Hello everyone, and thank you for bearing with me through my August sojourn -- which has now unfortunately bled into September!
*laughs and cries at the same time*
To be perfectly honest, I have not bothered to create or maintain a
sampler wardrobe this month because I have yet to figure out what my day-to-day life looks like. As I am no longer nannying, I've been working on sorting through the kid-friendly-casual portion of my wardrobe to determine whether or not those pieces could still be useful to me. This change has also resulted in my taking on more shifts at the restaurant, which means I need to take stock of my hostwear as well. I'm actually sitting here in yoga pants and a grubby t-shirt because some days I can't even
pretend that I know what my life is.
One thing I know for certain: I need to be
practical with my time and money right now (aka: use hours off to find my next central source of income), so fall shopping has receded to the back of my brain. It's a bummer, because like most of the blogging world I love autumnal clothing, and a few of my duds are badly in need of replacement. Ain't
budgeting grand?
In my absence, though, I wanted to offer a few resources for those of you seeking some
fall wardrobe inspiration -- with a minimalist twist, of course! While my brain is craving novelty, I'm nevertheless still firmly on my path toward a
sustainable closet. It occurred to me recently that I no longer follow bloggers for outfit inspiration and trends. Rather, I'm
focusing on writers who offer perspective into their wardrobe structure and challenge themselves to maintain similarly ethical values. Most of them have been mentioned on Inspirsession before, but I thought it would be useful to document my favorites all in one place. Plus, it gives me an excuse to share this dorky picture I drew:
In the off chance you've come here seeking
inspiration and/or guidance, please don't hesitate to check out their sites, podcasts, and channels! Each sketch has a link to their particular corner of the internet. Below, you can also read a brief summary as to why I think they're awesome. Enjoy!
Un-Fancy
Caroline basically pioneered the on-trend American capsule, in all its denim-and-white-tee glory. She came onto my radar around 2014, and while she no longer blogs as regularly as she did then, I still find myself checking in on her clean, to-the-point posts and pictures. Everything about her presentation is exactly as she promises -- un-fancy -- and I like that I leave her blog feeling calm, joyful, and content, rather than envious of her living room or breakfast.
Can't miss: Free Capsule Wardrobe Planner
Into-Mind // Anuschka Rees
Anuschka's blog was one of my earliest introductions to the capsule wardrobe process, and it also served as the direct inspiration to Un-Fancy, according to Caroline. Anuschka has provided
the most thorough wardrobe-building process I've found to date, and her infographics are out of this world. Since the publishing of her book,
The Curated Closet, she posts less often these days, but her archives are well worth a deep dive.
Can't miss: This amazing flow-chart
Paris to Go
Ariana is one of the sassiest writers I've come across on the blogosphere. There's something in how she presents her life that gives me the feeling I'm reading an epic novel -- one woman's journey toward ultimate sustainability. Where Caroline is gentle and forgiving, Ariana is frank and cutthroat. I love the contrast, and I really wish she was my friend.
Can't miss: Any post where she lists all her possessions. You won't believe how little this woman owns.
What I Wore
Jessica Quirk is OG. Like, had-an-established-blog-before-I-even-knew-the-word OG. Like, her-blog-is-actually-still-on-Tumblr OG. She currently lives in Indiana with two kids and a husband, which is not something I can exactly relate to, but I still use her book, (also entitled
What I Wore) and photo archives for outfit-mixing tips. Though I wouldn't consider her process truly sustainable, I love that she mixes her new clothes with thrifted vintage and homemade items.
Can't miss: Her book!
The Minimalists
Ahhh, these guys. If you haven't seen their documentary on Netflix, now is the time to open a new tab on your browser and take care of that. I've been listening to their podcast regularly and really enjoy most of what they have to say about what they call "living a more meaningful life." Their work certainly doesn't center on clothing specifically, but all their topics are worth a listen, 'cause everything's connected, really.
Can't Miss: Podcast #56-Clothing -- and all the ones on budgeting.
The Vivienne Files
It's not every day you meet a blogger over the age of, well, Had-A-Modcloth-Phase. But this gal not only proudly aligns herself with L.L.Bean and Hermes scarves; she also has a taste for churning out beautiful art-inspired palettes to create functional, minimal wardrobes. And that's fun for all ages, I
say.
Can't Miss: Core of Four
The Daily Connoisseur
If Emily Post merged with Donna Reed and then simmered down to a grownup version of that cool-yet-levelheaded babysitter you admired in your youth, this would be Jennifer L. Scott, author of
The Daily Connoisseur book, vlog, and blog. Her concept may seem over the top to some (wear pearls for your baby, vacuum in your silks, dine daily over your best china), but I think a good question lies at the core of the matter: What "someday" are you saving those precious possessions for, anyway?
Can't Miss: Her original video on The Ten Item Wardrobe
Light By Coco
Coco just recently stopped blogging to focus on her real life/job. While that's fair and all, I already miss her a lot. Also, it took me until just now to realize her blog and channel have been emptied of all their content. So I guess this is a rather sheepish way to end my post. (Oops!) You'll just have to take my word for it that she was pretty cool.
