Autumn Wardrobe Wear Count

It feels a little like autumn whizzed by with the blink of an eye. And to be fair, it kinda did. I’ve mentioned this before but autumn in Sydney is fairly mild; it starts late, and it’s a pretty quick free fall into winter weather from there. Unsurprisingly, my autumn wardrobe got less of a workout than the remnants of my summer wardrobe, though I’m not complaining. While I was looking forward to the idea of wearing layers, I was still hanging on to the last hints of warm weather. Truly a summer baby at heart.

Wearing Boden polka dot top, Dr Denim skinny jeans (old but similar), Country Road black blazer, Dior slingback flats (affordable option), Cuyana half moon bag, Mejuri hoops, Holly J textured necklace, Muru Jewellery coin necklace

Like last season, I wanted to reflect on what I wore over the last three months. Analysing the contents of my wardrobe has become second nature to me over the years. It’s been a useful tool to see at a glance what styles I gravitate towards, and what is getting little wear. From there, it can act as a driver to guide any other wardrobe additions I make. Essentially, the less shopping mistakes I make, the better!

WHAT I WORE

The radical shift in seasons will be pretty evident in the number of items I wore – a total of 122 items over three months. 96 of those items were clothing pieces, the other 26 shoes. It’s always a little shocking to see the numbers in front of you. If you’d asked me, I would have assumed that what I wore was pretty limited. In the last month alone, I found myself reaching for the same small rotation of items, and the same shoes. One sweater, I wore almost five days running.

But when I take a closer look, I get a clearer understanding of why. The start of autumn was hot. We had days in the mid-thirties, where I’d reach for a little cami and shorts. By the time mid-April hit, I was layering a little more. Lightweight tops paired with blazers, or a sweater worn on its own. Towards the end of May, I found myself wearing a little tee or singlet with a sweater over top.

It’s a pretty far cry from my days of doing the 333 wardrobe challenge. Perhaps too, also a reminder that I love variety. But it also highlighted something else; I don’t always stay in the same outfit for the whole day. A few times a week I might get changed once or twice, depending on what my day looks like. I never used to utilise my wardrobe like this, but since working from home it’s much more common, and on those days, I’m sure to log both outfits.

For the most part, my daily outfits consisted of a lot of denim. And on days that I just worked from home, I’d find myself slipping into some slides and an easy top to get through some work at my desk. Anything that felt soft was an instant winner, as was anything that didn’t feel too ‘fussy’.

So here’s a look at my ten most worn items…

AUTUMN TEN MOST WORN ITEMS

Dr Denim faded black skinny jeans (old but similar here) | worn 11 times
Since I started analysing my most worn items each season, these Dr Denim skinny jeans have probably had the most air time. They’ve been in my closet for over five years now, and as far as my style goes, feel like they’re worth their weight in gold. To make these “perfect” for me, I did get them tailored after buying them – raising the hemline and tightening the opening at the ankle so they’d have a super skinny fit. There’s little to say about these other than they’ve been a great wear with anything piece.

Sam Edelman black loafers | worn 10 times
These loafers are probably one of my favourite designer shoe dupes I’ve found. And one of the all-round best wardrobe additions I’ve made in recent years. If the Gucci loafers are a little out of your budget, these are the next best thing, and they’re one of the few shoes I own that have received countless compliments from strangers. In terms of sizing, I’ve found them to fit true to size (I wear a US9 or EU40), and they’re pretty comfy from the get-go. I have wide feet and would experience a little pressure after wearing them for 6+ hours, but now I can go all day and night and not notice a thing. Along with my Dr Denim jeans, these are definitely one of my A+ style purchases.

ASOS farleigh mom jeans | worn 10 times
Until stumbling on these jeans, my experience with ASOS denim was mostly miss. When we lived in Bondi I recall buying a few pairs and they were just all wrong. They highlighted to me, some of the many issues with fast fashion; ankle openings that were so narrow I couldn’t get my foot through, and waistbands that were disproportionate to the cut through the legs. These on the other hand have ticked so many boxes for me. A thick, weighty denim that feels soft. Subtle details like the frayed stepped hem and side tabs that make these feel special. And the quality has far exceeded my expectations. I’ve had these getting close to three years now (I think!) and they’re still one of my favourite pairs of blue wash denim.

Levi’s white skinny jeans | worn 8 times
You’re probably starting to notice a bit of a theme. Denim was a big thing for me in autumn. The next most worn pair were my Levi’s – surprising given I’ve expressed that this particular style isn’t my favourite. I’m still on the hunt for my perfect pair, and while I wouldn’t recommend these ones, they have served me pretty well so far. I like that they have a super narrow fit at the ankle, and the colour of the wash is pretty spot on. But the denim isn’t the quality I’ve come to expect from Levi’s. It’s got a little more give and feels thinner. They’ve stretched out considerably at the waist, so I find it best to wear them belted. And the leather patch pocket has bled onto the surrounding fabric at the back. If you asked whether I’d buy these again, my answer would straight up be a ‘no’, but I’m a firm believer in making use of what we have, and these have been a safe white skinny jean option for me throughout autumn.

Reformation black skinny jeans | worn 8 times
It probably won’t surprise you to see that the fourth and final pair of jeans in this ten most worn breakdown is another pair of skinnies. While I’ve toyed with a few different styles over the last 12-18 months, I always go back to a skinny jean. It’s a silhouette I know how to wear well, and it just works with my body type. These ones from Reformation were a pair I added to my wardrobe closer to the start of autumn. I didn’t own any black skinny jeans and I was curious to see how these ones would fare. I’d say these are a bit of a so-so purchase. They’re not perfect, but they’re not all bad, either. I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed wearing these, which was all down to the soft nature of the denim. It’s a cotton, tencel, elastane mix, which makes them feel different to any other jeans I own. This was another pair I had to get tailored as they didn’t fit perfect straight off the bat. The inseam was ridiculously long, and I found that they didn’t fit that tightly at the ankle. They’re still not super tight, but I like how they cut off, and they create a nice shape. I did notice that these stretched out just a little with wear, but they’ve snapped back a bit since putting them in the wash.

Jane Debster tan leather slides | worn 8 times
These leather slides were one of my most worn in summer, and were another that I found myself reaching for a lot throughout autumn. Especially at the start of the season. I love the vintage look to them, and they’re so comfortable too.

Everlane alpaca sweater | worn 7 times
Despite my initial hesitations about this sweater when I got it last year, it’s quickly become a fast favourite. I love the crew neck style, and the slightly puffy sleeves are a neat design detail. I do still find that this can get a touch itchy, especially on my sensitive skin, but the more I’ve worn it, the more it’s softened up. If I were going wild with my wardrobe, I’d probably consider getting this in the salt and peppery black hue, as well as one of the brighter coloured options too.

Topshop stone tapered trousers (old but similar here and also love these) | worn 7 times
My favourite high street find of the year (so far) has to be these stone-coloured trousers from Topshop. My criteria for a great pair of trousers is pretty limited: they have to sit high on the waist, taper in at the ankle, and be slightly cropped. The three in combination help to balance out my proportions, and for my body type they’re the most flattering, too. Whether it’s out of convenience or sheer habit, I tend to wear a lot of darker colours during autumn and winter, and I thought these would make a nice change. I’ve really enjoyed dipping into that neutrals trend and these have been a key piece for many of my lighter-coloured looks. While I don’t love that they’re made from polyester, they feel comfortable on my skin and have proven to be a great wardrobe addition so far.

Veja sneakers | worn 7 times
These sneakers were another item that showed up in my summer most worn. I’d say my frequency of reaching them is a strong signal of how my style has evolved over the years. It’s gotten more relaxed, and I feel a lot more at ease in items that make me feel comfortable. The slimline design of these is perfect paired with feminine outfits, and I love the all over white and beige combination. They’re well and truly broken in now too, and have become so comfortable to wear. Unfortunately these don’t come in half sizes so if in doubt, size up.

Mott & Bow white cashmere sweater | worn 5 times
One of my favourite wardrobe additions for autumn has to be this cashmere sweater from Mott & Bow. I opted to go for this in a size M to get that oversized relaxed fit, and it’s just spot on. This comes down a lot longer than the cashmere sweaters from Everlane or Grana as the hem falls at the bottom of my bum so there’s a lot more fabric to tuck in. To continue comparing, the quality of the cashmere feels nicer – it’s a softer grade but the fabric is slightly thinner. There’s also a slightly loose fit through the arms which makes this a better option for layering over fine knits or long-sleeved tees.

OTHER REFLECTIONS

It’s all about denim | I tried to mix things up a little bit, but my day-to-day outfits were heavily centred around a good pair of skinny jeans. What I love about this styling piece is that it can be dressed up or down, though I would love to see myself reaching for a bit more variety.

Simple styling | Most of the outfits I wore over the last three months were based on simple outfit combinations. Even more so as we got closer to winter. Instead of fighting it like I might have been inclined to do six months ago, I’m embracing those simple styling choices. Sometimes basic is best.

Pointed toe shoes | One shoe silhouette kept popping up again and again; pointed toe shoes. I personally love this kind of shoe silhouette as it creates a longer visual line, drawing the eye down further which can make your legs look taller or give the illusion of height. And, I find they just look smart.