Summer 10×10 Capsule Wardrobe (2018)

I think we can all agree by now that as much as I aspire to be more intentional with my purchases – opting for quality and classic silhouettes over quantity and trend-led items – I’m no minimalist. I gave up the capsule wardrobe a couple years back which felt and still feels freeing, but I love a good wardrobe challenge – it’s a reminder that we can do more with less, and it forces you to think outside the box for your outfits. In anticipation of the next wave of Lee’s 10×10 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, I held a poll on my Instagram a few weeks back to see whether you’d be keen to see me do another 10X10 Capsule Wardrobe, and it was an overwhelming yes.

There’s no hiding the fact that we’re currently in the midst of winter here in Sydney, but I wanted to be able to share a summer version which I thought would be relevant for any readers who are based in the Northern Hemisphere (yes, I see you!). So, today’s post is going to feature my take on a Summer 10×10 Capsule Wardrobe – which I’m hoping will be perfect for those of you hoping to take part in Lee and Caroline’s #10X10Summer challenge, and perhaps also be a great little bit of inspiration if you’re from down under and have a short mid-winter escape somewhere warm planned. If you do happen to be in the Southern Hemisphere, then be sure to check back next week when I’ll be sharing the results of my Winter 10×10 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge.

If you aren’t sure what the 10X10 Challenge is, then you may like to have a read through this post, which is a pretty good run down of how to participate, and make the challenge work for you. But for now, let’s get straight into the ten items…

My Ten Items

01 | Everlane white cotton popover shirt (c/o)
One of the most practical additions to my wardrobe from the last couple of years is the ‘courier’ shirt from Madewell; it’s been pretty well-loved and while it still has loads of life left in it, I thought it might be useful to have an alternative, just so I can give it a bit of a rest during the warmer months when I know it’s going to be on heavy rotation. Which is where this cute little cotton popover shirt comes in. This is a fully opaque cotton, with dropped shoulders and oversized sleeves. I liked that it’s a little different to the Madewell style, while still having a similar feel, plus it can be worn a few ways… you can even fold up the sleeves if you like!

02 | Everlane pink goweave camisole (c/o)
I’ve been pretty honest about my opinion on Everlane’s GoWeave fabric in the past, but after absolutely l-o-v-i-n-g their tank wrap dresses in the same fabric, I decided to give it another shot. It’s wrinkle resistant, which I think is perfect if you have a summer holiday planned, and I love the pale pink hue. It’s very subtle and works well as an accent colour in my wardrobe. The fabric is a heavier weight which means you will get some thicker folds and seams when tucking it in, but it feels comfortable and I think it will be one of those wardrobe staples I reach for a lot during the warmer months.

03 | Whistles white ‘de rien’ tee (similar)
I bought this tee a couple of months back as a bit of an experiment; I’d heard so much about Whistles t-shirts over the years from UK bloggers, that I wanted to try one for myself. It’s made from viscose, which gives it a very soft and lightweight texture. I have to admit, that I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve liked this t-shirt. It washes extremely well, and has a lovely drape due to the material composition – something I thought I wouldn’t like. Essentially, I wanted to include this as I figure every minimal summer wardrobe should have at least one basic tee.

04 | Vince toffee/white stripe tee
My style has become a lot more relaxed over the last year, as I’ve started to think less about how I should be dressing, and more about how I want to be dressing. And, it’s also seen me broaden my colour palette, as I’ve dipped into hues like brown and khaki. This tee from Vince was a great find; it’s a much closer fit than the Whistles tee, and the colour combo is relatively easy to pair with most things in my wardrobe. This is basically what I would call my ‘new’ neutral.

05 | Faithfull black one shoulder ruffle top (old but this is a great match)
If any item in my wardrobe is going to make me think of summer, it’s this one shoulder linen ruffle top. I bought this ahead of our trip to the Maldives, and it’s become a real favourite of mine for those sticky Sydney summer evenings. This only appeared in one look (spoiler alert!!), but it’s the kind of item that looks great every way that I’ve styled it so far. Plus, it’s super breatheable as it’s made from a natural fibre – winning!

06 | Topshop khaki belted shorts (similar style here)
Speaking of colour.. I absolutely fell in love when I spotted these khaki belted shorts from Topshop. They’re highwaisted and belt at the waist, while having a loose fit through the leg. I find that this creates the illusion of shape – it makes your waist look teeny and your legs look long and lean. I’ve still not have a chance to actually wear these given it’s winter, but I loved that they make a nice alternative to denim shorts during the warmer months.

07 | H&M beige belted skirt
I managed to snap up this skirt from H&M just before the temperatures dipped in Sydney. And, it quickly became a firm favourite, so now I’m just hanging out for my opportunity to start dropping it into regular rotation again. This has pockets (!!) and a tie at the waist, which I think is a nice detail and helps to create a point of difference from a very similar skirt I also own from Karen Walker.

08 | Lover white broderie anglaise midi skirt (old but this is a great option)
I’ve had this midi skirt from Lover for many years now; it was one of the items that I bought during my first year living in Sydney, and I still think years on that it was a fantastic score. I’ve since had it tailored to fit my waist perfectly, and I love that I can look extremely put together, just by throwing this on. The fabric has a broderie anglaise detailing to it, which is really subtle but I think looks very special.

09 | Tussah gingham ruffle dress (similar affordable style here)
There are a few prints which tend to show up in my wardrobe with some frequency: stripes, polka dots and gingham. I snapped up this dress during the sales at the very tail end of summer, so have been hanging out to wear it – it has a very feminine silhouette and a bit of drama too with the ruffle detail, all things that I do love.

10 | Yoli & Otis beige linen blazer (old but similar here)
The final piece I selected was a blazer, which as a piece of ‘outerwear’, I technically probably didn’t need to include in my 10 items. It was a little too hot over summer to get to wear this as much as I would have liked, though it’s perfect for more temperate climates (ie. anywhere that a normal summer’s day isn’t over 30 deg C). The sleeves on this blazer are incredibly long, so I like to fold them up slightly at the cuffs, which also creates an interesting detail.

The Accessories

Last time I did this challenge, I really kept my accessories rather limited. I took the mantra ‘do more with less’ quite literally, opting to curate a small selection of items that I could utilise with all of my outfits. I changed tack this time around, as I felt like accessories were the one category where I could really mix things up.

For jewellery, I opted to go bold, with oversized earrings. My favourites included these gold oversized wavy earrings, these tortoiseshell banded hoop earrings, and my gold spiral hoop earrings from Reliquia. Earrings tend to be a bit of a focus for me over any other kind of jewellery, though I did also like pairing this gold pencdant necklace with a lot of these outfits, and while not technically jewellery, I also liked the addition of this peach bandana.

Shoes are one of my biggest weaknesses, and in tandem with a great bag, are what I consider to be one of the finishing touches of many of my outfits. To style up these ten summer looks, I reached for my new gingham slingback pumps from Mansur Gavriel, my everyday snakeskin strappy sandals, some camel suede pointed toe pumps (which are super office friendly), a pair of statement black leather mules, plus a couple pairs of strappy mid-heeled sandals – low enough to walk for hours in but high enough to ‘elevate’ an outfit.

The last of the accessories were the bags… my favourite of which is this bamboo ark bag (also here), which to be is just the epitome of summer. I also paired these looks with my leather totes (I love this one and this is one of my other faves), a black leather circle bag, and my mini Phillip Lim pashli bag – the last of which I admittedly need to reach for more often!

The Outfits

01 | gingham dress + fun accessories
This dress is a statement maker all on its own, so I decided to let it shine for this look. Because I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to do a print on print look, I paired it with my gingham pumps – the check is slightly larger which creates a little bit of contrast, and despite it being the same pattern, I feel like it really works. Finished off with a bamboo bag – if anything screams summer vibes it has to be the ark bag!

02 | blush cami + khaki belted shorts
In terms of colour combinations, this is one of my favourite pairings throughout the ten looks. I love how the blush pink of the camisole plays off the deep earthy green of the shorts. This is one of those fun and easy weekend outfits that I would wear to run some errands or as a cover up over my swimsuit. Paired it with my snakeskin printed sandals and the ark bag again – can’t resist reaching for this, and it’s not as impractical as it looks.

03 | stripe tee + beige skirt + beige linen blazer
This outfit combines a few of my favourite wardrobe pieces at the minute (despite not being able to really wear them as it’s winter here..). The brown/white striped tee has a close cut to the body (I’m wearing the small) which I think makes it a great one for wearing with bell shaped skirts, to show off your figure, without being super tight. To dress it up, I’ve thrown on the blazer from Y+O which is a great summer staple, some beige suede pumps, and my mini pashli. This is the kind of outfit that I’d probably wear to the office during the warmer months.

04 | white tee + white midi skirt
I like monochromatic outfits, and this is that in a nutshell. The tee is super soft and has a nice drape, and pairs pretty effortlessly with this cotton midi skirt. I’ve also worn it with some black suede slingbacks which help to dress it up a touch, and a dark brown classic tote – the kind of bag I tend to reach for on a daily basis.

05 | stripe tee + khaki belted shorts
I decided to pair the two earthiest tones from my ten items together to come up with this look, and I really love the way it turned out – as you know, colour isn’t typically my ‘forte’. I tried to make this look a little dressier by wearing some fancy mules (I love the gold detail on the heel), and by pairing it with a fun leather circle bag.

06 | pink cami + beige skirt + beige linen blazer
This is a bit of a variation on the outfit from earlier; I really liked how the skirt and blazer created an effortless ‘suit’ style combo, and the blush pink cami gives it a softer edge. I kept this whole outfit very tonal by pairing it with a blush leather tote bag and some suede mid-heeled sandals which are comfortable for walking around in.

07 | white tee + gingham dress
To get a bit more mileage out of the gingham dress, I’ve worn it with a t-shirt underneath; this is one of those styling hacks when you want to make a dressier piece seem more relaxed, or breathe some new life into a favourite wardrobe staple. I really like how different this looks, and I’ve gone for some edgier accessories: those mules with the gold heel, and a zodiac detailed bag.

08 | white popover + white midi skirt
When we were in Rome a couple years back I wore an outfit just like this, and it’s stuck with me ever since – I love how effortless it is and it just reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. Again, another tonal look for the Lover skirt, and this time I’ve opted to pair it with a little bandana (tied around the neck or the handle of my bag), a simple black leather tote bag, and my snakeskin sandals.

09 | white popover + khaki tie waist shorts + beige linen blazer
Possibly one of my favourite looks; I just love how the blazer takes this casual outfit to another level. This is the kind of thing that I’d wear for relaxed cocktails with my girlfriends on a balmy summer evening. The blush heeled sandals and leather tote are also the perfect pairing with this earthy colour palette.

10 | black off shoulder top + white midi skirt
And the final look… This is definitely the sort of thing I’d reach for when heading out for a summer soiree. I just love this one shoulder ruffle top – it was a great investment and it goes with absolutely everything. Because I threw my hair back into a messy bun, I opted to wear some statement gold earrings, and then go for a couple of complementary accessories: my gingham pumps and the bamboo ark bag. Perfect!

If you’d like to see all these outfits in motion, I have shared a fun video talking through each look on my YouTube channel, that you can check out HERE. I’ll be sharing my winter 10X10 Capsule Wardrobe next week so stay tuned if you’re living in the Southern Hemisphere like me – I can’t wait to share the outfits that I have been pulling together for this challenge. Are you planning on taking part?