At the start of each season I try to take a look at my wardrobe and determine what I want to be wearing and making. I was about to start the process when I listened to Love to Sew Podcast’s episode on creating your Dream Wardrobe. Although I had already been doing a version of this process, Caroline and Helen inspired me to take my seasonal assessment to the next level. Their downloadable worksheet is so well thought out and helpful! With help of the worksheet plus a lot of time on Pinterest, I’m really excited to get started on my fall/winter wardrobe. Part One will discuss my current wardrobe, general feelings and gaps as well as inspiration for moving forward. In Part Two I’ll share my sewing plans with pattern and fabric picks.

Current State

My winter wardrobe is pretty sad. It doesn’t have any sort of cohesive style. I have ratty t-shirts and worn-out leggings and sweeping romantic dresses. Nothing really goes together. I need to remove items that are no longer my size or style. It’s also time to mend and refashion some items, while letting go of others that are too worn through to reasonably wear anymore. I’m finally acknowledging a major shift in my style. Less dresses, more separates.

All last winter I was reaching for the same sweater or wishing I had something nicer than an old tee shirt to go under my cardigan. While I had some lovely dresses, I found I wasn’t wearing them because my tights were too uncomfortable to justify wearing around the house. So it was pretty clear what I need to aim for this year – elevated sweatshirts, comfortable blouses and better fitting tights. These additions will work nicely with the jeans and dresses already in my closet to create a wardrobe suitable for playing with a toddler, while still looking chic and put together.

Inspiration

Since I knew relatively what types of pieces to look for, I focused my inspiration search on colors and exploring details and embellishments. All images are from my Pinterest board.

I really love traditionally autumnal colors. I’m finding myself really gravitating toward these deep, nature-driven colors. As much joy as I get from wearing bright colors, it feels so good to lean into the groundedness and stability of earth tones. I have some beautiful mauve, khaki and ocean blue fabrics in my stash, but I’m also keeping my eyes out for rust, burgundy or mustard pieces.

I’ve never really been a jeans and tee shirt kind of girl. So now that I’m looking more toward separates, I’m really looking for something beyond a basic knit tee. This inspiration search reminded me of how much I love solids. I still love a print (as is evident according to stash), but as I’m moving toward interchangeable pieces, I’m getting more intentional about making more solids.

It’s crazy to think that sweatshirts used to restricted to athletic wear. I can’t wait to get cozy in these elevated styles. I love wearing french terry and sweatshirting and these extra details give a basic garment something special.

Action Plans

The Dream Wardrobe sheet breaks down the action items into two categories – To Make and To Buy. I’ve added Alter/Refashion and Donate/Recycle categories. Of course I’m most excited about what I’m going to make, but I’m also looking forward to hitting the thrift shops and even purchasing a few new items.

I can’t wait to share Part Two all about my making plans! I’ll be sharing my fabric and pattern picks to turn my wardrobe around! Thanks for ready and stay tuned.