A Transitional Season Capsule Edit (#010)

aka my favourite time of year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to maximise our wardrobes. Transitional season dressing will forever be tops for me. When I can realistically wear an oversized knit with shorts and sandals. Or a mini dress with a trench coat and boots. Those outfit pairings which just don’t make sense during summer or winter. Sometimes, only options to us for a very short window.

What it is, is that the sky’s the limit for blending seasonal summer and winter wardrobes to come up with interesting outfit combinations that feature a mix of textures and layering. Not too bare, and not too covered up, either.

Rather than do a specific autumn and spring split, I thought I’d do one overarching capsule. But, if it’s of interest, you can see my last autumn capsule here or spring capsule here.

The breakdown of this capsule looks like this:

• 2x tops (one long sleeved and one short sleeved)

• 1x knitted sweater (I chose an oversized crew but a cardigan will multiply outfit options)

• 1x dress (a strapless mini style - fun layering abounds)

• 3x bottoms (a pair of casual jeans, a skirt, and some trousers)

• 1x jacket (a trench because, what else?!)

• 2x shoes (a flat neutral coloured shoe and a low heeled boot)

Another way you could approach this is to swap one of the bottoms for another top - but at any rate, this makes a great base with more than 30 styling permutations to work your way through.

I’ll be talking a little bit about how to blend your summer and winter wardrobes later this month - as in why some outfits will work and why some won’t (for paid subscribers only, if you wanted to consider upgrading your subscription via the button below). But what you’ll find in this edit is a playful array of outfits that incorporate layering, simple accessories like a scarf, and colour play to create interesting looks.

the ten items

#1 | Short sleeved (or sleeveless) top: Anything that is able to be worn open vs closed will always net the most outfits, but don’t let that determine what you pick. Opting for different silhouettes with your tops will yield you the most diverse range of looks (IMO anyway!). Pictured: Quince
Alternatives: & Other Stories | COS | Assembly Label | DISSH | Country Road

#2 | Long sleeved top: Want to take a more playful approach? Pick a style that has a cut out or unique design feature. Capsules shouldn’t be boring, and this is also a simple way to showcase your taste within your personal style framework. Bonus points if you can wear it loose vs tucked. Pictured: Christoper Esber
Alternatives: Sezane | Tibi | UNISON | Venroy | Arket

#3 | Knitted sweater: Crew-neck, V-neck or cardigan. The latter again holding the most versatility, but ideally you want something in a complementary colour to the two tops you selected (would recommend a different hue to your long sleeved top for visual variation). There’s lots of different ways that you can tuck and style your sweater - if you’re after a guide you can watch this video I shared last year. Pictured: Jenni Kayne
Alternatives: H&M | Sezane | Everlane | DISSH | La Saison Sportive | Quince

#4 | A cute dress: This was where I personally chose to have the biggest “injection” of colour, with a baby blue strapless mini. But a midi or maxi length style is also sweet, though may stop you from trying out one of my current favourite style hacks, layering a dress over a longer skirt. Pictured: Bondi Born (on pre order)
Alternatives: Reformation | VRG GRL | Blanca | XIRENA | AERE Label | Everlane

#5 | Cropped or full length jeans: If you’ve got a touch of blue in your capsule, this is a great way to amplify the shade and strengthen the colour palette. But white or faded black, grey etc are all great too. This is your “casual” option that’ll tone down whichever tops you’ve selected. Pictured: Levi’s (also here)
Alternatives: Madewell | Everlane | UNISON | Khaite | H&M

#6 | A skirt with movement: Because style should be fun, and there’s something to be said for having a bit of drama - no matter how subtle - in your outfit. Maxi length skirts tend to be higher impact, but pleats, plisse, or ruching are also fun. If you’re opting for a mini, think about how this would look with tights and boots at the cooler end of the transitional season. Pictured: Quince
Alternatives: Sezane | Bec+Bridge | Goelia (25% off with JAMIE25) | By Malene Birger | DISSH

#7 | Trousers with a classic cut: Dressed up or dressed down, depending on the styling. A building block style, which could be a straight leg, tapered cut, barrel leg. I’ve gone with a tapered cropped pant which is just long enough to ensure it covers the shaft of my boots. Pictured: The Frankie Shop
Alternatives: DISSH | Country Road | RAEY | H&M | Camilla & Marc | COS

#8 | The transitional season jacket: For me, this is none over than a trench coat. But for you, it could be a shacket, and leather jacket, a bomber. The list goes on. Cliche though it might be, I think this can be a fun way to play with proportions, especially if you have a range of hemlines in your capsule. Pictured: Kindersalmon (exact - 10% off with MADEMOISELLE10)
Alternatives: Jenni Kayne | COS | Marks & Spencer | Assembly Label | Sezane | Facade Pattern

#9 | Neutral-toned flat shoes: Shoes can transform an outfit, so consider what you’re trying to say with your looks when deciding. A longer, pointed toe will add length to the leg, while texture can add in that tactile quality that can sometimes be missing from summer wardrobe staples (sorry!). Pictured: Loeffler Randall
Alternatives: A.P.C Paris | Emme Parsons | Margaux | Sam Edelman | Madewell

#10 | Low heeled boots: Giving you that physical lift, these can either be in the same vibe as your flats, or the polar opposite. I went for sleek and polished as that was what I was reaching for with these outfits, and the boots delivered. Make sure whatever you do pick is comfortable. Pictured: ELK the Label
Alternatives: Bared | Everlane | Arket | Atmos&Here | Acne Studios | & Other Stories

the outfits

finishing touches

Final flourishes? The core accessories we reach for daily. I decided to utilise a silk scarf (this one, from Sportscraft) in a number of my looks, to add a little bit of playfulness. You can see it worn classically as a necktie, casually knotted around the shoulder strap of my bag, or tied across the body in a few different ways. Would also work as an additional “top” option too.

A fun way to play with beauty is to switch up the shade of your eyeshadow, or transition to a more seasonal lippie (think a soft pink for Spring, or a brown-toned lipstick for autumn (my favourite is the shade ‘Tiger’ from Merit).

Usually I’d just incorporate one bag into these capsules - think of it as an add-on. But, this time I wanted to illustrate how a different bag can change the mood of your outfit. Both the actual shape and size being key factors, along with the texture and hardware finishes. I’ve included the sweet Sammie bag from Saben (15% off with JAMIELOVESSABEN15) - this is my “mini”. And a larger classic black leather tote with a decent shoulder drop from Assembly Label (fits a laptop, too!)