My maternal grandmother, Ruth, who was born in 1925, remains one of my style icons. When she was alive, I was always curious about her younger days and I frequently grilled her about her fashion choices in the 1940s and 1950s.
Gramma was a young professional who worked for Veterans Affairs. Each day, her workwear was crisp, modest and fell right in line with the silhouettes and style of the day. Working and adulting during a war taught her many principles about shopping for clothes and dressing in a time when the economy and the world around us is unpredictable. She passed these lessons on to me:
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Buy quality over quantity: you’ll have fewer pieces that will last you longer. This requires getting creative with your looks so you can maximize your wardrobe.
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Keep your wardrobe fresh with accessories. A brooch, scarf, stacked bracelets – find your signature accessory.
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When the work girlies tell you that Bamberger’s (IYKYK) has nylons back in stock, your lunch break immediately becomes an OOO mission. 😝
Between Gramma’s wisdom, my fashion education and years of studying fashion and style-driven magazines (I’m a certified magazine hoarder), I’ve concluded that what Gramma was describing was a capsule wardrobe.
A capsule wardrobe is a well-curated selection of timeless clothing pieces and accessories that coordinate and can be interchanged to make a wide variety of outfits. A capsule wardrobe is typically defined by separates, but as you’ll see in this story, I like to break the rules a bit.
As a tall girl, the struggle to find anything that fit me off the rack was real! So when I began designing the Whitney Allysyn collection and started talking to tall women to better understand their needs, it was clear that what many of us need is a foundational wardrobe of staples that we can jazz up with trends when we want to. A capsule wardrobe can do that for you.
MYTH: A capsule wardrobe is only about minimalism.
WA REALITY: Capsule wardrobes are about maximizing your style potential.
My idea of a capsule wardrobe consists of 7 types of clothes that can take the modern woman from work to weekend and everything in between. Why 7? Research says that when it comes to decision-making, this is our sweet spot. Plus, it’s my lucky number ;)
My capsule wardrobe formula takes into consideration the time you don’t have to think about your outfits. This is not to say that these will be the only items in your wardrobe. But if you center them and make them your core, you’ll find that your wardrobe is more robust and life in the fashion lane gets a whole lot smoother and a lot more interesting.
Blazer: instantly polishes an outfit, from sweats to slacks; serves as a great layering piece in the fall/winter and a crisp jacket in the fall/summer.
Blouse: button-downs are classic and enable you to elevate your most basic pieces.
Bodysuit: for the days when a fitted silhouette fits the vibe
Pants: slacks, jeans, leather or wool, make pants a priority
Skirt: a delicate alternative to pants, skirts offer freedom of movement in a way pants don’t.
Here’s Where I Break The Rules
These next 2 pieces fall in the optional capsule wardrobe category. It’s one-piece dressing at its finest with the ability to build and layer pieces in creative ways.
Jumpsuit: I love that a jumpsuit is the ultimate one-and-done outfit. Tall girls haven’t been able to enjoy jumpsuits the way we should have. Depending on fabric and silhouette, they work for literally any occasion, including work meetings, brunch, and evenings out.
Dress: With the various length options - mini, midi, maxi - and abundance of silhouette options - shift dress, body-con, A-line, etc. – find the length and silhouettes that flatter your figure most and have at least 2 black dresses in the mix. The little black dress rule will never die, and you can never go wrong in black (unless the party’s attire requires another color).
No matter where you live, these pieces will work at any time of the year. The key is not to have exact replicas of each piece, but to find variations that suit your style. For example: If you have 3 button down blouses, one should have a standard collar, another can have a pussybow necktie, and the third could have a dramatic sleeve. Capsule wardrobe does not = boring! It means intentional.
Why A Capsule Wardrobe Works
In a world filled with fast fashion, rapidly-changing trends, and an unpredictable economy, curating a timeless and functional wardrobe is more important than ever. For tall women, a capsule wardrobe is even more essential because our options relative to our shorter friends are limited (but the options are increasing by the day! – check out TallSize.com).
Finding clothes that fit well, flatter your proportions, and offer versatility can be a challenge — but when you invest in the right pieces, you eliminate the frustration of unnecessary shopping and build a wardrobe that works for any occasion.
Here are some of the key benefits:
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Effortless Mornings – With a carefully curated wardrobe, every piece works together, making getting dressed a breeze. No more staring at your closet, wondering what to wear. If you’ve defined a color palette for your wardrobe, this speeds up the process.
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Smart Investments – Instead of impulse or fast fashion purchases that go out of style or don’t fit quite right, a capsule wardrobe focuses on timeless, well-made staples that last season after season.
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Endless Outfit Combinations – With fewer pieces, you can still create a variety of looks that take you from work to weekend with ease.
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Less Clutter, More Confidence – A streamlined wardrobe removes the excess and leaves you with only the best — pieces that fit beautifully, complement your frame, and make you feel amazing.
Capsule Wardrobe, Your Way
MYTH: A capsule wardrobe is restrictive.
WA REALITY: A capsule wardrobe promotes freedom. It allows you to spend less time worrying about what to wear and more time living your life with confidence. Use my formula but make it yours - substitute the skirt for shorts. Don’t like jumpsuits? Swap it for basic tees and have more top options. With that in mind, Whitney Allysyn’s collection is designed to empower tall women to embrace their height and style with ease.
Ready to build your dream capsule wardrobe? Start with our best-selling blazers and jumpsuits — your new go-to essentials for effortless, chic dressing.
XO,
Whitney
