The combination of wardrobe tracking, style inspiration moodboards, seasonal capsule wardrobes, and wardrobe wishlists is incredibly powerful when it comes to developing personal style.
I've had a capsule wardrobe for over a decade now and can honestly say that doing these things every season has meant I've not only saved money but my personal style has evolved. I've become more confident in myself and more comfortable with the way I dress.
Although wishlists can be a tool of consumerism, encouraging us to spend more than we need to. I've found it useful for avoiding impulsive spending by giving me space to think about why I feel compelled to make a purchase. This cooling off period helps refocus my attention on my existing wardrobe.
Wishlists are an especially useful tool for avoiding impulse spending, leading to better decisions about what gets added to a wardrobe. The best time to put together a wishlist is just after pulling together style inspiration and creating a capsule wardrobe for the new season.
Knowing what clothes you already own and the style inspiration that will be influencing your outfit choices means you have a clear idea of what items are missing from your wardrobe. They don't need to be specific items either; a wardrobe wishlist can help highlight ways to improve your current wardrobe.
My last wishlist was less about the specific items I wanted to buy and more about improving my outfits by enhancing my existing wardrobe. My spring wishlist prioritised finding replacements for worn out items, adding more colour, and discovering new independent brands.
This season's wishlist follows a similar trend, highlighting the styles I'm being drawn to rather than specific items I want to buy. Although I've added a few 'new' pieces to my wardrobe, the majority have been secondhand purchases made on Vinted.
This is what's on my autumn wardrobe wishlist for 2023 with a heavy focus on making minimalist outfits more playful and unique.
Statement Pieces
My capsule wardrobe has undergone some big changes this year. I used to stick to exclusively black clothing, now green hues have crept in along with some bolder statement pieces. I've incorporated fun details into my outfits by using vibrant colours, unique prints, and enamel jewellery.
Having a few statement pieces to play with provides a way to restyle outfits, preventing an all black wardrobe from becoming boring. Chosen carefully, these statement pieces can be just as timeless as the classic basics.
The low risk way to add statement items to any wardrobe is to thrift vintage finds and archived pieces. I've been making a few purchases through Vinted, which still has some real bargains—unlike the charity shops lately!
Playful Jewellery
Minimalist fashion is about sticking to versatile basics, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it often results in a very boring wardrobe! Not only does each outfit look incredibly similar, there's very little room for personal style.
I prefer to have more fun with my outfits and the best way I've found to do this is with accessories. I've made a collection of playful jewellery that can be worn alone or layered with minimal chains. These colour pop jewellery pieces are perfect for adding a statement piece to any outfit without having to completely overhaul your wardrobe.
I'm still deciding which pieces to add to my jewellery capsule but the Mushroom Necklace and Smile Face Necklace are two of my favourites—and they look great paired with a dainty Satellite Chain!
Detailed Embroidery
Statement pieces and playful jewellery have one thing in common, which is that they add an interesting element to an outfit. Whether it's through a bold print or vibrant colour, it's the details that make all the difference.
The one thing that stood out to me in my autumn style inspiration was the embroidery—another way to make an otherwise quite plain outfit less boring. Although I've found a few options made by independent makers; there plenty of vintage shirts with beautiful embroidery to thrift!
Along with embroidered pieces, my style inspiration and wardrobe wishlist is heavy with original knitwear and unique prints. To maintain a minimalist yet playful style, it's crucial to pick new pieces wisely. I'll be sticking to thrifted purchases until I decide on which items from my wishlist best suit my style!