shopping, style

My Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials

by Keira Lennox

essentials

‘Capsule wardrobes,’ and ‘daily uniforms,’ are The Big Blogger Buzz Words right now. While I’m not sold on the concept of boxing up three-quarters of your closet each season as some kind of experiment in minimalism, I am completely converted to the ideology of the uniform.

I started by figuring out which outfits I wear most often and feel the best in. Then I narrowed down the common denominators in those outfits to identify my “essentials.” Now I focus on those essentials when I shop and get dressed every day.

And holy moly, life is so much easier!

Of course, everyone’s essentials will be different based on their personal style and lifestyle. Here are the 10 pieces I mix and match to create easy outfits for almost any occasion; from work to business meetings to weekend social events:

  1. Hi-Rise Skinny Jeans/Jeggings – I won’t buy denim with anything less than a 9″ rise. Gone are the days of muffin tops and constantly pulling up my jeans; enter the dawn of defined waists and longer-looking legs.
  2. One-Piece Wonders – It can be tricky to find rompers or jumpsuits that don’t look like they came out of a juniors department, but it’s worth the search. Few pieces in my closet get more mileage than my black rayon tank jumpsuit or LOFT romper.
  3. Boxy Cotton Tees & Tanks – a blousey fit feels more modern, and I’m so much more comfortable when tops don’t cling to my tummy. I try to stock my closet with a variety of hem lengths, but stick to neutral colors and patterns in natural fibers.
  4. Skinny Leather Flip-Flops – My love for TKEES knows no bounds. I stockpile them in black and nude and wear them almost every day. Lauren Conrad makes a really good faux leather dupe for half the price at Kohl’s!
  5. Shirt Dresses – Whether t-shirt dresses or menswear inspired button-down shirt dresses, I want ’em all.
  6. Boyfriend Fit Button-Downs – Like stealing your husband’s work shirts, but better.
  7. Chunky Leather Stacked-Heel Sandals– Once upon a time, I could walk three miles in stilettos. Today, if I’m going to wear heels for more than three hours, I need some surface area to work with.
  8. Ankle-Length Skinny Trousers – I love these because they straddle the line between professional and casual, so you can wear them lots of ways. Dress them up with button-down and pumps for a business meeting, or wear them with a t-shirt and sandals to work.
  9. Relaxed Fit Jeans – I don’t have the best luck with ‘boyfriend’ jeans. Give me a straight leg with a higher rise and relaxed fit through the hips, please.
  10. Lightweight Boyfriend-Fit and Cocoon Sweaters – The perfect layering piece over all of the above. I’m all about the oversized 90’s sweater trend right now; you know, the ones that basically look like a big square when you hold them up but fall just right when you put them on?

32 thoughts on “My Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials”

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  5. This is very similar to mine, I bought a comfy jumpsuit for a work do and now I wear it everyday I go on nights out just with different accessories. I would only switch the flip flops to Dr.Martens because of all the rain in the UK!!

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  8. I absolutely loved this post, Keira! I recently moved to a smaller apartment to be closer to work and am going through the process of significantly downsizing (so much harder than it sounds). One of the things I’m really focusing on though is getting down to the basics and really figuring out my essentials though. I’ll definitely be referring to this post once I’m ready to really attack my closet!

    Melanie
    Lace and Combat Boots | a life + style blog

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  16. My wardrobe is in serious need of updating, which I dread because I HATE shopping! I know that taking the time to determine my “uniform” and making the investment will pay off in the long run, but UGH it’s such a daunting task. Will you come be my personal stylist?!

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  18. Love this post. I have been working on simplifying and refining my closet (just turned 30 ovah here!!) and although I don’t think a true minimal capsule wardrobe is my style, I do appreciate the less is more mantra to an extent. =)

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  23. yes I agree – especially about highrise jeans…so much better! I love the idea of a few pieces that take you places whilst looking chic…and put together! some great choices here!

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  28. This post makes me so happy, I could cry! I’ve been flirting with the idea of the “Capsule Wardrobe” (I posted about it YESTERDAY!), but as I was going through my clothes yesterday taking pictures, I realized I had about a billion things to photograph and only about 4 items that I felt I didn’t wear and were just taking up space in my closet. I love the idea of having your basics/necessities, but not ridding yourself of other things you may not LOVE, but still wear from time to time. Thank you for this post, or I make have ended up doing something I regret (like throwing my clothes out).

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