I originally wrote this “Spring Capsule Wardrobe” post for The Fashion Police, but it occurred to me that it might be of interest to some ShoeperWoman readers too, as it shows you how to create a range of different outfits from just three pairs of shoes, plus a limited amount of clothing. I had intended this to be a basic smart/casual capsule wardrobe for spring, but I guess it could also work as a kind of packing list if you’re off somewhere with spring-like temperatures!
The important thing to note about this, of course, is that no capsule wardrobe can possibly work for everyone, and that’s particularly true when it comes to shoes, because, as well as having different tastes, we all have different comfort levels: some of us practically live in high heels, while others require much more comfortable footwear. Lifestyle also plays a big part in shoe selections: I, for instance, work at a desk all day, so there aren’t many occasions for which heels would be totally inappropriate for, but other people may work outdoors, or have a long commute which makes dress shoes impractical. With that said, here are the three pairs of shoes I’ve chosen for my nautical-inspired capsule wardrobe:
L-R: Boden polka dot flats // Nine West red wedges // Mango nude peep toes
Selecting the shoes for a nautical-inspired capsule wardrobe
Assuming I wasn’t planning any out-of-the-ordinary adventures, I could easily get through spring and summer with just these three pairs of shoes. I’ve chosen flats for casual wear, heels for dress occasions, and wedges for a mix of the two. Although both the wedges and peep toes have high heels, I find platform wedges easily as comfortable as flats, and they’re the style of shoe I go for if I need something I can do a lot of walking/standing in. Again, this is one of those things that will differ widely from person to person, as we all have different comfort/tolerance levels!
Selecting the shoe colours
Because I wanted these shoes to work with a selection of different outfits, I’ve chosen colours that I consider to be “neutrals”. You might not think it, but this is also something that will vary from person to person: I consider red shoes to be a “neutral” for me, because they work with so many of my clothes, for instance, but for some of you that won’t be the case at all. The nude peep toes, however, are an obvious choice (gold would also work here), while the navy polka dot flats blend with a nautical-inspired capsule wardrobe really easily, and also inject a fun print into the mix. You could, of course, go for three pairs of nude shoes, but what would be the fun in that?
Why nautical?
I could, of course, have picked any theme for this capsule wardrobe, but, as well as being a very classic look for spring, these “nautical” colours are really easy to put together, and create lots of different combinations with. It also doesn’t hurt that I happen to own quite a few of these pieces, which makes it easier to imagine how they’d work together.
You’ll find the full list of the oufits I created with these shoes below: I’d love to hear which three pairs of shoes YOU’D chose to create a spring capsule wardrobe with, too!
Nautical-inspired capsule wardrobe:
OUTERWEAR & ACCESSORIES: Trench Coat | Jersey Blazer | Scarf | Belt
SWEATERS & TOPS: Breton sweater | White t-shirt | Stripe shell top| Yellow cardigan | Navy cardigan
TROUSERS & JEANS: Red jeans | White trousers | Blue jeans
SHOES: Polka dot slingbacks | Red wedges | Nude peep toes
DRESSES & SKIRTS: Polka dot dress | Flared dress | Full Skirt | Pencil skirt
EXTRAS: Necklace | Bag | Shirt
Cute! I always love these type of articles when they appear in magazines:) I like almost every outfit (just not sure about wearing a trench coat with a pencil skirt. I think the different hemlines could be hard to pull off. But maybe because of the fitted style of the skirt it could actually work:) which is great as I never know what to pair my pencil skirts with)
I would have added a (cropped) (fake) leather jacket as well, for me that’s a definite Spring staple:))
Love this, I naturally lean towards nautical style, so this is actually really helpful, and also, now I’m 100% convinced I need a nude bag. Much more spring-like than plain old brown!
My style is not nautical at all, but maybe I need to reconsider. I certainly love the shoes you chose.
I know this is about the shoes but the capsule wardrobe is lovely. Just back into pre pregnancy clothes after my 2nd baby and not bought any new ones for 2 years (!!!) due to my changing shape in and after pregnancy. Not surprisingly everything looks old and tired. Would you consider a blog post about how to choose a capsule wardrobe, I don’t know where to start!
Sure! I was planning to do one of these for each season, but I can also do a kind of “master” one too, with the basics – as long as you don’t mind it being heavily skewed in the direction of clothes *I* would wear 🙂
Very inspiring! Your Spring wardrobe (except the trench coat) works great for my Summer weather here too. I eschew denim jeans most of the time because the temperature gets too high in the afternoon. But denim jeans are great for watching a movie at the cinema. I’ve Summer here throughout the year, hot and humid. I can’t wait for your Summer capsule. I absolutely love sundress and I think you’ll incorporate them in your Summer wardrobe.