Oh, HEY! It’s the first outfit of FALL. Capsule 4, Outfit 1. My excitement cannot — WILL NOT — be contained!
At the beginning of a new capsule, I always have so much I want to share about these new pieces. This outfit is such a fav, I don’t even know where to start!
Remember how I mentioned that my go-to uniform in summer was a white button up + jean shorts? This is my fall version of that uniform.
I got a more fall appropriate button up (meaning, it’s got a weightier fabric = warmer) + I did NOT front tuck (I know, are you shocked? It just didn’t feel right.) + I added distressed jeans, booties, and my beloved reversible tote.
I might wear this outfit erry day.
And, people. Can we talk about this jewelry for a second? These delicate pieces are handmade in Austin by my friend Jen Moulton. I cannot say enough good things about Jen or her jewelry. Truly. Go check her out.
Oh yeah, and what do you think about the straight hair? Remember how I’m always like, blah blah blah, you should try things with your hair even if you think you don’t have “that” hair, blah blah blah.
Well, I forced myself to practice that.
I always thought: my hair is too thin to wear straight, I won’t have enough volume, I’ll look weird.
But I gave it a chance.
And it turns out, I’m into it.
#fistpump
Top: Anthropologie
Bottom: Madewell
Shoes: ALDO
Bag: Nordstrom (in black/cognac)
Necklace: Moulton
Bracelets: Moulton
Rings: Moulton
xo
Love the hair! It’s the first thing I noticed…
You look great! Understated and simple, yet interesting – I’m loving it!
Exactly what I was going to say! I love this look, it looks super comfy yet very pulled together. And your jewelry is gorgeous!
What’s the bag like? I am seeing mixed reviews…smelly and cheap (?) but a Black and Tan reversible tote is a great idea and the price is affordable…. Love outfit #1…simple and clean. Hair works! Like!
Looks great! I am excited to see the rest! Especially the buffalo check shirt and the wool joggers.
Hi! I’m a new reader, who has really enjoyed reading about your capsule philosophy! One thing that I’ve noticed in the looks you put together is that you often don’t match your shoes to your bag. I had chalked it up to the capsule – just not having every shoe or bag in every color – but on this particular day, what made you want to go with the cognac side of your reversible tote instead of the black, which would have gone with your black booties?
Thanks for sharing your adventure with us – it’s an inspiration!
Hi Emily! Thanks for your kind words! I actually abide by the idea that bags + shoes shouldn’t match. :) xo Caroline
Hold on…are you wearing boots without socks? Is that comfortable? Also, last weekend I took some of your advice and put my summer clothes away in storage… au revoir until next year! Am loving having enough space in my closet for my wool sweaters now. xo
Hi Rona! I am … I’ve always worn ankle boots without socks. :) xo Caroline
I have the same boots and I just wear those little flat liners since they won’t show and keep my feet from getting too sweaty.
this is definitely my favourite outfit of yours to date. so simple, yet so effective. loving how you mix things up – untucked shirt! gasp! straight hair! no way! haha…
reckless abandon
Obsessed with this entire outfit from head to toe! LOVE the dainty gold jewelry too – wishing she was giving an ‘unfancy’ reader discount for everything you’re wearing! Ha! :)
Loved it!
I looked at the first picture of this post and thought: “Wow, her hair looks amazing!” I have major hair envie!!!
I’m so excited to see more of your fall uniform. Love your blog x
It seems like you can pull off any hair style, Caroline! I’m really loving this simple, yet put-together outfit and can see this easily transitioning into spring with some cognac flat sandals. Thinking about biting the bullet and purchasing this shirt, but I can’t get past the price tag… Can’t wait to see how else you style it!
This is like my weekend uniform, except my top is a long-sleeved white t-shirt, my shoes are lace-up ankle boots and my tote bag is black. I could wear it to work on Fridays, but I would add a cardigan sweater.
My first thought when I saw the first pic: love your hair like that! Looks very nice! Can’t wait to see more of your new capsule!
Love this classic outfit! And I totally think you can pull off straight hair. So happy that you’re loving my jewelry (and thanks for the kind words)!
Have been looking forward to this for days! Love your style and your hair looks phenomenal straight.
Love it girl! If this is any indication of the how the rest of fall is going to go, I’m pretty darn excited :) Your hair also looks GORG so I’m throwing that fist pump right back at ya.
I love this straight hair ! You look absolutely gorgeous ! I really like your fall capsule, i look forward to see more outfits :)
Kisses from Poland !
Love it! I’m wearing almost the exact same thing from my capsule wardrobe today…except I’ve got more office appropriate black jeans on. Such a comfy outfit that can be dressed up or down with accessories. Can’t wait to see the rest of the outfits!
Kris | http://www.love-loft-life.com
I love how its such a seamless transition from your summer capsule wardrobe, you have definitely narrowed down your own style and look so great in them, can’t wait to see more of your outfits!
Such pretty pictures! I love the straight hair :-)
I just started my very first capsule wardrobe for Oct – Dec (thanks for the awesome downloadable guide!!!). I love white button downs in theory, but I always seem to need a camisole underneath so that the transition from pants to skin isn’t quite so obvious. Are the Anthropologie shirts thicker than average?
Hi Tess! This top is definitely thicker, so I don’t need an undershirt. Just a nude colored bra. :) xo Caroline
LOVE this outfit. So simple, put together, and just so fresh-looking.
Question about your ankle boots. I love those boots, but I am iffy on wearing them without socks. I use little ballet socks for ballet flats. Do you get sweaty in those? I’m not talking about true wet sweaty, but just like a light damp feeling. I can usually use nothing in flats but after a while, it gets smelly – not bad, but something I want to avoid. Do you have any tricks for that?
Hi Tania! I actually never wear socks with my ankle boots because my feet slip around and I have a harder time walking in them (especially if they have heels). BUT I’m thinking about putting little cotton foot pads in my boots this year, so we’ll see if that works. Also, if any shoes start smelling, I just tap a little baking powder into them. :) xo Caroline
I love the shoes! Perfection!
Also your hair looks amazing!
This is so fantastic! And seriously, that jewelry is killer. Gonna have to save up for a piece:) Thank you so much for sharing in so much detail your process. We are a demanding group who read and admire you, your blog, and your fantastic ideas. You’re amazing! Thanks for taking the time and being so good to us.
Yay! I love this outfit. It’s so casual yet refined. And I love your hair straight.
LOVE the outfit and the hair!
I love this tote, but there REALLY are a ton of negative reviews about the smell and the quality. Please shoot me straight…are they crazy?
Hi Katie!
Hm … I bought mine in store and it had zero smell to it. So maybe if you buy it in store it’ll have time to air out? :)
And as far as the quality goes, I’m happy with it but I’m keeping in mind that the price point was less than $50. So I’m not expecting it to last forever. For me, I decided to save on the bag and splurge on some other pieces. Next year, I’ll probably end up upgrading to an actual leather tote.
I say if you can afford the Madewell Transport Tote, go for it. But if you’re needing to save some money, this bag is a beautiful stand in.
xo
Caroline
I bought the bag in olive and cognac. The smell goes away. I’ve had it for a couple weeks and don’t even notice it anymore.
Love how put together this is despite the relatively “basic” pieces!
Liz @ ShoppingMyCloset.com
White button ups are the best go to fall top!! You look fabulous!
l.b.
http://thelazybasics.blogspot.com/
Hi Caroline,
Love this look!
I recently also purchased a pair of Aldo booties. I haven’t worn them yet because I’m on the fence about the quality + durability. Since they were 3x the price of my Target booties, I’d like them to last for a few years. Are you happy with yours so far?
Brooke
Hi Brooke! While Aldo isn’t top quality, I had a pair of Aldo booties that I wore every day of fall + winter for 3 years. By the end of it, they were totally beaten up of course, but until then I was really happy with how they wore. xo Caroline
Hi Caroline,
I’m really excited about developing a fall uniform as well. Mine is looking like: tucked-in sweater or cami + cardi; black midi skirt, opaque tights and heels or booties. Cropped proportions on top, elongating monochrome on the bottom.
I loved your Madewell bangles last season and your new, delicate set are gorgeous! And so special because they were made by a friend. I’m building a small collection of bangles myself so I’ll check out Jen Moulton’s shop!
Sarah
I am beyond excited to see the outfits you put together with the new wardrobe. Yay for Fall! I think your hair looks fantastic straight. Thank you for your blog.
Love the simplicity of this outfit, yet it’s incredibly chic and pulled together. Thanks for sharing!
Love love everything. My closet will be forever grateful to you. Question for you on the tote (or anyone reading this who owns it)…have you tried it with heavier items? i.e. a computer? If so, does it hold up? Am trying to make the choice between the Nordstrom one and the Madewell one as a work bag…sigh
Hi Katherine! I haven’t tried it with heavier items, but … to be honest … I’m not sure if it would hold up for very long with heavier items. Maybe a year? If you can afford it, I’d say get the Madewell leather one — it’ll hold up much longer. xo Caroline
gorgeous! I absolutely love your hair straight. Love this outfit & those booties are to die for. Those jeans look like they were made for you too.
incredible start to the fall capsule;)
XO, Gina
http://classyeverafter.blogspot.com
Love this so much and will incorporate some of this into my Fall wardrobe too. I too wear booties a lot, but wear the little no show socks with them. I need a little cushion between the boots and my feet. Now off the check out that beautiful jewelry…
You look great! I’m loving the straight hair! Keep up the great outfits! I’m always looking forward to your posts!!
Annie
The Mama Gazette
Very nice outfit, Caroline, I love it! And yes, straight hair looks good on you!
The jewelry is amazing, especially the necklace. (As a former chemist, I have a thing for hexagons.)
I like the idea of a “uniform” of sorts. Since my capsule is theoretically supposed to last until March, I’m not sure if I should make more of an effort to wear more of my items and thus diminish the chance that one favorite item will wear out, or just wear the heck out of what I like and deal with those situations as they come up.
Which reminds me, do people tend to replace items that wear out during a particular season, or do you just hang in there until the next season?
So cute! Your hair looks great straight. I will be curious to hear if you’ve tried no poo yet. I have thin hair and often by the 3rd day my hair looks its best, but I def have to wash by the 4th day. I admit I like my shampoo. You’re right, those shoes are super cute!
Love, love, love it. Pinned it, in fact! Funny, I was just eyeing up that bag sumthin fierce online last week. BUT I didn’t pull the trigger because, well, my fall capsule is all complete now and I don’t really NEED a second bag. See? I’m embracing this minimalism thing, thanks to you! So I’ll have to live vicariously through you and your cute tote! HAH
I just adore you and your awesome blog.. it’s my new fav! :)
You look beautiful! And I love the new hairdo!
AH! So excited! Today, as I was teasing my hair (because I also think mine is too thin and flat to wear straight) I totally though, “fall capsule outfit today”!
Your hair does look super pretty-definitely not thin or flat.
http://www.alovelyintention.com
Love the styling, the concept, everything!
love the styling, the concept, everything!
http://www.spdrspdr.com
I love this! Doing a capsule(esque) wardrobe has made me realize that I really love basic, classic outfits with a hint of edge. The booties are a little edgy and the delicate jewelry is perfect with this. Totally a “wear erryday” outfit.
Your straight hair is fun! I’m always jealous of girls with natural wave since I have naturally straight hair (grass is always greener!). But this is like a fun, glammed-up version of your regular hair, still not too perfect. Cute!
I just bought the same jeans yesterday! So far, I really like them. I found it such a challenge to find a well-fitting pair of not overly distressed pair of denim that don’t break the bank. Now I’m thinking I may need to rethink my plaid flannel and opt for this white button up instead (much more easily used in multiple capsules). I have a chambray tunic button up that is also tencel and such a nice fabric!
Love the whole look! :) I’m currently still working on building my capsule wardrobe. Thanks for all the inspiration.
Sage
Lovely, Caroline! What gorgeous jewelry! I have different white buttons ups for different seasons as well. My fall/winter one is actually this Boys-sized Land’s End shirt:
http://www.landsend.com/products/boys-washed-oxford-shirt/id_234808_1189?cm_mmc=139971612&source=GS¤cy=USD
I bought it a few years ago and it has held up really well. And it’s so affordable given that it is a ‘Boys’ item, I’m guessing.
And woo hoo, I think that I finally have a capsule of sorts together. I am going with 47 pieces for fall– 18 tops, 13 bottoms, 11 pairs of shoes, and 5 coats. We’ll see how I do! :-)
An untucked shirt! I am shocked ;) Seriously, I love that outfit and the shoes are amazing.
I love your style and your capsule picks. I would love to order some stuff from aritizia but I am finding it hard to know how their sizes work. Since there are no reviews and I feel like many clothes this season are WAY oversized I was wondering if you could tell me if your size specially in the shirts and wool pants were the same as Madewell.
Thanks!
Jenn
Caroline, you look beautiful! Your straight hair is a total win. You’re absolutely glowing in these pictures.
I found your blog a couple months ago and, after reading every single blog post in less time than I’d like to admit, I have eagerly checked for updates every day. The capsule wardrobe is an inspiration!
With the help of your wardrobe planner, I’ve started shopping so much smarter. It’s funny, too: I have been receiving so many more compliments than I did before and I’m wearing the same things over and over! Thanks for your guidance. With your help, I’ve really gotten a grasp on my style. Capsule wardrobes for life!
Your bracelets are lovely!
Too cute! I can see u wearing that erry day! Love it!
YAY! I’ve been waiting for your fun outfits! You’ve so inspired me!!
I LOVE how this casual, classic look is pulled together with those boots! It gives it just a hint of sexy
Those jeans look great on you! I have been looking for the perfect pair of distressed skinny jeans – just impulse bought those.
I absolutely love this uniform. Simple, chic and all about the subtle details. You look fab, Caroline!!
I knew something was a bit different. You look stunning with straight hair!
Hey! Weren’t you going to show us a FRONT TUCK TUTORIAL a while back? Still waiting…
Sorry If someone has already asked, I can’t get the link to work for these shoes. Do you know if they’re still available? Love this look and this blog! Can’t want to get started editing my wardrobe.