I Hate Autumn

(Full disclosure, I went to the woods to try and take some lovely autumnal pictures but it was no where near dead enough. I was very disappointed.)

I feel like this is such a controversial opinion to have at the moment. We're now in October, the trees are turning, pumpkins are at the entrance to every supermarket, and unlike seemingly everyone else on social media, I am really not here for it.

It appears on social media that autumn is all about visiting pumpkin patches for those aesthetic seasonal 'gram photos, and drinking pumpkin spiced lattes (which admittedly I have never tried but sound kind of gross). Now don’t get me wrong, I love fluffy socks and a roaring fire as much as the next person but I see those things very much as elements of winter - not autumn.

The way I see autumn, it is the symbol of everything dying. Trees are dying and dropping their leaves (the colours are pretty I won’t deny, but it’s still literally death on a plate). The weather is getting colder - not only that but more rainy (I’m writing this on a train having been completely soaked en route to the station), the nights are drawing in and everything is just getting darker and less joyeus.

I can deal with all things in winter because A) it’s winter and that’s just how it is, and B) Both Christmas and my birthday are in winter which makes it much more enjoyable. My family have never celebrated Halloween, so I don’t really see that as a reason to like autumn. I get that some people love Halloween, but it’s just not for me. 

The thing that I’m finding hardest about autumn this year is the clothing. I’m a hardcore yellow wearer which is great during summer, there’s yellow everywhere you look. I walked into a shop the other day and what did I see? Beige. And brown. And burgundy. Where’s the yellow?? Now lots of people will say that mustard is very autumn-y and that’s probably true but mustard is disgusting. It’s the autumn of the yellow family - the dark and gloomy cousin to an otherwise cheerful and happy colour. 

I had a big clear out of my clothes when I finished school, wanting to start a new chapter of my life and I bought a brand new gorgeous summer wardrobe that I have absolutely loved wearing this year. However I am now finding myself completely stuck, not having any clue what to wear everyday. Gone are my beautiful summer dresses and flowy midi skirts, and I am not prepared to get my fluffy jumpers out yet - until November I will not do it.

I might add that I actually had a truly fantastic summer this year, I was determined to enjoy it and it was definitely the best one I have ever had. I suppose I'm just really reluctant to let that go.

Everyone keeps saying that layering is key.. but what does that even mean?!? That’s another thing about autumn - you can never get the right temperature. I’m either burning up or freezing cold and I just can’t handle it. I end up carrying around 3 different options for outerwear based on how cold/warm I get. People always say that is the kind of weather where you wear a jumper in the morning and regret it in the afternoon. And don't even get me started on the rain. 

That’s another thing I hate about autumn - tights. Today is the first day in MONTHS that I had to put tights on and it was like putting myself into this stretchy black straight jacket. However I’m determined to not be confined to black tights for the next 8 months, and have a whole array of yellow tights at the ready. 

I don’t know - am I being unreasonable? I am very happy for people to argue with me on this, I genuinely want to know why people love autumn so much. Plus I genuinely think that autumn is out to get me. I was attacked by a thorn yesterday it made me bleed and everything. Looks like autumn hates me as much as I hate it.

Bring back summer. 

Please.

The funny thing is that I just remembered I that I wrote a post on this blog probably 3 years ago now where I raved all about autumn and how I was determined to love it. I was wrong.

H&M Autumn Capsule Wardrobe

I have spoken many times about my guilty pleasure for capsule wardrobes. I have been experimenting with different capsules myself for over a year now, but I wanted to take it further, and play with the idea of a capsule wardrobe beyond what the constraints of my budget and storage will allow. That is why I have created a new Instagram account @capsulesandjournals where I will be creating capsule wardrobes and bullet journal layouts (but more on that later).

To kick off this new venture of mine, I thought I would start with a simple 10-piece capsule wardrobe for autumn. I have taken all of the pieces from the H&M website and their current autumn collection. I haven't included shoes as a part of the 10 pieces but all shoes used in the images are also from H&M and will be linked below.

I really wanted to create my dream capsule wardrobe, just to show you guys what I love to wear. Because of this, I have included a lot of yellow, and some fabulous patterns, as well as a range of items that can be styled up for nights out or styled down for evenings in.

I have created 12 exemplar outfits for you, but there are many more that can be made with this capsule, it is really versatile.

Yellow Heels

Brown Boots

Black Boots
So, lets talk about the individual pieces.

First of all, this stripy tee is just a perfect base for this capsule. It is black and white so will go with pretty much everything, and it has the yellow accents that are a key element of this capsule. Plus a striped tee is just such a staple in everyones wardrobe and you really can't for wrong for just £6.99!

I then chose to include this lacy bodysuit because I think that it is a really easy way to dress up an outfit. This bodysuit can be worn with any of the bottoms to make a really lovely going-out outfit. Plus it can be layered so you don't get cold. It is also a very reasonable £14.99.






I love skirts, in particular midi skirts, so it was really important to me that there be at least one in this capsule. This skirt has such a lovely print (another sneaky way to add in print), and because of its dark colour can be worn with thick tights and booties the whole was through autumn so you don't freeze to the bone.







I then decided to include two pairs of trousers as that is what I wear more commonly during autumn. I have a classic pair of black slim mom jeans (I'm not a huge fan of skinny) and then a slightly more out there pair of red cord culottes style trousers. I really like both these trousers, most because they are so different but very autumnal in their own ways.

In terms of jumpers, I wanted there to be a little bit of difference so I have included a yellow cardigan which is so easy to throw over the top of anything, and a big cosy white jumper. Both of these will be really lovely to wear throughout autumn. I personally am not a big fan of massive roll necks, so I decided not to include any jumpers like that.





For the coat, I selected a simple black belted wool-blend number. It won't be particularly waterproof if the heavens open, but it should still be lovely to wear with everything else in the capsule. It is the most expensive item in the capsule, at £59.99, but you won't be complaining when the temperatures hit freezing and you're super snuggly.







I then wanted to include a couple of key statement pieces. I love a dress, and I don't see why they should go away just because the sun does. This little yellow dress is gorgeous - it can be worn on its own or in the form of a pinafore dress which I love. I have also included this lovely jumpsuit, because I love the faux-denim look of it, and I always thinks that blue sets yellow off very nicely (the sun in the sky for one example). I also think that jumpsuits are a perfect transitioning item for autumn.




I hope that you enjoyed this capsule wardrobe post, and please follow my new Instagram @capsulesandjournals if you would like to see more!

See you soon!