My dream fall wardrobe...and the reality
Which one do you like better?
Hi Friends,
Gosh there is so much good stuff out there for fall fashion right now. And ever since my last post I’ve been feeling torn about how I want to approach this season. I didn’t buy much last year because I lived in Florida for the fall and winter, so I’m really craving some fresh pieces. That said, I look at my closet and know that I don’t really need anything new.
So I’m going to take myself through an exercise in dreaming up my aspirational fall wardrobe if I were to buy everything new right now. I’m going to limit it to 25 pieces so I don’t go crazy. Then I’m going to fill in those spaces with items in my closet and see how I feel after that. I’m typing this in real time so I’m honestly not sure how this is going to go. I might feel way better or I might feel way worse.
The only things I’m not including are outerwear and handbags. My dream handbags are all available on our website. :)
My Dram Fall Closet
My Actual Closet
Ok for my actual closet, I tried to find counterparts to the images above in my closet. I’m going to make notes below on each of them. It makes sense in my brain - I hope it makes sense to you too!
Cream Tee - love this, but it feels a bit summery because it’s sort of sheer.
The same black tee - no notes.
V Neck Sweater - absolutely love this sweater and can’t wait to wear it
Striped long sleeve - I’ve had this for maybe 4 years. Still a classic, but just not as enthused about it.
Light wash denim shirt - like it, but it doesn’t fit the way I want it to. It never did. I should have exchanged it for a different size when I got it. It’s a men’s shirt so I sized down. Not the way to go.
Chunky Knit Top - love this - the perfect transitional piece
Black maxi dress - I can easily wear a button up or sweater over it…or a tee under it. I think this will be good. The one I have from Ozma is not available anymore, but I think Leset has some great options for this!
Cropped Cardigan - obsessed
Black Turtleneck - This will be my third fall/winter with it and I still love it. I honestly should consider getting it in another color I like it that much.
Striped Button Up - my favorite
Navy Button Up - I like a lot of things about this shirt. I kind of wish it was a slightly deeper navy, but that’s being picky.
Soft Goat Cashmere - obsessed
Gray Cashmere - still love mine from Ryan Roche. It isn’t available anymore, but La Linge’s looks really similar.
Sabahs - I have had these for a solid 5 years. I always like the leopard print because it adds something to an outfit, but once it gets to October I have to put them away because Chicago is cold!
Black Boots - still like these!
Sneakers (on sale) - love them, but same as the Sabahs - only through September
Birks - I will wear these with socks and stretch them as long as I can through the fall.
Olive Pants - these are the same as above. I have them in both because I have ordered them, but they haven’t arrived yet.
Agolde Medium Wash Denim - I do like these and highly recommend them, but they are different than the Ulla Johnson ones above. These are very much a straight leg and the Ullas are more of a boot cut.
Black Denim - I have a pair from B Sides from a couple years ago and they are still really good. No need to update these.
Ozma Field Pants - I’m actually wearing these right now! I love them. A great pair of dark denim (they are darker than the image looks).
Relaxed Black Pants - I love my Vincent James wide leg pants! I don’t think I need a pair of black trousers too. These serve the same purpose.
Vintage Levis - love these so much. Are they exactly the same vibe as the JH relaxed pair? Hard to say unless I try them on, but they may be close enough.
Navy Drawstring Pants - I got them about a month ago and am loving these. I wear them at least once a week and I think they will transition well to fall. Probably not once it gets cold cold, but a good buy.
Elevated lounge pants - these are from Buck Mason and I wear them a ton.
Takeaways
Ok so what did I learn? Where do I feel like there are holes? Let’s break this down into parts.
Here are the biggest differences I am seeing between what I want and what I have:
Bootcut jeans - I have wide leg, straight leg, pleated, but no bootcut
Shoes - I don’t have a lot of options for colder weather other than boots
Color - I am drawn to shades of red, brown, chocolate, rust, oxblood, etc
Basics - It’s clear I have some fit issues so it might be time to update some basic tees and cut my losses with the denim shirt.
To help see how these pieces may fit into my closet I added the bags I know I’m going to be wearing on repeat to their images. And I have to say I like what I see! I think I’ve found a really good color palette to work with for any new purchases.
So, if I were to give myself 3 purchases this season…here’s where I’d start if I were to think about it practically:
Shoes - probably the sneakers because I know I’d wear them a ton. Loafers are more of a gamble for me.
Either a flannel, deep red button up, or a denim button up that fits right - I wear button ups so often, so I know the cost per wear would be good.
White tee or Navy long sleeve - they are great layering pieces and I’d probably wear them in multiple seasons.
If I was allowing myself four purchases, denim would be next. But I have several pairs of denim I can work with. So for now I feel ok putting that on the back burner.
It’s clear I don’t need any of these new pieces. So I have to sit with it and assess which pieces would be the biggest difference makers as tools in my closet this season. I haven’t purchased anything yet, but I’ll keep you posted. :)
All in all, I feel a lot better after doing this exercise. If I buy nothing, I know I still have a closet full of great clothes I’m excited to wear this fall!
What are you loving/ on the hunt for/ unsure of/ looking forward to wearing this fall?
xo,
Abby
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This is such a fun exercise! I recently went through my closet when I was grumpy and was cutthroat about getting rid of things I haven’t worn in a few years but was hanging onto “just in case” and it has really helped me to put outfits together easier in the morning, which I wasn’t expecting. I think I want to do this next! Thanks for sharing it :)
This is an exceptional idea!! Love the visual nature of it to help understand how similar things we have are to the things we are craving or are drawn to now !