Wardrobe Essentials
Wardrobe Essentials
My mission is to help real women, confidently express themselves everyday because I know that how you look, becomes how you feel - which can either set you up for success that day or knock you down flat.
A functional wardrobe, tailored to your needs and lifestyle, that mixes and matches effortlessly; will allow you to create strong outfits - daily. The key ingredients required to master the ‘functional wardrobe’ are wardrobe essentials! You can own a vast wardrobe of expensive clothes but without the core basics you’re stuck when it comes to putting outfits together with ease.
Often one’s ‘style’ is really just a collection of clothing you’ve built up over time. This can leave you with a chaotic wardrobe, haphazardly divided into piles of dirty clothes, the clothes that don’t fit but you’re still hanging onto and the small percentage that make it out the front door each day.
You can regularly edit your wardrobe, but without knowing the key pieces you need, you’ll only (potentially expensively) fill it back up again to the mixed bag of assortment it started out.
Money can’t buy you style, but the good news is that it isn’t difficult or expensive to be stylish. You can create upwards of 60 outfits with as little as 15 pieces of clothing (including shoes and accessories) as long as this is made up of core essentials.
“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” _Coco Chanel
Get the Style Guide here which includes the ultimate wardrobe checklist (a list of circa 40 core items that will ensure you have something to wear for every occasion all year round)
Below are my top 5 key essentials that I regularly top up, get maximum wear from and am never disappointed by.
When ‘in-store’ shopping look for (your versions of) these items first before you spring for the fancier pieces.
It allows you to take in and break down the shop, for YOU, rather than how it has been visually merchandised for impact. (Stores/brands are made up of at least 50% basic/essential items - it is where they make their money and the store would look a hot mess if it didn’t stock them!)
It stops you from picking up the fancier pieces first, that - if bought alone - will likely only add to the confusion in your wardrobe at home.
You’ll have something to style the fancier pieces, in the change room, with and it will therefore give you a notion of whether they’ll work for you - longterm.
White and Ivory Tops
This includes simple white vest tops, classic white shirts (fancy ones too) and t-shirts, ivory blouses (dressy and plain) and jumpers (fine gauge and chunkier versions).
Top Tip: If you see a top, that you like, that also comes in white or ivory, get the white/ivory too. Trust me; you will always have something to wear if you have plenty of white tops at your disposal.
Jeans
Casual and smart versions to be worn both smartly and casually. Jeans go with everything and are accepted in most work places (even if that is dress down Friday or on a video call). New whacky denim trends come and go, but the majority will stand the test of time, at least until you’ve worn them through.
Top tip: Jeans need to feel slightly too small when you first try them on. (half a size if they are stretchy)
Blazers
A blazer will balance your figure and create or enhance a waist; but it has to be the perfect shape for you. Blazers are canny creatures - the right one can either produce a strong or soft shoulder and equally it can diminish or enhance hips. It is the ultimate outfit finisher.
Top tip: Buy blazers in your base colours, that way you will always be able to throw it over and finish any outfit.
Neutral Shoes
White trainers are the queen of neutral shoes. I need to do a separate blog on white trainers (best pairs, where to buy them, how to style them etc) because they have the magical ability to convert an outfit, making it (and you) cool, current and comfortable! A nude or metallic pump (heel or flat) will go with every outfit, allowing you to simply swap between trainer and pump without changing your outfit, yet transforming your look - effortlessly.
Top tip: Leave the top eyelet of your trainer free of lace. It looks stylish, your leg looks longer and your ankle slimmer.
Accessories
This can be anything from a scarf to nail polish. It is the easiest and often cheapest way of taking an outfit from ‘meh’ to wow!
Think: White shirt and jeans. Now, add an amazing pair of chandelier earrings or item pendant necklace and - Boom!
Top tip: Go for a neutral or YOUR colour (the one that makes your eyes sparkle and your skin glow) handbag. It will pull your outfits together seamlessly and effortlessly. Oh - and super stylishly!
If you took just one piece from each of the above headings, you could create a really strong outfit. So imagine what you could do with another ten carefully selected pieces…
Get the Style Guide, discover your body shape, let your style emerge and then, use the checklist to create your own bespoke capsule wardrobe.
The end result:
A wardrobe that fits and flatters you beautifully, that mixes and matches with ease and makes getting dressed in the morning an absolute breeze.