Staple Item Must-Haves

Investing in a few key pieces that will take your wardrobe to a whole new level.

We have all had mornings where we put on a million outfits and we hate it all or days where we look at a closet full of clothes and think “I have nothing to wear.” Adding a handful of staple pieces to your wardrobe will eliminate the dread that comes with styling an outfit…well for the most part.

Fashion obviously comes with a price tag but knowing how to style different pieces will allow you to take a simple shirt or dress and wear it two, three or four different ways.

Staple pieces can make what you already own become so versatile. These are the eight key items that I have found to make all the difference in my closet.

Belt

You can never go wrong with having too many belts and not just for keeping your pants up. I like to think of a belt as an accessory that adds so much to an outfit. Cinching your waist with a belt can completely transform the look of a simple dress, baggy shirt or sweater. I always have a black and brown belt in my closet and because I mainly dress in black or nudes I like to have a few patterned belts to bring dimension to my looks.

Black T-shirt

The great thing about this item is the fact that it’s so simple and can be found anywhere. H&M and Forever 21 have great basics sections and a black T-shirt is normally about $6. The simplicity gives you endless possibilities, it also helps that its black so it matches with basically anything you can think of. You can knot the shirt in the front and pair it with a skinny jean, trainers, a long strapped bag and gold jewelry for a comfy but put together look. You can wear the T-shirt under a dress or paired with a skirt and a belt to cinch the waist on both looks to look a bit more dressed up.

Black Dress

A black dress is timeless and like the black T-shirt can be styled in hundreds of ways. Since it is scarf season, one of my favorite looks is to put on my long sleeve black body con dress with a blanket scarf draped over my shoulders and belting it. It gives it the look of a cardigan and I like to pair it with a long strapped nude bag and ankle high booties or thigh high boots depending on how cold it is. I also like to wear my black dress with a cropped sweater over it, again with either ankle or thigh high boots.

Leather Jacket

Leather jackets along with the next 4 pieces can be a little pricey however they are definitely something to invest in. Incorporating a leather jacket to your closet will make any outfit look dressier as well as adding some edge. A cool graphic tee with skinny jeans and a leather jacket draped over your shoulders with some killer sunglasses is such a cool yet effortless look. You can also use leather jackets to dress down an outfit like a flowy maxi dress or button down shirt.

Denim Jacket

I honestly don’t know what a denim jacket would look bad with but this is also such a timeless piece. Denim jackets have been around since the dawn of time and they aren’t going anywhere soon. My favorite winter look on days where it’s almost too cold to look cute, I pair the jacket over a hoodie and some joggers with trainers or over a long sweater with leggings or tights with some knee-high boots.

Purses

I am by no means telling anyone to go out and buy a Channel or Gucci bag but investing in a good quality purse or two will make all the difference. I like to have at least one nice long strapped bag for dressier outfits or going out at night and a short strapped bag that you can carry by your side or on rest on the crook of your elbow to enhance the look of a simpler outfit. You would be surprised how expensive your $12 H&M body con dress and $15 dollar Primark shoes look with a short strapped structured bag hanging from your arm.

Shoes

Footwear isn’t always super pricey but having a wide variety of shoes for the fall and winter like trainers, booties, ankle boots, thigh-highs will spice up the everyday sweater and jean combo. As I mentioned earlier, wearing trainers with a pair of joggers and a pullover hoodie and a jean jacket is an edgy but effortless look or you can pair trainers with a short dress and tights. Booties go great with just about anything from jeans to skirts to dresses, if you’re going for a dressier look then go with a healed bootie. Thigh-highs are the best way to spice up a simple shirt and jeans look because it’s such a statement piece! The sweater, belt and thigh-high boot combo I mentioned earlier is perfect for the fall or winter that gives a cozy but sexy look because of the length of the boot.

Accessories

When styling the perfect outfit, details mean everything! Accessorizing is what will take your look from tame to glam just by putting on some hoop or dangly earrings, a necklace, stacking some bracelets and throwing on some killer sunglasses. Earrings and sunglasses are my favorite ways to accessorize my outfits. I love medium sized gold hoops or statement dangly earrings for simple outfits especially when wearing my hair up because they frame the face well. I have a bit of an obsession with sunglasses because they are edgy and can pull an outfit together so effortlessly. Quay Australia is my go –to because they have good quality sunglasses without the designer brand prices. I have a rounder face so I found that oversized sunnies are what flatter my face most and they make some of the best ones that I have found.

Fashion is an investment but when you know what to buy and how to style it hopefully you won’t have so many mornings where we put on a million outfits and we hate it all or days where we look at a closet full of clothes and think “I have nothing to wear.”