Using a “Must-Have” List to Build Your Wardrobe
With all the sales and promotions at Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft lately, I’ve been doing a bit of a wardrobe overhaul.
A few years ago, I bought The Lucky Shopping Manual
Here are the basic pieces (not including the “nice-to-haves”):
- 2 All-Season Work Skirts (Tropical Wool)
- 1 Day-to-Night Skirt (Dress it Up or Down)
- 2 Summer Work Skirts (Crisp and Structured)
- 1 Denim Skirt
- 2 Summer Weekend Skirts (Dress Them Up or Down)
- 2 Good White Tees (You Need a Couple, Because They’ll Stain)
- 2 Good Black Tees (Black Fades in the Wash - Always Have a Spare on Hand)
- 4 Tanks (for Beachwear and Layering)
- 1 Striped Tee (Wide or Narrow Stripes)
- 1 Henley or Polo
- 6 Work Tops (Your Choice of Shapes)
- 3 Fun Tops (For Going Out at Night)
- 4 Weekend Tops (T-Shirt Alternatives)
- 2 Summer Weekend Dresses
- 1 Summer Evening Dress
- 1 Summer Daytime Party Dress
- 2 Summer Work Dresses
- 2 Winter Work Dresses
- 1 Winter Weekend Dress
- 1 Winter Evening Dress
- 2 Fitted Pullover Sweaters for Work (V-Neck or Crewneck)
- 2 Cardigans (For Evening and Office)
- 1 Black Turtleneck (Thin and Fitted, Not Boxy)
- 2 Weekend Sweaters (At Least One that’s Really Warm)
- 1 Pair of Jeans to Wear With Heels
- 1 Pair of Weekend Jeans You Can Wreck
- 1 Pair of Jeans to Wear With Flats
- 3 Pairs of Winter Work Pants (Tropical Wool, or a Comparable Blend)
- 3 Pairs of Summer Work Pants
- 2 Pairs of All-Season Work Pants
- 1 Pair of Lightweight Evening Pants (Satin, for Winter and Summer)
- 2 Classic Suits (Serious for Work, But Versatile)
- 1 Skirt Suit (A Trendy Shape for Work or Nighttime)
- 1 Evening Suit (You’ll Wear the Pants All the Time)
- 1 Everyday Bag (Stick with Black or Dark Brown)
- 1 Small Work Bag
- 1 Work Tote or Briefcase (Whichever is Right for Your Job)
- 1 Casual Tote (Inexpensive and Washable)
- 1 Evening Bag
- 1 Small Going Out Bag (Just Big Enough for Your Wallet, Keys and Lipstick)
- 2 Pairs of Knee Boots
- 1 Pair of Good Office Shoes for Winter
- 1 Pair of Casual Shoes for Winter
- 1 Pair of Evening Shoes for Winter
- 2 Pairs of Good Office Shoes for Summer
- 1 Pair of Good Flat Sandals
- 1 Pair of Flip-Flops
- 1 Pair of Strappy, Sexy Sandals
- 1 Good Wool Blazer
- 1 Short Jacket (Lightweight Wool or Blend)
- 1 Denim Jacket
- 7 Pairs of Everyday Underpants
- 3 Everyday Bras (The Style You Always Wear)
- 1 Pair of Evening Hose
- 1 Black Bra with Pretty Straps (Under Sleeveless Black Tops)
- 1 Nude Stretchy Camisole (For Sheer Tops)
- 1 Silky Camisole (With Lace Trim You Can Show Off Under V-Necks)
- 1 Pair of Thin Wool Tights for Winter (Solid or Tweedy)
- 1 Convertible Bra
- 1 Cute Set to Sleep In
- As Many Pairs of Work Hose as You Need
- 2 Swimmable Suits
- 1 Top Cover-Up (Long-Sleeve for Sun Protection)
- 1 Bottom Cover-Up (For the Walk to the Snack Bar)
- 1 Overcoat (Classic Styling)
- 1 Fall Coat
- 1 Warm Parka (Long Enough to Cover Your Hips)
- 1 Spring Jacket
- 1 Raincoat (Functional But Fun)
Oh my gosh, just TYPING that was exhausting, let alone shopping and paying for all that!
Overall, I think it’s a good list, though perhaps a bit too dressy for my needs (four suits, including an “evening suit?”). But it’s a good place to start.
Still, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. I mean, I probably own about half these things, and half of the things I own are items I don’t particularly like!
What’s a broke, stylish (ahem, that should probably be “stylish” in quotations) girl to do?!?!
8 responses so far
i like tim gunn’s list (quoted on some other website):
1. Basic Black Dress - The basic black dress has been around for a long time. It is often called the “Little Black Dress”, and it’s true that shorter skirts on the basic black dress, when they hit you in the right place, can be more flattering than a long black dress.
2. Trench Coat - The trench coat is one of the pieces that is both classic and currently a hot fashion item. Most any store sells this piece now. It is great for fall and you can pick it up in a wide range of lengths.
3. Dress Pants - Although it doesn’t say black, this is probably what you want to look for. Black is flattering on all figures and goes with everything.
4. Classic Shirt - The white shirt is a definite classic. But it can also come in many different styles to make it look trendy and not dated or like a man’s piece of clothing. Find one that accentuates your best attributes and minimizes trouble spots. For example, if you have wide shoulders, stay away from large collars.
5. Jeans - Everyone has a pair of jeans, but does everyone have a pair of jeans that make them look great? The wider leg, low-rise jean style has been popular (and still is) but a narrower leg is coming back along with a higher waist, which eliminates the unflattering “muffin top” look.
6. Any Occasion Top - Find something you look great in that can look respectable under a jacket but bring on the fun after hours.
7. Skirt - If you need dress pants then you also need a skirt. A skirt is womanly and can be flirty or businesslike. Nowadays women do not wear many skirts or dresses, which makes a lot of them fall into a rut of dressing sloppily or like men. See number 8.
8. Day Dress - Women also are not wearing as many dresses anymore. It was certainly liberating to go from the ’50s when women wore dresses every day to wearing more practical pants for gardening, exercising, and so forth. But the dress does not have to be abandoned altogether. They can be very flattering, and there is nothing wrong with “dressing up” for daytime.
9. Jacket - A jacket does not have to be masculine. Find one with a proper, fitted shape. Women’s jackets should follow the silhouette of a woman’s body and accent the hourglass curve at her waist. It is also a perfect piece to put with the skirt or dress pants, and white shirt. Or make it casual with a pair of jeans.
10. Sweatsuit Alternative - As mentioned before, women wear fewer skirts and dresses these days. But some women have taken casual to the extreme and spend days on end in sweatsuits. It is possible to be casual and comfortable without looking like a slob. Find a comfortable material (that’s why this doesn’t say jeans again – denim is not as comfortable as a nice soft cotton) that you would want to wear every day. It could be khakis, cords, a cotton dress, or much more.
Bonus: One Indulgent Trendy Item
i think he’s got a good, basic list and it’s surprisingly interchangeable - with just those items, you can get a pretty good, varied wardrobe out of it, depending on how you wear the items together and separately.
I agree, Tim’s list is much more manageable! I think the key is finding things you really love that are versatile. I think I have everything on this list, but of course, I am not *in love* with all of them and many don’t go together! But watching fashion shows and reading shopping books has definitely helped me become a better shopper (though perhaps also a bigger spender).
Idub, your list has exactly enough to get through one week. If you wore the two shirts with the skirt and the pants. Then you wore the day dress. And you wore jeans with the little black dress tucked in on casual friday. And you wore the sweat suit alternative on monday. You would have to wear the same suit jacket everyday!
If you infuse it with one trendy item, well that might dress up one of those days?
Seriously, that is in no way a wardrobe that could get a working woman through a month.
While the longer list might be too long, the short list is way too short.
I think for one season a woman needs:
at least five full work outfits: that includes three- five shirts, five undershirts, five sweaters or jackets, and three-five pants or skirts, ten pairs of work socks and underwear, two pairs of work shoes. Then you can supplement with 1-2 work dresses. You need at least two interview quality outfits, you will wear these at special days at work or for interviews–these will not be things you wear often, a really sharp shirt, and a full matching suit, perfect dress shoes with no wear and tear. Then for the weekend you need two pairs of jeans two t-shirts and five pairs of casual socks, and two fancy outfits for parties–like a little black dress and then something more trendy and colorful like a plaid skirt and or a floral dress.
at the end of that season, the woman should take stock of what she has that she can carry into the next season. Say it is winter and becoming spring. If the dress shirts she has have worn elbows, she could go ahead and have them hemmed (either she can do it herself or pay someone to do it) to short sleeve length. If they don’t have worn elbows, then pack them away for next fall. Then make a list of what new things she needs for the new season. If it is summer going into fall, open up your closet and pull out what you saved from last winter and go ahead and buy some of the same brands that lasted so long to fill in your wardrobe for this new season. Those items are well made and will save you money in the long run. If her winter coat from last year is misshapen and ugly now–might be time for a pressing or to get a new one.
I think items that are made from natural materials that can be washed at home, rather than dry cleaned are better for the frugal woman. Also I think having too many clothes is difficult. You need just enough and you need to have an “allowance” for buying new things when the old wear out.
[...] / Expenses) (clothing, expenses, shopping) After reading Finance Girl’s post this morning on “Must Have” items for your wardrobe, I started thinking about all the things that I “need” to [...]
I actually found the Lucky list to be WAY TOO LONG.
For bare essentials I wrote my own post….
Here!
Wardrobe Essentials
[...] It must be something about fall, but it seems that people have wardrobes on the brain these days. Maybe Sarah Palin’s $150,000 shopping spree has us all secretly salivating at the idea of buying clothes. For most of us, it’s time to be much more frugal about our clothes shopping. I’ve come across several great posts on frugal wardrobes, including this one from Almost Frugal and this series by Lifestyles of the Organized. Also, Finance Gets Personal had an amazing list of “must-haves” for a wardrobe. [...]
Great post…did that manual have men’s suggestions to? I think DH is a lot tougher than me. When I make his outfits they look boring…but his choices are either way too immature or too outlandish!
No, unfortunately it doesn’t have anything about men. I’ve been trying to find similar lists or books for men with no luck. Anyone want to write a book? Here’s your opportunity!