I am so very excited to share something special that I have been working on for the last several weeks with the team over at M.M.LaFleur. Regular readers will know that the brand is one of my go-tos for stylish investment pieces that can be dressed up or dressed down.

I look to M.M.LaFleur for versatile basics that are unique but timeless. And so when they asked me to be a part of their monthly capsule collection series, I jumped at the chance to be able to share some of my favorite pieces already in rotation along with some new pieces from their Fall collection.

Read on to see how I selected 10 pieces and styled them more than a dozen ways to inspire versatility in your Fall wardrobe! The capsule will be live on M.M.LaFleur’s site tomorrow but today I’m sharing a sneak peek of the behind the scenes process and the looks I styled. And be sure to read on till the end for a special code to shop at 20% off!

If you’re not familiar with M.M.LaFleur, the brand began back in 2013 – started by founder and CEO, Sarah LaFleur. Frustrated by a lack of women’s workwear options that were both stylish and practical, she teamed up with Miyako Nakamura (the former head designer of Zac Posen) and Narie Foster to launch M.M.LaFleur in 2013. Sarah and Miyako have worked to pioneer a brand that is both elevated yet practical. 

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both Sarah and Miyako several times over the years and both women are so smart, so stylish and so inspiring.

M.M.LaFleur Fall Capsule Collection

My goal with this capsule was to really showcase the versatility of every piece. M.M.LaFleur’s price point makes them investment pieces in your wardrobe. Not things you may tire of in a few years. Which is also why it was important to me to include pieces in my capsule that I have owned and worn for several years. Can you spot which ones!? 

My wardrobe philosophy for the last few years has really been about elevated basics. Pieces that can be mixed and matched and reworn in a variety of ways. I want my wardrobe to feel effortless yet stylish and I always want it to have a bit of Parisian femininity, too.

Which is why designing a capsule wardrobe with M.M.LaFleur made so much sense. They design clothes that can be mixed and matched to create a wide variety of outfits. It’s designed to make your wardrobe work harder for you and to make getting dressed easy! 

Many people often think M.M.LaFleur is only for workwear – likely because the brand started with a focus on that! But as lifestyles and the brand have evolved, they’ve honed in on what they refer to as Power Casual™. It is the clothing equivalent of work-life balance. Think elevated pieces with more relaxed styles (think: a blazer with jeans, a T-shirt with a silk skirt, or a dress with chic sneakers). Aka: my personal style.

Behind the Scenes of My Capsule

The discussion around my capsule actually started this summer with the brand. I’ve been lucky enough to work with M.M.LaFleur over the years and I also feature pieces from the brand in my content regularly, organically. The brand initially asked me to design a summer capsule but I knew that I would be able to provide the most value and inspiration around a Fall capsule. We all know I live for Fall dressing and Fall neutrals. I absolutely love getting dressed this time of year!

When we landed on October we began concepting what my capsule would look like. I was able to review a variety of M.M,’s classics that they carry year round as well as sneak peeks of their Fall  offering and newly launched Holiday Collection. Narrowing down my selects was so hard because there are so many good pieces right now! But when I took a step back and asked myself – what are the pieces I would reach for again and again and I know would style well being dressed up or dressed down – my selects became so easy. 

I also love that the brand immediately told me “we know the Leslie T-Shirt, the Merritt Jardigan and the O’Hara Blazer have to be in your capsule” because they’ve seen me wear and share these pieces so much over the years! It meant a lot to me that the brand wasn’t focused on just pushing new product but instead wanted to really be authentic to me and my personal style.

I am not someone who looks to dress on trend. Rather, I want my personal style to be at the root of every outfit I put together. I want what is hanging in my closet to make me feel great, feel comfortable and feel confident. I want my outfits to elicit compliments! These feelings were my mantra as I mocked up what I wanted my looks to be.

I got to work creating slides for every look and then had such fun mapping out where I wanted each look to be shot. I decided on the Upper East Side for the looks that could be more day to night and Soho for the looks that were more casual, every day attire. 

The October M.M.LaFleur Capsule

Below are the ten pieces making up my capsule. I’ve detailed the uniqueness of each piece (M.M. is so good at thoughtful details!) and am sharing sizing guidelines, too. The brand’s pieces are not straightforward when it comes to sizing and I do think it is helpful to either try several sizes of a piece or go into an M.M.LaFleur store or showroom to try on styles to ensure proper fit.

Let’s start with the styles I’ve owned and loved for a while now…

The O’Hara Blazer

A blazer so good I own it in two patterns! This sleek boyfriend blazer personifies my Fall style. It has a slightly boxy cut and long hemline, balanced by a slim fit through the shoulders. So it isn’t an oversized boyfriend blazer but rather it’s really chic and works whether you dress it up or dress it down.

M.M.LaFleur has matching trousers and a matching skirt you can pair with the jacket to make it a modern take on suiting but given my job and personal style I love pairing mine with jeans or with a mini skirt (as seen below). It’s definitely a favorite piece of mine for day to night styling and casual cool girl vibes. 

This blazer is one I size down in from my usual 6 and I wear a 4 in it as the M.M.LaFleur stylists recommend. It has a tailored fit so it’s not oversized making it very timeless. It’s also so flattering for a variety of body styles with M.M.LaFleur describing it as bust-friendly, full hips-friendly, hips-friendly, middle-friendly and tall-friendly. I am 5’5″ and it hits me right at the hip. 

The Merritt Jardigan

I wrote a whole post about this sweater jacket in 2021 because I loved it so much! I own the Ivory color but wanted to feature the newer Latte color as part of my capsule because I think it is such a beautiful year-round shade.

I think the Jardigan is such a good example of a piece you may not think twice about if you initially saw it but then you put it on and you think to yourself “wow!”

The jardigan has the sharpness of a blazer, thanks to traditional lapels, and the comfort of a cardigan, thanks to a stretchy-yet-structured knit material. The material is actually my favorite part of this piece. It’s so unique! It’s got a subtle rib to it and thanks to its Viscose / Nylon / Spandex makeup, it has the perfect amount of stretch to make it comfortable yet flattering. The material is designed to resist wrinkles and maintain a smooth silhouette while you’re wearing it.

You can style this by tying the sash at the waist to create shape through the torso or wear it open for a more relaxed look. This piece also has shoulder pads which I absolutely love. They add a great structure to the overall look when wearing the jardigan.

I’m wearing a Medium in the Merritt.

And if you’re looking for a similar style but in a thicker knit – I recommend the Snyder Jacket.

The Leslie Tee

My favorite t-shirt for two years running! This shirt has longer sleeves which I love because it looks more elegant than your average tee and it holds up so well. I have washed my ivory and black Leslie tees more times than I can count and they always come out looking new. No stretching, no bunching, no looking worn out after a few wears.

This tee is made from super-soft Peruvian Pima cotton and fits to be ultra-flattering. Easy-yet-tailored, casual yet polished. Dare I say t-shirt perfection?

I never pack a suitcase without at least one of these tees and you’ve likely seen me talk about it in pretty much every packing list I’ve shared over the past two years.

And how gorgeous is this new Maroon shade for a pop of color? I own my Leslie tees in size Medium (TTS for me) and this tee comes in twelve colors you can choose from!

The Curie Pant

I joke that these are my magic pants! They are so comfortable yet so stylish. Great pants for travel if you want to look put together but feel like you’re in leggings (which you’re not but will feel like you are!) These are a pair of pants I often bring to Paris because they are similar to a ponte pant and therefore pair really well with mules or slingbacks but equally as well with sneakers.

The Curie features a front-fly closure, belt loops, front pockets, and an ankle zipper for an ultra-skinny look. The fabric is the brand’s PowerStretch fabric, a stretchy-yet-structured, wrinkle-resistant favorite. (And what makes these a great choice for travel as well!) 

You may remember me having styled the pants in this post from last Fall.

I’m wearing the pants in size 6S and these are available in eight colors.

And now for the styles I’ve added to my rotation…

The Freya Hoodie

You know it wouldn’t be a Fall capsule for me without a cozy cashmere sweater and this hoodie delivers! The built in mockneck was such a stylish, thoughtful addition to a traditional hoodie that I think really elevates this sweater.

The brand describes the Freya as a mash-up between your most luxurious sweater, your coziest mockneck, and your comfiest hoodie. It is made from a gorgeous and oh so luxurious waffle-textured wool-and-cashmere blend and the built-up neckline works to give you the appearance of layers without the bulk. Sheer. Brilliance!

Pair it with a blazer and a mini leather skirt, pair it with trousers, pair it with jeans, pair it with leggings, pair it with white jeans for a monochromatic look…the styling opportunities for this sleek yet cozy sweater are truly endless.

I’m wearing a Medium.

The Horton Pant

I’ve leaned into the ease of cool trousers this year and I may never look back. These elegant, machine-washable dress pants feature a high waistline and slight flare which makes your legs look long and lean and I just loved how they looked on. When I shot these pants my assistant couldn’t stop remarking “I love these pants! I love these pants!”

While I chose to style them with sneakers, you could also wear these to work with a heeled bootie.

I am wearing an 8 in the pants. They run a bit snug through the thigh I found. They are also easily tailored in case you need to shorten them!

The Horton come in seven colors total if you’re looking for some additional color options to add into your own personal wardrobe rotation.

The Gwynne Dress

A blazer dress that doubles as a coat? Yes, please! The trench-inspired Gwynne dress is sleek and sexy and yet machine-washable! It comes in the brand’s OrigamiTech fabric which allows for both polished and practical style.

Wear it buttoned up with tights and booties or lose the belt and don it over any casual or dressed up look for the illusion of an open trench. It’s super lightweight and because of its double-duty styling options, how perfect is this for travel!? We love a multi-tasker!!

I’m wearing the Gwynne in a size 8.

The Kasha Coat

To know me is to know I love a good, sleek, simple yet impactful coat. And my capsule wouldn’t have been complete without one! I always think of what coat I am wearing as part of my outfit – not an after thought. So often I think people just wear whatever coat is easy to throw on. But to me having a great coat that elevates the rest of what you’re wearing is one of the best things to do when it comes to looking polished and stylish.

Meet the brand new coat M.M.LaFleur has just released. The Kasha has all the qualities of a classic, tailored coat (think: sharp lapels and thoughtful seaming) but it is relaxed enough to fit over your favorite chunky sweater. It is made from Italian wool cashmere and has a double-faced construction so it instantly elevates your look. This is an investment coat that will get loads of wear for years to come.

I’m wearing a Small in the coat.

The Whitney Skirt

I knew I wanted to get a leather mini skirt this year and when this vegan leather one showed up on my screen I immediately knew I wanted it as part of my capsule. I styled it with my favorite tee and booties for a night out with the girls look and then also topped it with the Gwynne dress for a more daytime, meeting look. But I also can’t wait to wear it with an oversized button down and sweater combo and knee high boots!

This skirt’s vegan leather features a water-resistant coating and has a soft, buttery feel that means it will crease over time with wear for a lived-in look. It also comes in a gorgeous brown color if that’s more your style.

I’m wearing a 6 but could have also probably gone with an 8 for a less snug fit. 

The Arbus Sweater

Last but not least we have this versatile cashmere turtleneck. Made from super high quality Mongolian cashmere, this rib-stitch turtleneck has a chic, boxy cut that makes it more modern in style than your average turtleneck. The flattering side-slits make for easy layering and I think allow for you to either dress it up or dress it down. 

While I styled it with The Curie and The Horton pants – I think it would be so good with jeans, too.

The Arbus comes in six colors and I found it ran a little small. I’m wearing a Large.

SENREVE Limited Edition Aria Bag

Lastly, as part of this capsule, I was thrilled to incorporate one of my go-to bags you’ve seen me share in the past – the SENREVE Aria Bag. I own the bag in black (along with other styles from the brand) and therefore was so excited to hear that SENREVE and M.M.LaFleur had teamed up to create a new shade for two of SENREVE’s most popular styles.

In honor of the holiday season, the two brands have come together to offer up a limited-edition color called Chablis for both the Aria bag and the other beloved Maestra style as well.

The SENREVE Aria bag can be worn three ways – crossbody, as a belt bag or as a clutch and as such it is in heavy rotation for my every day looks. The new Chablis color was designed to pair seamlessly with the M.M.LaFleur Fall and Holiday collections and you can see how I used it to elevate the neutral looks in my capsule collection. 

. . .

I’m really happy to share that M.M.LaFleur is offering wit & whimsy readers who are first time M.M. customers 20% off full-priced items when you use the code WIT&WHIMSY20 at checkout. And yes! This does include the SENREVE bags, too!

I am truly so proud of this collaboration and how the looks came together. It was a labor of love to develop and unveil and I hope it inspires you to get dressed in ways this season that makes you feel *great* – you sure deserve it!

As always, thank you so much for your support of me and these projects! Of course, if you have any questions about the pieces featured, don’t hesitate to reach out! And a big, heartfelt thanks to the team at M.M.LaFleur for selecting me to be this month’s featured capsule and being so kind and so fun to work with always!

I’d love to know- which look is your favorite that I styled?

Shop the Capsule

 

You May Also Like:

• Capsule Wardrobe Basics 101.
• French Wardrobe Staples For Fall.
• My Favorite and Most Worn Shoes + How I Take Care of Them.

This post is in collaboration with M.M.LaFleur. Thank you so much for supporting the brands I’m lucky enough to share with you all! You can see past posts of mine featuring M.M.LaFleur here.

[Ashley Gallerani Photography]