Let's get things started

Welcome to Clutter to Capsule, the newsletter edition.

I assume if you are here you know me by my original TikTok introduction, but if by some magic internet segue you have found me otherwise - hi! My name is Alison. I used to work in fashion but now I just care about how clothes make me feel. 

When I used to hear ‘capsule wardrobe’ my eyes glazed over and my soul left my body. I think the only ‘capsule’ classifying thing in my wardrobe, judging by just general content creator standards, might be my obsession with a specific white Uniqlo t-shirt*. As fantastic as it is, the size range is limited (I wear the XL which at the time of purchase was the largest size - it has since gone up two further sizes..) and that is something we will talk a lot about here. I’ll try my best to share suggestions that are just more… we could say inclusive, but I’d prefer to say realistic. I’m really, really pregnant so who knows what size I really am, but pre this massive body change I was always between sizes. I always seemed to need the size 13 or 15, depending on how stressed I was with work, how my period was tracking or whether or not it was rosé season. What I’m trying to say is that I get it, but please don’t be mad at me if something stops about 8 sizes short. I’m hoping the more I, and others bang on about it - the more things in the industry might change.

I also think in terms of ‘traditional capsule wardrobes’ my version of mix and match is less black, beige and white, and much more in line with the trending audio 'leopard print is a neutral.’ Capsule does not need to mean boring, and by boring I mean, it doesn’t have to not spark joy. If you are going to have less, it needs to do more and I don’t just mean functionally. Like yes, practically you might need to be able to wear it in more than one scenario, but it should also be something you LOVE. I want it to light you on fire, you don’t want to get sick of it or feel average if you need to wear it more than once every week. 

Exhibit A: It’s not, not a neutral. Obviously Goldie Hawn on the left but for me on the right, outfit details are: necklaces; Amori Mori, Trench; Everlane, Shirt; Marni, Skirt; Cefinn, Bag; Wandler.

I’m a millennial who grew up in the era of magazines screaming at me ‘DAY TO NIGHT!’, which is yet to be a scenario that really mattered in my adult life. Yet the last 5 years I’ve continuously felt more and more alienated by magazines and digital publications supposedly ‘aimed at me’. The last time I truly felt seen, might have been when Man Repeller was in its heyday, but since its closure everything else has felt - forgive me, but a little samey? Definitely very ‘investment pieces to buy now’, but investment to me meant something very different than a good trench coat. If it wasn’t for TikTok maybe I would have just given up on shopping for clothes and settled for better homewares instead. But making all these internet friends reignited my fire for personal style which definitely has improved my confidence. In general I just feel more purposeful getting dressed, so I hope with your redefined capsule wardrobe you can too. 

I’ve also been thinking a lot about how hopefully if, I can teach you more about clothes, the more you can appreciate them. I work full-time in the beauty industry (well, obviously at present I am on maternity leave by the time you read this) but what the beauty industry has done a really good job of vs. the fashion industry is product education. If we can teach the everyday person about hyaluronic acid and it’s benefits, I think we can also all get our heads around viscose. Something about the ‘science’ in beauty has been made sexy, but we’ve not quite put the spin on viscose aka a derivative of wood pulp. I’ll do my best guys - it might not be Eva Longoria for L’Oreal sexy but I’ll at least try to make it interesting. 

Technically, viscose is a subtype of rayon. On the right, my ‘real’ wardrobe. But actually.

So welcome, this will be my version of I guess what we can call a curated edit - it’s a what to buy and why. Here and there I’ll share a shopping edit but monthly I will share a new capsule category, kind of like how I filmed the original TikTok series but less clear out, more what remained and why. Hopefully by knowing more, you will buy less, look after and maintain more but ultimately enjoy getting dressed the mostest.

Whilst I find my feet on mat leave, this newsletter will remain free. After that, it will likely move mostly to a subscription model. If you’re enjoying this content, you can pledge a subscription here - a little monetary motivation never hurt anyone on statutory maternity pay..

Or you could recommend me to a friend! I’ll love you regardless.

*This newsletter contains affiliate links. I can make some small change off of these links if you purchase said good. It’s just another way to support me in my creative endeavours.