I’ve been trying to slow my roll with wardrobe building over the past several months, for a variety of reasons.
- My new-ish job (now nearly 1.5 years into it, but still, it was a major style shift) doesn’t require the same business attire (all suits, all the time) that my old one did
- We moved last summer into a tiny rental house with a highly inadequate amount of closet space (Spoiler: this is a problem that will self-correct soon!)
- Packing and moving forces you to see how much stuff you really have, and when the amount is embarrassing, it puts a pause on “Buy Now” mode
- I adore the idea of a capsule wardrobe, even though I am far, far from it
And finally, a really good reason:
- I recently lost some weight and I’m waiting until the dust settles to see what fits, what doesn’t and what I need to buy all over again
As I posted earlier this week, I received a Stitch Fix with lots of casual mix and match options for summer. This is terrific. I am hoping to keep my new summer wardrobe mostly limited to that Fix, save a few new pairs of summer shoes and swim suits (I am planning to do a tremendous amount of swimming this summer).
For spring, I also kept what was new in check.
One investment that made the cut was this suit from J. Crew:
This is the Parke blazer, Cameron pants and Perfect Fit tee, all in navy. I knew that I had a few important lectures and meetings this spring, and I wanted something that felt modern. I’ve worn this exact outfit three times already and each one has felt like it perfectly hit the mark.
I also placed an order with Banana Republic during one of their 40% off sales for a metallic tweed jacket, a soft gray leather moto jacket, a v-neck tan sweater and this necklace:
Even though this was a recent order, it looks like the tweed and leather jackets are sold out. Here’s a similar version of the jacket available at Nordstrom:
I wore this earlier in the week to give a lecture, pairing it with the navy suit pants, the tan v-neck and the pearl necklace. It all came together.
I’ve also waffled a lot over whether to invest in this bag:
The gray is appealing and unlike anything else I own. I also like how this is less structured that some other designer bags. I can’t seem to pull the trigger.
This Sole Society blush suede clutch was an easier call:
At approximately 3.5% the cost of the gray bag, this pink one feels like a bargain.