Must Have Basic Wardrobe Essentials – A Full List

Closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? Join the club. This is one feeling I’m sure almost all of us have had at one point or another. In fact whenever I need to go somewhere I change my outfit at least thrice before I’m happy with it, if at all. The constant pressure of changing fashions and wearing on trend clothing can make you crazy and frankly is quite unrealistic to meet. Unless of course you’re a runway model and get paid in clothes. In which case, lets be besties okay? 🙂

The solution to this “what to wear today” dilemma is to build your wardrobe on classic basic items that stand the test of time and never go out of style. Here I’ve tried to list out a few things that I hope can help you on your way to building a great timeless wardrobe. Things like fitted black pants, and a great pair of jeans that make your legs look endless are a given so Ive left them out of this list, but you totally need them too. Trust me on this.

1. A white top

I say top but what I mean is one of every kind. For instance a basic button-down shirt, a white tee, a sleeveless tee and one with sleeves. I have all of these in white as well as grey. These are great layering pieces and something to fall back on when you have like 2 minutes to get ready but still want to look halfway poised. A white tee and jeans with a jacket, and some jewelry like a statement neck piece will instantly make you look like you really have it all together. Even if you had to do your messy bun in the car, at a traffic light. This has happened to me more often than I’d like to admit 🙂 .

You can build a thousand different outfits on a basic white top, and they are great to balance out a statement piece. For instance, if you wanted to wear a sequin blazer or a really bright colorful scarf, a white top would the the perfect item to pair it with.

2. A well cut dinner jacket

Can be anything, leather, a tuxedo jacket or even one in a non-black neutral color. This can be something to invest in, as some jackets can be a little expensive. Getting one custom made or tailored to fit is also a great option that many don’t consider. Men do it all the time! The jacket can be used to dress up a casual look, and even something to help transition summery outfits for colder months. This is again something that can help your outfit look more polished and structured than it really is, which you might say is a trend we are following in this post. I’m all about lazy outfits, or minimum effort but maximum results as I like to call it 😛

I love pairing my maxi dresses with a black blazer, makes it less boho and appropriate to wear for dinners and out at night. A leather jacket, faux of course, is an instant boost to any outfit. In India unfortunately, we can only get away with wearing leather during winter, but its still a great investment piece.

3. A pencil skirt

You might be skeptical about this one but just let me explain. The pencil skirt sort of comes and goes in terms of fashion trends. All the old movies always had women wearing these really tight knee-lenght skirts, and now suddenly its all the rage again. Think Kim Kardashian with all her co-ordinated crop top and pencil skirt combos. And that’s not even the only way to wear them. You can wear a pencil skirt with a sweatshirt and some cool sneakers and have it look completely amazing. No matter what shape or size you are, these skirts instantly give you curves. You can dress it up or down depending on what look you are going for. For me its a go to when I want to look nice and feminine (and don’t want to wear jeans) but don’t have a lot of time to get ready. I either pair it with a shirt if its a dinner or a date, or a boxy top/tee for a more casual look.

4. A black dress

This is a no-brainer. Everyone needs a ‘little black dress’. Even if all else fails, the lbd will be there to save our behinds time and again. Moving on.

5. A sundress, or a summer dress

This is a summer must have. Florals are huge this season, and I’m sure will always be during spring and summer months. So a cute flattering summery sundress is a great goto for summer.

6. An evening bag, clutch or purse

You need at least one really nice bag or a purse that goes with more or less everything. This also might be something to invest in. Purses are the most duplicated or ‘knocked-off’ fashion items, and with good reason. Good handbags can be really expensive! But when you think about how many we end up buying and collecting over the years, it actually makes more sense to invest in one really good one that will go with everything. Also vintage designer bags I hear are always in great demand, just make sure to verify that they are the real deal. They last forever too. A large tote or a ‘dump everything in’ bag is also an essential in my book as its what I carry almost all the time.

7. Comfortable, but interesting shoes

A pair of classic black or nude pumps, a pair of boots, everyday office flats or even brogues or espadrilles, these can be anything you like. Just make sure they are comfortable. Buying amazing looking shoes that murder your feet is a very common mistake we all make. Don’t worry, we all have that pair that just sits there looking pretty in the closet yet we never reach for as they are super uncomfortable. Well, time to sell those babies on eBay and get another equally fabulous but more wearable pair right now!

8. Sunglasses

Everyone looks a 100 times cooler in sunglasses. Even if you think your face isn’t one for sunnies (like me), trust me there is a pair of shades in a shape and size meant for you somewhere out there , you just haven’t found them yet!  So keep looking, and in the meantime experiment with different shapes and colors! There are tons of fun colorful ones in the market right now that are really inexpensive and cool. Fun and inexpensive shades are perfect for when traveling or going to the beach etc. Somehow they always get lost, or someone sits on them or gets water on them. So the cheaper ones are great for that, so you won’t feel that bad if they somehow get damaged.

9. Faux leather pants or leggings

This is a more ‘keep for winter months’ sort of item, unless you live somewhere you can wear them all year. In that case, lucky you! Leather has been very ‘rock and roll’ for well forever, and will continue to do so. Now since faux leather is here, theres no reason really to wear the real stuff. These are my personal favorites, and will take your lazy day leggings and a t-shirt outfit to a whole new level. I rarely wear my regular leggings anymore since I got the faux leather ones.

10. ‘Clean’ neutral accessories

Belts, jewelery, cuffs, bracelets all fall under this category. Its easy to build up a huge collection of accessories, which takes up a lot of closet space but we have to constantly remind ourselves to wear. Instead, try buying more neutral and classic looking accessories that will go with a lot of different looks. Think silver or diamond earrings/studs, a string of pearls, or a chunky silver/gold statement neckpiece. A nice belt or layered dainty rings are also very nice and simple items that can make your outfit more interesting. I’m not a big accessories person myself. I find myself wearing mostly only earrings in terms of accessories on a daily basis, and more often than not they are basic diamond studs.

Hope this list of basic wardrobe essentials was helpful in your quest for a more time enduring wardrobe. If you have some essentials in your must-have list that we missed out, do let us know!

And a reminder: I hope you have entered our giveaway? If you haven’t, please do! It ends on Sunday so you only have the weekend.

– Satarupa