037. STYLE SUBCULTURES: Sweater Weather
Breaking Free From my Black Turtleneck and Jeans Uniform.
The excitement for sweater weather is one of the many things in the fashionsphere that I was never able to relate to. When the time came to pack away summer dresses and autumn’s light layers, I bid my best sartorial self farewell until the following summer. In the last couple of years, I managed to break through this cycle, by being slightly more intentional with the way I styled my clothes in winter. The FLAIR framework helped a lot, in particular playing with touches of bright color and proportions. The black turtleneck and jeans combo wasn’t cutting it for me anymore. I needed a formula that would be just as efficient and wouldn’t compromise on warmth, but one that would also get me excited about getting dressed. For today’s newsletter, I created five different capsule wardrobes to illustrate how I now think of cold weather dressing and create interesting winter looks.
Capsule 1 (warm-toned, casual-chic, contemporary, playful)
Capsule 2 (relaxed, tomboy, sporty)
Capsule 3 (minimalist, neutrals, sophisticated)
Capsule 4 (nineties, sexy minimalism)
Capsule 5 (chic, cool-toned, glam, feminine)
I find that paying attention to two or three key elements suffices to make a big difference:
All five capsules below are quite classic in style yet different from each other. This is achieved by balancing decidedly classic pieces with pieces that denote your unique style identity. For example, capsule 2 has an even split of classic pieces (e.g. striped cashmere crewneck, Chelsea boots) and athleisure-inspried pieces (e.g. cashmere trackpants, quilted jacket, sweatshirt, leather sneakers). Capsule 4 combines classic pieces with nineties elements (e.g. black leather, sensual minimalist silhouettes, oval tinted sunglasses).
Colors are key. If your goal is to build a capsule wardrobe, maintaining a palette with five or six shades of neutrals or fake neutrals and two or three bright colors - less of the former, more of the latter, and vice versa if you are more of a maximalist or a minimalist - is a good idea. In Capsule 1, bright red pieces liven up warm-toned neutrals in the sand to chocolate-brown range. In Capsule 5, for those who prefer cool tones, five blue pieces invigorate a range of white to grey neutrals. I like to maintain a wardrobe where 10% to 20% of the pieces are brightly colored so that I always have one or two pieces to reach out for for each outfit I put together. If bright colors aren’t your thing, Capsule 3 combines more neutrals for an overall more minimalist look and relies on textures and patterns for contrast and dimension instead.
Accessories are essential. In my wardrobe, they’re usually the vessel for these aforementioned touches of bright colors. Today, each capsule contains three knitted sweaters or cardigans, two pairs of pants, one coat, two pairs of boots or shoes, one bag, one hat, one pair of sunglasses, and an additional piece of accessory for dimension and warmth - a pair of gloves or a scarf.
Note: You might find that the black turtleneck and jeans uniform is precisely what you look forward to wearing all year, and if so, don’t change a thing. Style is a uniquely personal journey.
Winter can be testing for the more mindful shoppers. Choosing the right piece of outerwear can often leave you between a rock and a hard place; keeping warm often means choosing between real fur and shearling on one end, and faux or puffer jackets on the other (these are all made of plastic). The best way to tackle this is, as always, to be mindful of the volume you purchase. If chosen wisely, a single coat can take you from day to night and from the beginning to the end of winter, for many seasons to come. The few pieces blended with synthetic fiber in this edit are marked with a ‘🐌’ emoji. Everything else is made of natural (e.g. cashmere, wool, organic cotton, silk) or certified sustainable (e.g. Tencel) fiber.
You asked for more capsule wardrobes, and I listened. In 2024, I will publish new examples of capsule wardrobes once a month. I have also created a page for all of them to live that you can quickly refer to or share with friends.
Capsule 1 (warm toned, casual-chic, contemporary, playful)
1. Cotton and silk turtleneck, Toteme $570, 2. Sunglasses, The Attico $275, 3. Tapered pants, Maria McManus $590, 4. Zipped intarsia sweater, Kule $428, 5. Faux shearling coat, Stand Studio $675 🐌, 6. Cropped flare corduroy pants, SPRWMN $275 🐌, 7. Kitten heel boots, Jil Sander $525 $1,220, 8. Cardigan, Loulou Studio $765, 9. Gloves, Arch4 $145, 10. Beanie, Toteme $234 $260, 11. Derby booties, Camper $198, 12. Top handle bag, Savette, $1,390.