129A

When I first started choosing pieces for my capsule wardrobe there were a few mental notes I had at the forefront of my mind as must have items…

1. Straight leg, ankle cut denim
2. Pinstripe button down
3. Vintage crewneck sweater
4. A black tote

I felt that those four items would get me pretty far in terms of creating multiple looks within the capsule. Additionally, those four items are timeless in a world of fleeting trends. I also knew that those four items could easily be rotated through various capsules as seasonal changes occur- meaning, they will always be hanging in my wardrobe ready to be styled.

Choosing those core items was the easiest part of the whole build out for me. I had already known which denim I would keep because those four pairs were already my favorites out of the 10+ pairs of denim I had. It was also a stroke of luck that each was a different wash of denim because it made it justifiable to keep all four.

Each pair resides in the straight leg family, but has slight differentials- the light wash are mom style straight legs, the medium wash is a standard and slightly distressed straight leg, the dark wash is a slightly distressed skinny (straight leg’s favorite cousin), and the black denim are straight with a slight boot cut.

Choosing a pinstripe button down wasn’t even a choice; I found this Land’s End beauty in the men’s department of a local resale shop and instantly fell in love. The mismatched style of the stripes made the top timelessly interesting and one of a kind. I hadn’t seen such anything like it before and it fit like a dream! Just oversized enough to comfortably layer over a t-shirt, but not so oversized that I would swim in it if I wore it with my denim.

This vintage 90s Tommy Hilfiger crewneck sweater was precisely what I had in mind when making my mental notes of capsule must have items. I found this beauty at the thrift store over a year ago and practically lived in it throughout the year. It’s a men’s x-large and I could wear it as a sweater dress if I truly wanted to; it is one of the few pieces in my wardrobe that drowns out my petite figure, but I don’t care. It is the perfect weight for warmth, looks stellar when styled for an outing or for lounging around, and it’s 90s Hilfiger… my absolute favorite! I don’t know what it was about Tommy Hilfiger throughout the 1990s, I was a little girl and absolutely OBSESSED with how chic people looked in his designs. They were simple, but stylish and everyone seemed to have their own special way of adorning his collections. My dad had a few Tommy Hilfiger pieces, one in particular was a long sleeve button down with a white collar that was color blocked with red on one side, navy blue on the other, and white cuffs at the ends of the sleeves. I basically lived in the shirt after school! I felt utterly stylish and cool, like the main character within the household. As soon as I found the sweater in the photo I snatched it up without hesitation, completely okay with the fact that it was way too big on me because it made my inner child light up with excitement.

The black tote in the photo is a 1980s Etienne Aigner classic! This purse I got about four years ago; it was given to me during a closet clean out when I had started flipping clothing and accessories. The previous owner had come across it at a thrift store and found it to be a gem. She taught me a skosh about the designer and his popularity throughout the 70s and 80s as well as the craftsmanship of his designs. Ultimately, the bag itself was not her style and she was ready to part ways with it. I posted it online a few days after I received it, but ended up removing the listing as I had started to fall in love with the design. It was the perfect medium catchall size, the pebble leather was to die for, the white stitching caught the eye, and the horseshoe emblem was unique while also providing my first initial as a polished touch. I chalked it up to fate and divinity, deciding I should probably be buried with this tote. So when I decided a black tote was a must have for my capsule wardrobe, this beauty was exactly what I had in mind for an everyday bag.

These were the first items added to the rack that would become my first capsule wardrobe. I stared at the rack for quite some time trying to figure out which direction I would take my capsule in for the fall, but reassured that this core set of pieces felt right. I laughed at myself a little bit after realizing that the items I chose resembled a 90s Americana aesthetic… which is very on brand for me. I was born in 1990 and will die on the hill that it was the most superior decade to grow up in. There was just something about that decade that will forever immortalize it as the BEST in my mind, especially in regard to fashion.

Timeless, classic, chic- my inner child is surely proud of what we’ve begun to build for ourselves!