What's in a capsule wardrobe?

So the whole blogging thing has been a bit of a shambles this week as all of us chez Sickofmystylerut are in a post Christmas daze. But now I'm back eating healthily, (I cunningly tidied away all the leftover Kettle chips and chocolates straight into my tummy) the kids are back in school after the weekend and Project Capsule Wardrobe starts on Monday (by which time I can hopefully fit into all my clothes again!)

In the meantime I've been googling and gaining ideas to develop the beginnings of a capsule wardrobe. I've bought a great blazer with leather lapels, which fits perfectly and really hangs well for the price (now only £50 but I paid a little more) in the sale at Mango.

 And following the wise advice of Susie So So I'm going to get some fantastic black pointy courts. I'm tempted by this lovely Sam Edelman pair, in the sale at Matches for £84:

However, I keep coming back to these classic black leather stilettos from Zara, they're cheaper but full price, so less of a bargain- but every time I see someone in them I think they're way more expensive, they're brilliantly cut and comfortable too (and I could get a tan pair too for only slightly more than the Matches pair, two for the price of one!)

While I wrestle with that conundrum, here's a few of my ideas for my new capsule wardrobe. I've pasted pictures that are on sale now but I'll be mostly using items that I already own (remember I said mostly).

What would you put in a capsule wardrobe?

Red bag: Lulu Guinness now down to £245

Red coat: Joseph £275 in sale but sold out at Matches still full price at Joseph

Black court shoes: £49.99 at Zara

Cream chunky knit: H&M (can't find online)

Black A-line mini: Jigsaw

Angomania dress (oh how I long for this but my old one will have to do!): MY-WARDROBE new season

White pintuck shirt: Jigsaw

Black chiffon printed shirt: This is Equipment, mine is Zara but old

Jacket: Mango (this season sale)

Outfit inspiration: Marant (this will be me soon...in a cheaper version)

Chelsea boots: Topshop (I'd like these but a little higher ideally!)

Trench: Mine is an old Whistles number but this is Patrizia Pepe down to £185 at Flannels

Jeans: Zara

Skinny indigo jeans: Gok at Sainsbury (still no online shop)

Scarf: Ebay

Red drape top: Anglomania  ( I am desperate for this but at well over £100 I am sure I can find a reasonable and cheaper lookalike)

Breton: Zara

Leopard heels: New Look

Black skinnies: Gok at Sainsbury (no online fashion)

White scoop neck (and black): Next

Black cashmere jumper: Uniqlo

Red V neck : Uniqlo

Black polo: H&M

New year...new wardrobe?

Happy New Year everyone and thanks so much to anyone who has taken the time to read or comment on my ramblings, it means so much and  I wish you all a fabulous 2013!

I've spent the time after Christmas slouching around in leggings and baggy tops to hide the Christmas bloat re-wearing outfits past, I thought I'd spare you the pictures, suffice to say Atlantic Pacific isn't having sleepless nights about having a style competitor!

But with a new year comes a new start. My challenge definitely made me experiment with different looks but it really hasn't made it any easier to get dressed in the morning. Without a go-to uniform I'm kind of lost. In many ways it's harder than before my Fifty outfits in fifty days. Then I just grabbed the boot-cuts and v-neck and I was away. Now I seem to leave a trail of rejected clothes on the bedroom floor every time I get dressed, it's like being a teenager again (but without the pert butt and peachy complexion).

So my new challenge is to figure out which of my fifty outfits worked and which definitely didn't. Then using those styles I'm going to try and put together a...brace yourself for annoying fashion-y term...capsule wardrobe of items that all go together and that I can mix and match into easy outfits for every day. Hopefully I'll use lots of my old clothes topped up with some new essentials ( well, maybe not strictly essential but the sales are on.....)

Fifty outfits in fifty days ...did any of them work?

So this is what I think (but feel free to contradict me because I really am stumbling on blindly here):

Simple lines work better on my small proportions, too much layering or overdoing the big accessories can swamp me. Less is definitely more.

I love pointy midi heels but midi skirts make me look Mumsy and meh! 

Red in pictures looks good, even if it feels uncomfortably bright when I first put it on. So I am going to make a concerted effort to keep on wearing some colour (but I still love black and won't be leaving the dark side.)

The jeans that made my legs look longest were the straight legs-but even so I think prefer the skinnies. I love them turned up with pointy stilettos or long with ankle boots and topped with tailored jackets, trench coats or simple jumpers.

I like little jersey dresses with bikers and boots... in fact, annoyingly, many of the clothes I like the most are the ones I have borrowed from DD, such as the biker jacket, the peg trousers and the blazer. I don't think they look particularly muttony (certainly not as muttony as the Anglomania dress which is mine all mine) so I'm going to be more open to fashion trends and find ways they can work when you're the far side of forty.

Oh, and of course I may well keep dipping into the DDs' wardrobes!

What do you think? Which outfits do you hate? The double denim and burgundy suede skirt are two of my least favourites and I'm not at all sure about the coatigan, it seems to magically mumsify everything it's worn with. I don't think they'll be making the cut into my New Year capsule wardrobe...but what will?