Camel Coat, White Sweater + Talking About Shopping Less
Happy, happy New Year, friends! I hope you’re all enjoying time off or time spent with friends and family. We’ve had a busy holiday season but have also been able to enjoy some relaxation and I hope the same for you!
I’ve been meaning to share this look on the blog and thought it would be the perfect classic, timeless look to kick off the New Year and also share something that’s been on my mind. One thing I’ve been working on is shopping with intention (meaning adding more wardrobe staples vs. trends), while also re-working items in my closet. I think in this world of Instagram and blogging, there’s so much “stuff” with pressure to buy, buy, buy, keeping up with the latest this or that. And while I don’t think there’s anything wrong with indulging or treating yourself, sometimes you just need a reset.
Honestly, I think one thing that’s helped has been our move. I have an outrageous amount of clothes. And packing them into countless boxes helped me visualize this excess. So many don’t even see the light of day. And that’s horrible. Stressful even! Why am I buying so much, why do I feel like I’m wasting so much, why do I feel like I have nothing to wear? I spent some time purging and donating, while giving life to items in my closet I truly love, and also focusing on building up my wardrobe staples. My plan is to continue this pattern. And honestly, you guys…it’s refreshing.
This season, I’ve shopped less, investing in pieces I truly love and have noticed I actually have less desire to shop—yet somehow I have more to wear.
I finished 2018 with this mindset (shopping with intention) and it’s something I plan to continue into (and hopefully through) 2019. Building a wardrobe of items that fill a void, pieces I feel confident in, things I can wear again and again, season after season, and pieces that are worn, loved and see the light of day.
For me, this outfit is the epitome of what I want to continue to build on. I bought this camel coat last year (I think during Black Friday or a holiday sale) and hesitated because we don’t have that many opportunities to wear coats in day-to-day life in California. But I’m so glad I ended up with it because a camel coat is one of those timeless wardrobe staples I’m talking about. Something you can reach for with everything and that you can throw on to feel put-together and chic in an instant. THAT is the feeling I want to focus on in 2019.
Classic Camel Coats
Pairing camel with winter white is one of my favorite combinations and white sweaters are a soft spot for me. You guys, I have too many. BUT, my intention is to focus on more classic silhouettes this season. For me, that means fewer oversized styles and slouchy silhouettes I don’t always feel work for any and every occasion. Don’t get me wrong, slouchy sweaters have their place (hello, #weekendstyle with leggings and sneakers) but I know I feel better in something with a little more structure and it’s what I end up reaching for when I want to look and feel presentable. Sweater styles I’ve been looking for are crew necks, mock necks and generally styles that have a bit more structure. Also, I don’t need 5-7 similar lower-quality sweaters when I can have 2-3 high-quality staples.
Classic Staple Sweaters
Another area I’ve focused on is boots. I have too many shoes, not enough shoes to wear. Anyone else? I talked about these M.Gemi Corsa boots already and if you have the opportunity to spend a little more, I highly recommend them and the M.Gemi brand in general. This pair is timeless and chic and can be worn casually and dressed up—which was something I know I was lacking. I love how they come up a little higher on the leg, which is great for letting skinny jeans fall into or straighter styles fall over. In this outfit, you can see how I tucked my jeans into them. I also love the 2.15 inch heel on these. They’re incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. You can get $60 off with code TYLER60. I’m between an 8 and 8.5 and wear the 39 in these.
You also may have seen I asked my Trunk Club Stylist (see this post) for some everyday boots and I ended up buying two more pairs that also fill a void in my collection. These Steve Madden ankle boots were the perfect-shade-of-brown booties (I have the cognac suede) I couldn’t put my finger on I was missing. I’ve had a hard time with Chelsea boots in the past but these are a great everyday-casual style I’ll be slipping into. The price point is great at just under $100 and they come in several colors. FYI, I always wear an 8.5 in Steve Madden but I almost think I could have even done an 8. I read reviews from people mentioning they sized up but I would probably stick to your normal size first.
The last pair of ankle boots I bought myself this season will be another wardrobe staple for me and also came in my Trunk Club. These Marc Fisher ‘Yale’ Chelsea boots in black are my new “cool girl” boots. Sleek, stylish and a little slick. These can easily do casual to dressy and will be what I reach for on a night out and will be my go-to with black denim and a moto jacket. In my experience, these run a little big. I had to exchange the 8.5 for an 8.
Classic Ankle Boots
To be honest, the main thing that has changed in terms of my shopping is this: I ask myself if something fills a void in my wardrobe. If the answer is no, I don’t buy it. And I am going to try to continue shopping with this mindset. For me, I know my void includes timeless sweaters I can wear for both work and play, outerwear that can do double duty and I always seem to notice a lack when I need something a little dressy or special for a night out.
What’s an area of your own closet you’d like to build? I plan to continue to share great deals, sales, finds and my favorite outfits with you all but I am honestly so excited to focus on building up a closet full of wardrobe staples (and pieces I feel good in) and I can’t wait to shop less in 2019.
As always, thank you SO much for reading and Happy HAPPY New Year to all of you!
xx Tyler
Photos by Jessica Kay Photography
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