Wardrobe Basic Checklist
Let's chat wardrobe basics!
When do I start?
What do I look for?
What are wardrobe basics?
It's quite frustrating to have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. Yet as I styled my clients, I discovered that it always came down to the basics. Your wardrobe is like your house and basic pieces are the layers. Those are the essential parts. They must be present in your wardrobe on a daily basis to make you feel stylish, refined and put together.
And I discovered that many of my clients lacked these essential components since we tend to lean towards floral, trendy, glittery, bright fun things. It's all of those intriguing and stylish pieces. But if you don't have the basic pieces to go with those very cool things, they'll just sit in your closet and you'll never wear them.
And then you'll think, "Why am I not wearing my clothes?"
And the fact is, many people simply do not want to purchase these basic pieces. Why would you want to pay $20 on a simple t-shirt or tank top? I totally understand this. Yet, if you have a lot of things in your wardrobe and those clothes are trendier, colourful, dazzling pieces, then you DO NEED to spend money on the foundation layers.
We need to start building your "house." Basics are the start of your wardrobe...
I'm going to go through 20 essential basic wardrobe items to get you started on your journey.
1. Invest in a well-fitting bra
This is so important! Having the right undergarments is a must. It doesn't matter how nice your outfit is because if you don't have those undergarments to complete the look, it won't work. Therefore knowing your sizing and getting it properly fitted is essential. When was the last time you did this? If you're able, I strongly advise you to have a correct bra fitting as well as investing in a nude and black bra.
2. Jeans, a fantastic pair of jeans
I'd opt for a dark wash! Something really sleek and basic, with minimum fading, no distressing, no stitching, no frills, just a really clean dark wash denim pair of jeans. As a bonus suggestion, small and high pockets will help elevate your bum. It creates the illusion of a nice bum, which is what we always want, right? A little butt lifting without the extra cost or the difficult workout.
3. Black trousers
Any black trousers or pants are fantastic since they help to conceal the hips and thighs. Personally, I prefer a flared cut or a beautiful straight fit.
4. A black skirt
You can have A-line, full skirt, or pencil, whatever is your style. If you do have bigger hips, bum and thighs, I would recommend going for that A-line style. It is better for covering those areas.
5. Black dress
You've most likely heard of the phrase "little black dress." I prefer to say black dress because I am of an age where I do not want to wear a short tiny black dress, but if that is your style, then go for that. So consider the length. Knee length is my preferred length for numerous occasions, including weddings, funerals, the office, and meetings. Then consider the sleeves: sleeveless or sleeves, your desire.
6. A black blazer
I adore a good black blazer. You can wear it with jeans, shorts, pencil skirt, or a pair of trousers. You can sling it over one shoulder, wear it on top of both shoulders, or dress it up with something else. It's so versatile! So a black blazer is a must. While shopping for a blazer, I recommend going hip bone length assuring that it falls at your hip bone and that the sleeves are positioned between your wrist and your thumb knuckle. That is the greatest approach to find the best fit for you. Just remember wherever the sleeve ends is where the eyes are drawn to. So if you are insecure with your tummy and you have a three quarter sleeve, you may want to go a longer sleeve.
7. A black sweater
This can be a turtleneck, a cardigan, or a casual v-neck sweater. It's a fantastic garment to have because they're perfect for layering and keeping you warm.
8. Black heels
You can opt for classic black pump, block or kitten style. Pointed toes are currently popular. I like to wear a sharp pointed block heel in black since the pointed style lengthens my legs and figure. Black heels simply go with everything and is a great essential wardrobe piece to have especially when you have an event to go to.
9. Black flats
You can opt for a style in pointed, almond, square or round toe. Whatever your vibe is, a black flat is an everyday style that you can grab. Make sure it is comfortable because what is the point of having flat shoes if they're not comfortable? Consider investing in better quality if they become your everyday look.
10. A white button down
If you are a bit bustier, you will probably have issues finding a great button down shirt. All you have to do is size up and get tailoring to add an additional snap to your shirt so it closes that gap. When it comes to choosing a white button down you should find one that is washable, non-iron, and wrinkle resistant.
11. The trench coat
This can be in black, camel or beige. I have all of them! If you live in a warmer climate, you won't need a trench coat, but you can experiment with various coats. You could try a Peacoat, this style is super pretty and will still keep you warm. You can wear a belt with your coat, which is flattering and gives you body contouring. And when you go shopping for a coat just make sure it hits close to your mid-thigh for best fit. Just like the blazer tip.
12. An everyday handbag
I know this seems obvious, yet some women have a lot of handbags. Whether you're starting over or renovating your closet to create a capsule wardrobe, it's important to have an everyday handbag that is modest, medium in size, and preferably in a honey brown tone, because that hue fits with everything. I also recommend investing in a good quality bag. You can certainly do it on a budget, that has been demonstrated numerous times on my Instagram account at @shessoseasonal. If you don't like the browns, beige, tan or grey colours, just go with black for everything as black is also very versatile.
13. A motto jacket
This is a must-have piece of clothing! It's a hip, modern classic Look and It can be worn with a pair of jeans and a cute top, or with your black dress. It enhances your wardrobe collection and can even make you appear younger and more current. Look for one that rests just at the waistline or a little lower than the waistband of your jeans.
14. A denim jacket
This style is identical to the motto jacket. It's simply a fantastic multipurpose vital piece. I own both dark and light denim. If you like a more casual, comfy look, opt for a relaxed fitting denim jacket or an oversized denim jacket. If you like a more fitted look, opt for a structured cropped denim jacket. Of course, the colour will be your preference, or you can have both a dark and a light washed denim.
15. The most important one - Layering pieces!
Think camisoles, tank tops, and t-shirts both in long and short sleeve styles. These are the pieces you NEED right now in your wardrobe if you feel you always have nothing to wear. They help you layer all of those other fun stylish trendy pieces such as a silk blouse, sheer blouse, crochet styles ect. Stick to white, black and possibly add a beige or tan colour that is close to your skin tone. You could do something like 2x camisoles, 2x basic t-shirts and 2x long basic t-shirts. You can add 3 if you want to but this will be a great start to not overwhelm you.
16. The bootie ;)
Not your bum! The cute boots hehe. They're just practical and so nice to wear throughout all seasons. Opt for black or tan boots. This is a must have wardrobe essential piece as you can wear them with dresses, jeans, trousers, skirts or shorts. It's worth investing in a decent pair of weatherproof boots if you make this your common go-to style because they will take you from season to the season.
17. A pair of sexy shoes
They don't have to be high heels, I'm talking about those pair of shoes that just simply make you feel AH-MAZING! They can have sexy lace on them or a sexy stud. You get to pick the details as they are your sexy shoes! As a woman, I believe it's important we find pieces that give us that feeling of being powerful and seen and you can do this with a great pair of shoes. Hello sex and the city!
P.s. Calling all my mammas out there, call these your hot mama shoes.
18. Your personal Jewellery
I will do another blog post on jewellery as there is so much to talk about but let's just keep to three pieces. So a nice bangle, necklace and tiny to mid size earrings that are all visible but not overwhelming to the rest of your outfit.
19. An evening bag
This is for your big occasional days out. You want to ditch your everyday work bag and bring out your sexy fun evening bag and we shall call this our hot mama bag haha. The most versatile colour will be black or even consider metallic black. This is a fantastic addition to any outfit and to your wardrobe.
20. White sneakers
I couldn't leave out the white sneakers! This is your go-to shoe for running errands. You want to look for a slimmer, sleeker design as this will look better with your outfits over a bulky sneaker. I adore wearing white sneakers since they go with everything from dresses, jackets, pants, shorts, skirts literally everything. They can be dressed up or down with an outfit and it's one of those shoe choices you just grab on the go when you have nothing to wear but want to feel comfortable and chic.
I hope this helps you start thinking about your wardrobe.
Whether you're ready to update, or if you're beginning from scratch and feeling overwhelmed, go through this list and simply check it off and see how you feel. The main message is to keep things as simple as possible in that neutral colour and try to limit yourself to one or two pieces per item so you're not clogging up your wardrobe.
And if you're still feeling overwhelmed and want to learn how to mix and match your wardrobe pieces, I welcome you to check out my outfit edit membership :) Inside my membership you will learn how to style outfits using pieces from your own wardrobe so you don't have to ever think about what to wear again.
