One of my most-asked question is where I shop for clothes! I think the places you shop for clothes help build your capsule wardrobe, so I am excited to share my favorite clothing stores!
Solidifying your style
I think it’s really important to first have a good understanding of your personal style before you identify the places you are going to start shopping at. I shared how to create your dream capsule wardrobe in my previous posts below.
Check out my previous Capsule Wardrobe posts:
where to start
Once you have a good understanding of what your capsule wardrobe will look like, then you can start to narrow down a list of places to shop. What I would suggest doing first is looking through your already made capsule closet, and write down the brands a majority of your clothes are. I would suggest starting with brands as opposed to stores and I will get more into that.
Quality over Quantity
I know this is not for everyone, but with my capsule closet I really try to focus on quality over quantity. I would much rather have one article of clothing (say the $88 Free People sweatshirt I bought last month) I know I will get a ton of use out of, will last me years and will stay in style. I am okay investing a little more money into something I truly completely love and will wear a lot. I would say the most prevalent brand in my wardrobe would be Free People because they have high quality items that I love. While there are a few exceptions (like the sweatshirt), but for the most part I buy everything on sale.
Narrow Down specific Brands
I have found it makes everything so much easier to stick to a few brands when it comes to clothing. Of course there are exceptions to this but for the most part, my clothes are from a few particular brands. It makes it easier for me to put together outfits because a lot of clothes from the same brand are physically created to go with other items from that same brand.
For example, Lilly Pulitzer has curated colors (specific shades of colors created for just their store.) It may be hard to find a sweater with the exact same of shade that’s in one Lilly Pulitzer romper. With their custom colors, I know if I invest in a bright pink sweater it will match all of my Lilly dresses.
Sticking to just a few brands also makes it easier to find things that will fit you. Because I continuously shop at the same places, I know how things will fit. With Free People, I know I wear a 24 in their jeans and XS in tops.
My favorite brands
My favorite brands are more focused on quality. My style is very girly, so all the brands I shop reflect that!
Clothing
- J Marie
- Lilly Pulitzer
- Free People
- Z Supply
- Buddy Love
- BB Dakota (the Steve Madden clothing brand, available at department stores and boutiques)
- Vineyard Vines
- Lululemon
- Anthropologie
- French Connection
- Judith March
shoes
bags
jewelry
- Kendra Scott – my all time favorite jewelry brand. Most of my jewelry is Kendra Scott
- Tory Burch – I have two pairs of earrings and love them
- Katie Dean Jewelry – high quality dainty pieces
- Amazon – the most affordable and they have some super cute pieces
Denim
underwear
bigger stores
Once you narrow down your favorite brands, you can look and see what department stores and boutiques sell those brands. This is also a great way to find new brands because these places will have a large variety. This is how I discovered many of my favorite brands! Outlets are also great options to find your favorite brands on sale.
Department Stores I shop At
Department stores are great because they have a huge variety of brands, offer rewards, and have many sales.
- Nordstrom: They sell most of the brands I shop at. Free People, Lilly Pulitzer, Kendra Scott, BB Dakota
- Nordstrom Rack: Another favorite place of mine. I love it because they have so many name brand items, all brand new, highly discounted (depending on the item). I have found a lot of Free People and shoes here!
- Bloomingdale’s: pricier than Nordstrom but some of my favorite all time brands like
- Macy’s: lots of Free People on sale!
Outlet stores
- Tory Burch: this is where I have gotten most of my bags
- Lululemon: I don’t have one near me or have personally shopped at one but I TOTALLY would if I was ever near one. I have heard great things!
- Vineyard Vines
Second Hand
Since I have *expensive taste* second hand options can be great for when you are trying to buy a nicer brand on a budget.
- Mercari/Poshmark: these are online sites/apps that anyone can sell and buy through. I have sold and found so many great items here. You can even find things brand new with the tags still on.
- ****Thrift stores: to be honest I HATE thrift stores, I think it’s difficult to find things, they are often dirty/uncomfortable, and I have never had good luck with this but still wanted to touch on this.
a look ahead
Next week I will be sharing my Spring Capsule Wardrobe Necessities, so be sure to check back then for the post!
