Needless to say, 3 women could have the exact same things in their closets, but I guarantee they would not all wear them the same way. So I'm going to start with a few tips, then we will move into what I view as closet essentials, and why.
- When choosing an outfit, try to avoid the triple M: Monochromatic, Mismatched, and [too] Matchy. Here's why:
Monochromatic. wearing too much of the same color all the time is boring. Your outfit died and is slowly rotting on your body. Save yourself, add some contrast! A bright colorful accessory! Something!
Mismatched. I spoke briefly on this earlier in my post about Pet Peeves. Pay attention to the flow of your outfit. Be aware of it as a whole. If something looks off, it probably is. I am planning on posting about this later down the road.
Too Matchy. There are two problems with this look, one, being unless you're 80, it's not really in anymore. Two, being its pretty hard to find shoes that match the exact shade of a purse. Therefore, you end up with shoes and a purse that are a shade or two off, and that's not cute. I am also planning a photo post on this later as well.
My final tip, is when shopping, don't buy things in styles and colors that don't go with things your already have. Now, this is rough when you're trying to overhaul your current style, especially if you don't have the cash to just go buy a whole new wardrobe! Fear not, I am here to help!
Ok. Time for the essentials, here's what to have in your closet, or if you're trying to "overhaul" as mentioned earlier, these are the things to start looking for and purchasing.
#1- Belts. Belts are amazing. Add a belt to nearly any outfit, and it instantly improves the view. And yes, when worn correctly, it can work for women of ALL sizes! Now. All belts are not created equal. I recommend getting a base collection of 3- one skinny brown belt, one wide brown belt, and one dressy looking black belt. Try to stay away from anything too flashy, especially for beginners. If the belt looks like a turkey somehow ended up in Antarctica, you should probably steer clear. Try to stick with simple, subtle details and shades that will blend well with a large percentage of your clothing. Also make sure you get the right fit and do not cinch yourself into it too tightly, back fat is not attractive!
#2- Scarves. Add a belt AND a scarf to your outfit and you're really steppin' up! As with the belts, buy colors that will go well with the majority of your closet. Cream is definitely a good choice for a first, if your don't have one yet. One disclaimer: due to the more "artsy" feel of wearing scarves, pay attention to your outfit as a whole as I mentioned above. Simply throwing a scarf over a granny outfit isn't going to help, sorry!
#3- Cardigans. I. Love. Cardigans!!! Cardigans are a modern gal's BFF. Coupled with the aforementioned belts and scarves, we're making progress! Pictured are my 4 favorite cardigans, and I picked those exact ones to give you all a good idea of what exactly to buy. The gold striped one is a dressier cardi, the cream and navy striped ones are casual, and the mint green one is pretty versatile both ways. Some of you might be thinking, gosh, those look like grandpa sweaters! And this is where cardigans can go very, very bad. If they are ill fitting, and/or coupled with the wrong bottoms and accessories, they CAN look like grandpa sweaters. So pay great attention to what you wear it with!
#4- Oxford shirts. They are so versatile, comfy, and cute. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you spend a little extra money and go to a more hip store to buy these shirts. Fit is EVERYTHING. I cannot stress this enough, these shirts are rather bland in and of themselves, material and fit is what makes them stylish. So scooch your little butts to Hollister, Abercrombie, J.Crew, Bananna Republic... Old Navy and Target are good places that are a little more budget friendly.
#5- The skirts. The three basic skirts of a modern gals modest wardrobe are: Tan/Khaki skirt, lighter wash denim skirt, and a dark wash denim skirt. I cannot express how much your life will change once you have a dark wash denim skirt in your closet. They are amazing. So go buy one.
#6- Casual flats. Pictured are 3 good choices to wear instead of sneakers. My top two picks for casual flats, are Toms and Sperry's. They are comfortable and casual looking, but bring a more socially acceptable style for wearing in public. Basically, sneakers are for the gym, sports, and such. The once in awhile offense is forgivable, but with one of these options in your closet you will be less likely to default to sneakers all the time. Toms are a great choice as they donate a pair of shoes to those of less fortune, they run about $50. Sperry's will last you forever, and they run about $50-$100. Choose colors that go with your clothes! The ballet flats are another good choice, and can be found in every shoe store. However, they take awhile to break in(anyone who owns a pair knows of the blistering horrors of new ballet flats.....) and they aren't as comfortable. Their saving grace is they are more versatile in the casual-to-dressy equation. My Fergie black plaid flats are WELL loved, though purchased with some trepidation due to the pattern. (do NOT buy patterned shoes and then wear them with patterned clothing! You will be tased and burned at the stake by me personally.)
#7- Knee height brown boots. Charlotte Russe often has a lot of good styles for good prices, that is were I purchased the pair pictured. They speak for themselves.
Now, if you're anything like me, you're itching to overheat your credit card on some new duds! So, here are some recommended stores to put on your hit list (and remember, only buy it if you LOVE it. And even then, keep the receipt!)
-Target. They have an awesome accessories section. And shoes.
-Old Navy. Again, awesome accessories section and they often have really cute cardigans and other tops.
-Hollister & Abercrombie. I guarantee this is where 75% or more of my money ends up.
-J.Crew. A little on the pricer side, but classic, high quality, style.
Now go!
Xoxo
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