Good morning all! I thought it was about time I did an updated post all about wardrobe essentials. Im sure most of us would love to have our cupboards full of designer dresses but what we really NEED is a good set of basics. I am talking about a classic white shirt, a pair of leather trousers, a cashmere jumper, a perfect white tee and a few other essentials that you can mix, match and incorporate into your every day looks. I am always willing to spend a bit more on basics because they are pieces I hope to keep using again and again. I have cashmere sweaters that I bought years ago and still use today. I have broken it up into each item to make browsing easier and found my favourites for you all.I haven’t put too many options as I really wanted to narrow it down to pieces I love. I hope you find this useful and I wish you all a lovely rest of week ahead xx
First up, a leather jacket. I invested in this Balenciaga leather jacket in January and I have never looked back. I use it all the time – in the summer with t-shirts and dresses and in the winter I can even layer a fur vest on top. Its light, I can travel with it and it goes with everything! I do think its worth investing in one that will last you a lifetime (LOVE this Givenchy one) but equally Topshop do great ones such as this one if you want to spend a bit less as do Maje. Here are my absolute favourites:
And what can you wear with your leather jacket all the time? A pair of sneakers. Quite honestly I used to think sneakers were a bit naff. I had some converse and sneakers for the gym but that was it. I wasn’t such a fan of the white ones everyone seemed to be wearing. But then around the time I got pregnant, that changed. I wore heels throughout my pregnancy, but I did want to also be comfortable at times and I bought my first pair of Isabel Marant sneakers and haven’t looked back since! The leather is so soft and I use them all the time now with skirts as well as the obvious choice of jeans. I love Golden Goose ones too like these and these, or if you want to REALLY snaz up an outfit especially during this time of year then these Maison Margiela ones are awesome. Here are my top picks:
Now for something a little bit more dressed up. The Little Black Dress. Every woman should own at LEAST one if not a few. So i realised the other day that I like (to put it mildly) to buy shoes. However I don’t actually buy dresses that often and so I went onto Net a Porter and got not 1 but 2 amazing new season Self-Portrait dresses (this one and this one.) I have been buying Self-Potrait pretty much since it launched and I just keep going back again and again because the styles are a) so pretty and b) so flattering. The fabrics are stunning and when you put one on you literally just have add heels and you are good to go! Since having a baby (and with a plan to have many more) I do like to once in a while include maternity friendly options and have fallen for this slightly oversized mini dress from Solace London. And I always like to include a strapless number (again a mini but we are talking about a LITTLE black dress after all!) and this Maje one with a velvet bow is adorable. Shop the rest of my favourites below:
Admittedly I don’t wear a lot of white shirts. But I do think having a few in your wardrobe is useful. I do like to wear them with denim shirts especially on holiday when I am a bit tanned and recently stumbled across this lovely label Rebel Waite actually through Instagram. She has a lovely selection of shirts and the idea is that you can take it from desk to dinner, poolside to party. Also loving this silk one from Me&Em. But you don’t have to opt for a white shirt necessarily. Denim shirts have become just as much of a staple (this distressed one from Topshop is perfect) and I love checked ones too! And some of you might not yet have warmed to the idea but off-shoulder shirts (such as the classic Tibi ones) have become a wardrobe essential (at least in my wardrobe!) Shop my favourites by clicking on the images below.
JEANS. I won’t say much about this because its pretty obvious everyone needs jeans. Doesn’t matter if they are boyfriend (love these) cropped, skinny (J.Crew Toothpicks are great), embellished (how fun are these and these), embroidered (Topshop have a great pair!) or flared (I have several pairs of these.) Get one of each if you like! Again I do like to spend a bit more (my favourite brand is Frame) but equally I have some great ones from Zara like these or these from Topshop.
A simple white tee. This is probably where I should have actually started the post because this is THE ULTIMATE BASIC that every wardrobe needs. I can’t say that I necessarily believe that if you pay more the quality is better, but I do really like the cut of some of the James Perse and Rag&Bone tees. But Topshop do great ones too and you could buy a few of these if you don’t want to spend as much. Here are four of my favourite tees:
Now on to black trousers. These can be leather trousers (definitely worth having a pair of these and mine are from Iris & Ink) or some plain black leggings (I love ones with a flared detail such as these ones from label crush Michael Lo Sordo) or some in a luxurious fabric such as these Storets velvet ones (for $87!) Shop my top picks from the images below:
Next up. Loungewear. I have talked about this recently so I won’t go into too much detail but just to recap. I love cashmere pants. I love Sundry the brand. And I love a good sweatshirt such as the Kenzo ones. If you buy some semi-smart loungewear then you can also use it for travel, cinema trips and even chilled out date nights rather than buying things that quite frankly should never EVER leave the walls of your bedroom! If you are willing to spend a bit more then Chinti & Parker have amazing bits.
As I said in the intro, I have been using some cashmere jumpers for years over and over again. I know that cashmere how ever good quality it is can get a little bobbly but I have a cashmere brush from Brora (one from The White Company here) and you can brush your jumpers once in a while and they almost as good as new. Personally I like mine to be a bit oversized (check out the J.Crew boyfriend ones) but I also love a slim fitting one such as (again!) the J.Crew long-sleeved cashmere t-shirt.
Sort of in the same category as the cashmere jumper. But a little different and if you can you should get one (or a few) of each. I am talking about the polo neck. Or roll neck. To me they are SO elegant. And can be paired with anything. Shorts. Jeans. Skirts. Over dresses. If you buy a fine one such as the Toteme one you can even wear them in spring or early Autumn. And I can assure you I don’t think a polo neck will EVER go out of fashion!
Before I go on to talk about some key accessories, lets talk about coats. Again I would say that if you are going to buy one coat, then spend a little more on something that has staying power. A camel Maxmara, a luxurious faux fur or shearling or a classic duster coat. See my favourites below:
Shoes. Shoes. Shoes. They are my weakness. So I have already talked about sneakers and I was going to then do a bit about black boots (love these Proenza Scholar ones) but then I realised that wardrobes should have a pair of flatforms too. And if you really must then a pair of statement heels. Oh and maybe a pair of Gucci slippers. OK I realise that I am a complete and utter shoe addict but I just cant resist! So instead of splitting these into categories I have put together all my favourites and you can decide which of these you need because most of these styles (yes even the man-repelling flatforms) are going to be staying around for a while!
Until recently I kept buying new sunglasses every time I went on holiday. It was something of a ritual. A bit of fun to get me in the holiday mood. But you will see from my photos that basically day in day out I wear the same pair. The Leonard round-frame style from Illesteva. So I would definitely recommend these. Or another pair that suit your features but I honestly do believe that one good pair is enough. Unless sunglasses are your thing. I have learned the hard way and I am sure that at some point I will use my other pairs but going forward I think the only other pair I will get are the Leonards in black as this style suits me so well. Shop some classics styles such as Ray Bans below:
Last but one of the most important essentials. I don’t really know if you can actually call it a basic but it certainly is something that you should invest in because you will use it for years to come. A statement bag. My favourites brands are Goyard and Chanel (in case anyone hadn’t noticed!) but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new Gucci Marmont bags such as this velvet one and the Fendi Peekaboo bags. Shop all my favourites below.
Wow so this ended up being quite a long post and it might seem like a lot. But I think actually that all your wardrobe really needs is a few pairs of trousers, a few tops, a designer bag, an LBD and a statement pair of shoes. And you can create chic timeless looks for years to come! xx