HUGE Fall Capsule Wardrobe Haul For A Client - Nada Manley

40 PIECES | 675 OUTFITS

I love shopping for other people. That’s one of the things that I love the most about being a personal stylist. There is something so rewarding about being able to step into another woman’s shoes and life for a bit and curate a wardrobe for her that will fit that life. This client came to me in a pinch because she had multiple conferences coming up and no time to shop for the pieces she needed. We had shopped together once, a couple of years ago, and she was still wearing those same pieces on repeat. As a busy doctor, she needed clothes that were comfortable but chic enough for the office, and an occasional business formal look for speaking and events.

Here are the details on my beautiful client:

Doctor in her early 40s
Mom of 3
Boho beachy style
Style Dial Blue
Light coloring
Size 2-4
No black and no heavyweight materials

I had a short timeline, so I shopped local, hitting Dillards and then our outlet mall for Express, Banana Republic, and J. Crew. In total, I found 40 pieces. Here’s the breakdown.

Everything found in this wardrobe (or similar styles when sold out) can be found in this catalog.

9 Dresses: Ranging from everyday options to dressier styles.
6 Pants: Including a suit pant, a couple of elevated joggers, and some fun statement pants
4 Jackets: Including the suit jacket, navy knit blazer, a silky pumpkin blazer, and a suede moto
21 tops, ranging from camis to blouses

I also picked up some simple jewelry for her (several everyday pieces and a statement piece or two, all neutral) and a pair of the Sarah Flint Perfect Pumps 50.

Before I show you the outfits, let me give you the breakdown of the process I use to create a capsule wardrobe.

Choose a Color Palette

Based on my client’s light coloring (blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin) I chose a neutral color palette of white/off white, olive, navy, and pumpkin with accent colors of yellow, wine, blush, and sage. It is a lot easier to find what you are looking for if you shop on trend and in store colors. There’s no point going shopping for something that you need ASAP in a color that you won’t find in stores. You’re just setting yourself up for frustration. This color palette is quite broad, but you can be more focused if you like. 3-5 color is a good range to shoot for.

Be Focused But Flexible

When shopping locally, your options are limited, unless you are lucky enough to live in an area with a lot of amazing shopping, so although you want to keep your goals in mind, you might need to make some compromises on color and detail (but never on fit, flattery, and functionality). Know where you need to stand firm (what’s the most important criteria for you) and where you can afford to be flexible.

More Tops Than Bottoms

Every woman knows that it’s easier to repeat bottoms than tops, so aim for at least twice as many tops as bottoms. In the case of this wardrobe, I have 3.5 times as many, and a wide variety for lots of outfit options.

And now, for the outfits. These are only 22 of the 675 possible outfit combinations that can be made with this 40-piece wardrobe.