Guess who came to Austin this weekend? Guest bloggers! We spent the weekend shooting outfits + eating great food + staying warm because we had a crazy cold front blow in. You’ll officially meet these two awesome ladies next week but if you just can’t wait, head over to my Instagram — you’ll find ’em there. :)
So this is definitely an outfit for those days when I just want a departure from my regular uniform of jeans + sweater + boots. It still feels “me” but it’s a little out of my normal zone.
It’s important to have a few of those outfits ready to go when you’re living with a capsule wardrobe. Feeling stuck in a rut? Nope, not anymore.
I’m loving these boots, and I wear them just about every day. They had a loose, sloppy boot fit when I bought them, but I wanted them just a tiny bit tighter. I actually punched new holes in the straps (with a leather sewing awl) so I could tighten them up a bit. Have you ever done that before?
It was ridiculously simple, and made me question why I haven’t done that in the past with other shoes. All it takes is the right tool — this is what I have. If you’re wondering why I had one of those lying around my house, I originally got it to do this awesome Ikea hack — turns out it’s useful for shoes too.
jacket: shopbop (also similar here)
shirt: J.Crew (different but equally cool)
skirt: old from aritzia (similar)
fleece lined tights: hue
boots: diba
bag: marc jacobs
Ooh, exciting! I had to check your Instagram right away and got curious about the other lady. Maybe I’m just jumping into conclusion, but @photosbyjaana… Jaana being a very common Finnish name – is she by any chance a Finn? That would be supercool for you to have a Finn as a guest blogger – not that this wouldn’t be a cool project nevertheless. :) Have a great day Caroline!
Hey! I’m the other guest blogger and happened to see your comment. In case Caroline or Janna doesn’t, thought I’d let you know that yup! she’s Finnish!
That’s so awesome!! My fellow Finn!! Yes, my mom is Finnish and I still have a lot of family there. :))
That’s supercool Jaana! Us Finns are such a rarity on this planet so it’s so much fun to stumble upon fellow Finns in unexpected places. I am so looking forward to your outfit posts! :)
Looking forward to seeing the guest blogger outfits next week. Caroline, will you no longer be posting on Saturdays permanently?
I’ve missed that skirt! Looks great :)
xx Korallia
CorallBlogs
Love this outfit!! In love with that jacket!! Can’t wait to see the guest blogger posts!
Chrissy x
http://www.chrissylilly.com
Yay for cute skirt!! <3 Excited about the guest bloggers. YES I totally ran over to instagram Immediately. ;)
Oh YAY! Does this mean there will be multiple posts per day? I’m completely obsessed with your blog, Caroline! It’s always one of the first things I do each day!! :) You look fabulous!
Love this outfit!
Hey Caroline love your blog and would love to get your input on some of your favorites places to eat in Austin that would be super awesome!
Since this was my first trip to Austin, I was very excited about the food. Bess Bistro was to die for! I also loved Lamberts BBQ and Hillside Farmacy. There was an awesome taco place too, but I forget the name! Basically everywhere Caroline took us was amaze.
Thank You Jaana for your input. I can’t wait to try some of those places when I’m in Austin this Feb!
I remembered the taco place! Torchy’s. Soo good too!!
Hi Caroline! This outfit reminded me of a question I’ve been pondering – how does one wear a flowy skirt like this with tights? Doesn’t the skirt stick to your tights when you move around? Do you wear a slip? OK – more than one question, I’ve done a lot of pondering re: tights ;) But seriously, I’ve been avoiding skirts (besides my pencil skirts with silky linings) for this reason. Plus I hate wearing slips! And tights, actually…
I noticed that it says your tights are fleeced lined. Are they as warm as regular leggings?
I’d love to see the outfit without the jacket too. As always, you look beautiful and I can’t wait to see what’s in store next week!
Excited to meet the guest bloggers!
And I love how you altered your boots to fit your needs better. I continually hear about how tailoring and altering are the way to go, but I have yet to dive in myself. I guess I just feel, intimidated maybe? I’m not sure who to go to or what to ask for or if what I want done is even possible. But shopping for my body type can be such a pain (literally have to try everything on and maybe find 1 thing out of 30 that works). I think it’s time to explore altering and tailoring to make my pieces work better for me!
– Kelsey
https://kelseydefined.wordpress.com/
Yes, tailoring is the answer! Clothes off the rack are designed to fit everyone which is of course impossible so they end up fitting almost no one . Many, I would venture to say most, women have a hard time finding clothes that fit. There is absolutely nothing “wrong’ with your shape because you have to try on a lot of stuff. Tailoring has helped me feel good in my clothes and let me wear them rather than the other way around.
On the flip side, shopping became a lot easier for me when I stopped trying on styles that just aren’t good for my body type (even with tailoring). If you aren’t sure what styles are for you, definitely do some research. This has helped me a ton!
Lastly, checked out your blog. Looks like you’re in the DC area? Me too. I can recommend tailors in VA and DC if you need it (not in MD unfortunately)!
Hi! I (obviously) am not the original commenter, but would love to know of your recommended tailors in DC/VA.
I’m looking forward to the guest bloggers. I’m glad to see they are curvy ladies more like my body type.
Hi Caroline,
Kristy B here reporting back on the Diba boots I purchased per your recommendation. I love them, got them in brown since they were a lot cheaper than the black…go figure..So glad I sized up. I normally wear a true 7 and my foot is narrow, but the 8 fits like a glove. I too will need to add a few more wholes in the strap. Thanks again. You got great style!
Kristy B
I was so excited to find out who your guest bloggers were, only to find out that I’ve been following them on instagram for a little while now! How exciting!
…And I love those boots fitted a little tighter like that. It’s the tomboy/feminine mix I love!
Hi Caroline! I’m so excited that I found your blog a few days ago. I’m just getting started on minimalism and I’m finally tackling my closet. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Such a classy outfit! I am new to your blog but have fallen head over heels with it and your capsule wardrobe concept! Really useful tip about the leather hole punching, I never thought about doing it to boots to completely change the style :)
Miss Imogen Smith
Caroline (and readers) – I actually use this super nifty tool to punch holes in belts and sandal straps. I bought one after seeing it on Extra Petite and have loved it since!
Here’s an example from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004T7WS/
Jean’s old review:
http://www.extrapetite.com/2010/07/how-to-punch-extra-non-crappy-looking.html
I have the same one and it is amazing how often I use it. Lots of hole size options, very handy.
Love this site, your philosophy, your style. I wish I could like you on Facebook! Looking forward to the guest bloggers- I visited Finland as an au pair- loved it.
i have been contemplating a capsule wardrobe for a few months now. it seems i wear the same five outfits every three months regardless, so it’s been weighing heavy on my mind. love being able to play with the idea here and give it some good thought. xx
I punch holes in my boots, for the same reason! Excited to meet the guest bloggers soon.
I haven’t hacked my own shoes in that way, but the zipper broke on one of my daughter’s suede boots last weekend and I used a leather punch and some grommets to turn it into a lace-up so she could keep wearing it. I was pretty proud of my ingenuity, and she was thrilled to be able to keep wearing her favorite boots. :)
So cute about the boots! My dad used to do that all the time with my belts when I was little. Only he just used an icepick. Tailoring & altering are definitely the way to go, especially when you’ve put some money into the item & expect to wear it for a while. Also: resoling my favorite shoes when they wear down. I’m always on the lookout for good cobblers!
So cozy but really cool! I love it!