during all seasons. And since we already know that the equestrian-inspired boot made waves in previous autumns, there's no reason you can't keep these timeless pieces around to finish off your outfit this October. You'll be the envy of chic city girls everywhere.
From Day Clutches to Charming Pendant Necklaces: Key Elements of Accessorizing
Making smart, chic clothing choices is all very well, but what about accessories? With the wide range of options out there — from classic options for day clutches to charming pendant necklaces — figuring out how to blend wardrobe essentials for a basic outfit with accessories like a chic clutch or dainty gold nameplate necklaces can be a real head scratcher.
The key here is figuring out the aesthetics that work best for both your everyday life and your personal tastes. For example, if you lead a super active lifestyle, loading your neck down with lots of heavy statement necklaces that tangle or break easily might not be the best fir for your current lifestyle or daily routine.
Instead, consider lighter, subtler jewelry like dainty gold nameplate necklaces or accessory designs with street style. You might, for example, trade in the chic clutch for a more practical and versatile bag like a small cross-body satchel. The simple cotton version of an expensive leather bag can be just as stylish, but easier to care for — and less expensive.
Consider Your Color Palette
The most beautiful accessories in the world will never become true closet staples if they don't complement the items you've already incorporated into your everyday wardrobe. You'll want to blend wardrobe essentials with effortless options for matching jewelry, shoes, and scarves.
For instance, if your everyday wardrobe already contains a lot of cream-and-navy versions of your go-to outfits, opt for timeless designs in complementary colors. These can include pops of contrasting colors like red, or even additional neutral shades: black ballet flats are classic choices that look great with white or cream and can even work with dark blue or navy under the right circumstances.
If you currently have seemingly endless amounts of black clothing, more black choices for accessories might not be it. Instead, think about incorporating brighter statement colors like red or pink, or mixing in some lighter shades like whites, greys, light brown or camel, and pastel colors.
Alternately, if you tend to avoid black clothes, instead gravitating toward light colors — think white jeans or cozy sweaters in pastel shades like lilac and baby blue — black choices for accessories (such as black scarves or black ballet flats) will stand out as a bolder contrast to break up your usual palette.
Injecting Comfortable Style into Contemporary Fashion
The power of luxury clothing only extends as far as its wearability — so when you're putting together your wardrobe, you'll want to ensure that you're selecting comfortable clothing. The novelty of looking like the most fashionable of chic city girls will wear off very quickly if you discover that your pair of designer straight-leg jeans pinch uncomfortably at the waist, or that your carefully curated winter capsule wardrobe isn't cozy enough for the harsh climate you live in.
The easiest way to make sure that you're comfortable in your own clothes is to match your wardrobe choices to your current lifestyle. If you live in a warmer climate — think tropical locations boasting balmy weather, or dry desert locales with year-round spring to summer temperatures — you probably won't have much use for a cozy girl aesthetic consisting of classic sweaters or heavy woolen black clothes meant to absorb heat.
Instead, your closet mainstays should include sundress options like a sleeveless slip dress, lighter colored clothing like white jeans (which don't attract as much heat as dark colors and black clothing), and cotton versions of popular fashion styles (since cotton tends to be a more breathable, sweat absorbent fabric, making it perfect for summer weather).
On the other hand, if you live in a ski town or an area famous for harsh winters, cozy girl aesthetic is going to be your best friend. You'll want to embrace cold weather fashion styles like classic sweaters, cozy but cute cardigans, and well-insulated black ankle boots with lug soles that can handle cold rain, sleet, or even mild amounts of snow.
Catwalk to Closet: Matching Fashion Styles to Personal Everday Style
You should also consider degrees of formality necessary to your everyday style on a weekly basis. Do you have a high-powered corporate job that requires you to rock button-up blazer styles at business meetings on weekdays, or attend fancy evening events with clients? Adidas's celeb-approved style and other sporty, casual designs with street style might not see as much use for you.
The Luxe Unisex Big Rock Blazer
Instead, you'll want to invest in classic designs like a sleek blazer, an elegant evening jacket, a well-tailored suit, and finely-crafted trousers or pencil skirts in a conservative neutral palette. A little black dress is, of course, also a great option for evening wear. If you're sick of black, cream-and-navy versions of your usual black suits and skirts can be a fun but still appropriate change of pace.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you work from home full time, freelance with odd jobs, or have a job that necessitates an active lifestyle (such as a personal trainer or yoga teacher), button-up blazer style shouldn't dominate your closet. Athleisure trends like Adidas's celeb-approved style are a much more practical and comfortable style for the way you live. Consider investing in effortless options that can carry you from casual outings to physically demanding activities.
These might include classic choices for comfortable styles like: joggers, fitted tees, hoodies, and oversize barn jackets.
If you want to inject a bit of extra luxury into these otherwise casual outfits, consider elevating your look with simple all-seasons accessories. For example, our signature Bleusalt wrap comes in multiple colors and sizes, and can be worn countless ways to dress and outfit up or down.
Ultimately, the key to marrying comfort to luxury is staying true to designs that blend seamlessly with your lifestyle — and opting for quality over quantity.