minimal outfit

Winter Pastels & Starting a Capsule Wardrobe 101

February 23, 2021 by The Partial Ingredients

Okay, that polar vortex thing last week was wild! It seemed like everyone I knew across the U.S. was experiencing bizarre winter weather. Here in Colorado we had temperatures as low as -15 degrees for several days, and some friends and family were dealing with -35F. Yikes. Good lord, is it Spring yet?

This post is all about the layers and layers of pretty pastels and neutral tones. The great thing about those combinations is that even if you do add a million layers, it will still look good together! Just pick a neutral palette and roll with it. For this one, I went with a color palette consisting of black, charcoal, tan, blush, cream and sage. Picking your color palette is a great way to get a capsule wardrobe started! The next step is identifying pieces that can be used for multiple occasions. For example, this camel trench coat from Zara will go with just about anything. I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve featured these skinny jeans and these chelsea boots on my blog, but it is A LOT for a good reason. They go with just about everything and are staples in my closet. For my capsule wardrobe, the name of the game is minimalism, so I try not to go overboard with accessories, so I pretty much just stick with the basics like a few nice scarves and bags to complete your looks.

**Outfit Details:** Coat: Zara; Sweater: Asos; Jeans: Levi’s; Scarf: MM LaFleur; Bag: Frye – Melissa; Shoes: Marc Fisher

Linen & Slate

December 21, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

I had been hearing about the joggers trend for a while, but never found a pair that could be easily incorporated into my wardrobe. I try to keep my closet versatile, yet as minimal as possible so I just didn’t see any room for this trend or what I would even wear joggers with. How do you dress up joggers and make them not look like you’re wearing pajamas? It seemed like the options to make them look actually nice were limited, but I recently found a pair from Anthropologie that actually look…classy? I think it has something to do with the front pleats which gives it a bit of a dress pants vibe. Whatever the reason, these certainly don’t resemble pajamas, but they are so comfortable they might as well be. The material is Modal, which is seriously such a soft and luxurious fabric. I absolutely love these and have been pretty much living in them!

Pairing these pants with a linen cami from Abercrombie, and a cozy oversized cardigan dresses up the ‘fit while also keeping it pretty laid back. Completed the look with this great little bee pendant and some classic Vans kicks. Overall, I’m really happy with the addition of these joggers to my closet and I hope they will inspire a lot of other future looks!

**Outfit Details:** Cardigan: American Eagle; Pants: Saturday/Sunday Abroad by Anthropologie; Shoes: Old Skool sneakers by Vans; Necklace: Etsy; Cami: Abercrombie & Fitch

Touch of Grunge

December 10, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

I usually don’t get sick of Winter until at least January after all the holidays have passed, but this year seems to have sped that up a bit. In any event, I am in the mood for a Spring outfit! This look is one part Spring and two parts Fall, featuring this pretty Boho top from Abercrombie. I love blouses like these because they are timeless and versatile. Pair them with a skirt, cardigan, jeans — whatever! It’s one of those items that should belong in every minimalist capsule wardrobe IMO.

Adding to this look are a couple more Fall inspired items made for your capsule wardrobe, like these Chelsea boots by Sutro which have been my fav for a couple months now. They’re so comfy and look good with just about everything! Since we are still in the dead of winter, this look would be perfect paired with a trench coat or cozy cardigan to keep yourself warm! I also went with a touch of grunge with these high-rise distressed jeans from Levi’s which have been featured in a lot of my previous blog posts. A simple pair of black jeans is another closet staple of mine, distressed or not — though I like to have both options in the closet!

**Outfit Details:** Top: Abercrombie & Fitch; Pants: Levi’s; Boots: Sutro; Bag: Teddi Joelle; Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Rust & White

November 14, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

Early November has been so lovely and mild, it’s been kind of amazing. Finally, something in 2020 has been nice?! Somebody pinch me. We saw some absolutely perfect Fall days with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. The latest look on the blog is all about Summery dresses coupled with cozy oversized cardigans. There’s something about big ole cardigans that I find so comforting, especially this one from Abercrombie, which is apparently a size small, LOL. I can’t imagine what the large is like, but I would imagine it’s bordering on tent-like proportions. Can’t complain though, because big-ass cardigans are basically like blankets that you can wear without resorting to snuggies and such.

You could say that Cardigans are like the socially acceptable blankets that you can wear in public without being socially ostracized — while still being cozy! It’s a win-win, especially during the winter months. Plus you can take a Summery dress, pair it with a cozy cardigan and boots, and voila, you have a perfect Fall outfit. These boots, by the way, are from Thursdays, and they have been such a great addition into my closet. I’m always a fan of “swiss army knife” additions because these boots look good with basically anything! Granted, this outfit wouldn’t do well in a snow storm but hey, you can’t have everything. Please keep this beautiful Fall weather coming Colorado, thank you very much!

**Outfit Details:** Dress: Abercrombie & Fitch; Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch; Shoes: Thursday Boots; Watch: Stock Watch; Bag: LeatherStrata

Spring Blues

March 22, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

To talk about the latest Spring looks feels a bit strange and out of place. A lot has changed since I last posted. I think at this point everyone is on the same page with current events (like, you literally cannot escape the news right now) so I won’t beat a dead horse. In an attempt for normalcy I felt like I should probably update the blog though.

So, how about jeans folks?! Lolz. I will say, these ultra high-rise Levi’s are pretty awesome. These are their 721 style in a medium wash with just the right amount of cotton (75%) and just the right amount of stretch. I wouldn’t call them true denim jeans because of the decent amount of stretch but they aren’t quite full on “jeggings” either. A perfect blend I should say! And soooo comfortable. I wouldn’t call them as durable as cotton jeans but the comfort factor makes up for it because 100% cotton jeans are so stiff and take forever to break in. To add to the comfort factor, I included this classic waffle weave top from American Eagle, mostly because I just love the color. It’s just so pretty, and looks great with blue jeans! I admit it’s more of a Fall color but I think rustic orange can have its place in the Spring. Adding in my favorite pair of Chelsea boots by Marc Fisher to give this outfit a more minimalist vibe. Happy Spring ya’ll!

**Outfit Details:** Top: American Eagle; Jeans: Levi’s 721s; shoes; Marc Fisher; hat: unbranded

Pointelle Sweater

February 9, 2020 by The Partial Ingredients

It’s been a very mild January/February so my thoughts have been turning more toward Winter-to-Spring transition looks. This pointelle sweater from Asos fits the bill as it’s very cozy but also has a bit of a Spring vibe going on. The length is pretty average and not overly cropped which is gives it some versatility. It looks great with high-waisted jeans but works well as a pullover with dresses and skirts. It’s always a treat to order something online and surprise–the thing is majorly cropped! And nowhere does it say on the listing that it is of course. This seems to be one of the casualties of online clothes shopping, especially with fast fashion brands (looking at you Forever 21). Luckily, Asos just made a normal sweater of normal length –incredible, I know! I paired this sweater with some comfy jeans from Levi’s–I’m a big fan of their stretchier jeans. They are ridiculously comfy and feel like you are wearing leggings!

Lately, I’ve been slowly putting together some minimalist capsule wardrobe ideas and a cozy reading corner in the new place! Still works in progress but I’ve chosen a few neutral and minimal looks suitable for everyday, work or travel. Shown below are a few tops that fit perfectly into a more minimalist wardrobe. Simplification will be the key word for me in 2020!