Hi everyone 🙂
I’m one month into my Style Staples challenge now, so I thought an update was due.
You can catch up on part one here, where I set out my list for season.
So far, it’s going great! I’ve ticked several pieces off my list and really considered my purchases, taking quality and cost into account before parting with the pennies.
First on my list was a black blazer – I mean, how did I not have one?! I have had a few cheap ones over the years but they obviously didn’t stand the test of time and it was a huge gap I spotted when taking stock of my wardrobe at the beginning of this challenge. Now that I have invested, I’ve already got so much wear out of it and I’m wondering how I managed without it! Dressed up over a cami top or dressed down over a knitted jumper, it’s an easy way to pull an outfit together without having to even think.
Mine is from River Island and the faux fur is detachable, so it’s essentially two jackets in one -winning!
Speaking of cami tops I had no shortage of these. I bought two Kooples camis in the sale last December (in Black and Cream) and they are amazing staples, especially if you can them on discount as they are quite pricey. As I was buying the blazer, I also spotted this cami that couldn’t be passed up. I was drawn to the cowl neck and just thought the silky effect looked so expensive….for only €25. The cream seems to be out of stock online at the moment but I’ve seen it in stores recently and there’s also an array of other colour options here.
Staple number three was a flat pair of black boots. As I mentioned in this post, I wanted a pair with a bit of detail without being OTT. I debated for about 3 weeks, ran a poll on Instagram and stalked the internet for style inspiration before finally settling on these ones from Dune. Well the procrastination was worth it because I couldn’t be happier with these babies! The soft smell of buttery leather confirmed it, the minute I opened the box. They are so comfortable too – they’ll definitely stand the test of time.
Next up is knitwear. Again, there’s no shortage of that in my wardrobe but I was missing a couple of key bits. I have a lot of cream and grey but wanted to add more black and tan. Enter this River Island snuggly roll neck. It’s super soft and a nice length – those petite ladies out there might even get away with wearing it as a jumper dress. It did come in black also but I wasn’t quick enough to snap that up before it sold out! Lesson – if you love something, but it in every colour!! Also, it’s now reduced to €33, so be quick!
Keeping on the knitwear theme, I also wanted to add another cashmere jumper to my collection this season. I invested in a couple last year and again, they’re quality pieces that instantly pull a look together. There are some great price points on the high street too, making cashmere much more accessible than ever before. I waited until M&S had their 20% sale before swooping in on this blush pink jumper and saved myself around €25 in doing so. They’ll have another sale coming up around Black Friday, so I’ll be sure to alert on Instagram when I spot it!
And last but not least, my pink coat. This wasn’t technically on my staples list. Actually, it wasn’t on it all…a black one was. Which I still need….but how could this pink lover resist the perfect shade of pink? Especially when I had been desperately searching for a very similar style two years ago and after it sold out in H&M. The fact they brought it back just seemed like a sign! I also snapped it up at 25% off and stalked out Pinterest to discover endless styling options….so it’s now deemed a staple! Unfortunately, it’s out of stock again but I’ll keep an eye and update the link here if comes back. Meanwhile, the hunt for the perfect black coat is to be continued…
So for those still reading my long ramble, that’s the story so far. I’m really happy with how my challenge is going and genuinely love my new staples. It’s already making getting dressed so much easier and I’m really enjoying mixing and matching to ensure each piece works really hard! Some of the new additions have also helped me style pieces I already own in completely different ways to create fresh outfits – like this cami dress and layered knit below. Thank you new boots for inspiring this look!
As I’ve been pulling the pieces together, I’m also considering branching out in some video content and a YouTube channel. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time and it seems like the ideal platform to bring this type of content to life and share more tips on styling, sizing, sale tips etc.
Let me know what you think and watch this space 🙂
In the meantime, have a great week!
Laura
xx
