spring/summer wardrobe essentials 2016

Spring is finally, finally here and my wardrobe is SOOOOOO ready for a little refresh.  How about yours?  

Each season I round up the wardrobe essentials that your closet (and mine!) absolutely need this season.  I combined spring and summer together because for me the two really blur together into one season as far as my clothes go.  Once the shorts, dresses and sandals come out in spring, they don't get put away until fall.  

This warm weather season I am sticking to the basics like denim shorts, striped dresses, white jeans and striped tops.  But I am also loving fun boho pieces that are super trendy right now and easy to wear as well, like flare jeans, peplum, and off the shoulder tops.  Today I rounded up my favorite styles for spring and I think I found the perfect balance between fun and trendy pieces and classic staples to keep you looking and feeling your best until fall.  

I love the idea of mixing and matching the classic pieces with the trendy pieces for this spring and summer.  For instance, how cute would the off-the-shoulder top look with white jeans? Or a classic striped top with flare jeans?  The best thing about spring and summer clothes is that shorts, dresses and tanks tend to be less of an investment than sweaters and boots for fall and winter, so you can really have some fun with trying new trends or investing in the classic pieces that will last. 

shop the pieces: 

bottoms & dresses: flare jeans, white jeans, black linen shorts, denim shorts, white shorts, denim skirt, striped dress, midi dress, chambray dress

tops: spring sweater, striped top, chambray top, off-the-shoulder top, tunic top, peplum top, grey t-shirt

jackets & accessories: linen blazer, denim jacket, sunglasses, hat, tote, cross-body bag

shoes & jewelry: wedges, sneakers, lace up sandals, birkenstocks, espadrilles, necklace, rings

30 winter wardrobe essentials...

This post is a little late seeing as we are about halfway through winter already, however I still wanted to take time to put it together for a few reasons.  One being, if you are like me you are already getting sick of your winter clothes... this post may work to remind us of pieces we already own but forgot about OR you may still be filling holes in your winter wardrobe and now is the time to do that with many winter pieces on sale now.  The other reason is that this is the perfect reminder that you don't need TONS of winter clothes to make for a cohesive winter wardrobe.  Winter is all about really solid basics like great jeans and sweaters and coats and boots that will keep us warm and stylish for the next couple of months.

My winter wardrobe is the one I really invest in.  Warm winter coats and boots don't come cheap and if you buy right these investments should last several years.  The same goes for sweaters and jeans... I don't want anything that is falling apart, stretching out or pilling mid-season.  Go for investment pieces this time of year and you won't regret it.

Accessories like scarves, a few delicate pieces of jewelry and a great bag or two can go a long way as well.  For bags I like to use a big tote this time of year (easy to sling over the shoulder with all the layers on) or a cross body bag to leave your hands free for mittens or gloves - or a nice warm drink!  And warm socks are ALWAYS in style this time of year... below I featured the pair I can't live without!  High quality snow boots like Ugg and Sorel are absolutely essential for keeping your feet warm.  And for days when it's not too snowy or cold, ankle boots, riding boots or even a pair of sneakers works for looking stylish - if it's warmer where you live or you get a random mild day a gorgeous pair of flats is always nice to have on hand.

This is the season for layering as much as possible, coats or jackets with tops and sweaters and scarves... layer it all on!  Being freezing cold is never in style.  So here are my top 30 winter wardrobe essentials... I hope this inspires your winter wardrobe in a positive way. I know that many of these pieces are similar to items that I own and love and depend on in my wardrobe.

coats/scarves

camel coat, faux fur hooded anorak, leather jacket, blazer, plaid scarf, grey scarf

sweaters

striped sweater, cream sweater, turtleneck sweater, grey cardigan, cream poncho

tops

grey sweatshirt, striped top, chambray top, plaid top

jeans/bottoms

leather leggings, dark skinny jeans, distressed jeans, black jeans

shoes

sorel snow boots, riding boots, ankle boots, ugg boots, sneakers, flats

accessories

tote, cross body bag, delicate ring set, necklace, warm socks

Or shop the pieces here...

2016 style resolution: black shoes!

I am quite picky when it comes to purchasing shoes and boots for myself.  Especially since in the last few years I have overall tried to curate my wardrobe more thoughtfully.  Instead of buying whatever is inexpensive or on sale or the latest trend from Target (all of which find their way to the 'donate' pile faster than I would like) I have been focusing on investing in shoes that I not only really, really (really!) love but also that will hopefully last multiple seasons. If a shoe can last two seasons that is good, four or five seasons is even better!  But as you may have experienced or can guess, finding that perfect shoe that fits the budget and is stylish and can last that long isn't an easy task.

I recently snagged a new pair of black mocs on crazy sale at Nordstrom Rack.  But not before humming and hawing a great deal about it.  I literally walked around the store for an hour with them in hand while trying to decide.  But then I had an "aha!" moment.  One really can't have too many black shoes.  Or at least this applies to me.  (Does it work for you too!?)  Black shoes always end up sticking around my closet longer and are also the first color of shoe I reach for on a regular basis.  They simply go with everything and are (almost) season-less. So one of my 2016 Style Resolutions is to remember that black shoes are always good to add to the mix.  Do you agree?

Have you made any style resolutions for 2016? If so... what are they?

Here are some of my favorite black shoes that I either already own... or wouldn't mind adding to my collection!

top row: pumps, slip on sneakers, ankle boots

middle row: loafer moccasins, tory burch flats, lace up ballet flats

bottom row: over the knee boots (I've acquired the most awful crush on these!), riding boots, hunter boots

Or shop them below...

fall closet staple: the blazer!

It's no secret around here that I am a blazer fanatic… I'm guessing a few of my you gals reading right now are too.  In my opinion there is a blazer for every occasion and an occasion for every blazer.  I definitely could wear this closet staple everyday… especially this time of year.  Blazers are the absolute perfect transitional wear… which means for me they get heavy wear in the spring and especially the fall.

I love that you can layer a blazer over a tank, tee or even a sweater… so you can really customize your outfit for the seasons and your style effortlessly.  Here are eight of my favorite blazer looks that I have worn here on the blog… PLUS my top picks for blazers that are in stores this fall. There are seriously SO. MANY. GORGEOUS. OPTIONS.  It's darn near impossible to even choose a favorite here… but tweed, velvet and houndstooth have got to take the cake here.  But all of these are gorgeous and classic pieces that would be perfect in any fall wardrobe.   What are your favorites? I'd love to hear!

1. navy tweed 2. camel herringbone 3. grey boyfriend 4. classic navy 5. black one-button 6. grey ruched sleeves 7. houndstooth 8. grey velvet 9. bright red wool 10. camel corduroy 11. grey herringbone 12. knit one-button

or shop the pieces below…

fall wardrobe essentials/2015

Earlier this summer I kicked off a new seasonal series here on the blog featuring wardrobe essentials based on some awesome feedback from you, my readers!  You gals were loud and clear that you wanted clear and concise seasonal advice on what to put in your closet.  Some of you wanted inspiration on filling in the potential holes in your wardrobe each season and others of you wanted a specific guide on creating a capsule wardrobe to minimize the amount of items in your closet while maximizing the style and ease of getting dressed each morning.

I loved the idea too… so I was happy to deliver! You gals loved the summer version of the "wardrobe essentials" so I knew it would be a great series here on the blog. Today I've got the fall version of the wardrobe essentials for you… and I think you are going to 'fall' (wink, wink) in love.  Keep in mind… some of these pieces you may already own, or you may own similar items.  Use this as a guide for a cohesive fall wardrobe filling in blank spots in your personal closet as needed.

I don't personally subscribe to a 'capsule' wardrobe but I will say that I don't own a ton of clothes… I really zero in on what I love each season and try to create outfits repeatedly out of those pieces without adding endless new clothes to the mix. I find it easier to create outfits with a smaller palate… and that is really what capsule dressing is at it's core, I suppose.

Here are my fall wardrobe essentials… which pieces do you plan to add to your wardrobe this fall?

get the pieces: (*item shown)

leather moto jacket (save | splurge*), trench coat (save*| splurge), military vest (save | splurge*), puffer vest (save | splurge*), navy blazer (save | splurge*)

black jeans (save | splurge*), distressed jeans (save | splurge*), army green pants (save | splurge*), boyfriend jeans (save*| splurge), black skirt (save*| splurge), chambray dress (save | splurge*), striped dress (save*| splurge), burgundy t-shirt dress (save*| splurge)

striped top (save | splurge*), grey henley (save | splurge*), blue striped oxford (save | splurge*), plaid shirt (save*| splurge), long line cardigan (save* | splurge), sweatshirt (save*| splurge)

riding boots (save* | splurge), ankle boots (save | splurge*), burgundy flats (save | splurge*), leopard flats (save | splurge*), lace up flats (save* | splurge)

grey tote (save | splurge*), leopard clutch (save | splurge*), cream wool scarf (save | splurge*), cross ring (save | splurge*), bold gold bracelet (save* | splurge), geode necklace (save* | splurge)

Or shop the pieces below… 

(remember some thumbnails will show items in different colors… it just means there are multiple colors available of that piece!) 

 Shop the tops and blazers…

Shop the bottoms and dresses…

Shop the tops and sweaters…

Shop the shoes and boots…

Shop the accessories…

Summer wardrobe essentials/2015

Many of you gals responded to my recent survey asking "What is one thing that would make getting dressed each morning easier?" by saying that you would like a seasonal guide to the must-haves or a capsule-like inspiration for the seasons.  You gals are genius… I knew I could call on you for your honest feedback and inspiration!  (By the way, THANK YOU to those that responded… your responses were incredibly insightful and will lead the way for some fun new series and projects around here! So stay tuned!)

Even though summer is almost half over (cue the sadness)… there is still plenty of warm and sunny weather left (cue the happiness) and so today we are going to talk summer wardrobe essentials. This list of 30 items is based on what I own and wear all summer as a stay-at-home-mom.  So a lot of the items you see here are items you see on the blog or on my Instagram regularly.  Because of that they are proven to be versatile, easy to wear, easy to mix and match and great for a busy mom lifestyle.  I can attest to that!  If you work in an office these may be more of your weekend or after work essentials.  No matter your lifestyle, if you are a gal that wants some quick and easy summer outfit basics that can be easily mixed and match into outfits for any summer occasion… these are it!

get the pieces: 

striped dress (save | splurge), maxi dress (save | splurge), white shorts (save | splurge), denim shorts (save | splurge), white jeans (save | splurge), striped shorts (save | splurge)

white denim jacket (save | splurge), denim jacket (save | splurge), tunic (save | splurge), l/s striped top (save | splurge), chambray top (save | splurge), summer sweater (save | splurge)

s/s striped tee (save | splurge), graphic tee (save | splurge), navy top (save | splurge), simple tank (save | splurge), striped tank (save | splurge), peplum top (save | splurge)

leopard print sandals (save | splurge), espadrilles (save | splurge), black wedges (save | splurge), nude sandals (save | splurge), white sneakers (save | splurge), classic sneakers (save | splurge)

summer earrings (save | splurge), delicate necklace (save | splurge), simple bracelet (save | splurge), aviator sunglasses (save | splurge), leather tote (save | splurge), cross body bag (save | splurge)

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