Here's Exactly How To Build A Cold Weather Capsule Wardrobe If You’re Chic But On A Budget
It just takes 13 things.
by The Candidly Team
Why is it every “capsule wardrobe” that gets written about expects us to have 10 grand sitting around to spend on said capsule?
We get that when we’re choosing lifetime pieces, we want to prioritize quality, and sometimes that means spending a little more, but we live by the belief that if you look very hard and are willing to try a thousand things, you can dig out treasure that doesn’t cost a fortune.
And that’s exactly what we’ve been doing. And now, we present that treasure - in the form of 13 perfect, cold-weather pieces that will absolutely create an idyllic capsule wardrobe.
Let’s go.
1. The Cozy-Chic Sweater Dress
J.Crew Factory Midi Sweater-Dress In Extra-Soft Yarn
We kick off with a sweater dress for a few reasons, but the main one is this: while we’d like to look chic every day, there’s rarely a day where we want to put an ounce of effort into it. Honestly, 9 times out of 10, we’d choose comfort over chicness anyway. The sweater dress is the perfect, lazy solution. This one is so cozy, like a buttery soft hug, but it doesn’t add any bulk like so many heavy knit things. The shape is sleek but not clingy. We wear it loose or belted, always with boots or booties, toss on #10 on this list, and never feel chicer, despite feeling like we never even got out of bed.
Sizes up to 3X and comes in 4 very pretty colors.
Price: $39
2. The Waterproof Brown Suede Boots
These quintessential fall boots are gorgeous, suede, waterproof and from a favorite brand, so we’re having trouble wrapping our heads around the price. Needless to say, we don’t expect them to last - be speedy!
Price: $50
3. The Warm Wool Camel Coat
Quince Double-Faced Merino Wool Draped Collar Wrap Coat
This isn’t some flimsy, stiff H&M coat that feels as cheap as it looks. This is the real thing. And we’ll be straight with you. All Quince coats sell out so incredibly fast, there is a strong chance this very one is running low as we speak. The thing is you just don’t see this kind of quality for this price. Soft, luxe, layerable merino wool in a perfect, Grace Kelly silhouette. Now if you’re like us, and you see the word “preorder,” you’ll click away so fast, you won’t even see the expected ship date. So before we lose you, just know that this coat is expected to ship in mid-December, so if you don’t see your size, we strongly encourage you to opt for the preorder option. Your (near)future self will thank you.
Price: $200
4. The Soft Stretchy Button-Down That Makes A Gorgeous Going Out Top
We used this exact shirt to recreate a certain gorgeous look Kristen Bell wore in Nobody Wants This. Frankly, we wanted all her clothes and duped them all HERE. The neckline makes it not just another button-down but a feminine, flattering top that zhuzhes up all our jeans and works as well for work as it does for a date night. Plus, it’s extremely soft and likely even more on sale due to it coming from Gap. If anything is a no-brainer on this list, it’s this shirt.
Price: $34 - $50
5. The Perfect, Full-Length, Wide-Leg Jeans
Quince Comfort Stretch High Rise Relaxed Straight Jeans
Before we say any words about these $50 jeans (besides that they’re $50), let’s see them on our own Editor-in-Chief:
Good, right? Excellent actually. But they don’t just look excellent. They fit beautifully. They glide over hips, smooth over curves, stretch in all the correct places, and button without a gap, high on the waist. And all the while, they keep their classic, leg-elongating shape. It’s no wonder (we’re sad to once again say) they sell out a lot. So if they have your size, pounce!
Price: $50
6. The $50 Completely Cashmere V-Neck
Quince Mongolian Cashmere V-Neck Sweater
We will never spend $200 on cashmere ever again. Thanks to Quince. Thanks to THIS perfect $50 cashmere v-neck. A luxurious sweater just elevates every jeans outfit we wear. I don’t think there’s a color this one comes in we haven’t bought for ourselves or gifted to a friend.
Here it is with the same Quince jeans from above:
Size up if you want that extra spacious tuck.
Price: $50
7. The Oh-So-Easy Knit Set
Anrabess Two-Piece Outfits Knit Sweater Pullover Crop Top & Pants
This soft sweatery set is heavy in a way that makes us want to curl up on the couch for the finest nap of our lives. Yet, it’s chic enough to wear all over town. Both the top and bottom are roomy but that neckline and drop shoulder combo are somehow so flattering. It comes in too many colors we want. Far too many.
Price: $50
8. The Gloriously Stretchy Everyday Blazer You Can Machine Wash
Spanx The Perfect Oversized Blazer
We’ve been talking about this blazer since WAY before it went on sale for a third of what it initially cost. The reason is stretch. Blazers are either so stiff and restrictive, we want to peel them from our body the moment we get home or they’re so big and boxy we feel 3 times our size when we wear them. This one has that modern oversized vibe that looks great over jeans and tees but also dresses and skirts, and yet, the lines are very clean and skimming. Like we said, it has strettttttttch, so we can move our arms and layer it over sweaters and be free. Oh, and no need to dry clean - the dream!
Price: $59
9. The Most Flattering/ Comfortable Slip Skirt That's Just Better Than The Others
Z Supply Europa Luxe Sheen Midi Skirt
There are so many versions of this skirt out there, and let us tell you, we have tried a TON of them. This one is our favorite. The fit is very special. The overall shape is perfect. All our “bumps” magically disappear. The silhouette is sooooo flattering on curves. And the waistband is elastic so it feels blissful round our bellies. Needless to say we bought it in sea salt, black, and olive night, though haute red is still on our wishlist.
The price isn’t nothing admittedly, but for the quality of a skirt we’ll wear for a lifetime, that we’ll pair 1,000 shirts with to make 1,000 different dress-up outfits for 1,000 different occasions, it’s just very worth it.
Pro Tip: Wear it in white with the above blazer, a black tank, and black boots. It’s deeply elegant … in a Carolyn Bessette Kennedy kind of way.
Price: $69
10. The Coat That Feels Likes A Sweatshirt And You Can Wear All Year
Another under $200 coat you would never think was under $200. The shape is oversized but not even the slightest bit bulky. Plus, it’s knit, which makes it soft and light and something we can layer over thick sweaters in the winter but wear right into spring. We reach for this coat more than any other in our closet.
Price: $199
11. The Comfiest, Most Essential Black Boots That Are Wildly On Sale Right Now
There’s nothing like these boots. They’re breathable and stretchy and so comfortable we forget we’re wearing HEELED boots. And we’ll level with you, they’re usually $150. We personally paid $150 for them. But you will not. Because today they are on sale for $75. Which also means we may have to get them in white. But you should get them in black. You will wear them 5x more than any other boots. We swear.
Price: $75
12. The Oversized Striped Sweatshirt
BTFBM Women's Striped Pullover Top
What is it about slightly nautical, striped things that make them look so much more expensive? We love that this enormously spacious sweatshirt actually manages to make us seem like we put some effort into looking styled, even in our laziest jeans or butteriest leggings and slippers that pass as shoes. It comes in a dizzying number of color combinations, too.
Price: $26
13. The Unbelievably Flattering Black Occasion Dress
Abercrombie Long-Sleeve Mesh Asymmetrical Draped Maxi Dress
A while back, we caved and bought the shirt version of this dress, and it has become our best fall/winter “going out top.” We thought sleeveless would be scary but the way it folds over the bust makes it so any old bandeau or strapless bra (or no bra - for real) works beautifully with it. The sheer sleeve is sexy while still covering our arms, and then there’s the ruching which is the only way we feel fully comfortable wearing anything fitted as it just sort of smooths us head to toe.
Price: $130
Bonus: The Accessories
The Mile Long Chunky Scarf: Our most magical investment - at $15.
The Only Going Out Bag You'll Ever Need: It’s real Italian leather and costs 30X less than the designer version we all know and love.
The Comfiest Close-Toed Heels: We will not do foot pain. Join us.
The Cash-Lined Leather Gloves: Makes everything else we’re wearing look like it costs us 3X as much.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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