A 12-Piece Capsule Wardrobe For Spring If You Don’t Know How To Dress Now That You’re 40ish
We recreated all our favorite spring looks out of 12 simple articles of clothing.
Images: Getty Lawrence Schwartzwald, James Devaney, SMXRF/Star Max/GC Images
by The Candidly Team
Depending on your personal approach to style, the number 12 may sound like a lot. Or it may sound like a little.
But wait til you see how many perfectly, put-together, cool yet sophisticated looks can be whipped up out of these 12, unassuming, but arguably perfect items of clothing. Let’s take a quick glance at the 12 of them all together, shall we?
But again, the real magic only happens when you see the inspirational spring looks we can recretae using ONLY these pieces.
You ready? Let’s do this.
LOOK 1: THE INSPIRATION
Image: Getty | Lawrence Schwartzwald
Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s style was simple, classic, and incredibly smart. By choosing the exact right chic, black tank, the exact right cut of jeans, and the exact right strappy sandal, she really showed the full power of a capsule wardrobe. So we kick off with one of CBK’s most foolproof spring outfit templates that we’ve been clamoring to copy to this day.
WHAT YOU NEED
1. The Tank: Such an elegant, chic, and flattering shape tank on every body type, and this one is only $15.
2. The Jeans: The kick out shape of these ankle jeans balances the entire outfit, so nothing looks too top or bottom heavy. This pair is high-waisted and made to smooth our bellies and sculpt our hips, butt, and thighs.
3. The Sandals: The timeless sophistication of strappy sandals, but this pair has the most comfortable cushioning and a steady block heel we can happily clomp around in all day.
LOOK 2: THE INSPIRATION
Image: Getty Images | James Devaney
Capsule wardrobes don’t have to be all neutrals and solids. The minute you add a patterned blazer to any basic outfit, you look styled and elevated and very editor at a fashion mag in an early 2000s movie.
WHAT YOU NEED
The Blazer: This blazer matches 92% of what we wear most days, but makes everything, including a white tee and jeans more polished and tailored. But here’s the important thing. It’s made of a soft knit so it feels like a sweatshirt, which means we want to wear it ALL the time.
The Tee: We love a fitted, ribbed, white tee. However, most cut right into the thickest part of our arms and make us look like linebackers, but this sliiiiighly longer sleeve tee from J.Crew gives us the full, “cool girl,” white t-shirt effect with a blessed extra bit of arm coverage.
The Jeans: Same jeans we spoke of before. The shape is just so universally flattering and works with every shoe, including flats and sneaks.
Look 3: The INSPIRATION
We borrowed this outfit template, first from Audrey in Roman Holiday, then from Gwyneth in The Talented Mr Ripley, and finally some of out favorite skirt looks from Kristen and SJP. This silhouette is so simple and as comfortable as pajamas, and yet, it’s extremely flattering on all our curves and makes us look “dressed.”
WHAT YOU NEED
The Button-Down: A white button-down is the cornerstone of classic, elegant style. In spring/ summer we turn to this soft, gauzy one that’s so light (and affordable!) but still perfectly chic. We tie it at the waist or tuck it with THIS* belt to wear it with a midi skirt, so we get that hourglass without anything being tight.
The Skirt: Maybe you have a light, not too bulky A-line skirt in your closet already, but this one with its subtle, striped print matches every top in our closet and is heaven to wear. Great movement and shape.
The Jacket: “All you need is a light jacket.” Name that movie for a thousand points. We add the this incredible, stretchy denim jacket for breezy spells throughout the day but also to make the overall outfit look cooler/ more casual (*cough* younger). It’s the exact right length to make your waist look narrowed, and the size range is the best around.
LOOK 4: THE INSPIRATION
Image: SMXRF/Star Max/GC Images
Adding a jean jacket is a perfect way to make an all-black outfit less boring and more youthful. It’s also a way to wear something loose or stretchy and comfy and still look effortless, cool and classic way.
WHAT YOU NEED
The Black Day Dress: The shape of this linen dress bring us unadulterated joy. The A-line and pockets make it cute and flattering despite it being the most spacious, comfy, throw-on-and-go article of clothing in our closet. Amazing on apple and pear shapes alike.
The Sandals: Same comfy yet elegant sandals that kicked off this article, but this time in black. They’re so good, we needed them in both colors.
The Jacket: Same flawless jean jacket as above. All about the capsule, baby.
This same color concept also works with an all-black, non-dress outfit like this:
The Pants: These pants feel like leggings. They’re so stretchy and sculpting but look like smart trousers, so you can wear them to work or out to dinner. They come in a luxe ponte that’s light enough for warmer months, making them a go-to spring pant. The matching top* is also deeply comfy and looks gorj on arms and waists of you’re a set person.
The Loafers: Another staple adored by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, a graceful loafer is like a ballet flat in that it works with every hem length and always looks timeless and chic.
LOOK 5: THE INSPIRATION
We lovingly call this the “coastal grandmother.” The linen pants. The gauzy shirts. It’s the coziest way to look put together when the weather gets warm, and so easy to execute, which is critical to us actually executing any look.
WHAT YOU NEED
The Linen Pant: Gap is back, and it’s suddenly a haven for some of our best-fitting staples. These pants are so slimming and the ideal cut and length we’re always looking for. We have them in our carts in multiple colors as we speak. Size range is excellent as well.
The Shirt: This is that same soft, button-down we spoke of before. It’s great tucked, tied, or open and loose over a ribbed, white tank.
The Loafers: And here, once again, are those sleek, little loafers. Did we mention the price is really, really good for buttery Italian leather?
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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