The Capsule Collection - Introduction
Kicking off a new series on Substack; The Capsule Collection. A selfish exercise to crowd source through my community to find the best pieces to add to my own wardrobe.
This is my 50th Substack post. I know. Time has flown! I think it’s because I love it, truly. Substack is a nostalgic reminder of why I’m on social media. I signed up to a “life online” at the point where you had a blog name and tweeted about your blogpost.
You couldn’t even put photos on Twitter. Vogue (yes, the Vogue) used to retweet textual descriptions of outfits and that was how I gained a following to start with (I can’t for the life of me remember the hashtag it was all under… anyone?). I distinctly remember getting glared at in a meeting when my Blackberry (ha!) was pinging because I was getting so many new people after one time it happened.
Then along came Instagram. At first it was unbelievably rubbish pictures of avocados and peonies (using one of the eleven abysmal filters), but gradually the expectation waded into showing myself online. It was a gradual thing. Had someone said to me “You’re going to start sharing aspects of every inch of your life, your face, your body and your thoughts, every day,” there is absolutely no way in hell I’d have signed up this. But it happened gradually, inch by inch.
I have moments I like on Instagram, or particular content I enjoyed making but the bit I loved (and Substack has brought back) was the writing. I’m no editor, but I love the hunting down of outfits and sharing my thoughts. The fact anyone read it was a bonus, I was pretty happy doing it into the void long before any kind of pick up happened. The idea that I’d “work” with brands just didn’t ever cross my mind - mainly because it wasn’t an option - when I started. How it’s all progressed is kind of mental, really…
Why am I telling you this? Well, because now that I’m firmly back in the “writing posts” territory I’ve put some thought into the kind of content I got the biggest kick out of. Without a doubt it was a series I did on building a capsule wardrobe. Ironically 15 years later I need to do the same again as I’m lacking a few staple pieces (and I like to think my style is a little more refined). I need a smart pair of black trousers, an all-rounder blazer, a pair of court shoes… My white tee could do with an upgrade, or a refresh. I’d like to look “put together” without being too “cookie cutter.” Does that make sense?
At 40 (fmlllllllll!!!!) my budget is a little different to all that time ago, but my mentality isn’t. I’ll spend, but only if I have to. I have a pretty average bod in the grand scheme of things. I’m no model put it that way. Perfectly fine but nothing remarkable. Using it as a “strength,” I am happy to be the team guinea pig - tell me where to go and I’ll try it all on so we can all benefit from the research. If something looks good on me, there’s a high chance it’ll look good on you. I’ve added a few pictures from screenshots of people’s style I like to give you an idea of the kind of vibe I’m going for…
So, I’m going for it. Each couple of weeks I’ll share a post on a particular item. Lets start with the humble white t shirt… I’m going to “ask the audience” on my Instagram Broadcast (a lovely group of around 2k people who humour me with responding to my random thoughts - if you are one of those people, I thank you). Where you guys recommend, I shall explore. I’ll then share the findings on here - including the “why I need it", the “who inspired it” and the shops that I suggest you buy from. Everyone can see the inspiration, paid subscribers can see the final cut (let’s say 3 to 5 options, with reasonings).
Sound good? Well, I’m doing it anyway… So give me your white t shirt recommendations please - go, go, go! (follow me on Instagram, here).
White T-shirt I love: Cos clean cut T-shirt. Also almost given up bras for Uniqlo padded vests, which look so much better under a white tee and are immeasurably more comfortable