10 Fall Wardrobe Favorites

We are officially in fall, yay!  Depending on where you live in the US it may still feel like the dead of summer or you might be enjoying crisper/cooler temps.  In NC we can have both on any given day.  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a little change in my wardrobe so adding in some fall pieces to my closet is fun, even if we are still in the 80s.  Below are my 10 favorites for that early fall weather.  They are pretty versatile and can layer well for those days when the weather is all over.  I love that from the 10 pieces you can create numerous outfits and then so many more with a few other things you already have.  Its all about creating a simplified wardrobe that can easily be mixed and matched.

Here's my List (sources linked):

1. Black Blouse

2. Chambray Shirt (similar)

3. Neutral Relaxed Fit Tee

4. Plaid Button Up

5. Olive Utility Vest (similar), (similar)

6. Black Leggings

7. Distressed Jeans

8. Striped Tunic

9. Leopard Scarf (similar), (similar)

10. Ankle Boots (similar), (similar)

So this is just a few ideas for transitioning your wardrobe from summer to fall...even if the weather is not cooperating.  One of the things I've been trying to do is to create more out of my closet.  I know I seem to get into a habit of wearing the same pieces together all of the time but having a more streamlined and simplified wardrobe allows you to be more creative and get lots of uses out of less things.  Just with these ten items I can think of at least 20 different outfit combinations!  

A good way to look at an outfit is in 3's (not including your shoes).  Adding a scarf, a vest, a button up or even a statement necklace helps to create a more put together look.  I think that is why fall is so fun because you can add more layers and more combinations.  

So this week try and see which 10 favorite fall items you can choose to create multiple combinations from and get more out of your closet!

One Item, Many Ways - Bright Top

Its been over a month now that I have been living with a simplified closet.  Everything was slimmed way down and my wardrobe is much more versatile now.  When you have fewer things it kind of forces you to become more creative in your outfit choices and rethinking what you can put together.  So today I chose a simple blue t-shirt and mixed it up in a variety of ways to show you just how many different looks you can get out of one item.  This blue top is not necessarily a neutral color but I was really surprised how well it went with so many things... You can wear color and have a versatile closet!  You don't have to have a closet full of black and gray to go with a more minimalistic lifestyle.  

Here's a little breakdown:

1. Paired with a Patterned Skirt - Just because a top is a bright color doesn't mean you can't pair it with a bold pattern.  The brighter blue and black come together really well and it is a little more interesting than wearing just a black top.  I think any colored top would work well with a black patterned skirt! 

2. Paired with Solid Neutral Bottoms - I could have left it at the blue top plus the black short but that was a little boring.  Adding a lightweight cardigan, a bold statement necklace and patterned sandals gave this look the interest it needed.  A gray cardigan, patterned cardigan, a denim jacket would all be great completer pieces here.

3. Paired with a Utility Vest - I'm always trying to find new ways to wear my utility vest because I love it so much.  I have a tendency to get into a rut and wear it with the same gray top or striped shirt over and over.  At first I was a little hesitant about putting the two pieces together, but I really liked it.         Just by adding a vest to a normal t-shirt and shorts really changes thing up.

4. Paired with Patterned Pants - These pants are my new favorite thing.  They are sooooo comfortable, light and fun.  At first all I could wear with them was a white top - so I'm branching out, I know I need to settle down. I love the bright color together with them.  If you are wanting to try patterned pants but feel like its outside of your comfort zone, start with a smaller subtle print like these.  They're great, I promise.

5. Paired with Patterned Shorts - I think I have a thing for patterned bottoms, at least that is the theme of the day.  This is one of those things I would have never put together before I simplified my closet.  It never dawned on me how great the blue in the top brings out the blue in the shorts.  Once again like the patterned pants, I would only do a white top with these shorts.  Now I can think of several more options to wear.

Take away from today - Take a look in your closet and try to rethink some of the items you have, you never know what new combinations you can come up with!

Closet Organization Update

We are going to take a break from all things laundry and talk about a little closet update.  We've recently added more organization to our master closet redo so we thought we'd share the current status of this space.  Also, with all of the freshly painted doors and walls back there things are looking even better.

Let's take a peek inside...

It has come a far cry from this:

First, there was lots of painting - 

Walls: Olympic Silver Lake

Trim, Shelves, Door:  Olympic Off the Shelf White

Floor:  Olympic Steeple Gray - Darkened

Then came a lot of purging, simplifying and organizing -

So here is the before shot of my side of the closet, honestly there really wasn't much of any kind of organization going on in here and I really needed to do a major purge and clean out.

Here's my side today!  With the help of a few more itso storage cubbies and bins I have plenty of space for organizing all of my t-shirts, scarves and such.  I also love these new clothing hangers (from Homegoods) - they really do save space and I love the uniformity.  

I also picked up a little shoe stand at Target for cheap so now my shoes aren't piled on top of each other.

Here's Justin's side before.  He also had a couple of plastic drawers and all of his shoes were piled in that middle opening - if you squint you might can see that from this picture.

Now he has a nice neat spot for storing all of his things plus the side by side storage bins provide a shelf for his shoes.

The top shelf got a little love too...

One large itso bin for bulky sweatshirts and sweaters.

Justin's shelf needed major help.

Much better right?  These are the same itso storage cubes but with doors instead - helping to keep everything neatly tucked away and out of sight.

Our little closet door got a little face lift with some white paint and a cute new little knob.

We picked up this little knob at World Market on sale for $2.  I love this little added detail.

We are loving our simplified, organized and clean closet.  Simple living is something that is totally starting to take over our lifestyle - which if you know me is huge because I am known to hold onto something forever for the "just in case" moment.  There really isn't need for five different black shirts and ten pairs of flip flops, we found it to be just waste.  We are hoping that we (I) can continue to keep things simple - especially when it comes to our home.

 

So anyone else starting to get the spring cleaning bug?  

Linking Up Here: