wardrobe staples??

debtfreeplease_3

Hi to you all :wave:
Just having a look through wardrobe this morning and was stuck yet again on what to put on. Not just because of this glorious weather but because of that time of life as when i dont know how i should be dressing and i dont know what staples should be in the wardrobe.!

Right the problem seems to be that all i have in my wardrobe is black, black and more black and have the occasional brown in their somewhere! Im 31 years of age with 3 young kids and work part time. My job consists of wearing black so therfore i have loads of black trousers with black t-shirt type tops (which being honest have seen better days) outside of work with the kids i wear jeans with again t-shirts and i just feel that i would like to brighten myself up and just dont know what colours, styles to go for that are going to last a while has i cant afford to keep buying new clothes.The colours i do like is beiges and browns has i know these are pretty safe. And then the problem also lies with shoes i do try and keep colour coordinated but i do think that this leads to being expensive, tell me if im wrong their! Also coats/ jackets what should everyone have in their cupboards.

So could anyone or everyone tell me what is the staples of your wardrobe is or if you have the same problems has myself please let me know.

If this is in the wrong place please feel free to move it

chaliepud

I found getting my colours done very helpful and that gives me some guidance over what colours to choose, I love browns and neutrals with reds, whites and the occasional splash of warm pink or green (I am an autumn).

I am in a minority as I don't like or suit black so brown is my black and much softer and warmer it is too.

As for style I try to keep it simple, I also have 3 young children and 3 dogs so practiaclity is essential, and a lot depends on size and shape. In the summer I tend to plump for capri/cropped trousers along with fitted t-shirts - sleeveless for really hot days or short sleeved for cooler or times when more decency is required! I have a few little blouses , with differing lengths of sleeves for all weathers and occasions, cool too.

Jackets I struggle with too and can never seem to find what I want in the shops, tend to stick with fleecy jumpers, cardigans, and cord or denim jackets although have a nice brown jacket for evenings.

HTH, probably not!

H

Nicki

I took the plunge and booked a session with a Personal Shopper - some of the department stores, eg Debenhams - offer this for free, and this opened muy eyes to some new styles and colours I wouldn't normally have considered. I really pared down my wardrobe but everything I have in it, I now actually wear, and when I want a new T-shirt or top I have a better idea of what colour and shapes suits me. If you don't want to buy the clothes they recommend that is fine, you can just say that you want to think about it and will come back later, so you could always book an appointment in a shop which offers the service, and actually buy similar shape or colour clothes elsewhere. I think I read somewhere that Top Shop offer a similar service but that they will actually pick clothes they think would suit your lifestyle and bring them to your home for you to try on with the other stuff you own. That might be a fun thing to do with some friends in similar situation?

homersimpson_3

the idea of a personal shopper is excellent & free as is asking a friend/relative you know will give you an honest answer (even if it not what you want to hear). worrying too much about fashion can be expensive- trends change so rapidly & people's opinions differs so widely anyway.
saying that, there are some items which never go out of fashion, look smart and are made of hard wearing material so will last longer- jeans, cords etc. some items come back into fashion every year or every couple of years so just put them in your wardrobe and bring them out as and when they're back in fashion- white pleated skirts, white jeans, tartan skirts, check, flowery skirts, sun dresses, shorts, capri trousers, etc. some items can be multifunctional e.g. you can wear little tops with jeans and under a smart suit for something more formal.
if everything is black wear a top which takes attention away from the black- have a few basic dresses (some short, some long) and then jazz them up with a nice scarf. the classic black (or whatever colour) dress that can be worn to a cocktail evening, night out with friends or to office and put a jacket over it. if you have a 'boring' outfilt wear patterned tights so the focus on them or jewellery. (they were back in fashion again in the past few years!)

Eels100

The fact that you like browns and beiges is a great start, and makes colour co-ordination loads easier I reckon.

Have some basic key items like plain trousers or cords in brown and black, a couple of styles of skirt if you like these (eg long flowing and pencil), and a range of tops. Places like H&M and TKMaxx are fab for getting these. With browns you can choose all sorts of colours to accompany them, from cream/white to lime green via orangey shades. Then you can mix and match outside of work, and jazz outfits up or down with beads and scarves (see the freebies board for a gorgeous pashmina in a colour that would suit!). This way you can make a few basic items into a massive range of outfits without much expense and without stepping too far out of your comfort zone. Shoes-wise, I'd say have a basic pair of flats, a pair of strappy sandals if you like these and some leather boots, all in shades of cream or brown, as these will go with any of your other outfits. All your black basics will be easy to add to because you can add any other colour in to brighten it.

Basically, DON'T spend a fortune - fashins are just that - passing phases. Far better to identify a basic style you like and use that as your template.

DO pick up bargain jewellery in markets/high street shops etc - it makes all the difference to what might appear to be a bland outfit!

DO invest in good quality and well cut basics like trousers and jackets, a smart cardigan, a little black dress.

DON'T blow your budget on additional small like summer tops etc - if the basic items are smart and good quality then there's no need.

DO have a great bra, that fits properly!

Lillibet_2

Identify what shapes & cuts work for you. Don't be afraid to say what doesn't suit you or your lifestyle. Personally I'm a trousers or dresses person, skirts just cut me in half and make me look short & dumpy & I spend most of my time hitching them back into place:rolleyes:. I have short legs so boot cut trousers are out. I don't like showing my legs in summer unless they are (fake) tanned so most of my dresses are long & I don't own a pair of shorts. I have a big bum & am pear shaped so jackets need to either stop at my waist or cover my bum, anything mid way across my bum makes it resemble a people carrier:D. I don't like patterns or wide sleeves:p. Things like this will immediatly hep you clairfy what sort of wardrobe you are looking for, there is nothing wrong with liking a garment but saying that it isn't suitable for you. Then chose which basic colours you like. Black & brown are a really good start, maybe extend it to include coffee shades (cream, cappucino, chocolate etc), then think about what other colours will work well with these basics, try to stick to 2 or 3. Bright Pink & soft green for example. Then build your wardrobe slowly around those decisions, trying everything on before you buy & using caution as your watchword if you aren't sure about something.

HTH & happy shopping;)

AnnieH

tHINKING ABOUT IT oops sorry caps lock - I am beige. I'm 32 with 3 little kids and I'm a beige lady.

gos I'm depressed now./

[Deleted User]

Some of the basic staples I always find useful and versatile for quickly dressing up or down are

smart black bootcut trousers
white short sleeved top
cream or white shirt
lightweight jacket in a neutral colour
cargo trousers
smart jeans
2 light coloured tops and 2 dark coloured ones. (all plain & no patterns)

well fitting underwear - it DOES make a difference.



I also think it's not only a matter of dressing appropriately to age, but to size as well.

Cropped tops look hideous on anyone who does not have the perfect flat stomach. Cap sleeves or no sleeves look dreadful on flabby arms as do short shorts on fat/lumpy legs.

Men as just as bad at dressing terribly in the summer - or not dressing at all in many cases.

Savvy_Sue

AnnieH wrote:

tHINKING ABOUT IT oops sorry caps lock - I am beige. I'm 32 with 3 little kids and I'm a beige lady.

gos I'm depressed now./

Get some pink into your wardrobe. Go on, you know you want to!

Sorry ladies, that's my staple! OK, I know there may be a few people who can't do pink, but I feel more of us should just go for it! You just can't feel depressed in pink! I'm not talking pale baby pink, that can leave you feeling washed out. I'm talking bright bright fuschia pink!

Actually I've just realised I didn't wear ANY pink today. Navy trousers and a blue / green / white silk shirt (from a charity shop!) Good job I've got a pink handbag, isn't it! :rotfl:

Seriously, if you really can't do pink, find out which bright colour you can do, and add splashes of that.

Tondella

there's nowt wrong with black!

I've taken on a new job and found that i have had to up the stakes in work clothes as i was just too scruffy before. My strategy is to buy good basics (black trousers, grey trousers, various black and white tops, a couple of skirts if you're into that thing) and then to update with accessories. Marks and Spencers are doing some great necklaces at the moment, mostly under £10, or go for some earrings or bracelets. I love big chunky beads as they stand out more than fine gold jewellery. An eye catching belt, but not too of the moment, always works wonders: jeans and t-shirt with a belt and necklace becomes utterly transformed.
I'm updating my wardrobe on a budget and so doing it by phases, my next step is to buy some more interesting tops to go with the trousers, add in a little colour, maybe buy a couple of shirts (I usually wear t-shirt style tops).
I tried a personal shopper too, she was good but basically told me i was doing everything right, the reason i didn't have any clothes was because i hadn't been shopping in months! Now I think of a friend of a friend of mine's dress sense, she always look chic and up to date without spending a fortune, so when i shop i keep her approach in mind as i choose clothes.
When i shop I try to go with specific goals in mind, and also think about what has worked for me in the past. If I'm looking for tops to go with jeans, then i wear my jeans to go shopping. Ditto if i am looking for a necklace to suit a v-neck top etc etc.
The final thing i would say is don't be afraid to buy things and try them at home, you can judge more objectively then whether it will enhance the rest of your wardrobe or just require a load of other new purchases to make it work.

Thriftylady

I've only recently discovered that accessories are the key !! I couldn't count the number of times in the past few months that people have told me they loved my outfit, and the irony is that I have exercised great self discipline (for a clothes lover, anyway!) and have stopped buying new clothes. But I have dug out all my accessories (which I never ever bothered to wear before) and the difference is amazing. And best of all, they can be really cheap.....