Capsule Wardrobe for Autumn 2018

It’s that time again – time to sort out some beautiful clothes for the Autumn and make a capsule wardrobe that really works. Here’s my catwalk inspired 20-piece hand picked collection that makes mixing and matching super easy. As always these are items that are currently available on the high street and in larger online shops.

This capsule wardrobe is very similar to what I’ll be wearing myself this season, but many of my clothes are thrifted, vintage or customised – not very helpful for anyone who’s hoping to get the look themselves – so this way I’ve made sure that anyone can duplicate it. You might find that you already have several items of clothing already that can be pressed into service, which helps to keep the cost down.

The collection is based on my tried and trusted Capsule Wardrobe Rules, so have a look at those if you’d like some more inspiration. Now let’s get started with my top picks for the 2018 new season!

Let’s start with the tops. These are designed to be as versatile as possible, and to give you plenty of variety at the same time. Each top can be paired with any one of the trousers or shirts, which is especially handy at the end of the working week when everything else is in the laundry basket.

• Fancy sweatshirt in ecru, £39.95 at Promod. If that’s too pricey, any other smart, simple sweatshirt in white, pale grey or cream will work too (try this one from Uniqlo, currently on offer for £9.90).
• Nude satin striped shirt, £29.99 at Mango. In case you don’t already have a white, cream or beige shirt.
• Taupe tie neck leopard top, £37.00 at Wallis. Also at Debenhams. These are likely to sell out soon, but they have another leopard top in the same fabric that looks great too.
• Burgundy ribbed panel shirt, £19.99 at Mango. An easy way to add a pop of rich colour.
• Paisley print wrap blouse, £14.00 George at Asda. The fabric is very nice quality, and the matching skirt is shown below. Mix and match them with other separates, or put them together to make a dress that looks a lot like an AW18 offering from Isabel Marant.

Now for the skirts and trousers, with plenty of different shapes, colours and styles to keep it interesting for the new season.

• Black Wonderfit skinny jeans, £20.00 at George at Asda. Sizes 6 to 28.
• Blue wash EZY slim leg jeans, £34.90 at Uniqlo. These somehow manage to be very, very comfortable but still look smart at the same time.
• Chestnut brown faux leather wrap midi skirt, £39.95 at Promod. I absolutely love this skirt which nails both the leather trend and the midi skirt trend. You could substitute a grey, taupe or brown pencil skirt here too, if you own one.
• Burnt orange cropped culottes, £12.50 at George at Asda. Very fashionable and easy to wear, at an impressively low price.
• Paisley print hanky hem skirt, £12.50 at George at Asda. Really beautiful on, and such good value.

Now on to the jackets and footwear. These are indoor jackets, but will double as coats and cover-ups on warmer autumnal days. The rules here are that each of the jackets must go with any of the tops, plus all of the shoes and boots must go with any of the skirts or trousers.

• Black woven blazer, £20.00 at George at Asda. In case you don’t already have a smart tailored jacket for adding a sharper edge to more feminine pieces.
• Long medium brown ribbed cardigan, £49.99 at Mango. My pick of the bunch of this season’s longline cardigans and coatigans. You could also substitute a long mid-grey cardigan or jacket and it would still work.
• Black ruched heeled boots, £15.00 at George at Asda. A slouchy boot with a bargain price tag.
• Taupe cowboy stud ankle boots, £45.00 at Wallis. Designer looks for under 50 quid. Excellent.
• Berry leather brogue T-bar heels, £40.00 at Next. A splash of colour in a pretty vintage style.

Finally, it’s time for the bags and accessories. The bags are versatile, and the accessories are optional ways to add extra detail or colour balance to your styling.

• Brown wrap effect hobo bag, £18.00 at George at Asda. A big, useful bag that’s roomy enough for work or shopping.
• Black bag with plait detail, £29.95 at Promod. A smaller, smarter bag that’s great with everything.
• Burnt orange patterned scarf, £19.95 at Promod. A pop of colour at the neckline.
• Brown jacquard weave scarf, £12.99 at H&M. A useful neutral scarf to calm down a busy outfit.
• Misguided gold tone coin necklace, £12.00 as ASOS. A ladylike nod to the AW18 catwalk jewellery at Chloe.

I’ll leave you with the full picture of everything in the capsule wardrobe brought together in one place, in all its glory.

There you have it, plenty of variety for making multiple different outfits and looks with the minimum of fuss. The next article about this capsule collection is outfit styling ideas for all sorts of occasions and trends, whether you need to dress up or dress down.

What do you think? Has anything caught your eye?