Planning my autumn capsule 2021 (plus a bit about life phases and evolving your style sustainably)

Aug 19, 2021 | 6 comments

An old outfit from 2017 I very much still see myself wearing today

Vi går min yndlings tid i møde, og selvom jeg ved nogle af jer synes det er lidt for tidligt, at snakke efterår (især de af jer som elsker sommer) – så kan jeg simpelthen ikke skjule min begejstring for den fine årstid vi går i møde. Efterår er den tid på året hvor jeg føler mig allermest inspireret, og altid har sådan en uforklarlig følelse af forhåbning i maven. De smukke blade, den første kølige brise, den gyldne efterårs sol, stearinlys, varm kaffe, nybagte kanelsnurrer og bløde striktrøjer. Og jeg kan slet ikke fatte, at vi endda også skal fejre vores lille piges 1-års fødselsdag i Oktober. Med risiko for, at få historien til at lyde lidt sukkersød, så har jeg faktisk et billede af vores have fra den dag jeg gik i fødsel sidste år. Det var en utroligt flot efterårsdag, og solen stod lavt og smukt ind i vores have. På dagen sagde jeg ordret til min mand, “det ville være en smuk dag, at føde vores pige på”. Ej men altså… der er så mange grunde til, at elske den her årstid – måske endnu mere end jeg gjorde før.

Og nu vi snakker bløde striktrøjer, så er det lige præcis dét vi skal snakke om i dag; de ting jeg glæder mig allermest til, at iføre mig dette efterår. Mest af alt favoritter fra mine opbevaringsbokse, som jeg glæder mig til, at blive genforenet med. Men der står også en enkelt ting eller to på ønskelisten. Ikke for mange, for det løfte gav jeg mig selv i starten af året.

ENG.: we’re heading into my favourite season once again, and although I know some of you think it’s a little premature to even mention autumn (especially those of you who love summer) – I can simply never hide my excitement for this beautiful season. Autumn is the time of the year when I feel most inspired, and always have such an inexplicable feeling of hope in my stomach. The beautiful leaves, the first cool breeze, the golden autumn sun, candles, hot coffee, freshly baked cinnamon swirls and fuzzy jumpers. I also can’t believe that we’re going to celebrate our little girl’s 1 year birthday in October. This might sound a little bit sticky, but I actually have a picture of our garden from the day I went into labor last year. It was an incredibly stunning autumn day, the sun hung low and shined beautifully into our garden. That afternoon I literally said to my husband, “it would be a beautiful day to give birth to our girl”. No, seriously… there are so many reasons why I love this time of year – maybe even more so now.

And now that we’re on the subject of fuzzy jumpers, that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about in today’s post; the things I’m most looking forward to wearing this fall. Most of all favorites from my storage boxes that I look forward to being reunited with. But there are also a few things on my wishlist. Not many, according to the promise I made myself by the start fo the year.


Siden jeg startede med at lave capsule wardrobes tilbage i 2016, så har min stil ændret sig en lille smule undervejs. Det sker, at vores stil ændrer sig i takt med, at vi bliver ældre og går gennem forskellige faser i livet. Jeg har stået over for forskellige job situationer, jeg er blevet en style coach uddannelse rigere, jeg er blevet selvstændig, jeg rundede sidste år et skarpt hjørne og blev 30 år og så er jeg blevet mor. Altsammen noget, der har gjort mig til en stærkere, mere selvsikker udgave af mig selv, og også en lidt anden person end jeg var for 5 år siden. Jeg véd hvad jeg kan lide at gå i, går sjældent på kompromis med komfort og så er min stil blevet lidt mere klassisk og simpel end den var før. Jeg kan stadig godt lide at tilføje et snert af fx noget feminint eller råt, men langt de fleste dage er jeg gået lidt “back to basics”. Igen, så er det ikke et kæmpe skift der er sket, og jeg har heller ikke været ved at rydde fuldstændig ud i garderoben. Jeg bruger stadig hvad jeg har først og fremmest. Men jeg har fået lidt mere styr på min stil igen, især efter et år med graviditet, lockdowns og stretchy tøj. Jeg har nærmet mig enden af min barsel med vildt blandede følelser (jeg er ked af det er slut, men glæder mig samtidig til, at komme tilbage på arbejde), men én ting jeg helt sikkert har glædet mig til er, at kunne gå lidt mere “pænt” klædt til hverdag igen. At iføre mig andet end praktisk, stretchy tøj i mørke farver (pletter, I ved). Man kan sagtens gøre noget ud af sig selv selvom man går hjemme, forstå mig ret. Det skrev jeg for nyligt et indlæg om lige HER. Men jeg tror jeg var et sted, hvor jeg valgte at acceptere, at det var sådan jeg gik klædt i dén periode. Lidt mere praktisk, hyggeligt og til tider… kedeligt, for at sige det ligeud. Og måske var det nemmere at acceptere det, fordi jeg netop vidste, at det blot var for en periode. Da jeg sluttede fred med det, var det ligesom lidt nemmere at slappe af, være mere til stedet i nuet, og bare nyde barslen og tiden herhjemme med vores lille E. Det er jo immervæk en tid man ikke får igen <3

Så når faktum er, at det mest bæredygtige stykke tøj vi har i garderoben er dét, vi allerede har; hvordan udvikler man så sin stil bæredygtigt, i takt med at man ændrer sig som person gennem livet? Der er ikke et entydigt svar, men for mig handler det om, først og fremmest at være åben og kreativ med det jeg allerede har. For meget har min stil heller ikke ændret sig. Jeg vil aldrig anbefale, at gå “cold turkey”, smide alt ud og starte forfra, men det kommer selvfølgelig meget an på din situation. Det kunne ligeså vel have været, at jeg ikke havde kunnet passe nogen af mine underdele efter graviditeten, og så måtte jeg tage den dérfra. Og der er ikke nogen skam i, at kroppen ændrer sig! Men, tag dig god tid til at gennemgå alt det du har, prøv det på, lav forskellige kombinationer og planlæg nøje hvad du synes der mangler. Men gem også gerne tøj du har brug for en pause fra nu – for måske får du lyst til, at gå i det igen en dag. Somme tider påvirkes vi meget af den pågældende sæson, så det du måske ikke har lyst til at gå i til efteråret får du måske lyst til, at iføre dig til sommer. Og har du aldrig prøvet, at skille dig af med noget for blot at tænke “ej, jeg skulle have beholdt det” nogle år efter? Så modsat andre stylister der måske mener du bør smide tøj du ikke gå i ud, så er jeg ikke altid enig i denne tankegang. Det skal ud af garderoben så det ikke distraherer dig ja, men du behøver ikke skille dig helt af med det. Vi lever selvsagt i en anden tid nu, hvor vi skal spore os en på en mere bæredygtig tankegang, og være lidt mere kreative. Udover det er genbrugsshopping mit allerbedste tip. Det er ikke uden klimaaftryk, da mange i dag shopper genbrug med et fast fashion mindset (læs med hos Tanja hvordan det hænger sammen), men det er helt sikkert et godt alternativ til, at købe nyt. Ellers kan du lære meget mere om bedre shopping vaner gennem mit online kursus lige HER.

ENG: Since I started making capsule wardrobes back in 2016, my style has evolved a little bit along the way. It happens that our personal style changes as we get older and go through different phases of life. I have faced different job situations, I have become a certified style coach, I have become self-employed, I turned 30 and last but certainly not least I have become a mother. All things that have turned me into a stronger, more confident version of myself. I’m a slightly different person than I was 5 years ago. I know what I like to wear, I rarely compromise on comfort and my style has become a little more classic and simple than it was before. I still like adding a touch of something feminine or edgy, but most days I have gone a little “back to basics”. Again, it’s not a huge change that has happened, nor have I been clearing out my wardrobe completely. I still use what I already have first and foremost. But I’ve gotten a little more in control of my style again, especially after a year of pregnancy, lockdowns and stretchy clothes. I have been nearing the end of my maternity leave with very mixed emotions (I feel sad that it is over but also can’t wait to get back to work again), and one thing I have definitely been looking forward to is being able to dress up a bit more again. To wear other than practical, stretchy clothes in dark colors (stains, you know). You can of course still make an effort, even when you spend time at home, don’t get me wrong. I recently wrote a post all about that right HERE. But I think I was at a place, where I deliberately chose to accept that that was what I wore during that period. Clothes that were a little more functional, cozy and at times … boring, to put it quite bluntly. And maybe it was easier to accept that I didn’t necessarily dress like my best self, because I knew it was just for a period of time. When I made peace with that it was a little easier to relax, be more present and just enjoy my maternity leave and the time at home with our little E. After all, it’s such a magical time that you have to enjoy to the fullest as long as it lasts <3

So when we know for a fact that the most sustainable piece of clothing is the one we already own; how do you develop your style sustainably, as you evolve as a person through life as well? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but for me it’s all about being open and creative with what I already have. Because again, my style has not changed that much. I would never recommend going cold turkey, getting rid of your entire wardrobe and starting completely over – but of course, it very much depends on your situation. It could have been possible, that I would never have been able to fit any of my old bottoms again after pregnancy for example, and there’s absolutely no shame in body changes! It’s part of life and it’s natural, also in connection with pregnancy which I just went through a little less than a year ago. But, give yourself some time to try on everything you have, make different combinations and carefully curate a shopping list if you find any gaps. Also, try saving certain clothes you need a break from for later – because maybe you might feel like wearing them again. Sometimes we are very much affected by the season in question, so what you might not want to wear during autumn, you may feel like wearing during summer. And haven’t you ever tried getting rid of something only to find yourself thinking “I should have kept that” a few years later? So it might be that some stylists tell you get rid of clothes you no longer wear, but I don’t always agree with this. Sure, remove it from your wardrobe so it doesn’t distract you, but you don’t have to completely get rid of it. We live in a different time now, where we need pursue a more sustainable mindset than that, and we need to be a little more creative with what we have. Besides that, secondhand shopping is as always a good way to go. It certainly still has an impact on our environment as many people today find themselves shopping secondhand clothes just with a fast fashion mindset (Tanja wrote a great article about that HERE, it’s in Danish though but maybe Translate can help you with the overall message), but it is definitely a good alternative to buying new. Otherwise, you can learn a lot more about better shopping habits through my online course right HERE.

Men altså. Tilbage til det kommende efterår 2021.

Jeg er meget inspireret af outfits bestående af fx jeans/skjorte, jeans/blazer eller herre-inspirerede bukser med bælte i taljen, og en simpel striktrøje eller cardigan. Outfits der nemt kan peppes op med de rigtige sko og accessories. Igen, lidt mere basic og klassiske outfits, end da jeg startede med capsule wardrobe eksperimentet for år tilbage. Min stil er blevet lidt mere moden, fristes jeg til at sige (selvom der i min optik ikke er en reel grænse for, hvad man kan gå i i hvilken alder. Bæredygtig mode handler om, at gå i dét der gør dig glad og holde fast i det). Se fx denne efterårs capsule fra 2016 hvor min stil var meget præget af, at jeg dengang arbejdede som designer for et dansk dametøjs brand. Min kerne fik ikke lov til at fylde så meget, til gengæld var der både rå, sporty og feminine elementer, og i dag fylder det afslappede og klassiske meget mere i min hverdagsgarderobe, end de to førnævnte stilarter. Mange af de feminine items jeg har, bruger jeg mest om sommeren eller til festlige lejligheder i dag. På en måde har det været interessant, at få en pause fra min garderobe og den jeg var, inden jeg blev gravid og efterfølgende gik på barsel. For de ting jeg higer mest efter at kunne gå i nu, hvor en hverdag med mere struktur igen banker på, er i virkeligheden også kernen af min stil og den person jeg ser mig selv som i dag, ikke mindst. Jeg har endelig fundet en ny kontorplads nede i centrum af byen, i de smukkeste omgivelser (!), og jeg glæder mig til at kunne “møde ind” på arbejde igen efter ikke at have forladt huset ret meget de sidste næsten 2 år. Jeg håber på at udvide min forretning med både personlige styling sessions, foredrag, workshops og SOME rådgivning, og igen – alt dette afspejles i den stil jeg er landet på, dette sted i mit liv. Mit tøj skal være praktisk, afslappet og behagligt, men det skal også være pænt og præsentabelt. Jeg vil gerne påpege endnu engang, at det ikke er fordi jeg har ryddet helt vildt op og smidt tøj ud, den egentlige ændring ligger mere i stylingen af min garderobe og outfits.

Jeg skrev for nyligt dette indlæg, om 4 fejlkøb jeg har “begået” de sidste par år, og hvad jeg har lært af dem ikke mindst. Og én af de ting jeg ønsker at tilføje til min garderobe dette efterår er et par knælange støvler der ikke sidder for stramt om benet, og som skærer lige under knæet. Jeg købte et par brugt på Vestiaire sidste år (husker i måske), men hvis I klikker jer ind på førnævnte indlæg kan I læse lidt mere om, hvorfor de ikke var helt spot on for mig. Udover det har jeg købt denne cardigan fra Armed Angels, som jeg glæder mig til modtage og style. En ret klassisk cardigan som går fint med både herre-inspirerede bukser, jeans, nederdele og kjoler. Et par klassiske, sorte loafers (gerne i en brugt udgave) er også noget der står højt på ønskelisten, måske som erstatning til mine leopard ballerinaer, der (som jeg har nævnt mange gange) har været lidt af en kamp at gå til siden jeg købte dem tilbage i 2017. Forhåbentligt jeg kan finde et mere komfortabelt alternativ, som også passer fint til den enkle stil jeg finder mig bedst tilpas i nu.

ENG.: With all that being said, let’s return to the coming autumn season of 2021.

I am very inspired by outfits consisting of for example shirt/jeans, jeans/blazer or tailored trousers with a waist belt, and a simple jumper or cardigan. Outfits that can easily be dressed up with the right shoes and accessories. Again, a little more basic and classic outfits than when I started the capsule wardrobe experiment years back. My style has become a little more mature, I am tempted to say (although in my opinion, fashion shouldn’t be limited by age or other factors like that. Sustainable fashion is about wearing exactly what makes you happy and holding on to that). You can have a look at one of my first autumn capsules from 2016 here, where my style was very influenced by the fact that I then worked as a designer for a Danish womenswear brand. My core style was not as significant, and it was generally way more edgy, sporty and feminine, whereas today the casual and classic elements take up most space in my everyday wardrobe than the two aforementioned style directions. Many of the feminine items I own, I tend to use mostly during summer or for special occasions today. In a way, it’s been quite interesting to get a break from my wardrobe and who I was before I got pregnant, and subsequently went on maternity leave. Because I now see quite clearly that the kind of items I’m longing to wear now that I’m slowly easing into everyday life again, is in fact the true core of my style and the person I see myself as today, not least. I have finally found a new office space down in the city center, in the most beautiful surroundings (!), and I’m so excited to be able to get back to work and be surrounded by other people, after not leaving the house all that much for almost 2 years. I’m hoping to expand my business with both personal styling sessions, speeches, workshops and social media consultancy, and again – all of this is reflected in the style I’ve landed on in this chapter of my life. My clothes should be functional, casual and comfortable, but they should also be nice and presentable. I would like to point out once again that I haven’t cleared out my wardrobe completely or anything like that, the real change lies more in tweaking the styling of my wardrobe here and there.

I recently wrote this post about 4 purchases I regret making in the last few years, and what I have learned from them not least. And one of the things I want to add to my wardrobe this autumn is a pair of boots that isn’t too tight around the leg, and which cut just below the knee. I bought a pair secondhand on Vestiaire last year (you might remember those), but if you go back to the aforementioned blogpost you can read a little more about why they were not quite right for me. Besides that, I bought this cardigan from Armed Angels, which I look forward to receiving and styling. A rather classic cardigan that goes well with both tailored trousers, jeans, skirts and dresses. A pair of classic, black loafers (preferably preloved) is also an item I’ve got on my wish list, perhaps as a replacement for my leopard flats, which (as I have mentioned many times before) have been a bit of a struggle break in since I bought them back in 2017. Hopefully I can find a more comfortable alternative that also fits nicely with the more classic and simple style I find myself to be more comfortable in now.

6 Comments

  1. N

    Quite cool to read & see how to approach fashion and style with this perspective. Definitely making me think of it differently & sustainably.

    Reply
  2. Deb

    Great insight to your wardrobe. I’m looking forward to seeing your autumn capsule. I’m interested in the article by Tanja but it links to one of your own. Was that the article?

    Reply
    • signeh24

      Thanks Deb! Sorry about that, I’ve corrected it now. I also just added that it’s in Danish, but I hope Translate can help you with the overall message! Love Signe xx

      Reply
  3. Gail

    Definitely excited for planning my autumn capsule which I started a while ago. I love summer but I also still am a little addicted to looking at clothes to buy.. so when I yearned to buy more summer stuff I started to plan for autumn instead. Glad I bought the cardy (mid green) for autumn rather than shorts for summer as the UK summer has been disappointing this year. Thanks for all your great advice on capsule wardrobing as always!

    Reply
  4. Dina

    Hi Sweetheart….wonderful warm, loving and honest review of your love of fall and how you look at your style and fashion….always an inspiration and simply love your work, channel and you…Big Hugs honey…

    Reply
  5. Lana

    Can I suggest making the font a bit less slanting or maybe darker in color? When it’s a big chunk of text in thin handwriting it can be difficult to push through sometimes.

    Reply

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