Style Diary — Essential Fall Basics

Happy Thursday! And yay for a long weekend coming up! We're heading up to Martha's Vineyard with friends for a few days, which should be super fun! Part of me is dreading the long weekend coming to an end and the school year starting (in less than a week!! how did this happen!? insert all the tears-streaming-down-face emojis), but part of me also misses the routine and hustle. I'm always more productive the busier I am, and I love feeling productive! Plus, I don't want to waste the end of summer dreading anything, so I've finally decided I'm going to stop half denying/dreading/mourning the fact that summer break is pretty much over, and instead celebrate the beginning of Autumn!

I've fallen in love with the idea of a Capsule Wardrobe and have been working on building mine for the coming fall/winter season. The outfit I'm sharing with you today is made up completely of pieces that I had on my list for it: a white t-shirt, leather jacket, black ankle boots, grey crossbody bag, and jeans. (I'm going to be sharing more on this in the next few posts, including what a capsule wardrobe is and some other pieces I got/am looking to get for mine for fall/winter, and I am so excited!) All of the pieces are super basic, but together they make a great outfit! They're extremely neutral and versatile and I know I'll get a lot of wear out of them this fall and probably the next couple of years. These are all reasons why I love them and they're 'must-haves' in my book!

I spent a lot of time looking for and trying on white t-shirts this summer. It's appalling and aggravating how many are way too sheer! What's the point of wearing a shirt if you can see your bra though it anyway?! I finally found this one by Trouve at the Nordstrom sale, and am pretty happy with it. The material is very soft and much more opaque than many I tried on. I also like how it is cut, as it is more feminine and flattering than just a plain white t-shirt.

A leather jacket was another piece I had on my list for fall, and I really like this one that I picked out from Dezzal. They were incredibly kind to let me pick out such a beautiful and expensive piece! The only thing I didn't love about it is that the fit is a bit odd, as the waist fits like an XS while the shoulders and bust fit like a S-M. But it wasn't a big deal for me since I planned on wearing it unzipped most of the time anyway, and it fits just fine like that! I love everything else about it, including the zipper detailing and the quality of the jacket.

The grey purse is also a gift from Dezzal, and I absolutely adore it! The trapezoidal, 'winged shape', now called 'trapeze' has become a classic and hugely popular bag shape, thanks to the brand Céline. I love finding pieces that look expensive, and sometimes similar to designer brands, at a much better price! This bag isn't an exact 'dupe' of any particular bag, but it reminds me of this particular Chloé bag crossed with this Céline bag. I love the contrast of the suede flap with the leather body and just how clean and classic it looks! It also comes in black and brown.

The jeans and booties are two other pieces I'm really excited about as well! The jeans are from NY & Company, and have been on and off sale the past several weeks. While I did have to get them hemmed despite the fact that they were 'petite', I am still really happy with them and how they fit. For more of my thoughts on NY & Co's new line of soho jeans, check out my post here. The black booties are from Steve Madden, and I love them! They're definitely a dressier pair of booties that I'll wear more for nights out and work than everyday running around, as the heel is pretty high. They're pretty comfortable for how hight the heel is though, and I love the the little slit detail on the sides! They've also been on and off sale, and I managed to get them 20% off during the last sale! If you're interested in trying to get them at a discount, I'd suggest signing up for Steve Madden's emails, as you find out about sales right away!