I’ve always loved the idea of a capsule wardrobe - they look stylish and so well put together. But I’ve tried in the past and failed miserably to achieve it, as I often find sticking to a colour palette boring and yearn to inject bold colours or prints into the mix. So when The Lexicon shopping centre in Bracknell invited me to their summer blogger event I leapt at the chance to join them and get some tips for putting together a capsule wardrobe for summer.

Summer is the perfect time to try out a capsule wardrobe. Packing for a summer holiday has never been trickier for me; with our suitcases now filled with the endless paraphernalia that comes with kids, space is at a premium. And if I’m honest, space in my wardrobe at home is at a premium too - it’s bursting at the seams! We have a trip to Cornwall coming up, so I was keen to pick out a few pieces and free up some suitcase space for my husband to actually get a look in for once.

 

 

We met Jessica Eades, who talked us through her own picks for a capsule wardrobe, as well as tips for putting outfits together and the season’s key trends. This season is all about:

• bold colours
• statement earrings
• oversized buttons
• sheer floaty fabrics

The key thing for creating a capsule wardrobe is putting together a series of outfits that can be taken from day to night with just a few changes. So switching out the shorts for a long floaty skirt, a pretty dress that can work for both beach and a restaurant, or just styling things up by adding some pretty accessories.

I’ve always felt that my love of colour and pattern meant that I couldn’t pull off a capsule wardrobe, but I realised that if I kept to a few plain items, I could mix and match them with prints and bold colours to stop me getting too bored. And there’s nothing like a bold accessory to liven things up - some statement earrings, or a bright clutch bag can give that pop of colour that I often crave.

With a few tips in my mind I headed off shopping and had great fun picking out pieces to take with me down to Cornwall. The Lexicon has fast become one of my favourite places to shop. It has all of my favourite brands, it’s easy and cheap to park, with loads of eating options too. I have much closer shopping options available, and yet The Lexicon draws me over on a regular basis.

 

 

I wanted to keep everything fairly relaxed, as St Ives is a pretty laid back place. For daytime on the beach these denim shorts from Primark (£12) are the perfect choice, and I love the lace detailing which gives it a bit of a feminine touch which I always love. This floral blouse from New Look (£17.99) is such a lovely partner for the shorts and will be so light and floaty for the beach, or dressed up with jeans and sandals for the evening.

 

You can’t go wrong with a simple white t-shirt, and I snapped up this one from H&M (£8.99). It’s so versatile and will go with so many things - shorts, jeans, or a long floaty skirt for the evening. I love the lace detail on the sleeves which gives a bit of a feminine touch and compliments the lace detailing on the denim shorts too.

 

 

I often end up taking lots of pairs of shoes on holiday for the evenings, and without fail, I never wear the heels. So I opted for a pair of nude suede sandals from Office (£49), which have to be the comfiest sandals I’ve ever worn. I walked miles in them at the weekend and not even a rub! The neutral colour means that they’ll go with everything, and the style means that they will easily work for day or night.

 

 

And finally a straw bag is the must have accessory of the summer (if you look at my Instagram feed anyway!). I have a fab straw bag from last year which I’ll be taking with me, but I’m still eyeing up this one from Joules - isn’t it gorgeous?

I’ll be planning to also pack a couple of floral floaty skirts, as well as a few more white tops and my trusty denim jacket, but I think I may just have put together my first ever capsule wardrobe! What do you think?

 

Disclosure: I was invited to this event by The Lexicon and given a gift voucher to choose a few items for this post