What are your staple wardrobe items?

[georgeharrison]

My wardrobe is full of junky, low quality clothes.  I am looking to get rid of the stuff I don't love and buy good quality, staple items.  This is being spurred because I finally bought a nice pair of jeans and it made me realize that I'd rather have less, but nice.  

What are your staple items?

[carmenere]

If you dress business casual then nice, well-fitting black and navy pants are a good investment. I just bought a pair of the Spanx Perfect Black Pants and I'm obsessed. I wish they came in other colors. Also, I think tailoring is totally worth it to have clothes that fit just right.

Other things I wear all the time:
Off-white silk camisole
Tan barefoot dreams circle cardigan or waist-length cardigan (from Target, but the quality is decent)
Navy blazer
White and gray bloucle blazer
Cream colored sweater
Black sweater
Long sleeved blouses in cream, navy, light blue and blush pink
Black and navy sheath dresses
Pointy toe flats in black and blush pink
Brown leather loafers
Nude d'orsay heels

My spring/summer wardrobe is essentially the same but with short sleeves.

[Deleted]

I am no help to you! All I ever wear is fleece jackets and leggings and my tall boots soooo...

[Alps79]

A blogger I follow just posted a pretty good list.

cstyleblog.com/2020/02/starting-over-a-list-of-spring-wardrobe-staples.html

[gardengal]

I really love the merino wool cardigans I've gotten from Uniqlo. I'm not sure if you'd classify that as junky tho? They were $50 (but I got on clearance!) and are a great weight, keep their shape, and can be both warm & breath.

I'm also obsessed with nice socks & am slowly transitioning to mostly Smartwool.

[dottyblue]

I have way too many clothes, but the things I wear and re-wear all the time:

Kut from the Kloth boot cut jeans

AE "Dream Jeans" jeggings (softer than usual and extra stretchy)

This sweater jacket

This sweater blazer

a couple of camisoles that make me feel feminine but are still work-appropriate

This sweater dress

I only own one pair of leggings, so I splurged on the Zella live in legging, which were totally worth it.

I'm sure there is more, but those are my current items that get worn at least once a week.

[isabel]

I am in the process of creating an entirely new work wardrobe due to a new job and the fact that I have zero business casual pieces. ESF recommended the book Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees. I am early on in her process, but so far I really like the way it's guiding me toward clothing I actually see myself wearing, as opposed to looking for what other people wear. For example, lots of people will say that a typical high-end, minimalist wardrobe should include your basic button down shirt. Except, I don't wear button down shirts. I hate them. It does me no good to follow what others say is a "standard" for their wardrobe if it's not something I will wear.

So, if I were you, and I sort of am, I'd go get that book from the library and see if you feel like it's helpful. It feels a little hokey to actually do the exercises, but I have found so far that it makes it really easy for me to look at something and say "no, that's not the right style/color/material for me." I am going shopping on Friday just to try things on and get a feel for whether or not I am on the right track and I'm actually looking forward to it.

[onomatopoeia]

Work
Black and gray cardigans (lighter colors for summer)
Nice shells for underneath the cardigans 
Black, gray and dark blue dress pants
Black, gray and brown dress shoes
Some solid color J Crew sweaters


Casual
White tank tops (I wear these as undershirts in winter and to layer in the summer).
Some good quality cardigans (Gray, dark blue, and dark purple)
2 white t-shirts (different sleeve lengths) 
2 pairs of dark-wash jeans (skinny and bootcut)
Brown booties
Black booties
A few Loft and BR sweaters. 

I obviously have other clothes but these are the things I wear all the time and don't mind paying more for quality items. Although I do have a pair of maroon stretch dress pants from Target that fit awesome and I wear all the time - sometimes you can get lucky!  

Accessories are also important, having a few scarves and necklaces that you can switch up can instantly make an outfit look more put-together (like with the white t-shirts and plain J Crew sweaters). 

I will say my Loft and J Crew items are not holding up as well recently, which I'm bummed about. 

ETA: I guess everyone's perception of what is "paying more for quality" would be at different price points too lol

[sugarbear]

I have also recently committed to buying higher quality clothing, with less frequency. I am a teacher and am allowed to wear jeans to work. I tend towards the casual end of business casual.
My staples include skinny jeans and straight-leg jeans.
Tall and short boots in both black and brown.
Sweater dresses in gray, black, and navy.
Lighter dresses in denim chambray and lighter colors (mostly from Boden).
Blouses from Loft.

[abs]

Jeans from LOFT. I have one dark rinse and one lighter.

Plain tee shirts. I tend to gravitate towards blue, purple, and bright pink. I can dress up or down with cardigans and jewelry.

Cardigans. I like the open (no buttons) style and a slightly longer length. J. Crew Factory and Old Navy both have a decent selection.

For summer time I wear jean shorts a lot as well as swing dresses.

[Gato]

Black and navy ponte pants from Garnet Hill, tailored to fit.

JCrew dark-wash jeans. I want to get some higher-waisted, wide-leg jeans for spring.

A black dress to wear to everything from Eileen Fisher.

A couple of bright blouses from Anthropologie.

A navy sweater from Poetry.

Besides those $$ pieces, almost everything else is vintage/thrifted.

[notsopicky]

Work bottoms: Loft black pants, NY&Co solid black, solid dark teal, plaid, black pin-stripe pants, black or navy booties

Work tops: (no button-downs, I feel you on the hate) blouses from Loft, Pleione or Halogen from Nordstrom, INC from Macy's; cardigans from Loft

Casual: tanks from Loft (usually mixed-media), skinny or boot-cut jeans from NY&Co, tall boots or booties from Naturalizer (or Adidas sneakers); I also have a bunch of faux-leather moto jackets that I am just now able to wear again (they were too small for a very long time and I am happy I kept them).

georgeharrison, I'm reading the same Curated Closet book. I've only read the first couple of chapters, but I like it so far. I'd like to branch out of my comfort zone a little bit.

I have one killer dress that I like to wear to work, but I can wear it to go out to dinner w/ H, too.

[doctoranda]

Navy and grey more dressy pants
Dark, light and grey jeans
Lots of blazer jackets
A few cardigans
Nice blouses/tops
Grey cashmere sweater
Light navy sweater
A few dresses that can be casual but also more dressy depending on jewelry or jacket

[gastro]

I SAHM so great fitting jeans, a good leather belt, t-shirts, tanks, black athletic leggings, cardigans, blazer, cashmere sweaters - my favorite is a funnel neck gray from Vince, slip on sneakers, Rag & Bone black booties, Aquatalia mid calf boots (the pair I have is 8 years old? And still look beautiful), Frye loafers.
I don’t wear much jewelry but I do have a few vintage cocktail rings, diamond studs, diamond tennis bracelet.

Edit: I like the Anna edit (blog and youtube) for capsule wardrobe suggestions

[rupertpenny]

If you live somewhere with boot weather Aquatalia boots are great. Weather resistant, nice looking, and warm enough for general walking around (not trudging through snow drifts or anything.)

I am a big fan of buying clothing made with natural fibers. Silk, wool, linen, etc look better and are much more comfortable in my opinion.

[Susie]

For work, wrap dresses. I've changed size a lot in the last 5 years (3.5 of which I've either been pregnant or BFing), and they tend to fit more flexibly than other clothes as I change size.

[laterz]

Here's where I put my money: good jeans, good winter gear (socks, coat, boots, gloves), good bras, and spanx. In recent years, I've tried to simplify my jewelry and shoes. I find my tastes and comfort levels change often with shirts, so I usually go cheaper there. I only by workout clothes from Target, as I refuse to spend good money on clothes I'm going to purposely sweat in.

[cattledogkisses]

In winter I usually wear dark wash jeans or black ponte pants with a cashmere or merino wool sweater, and either black leather riding boots or black leather ankle boots.

In the summer I wear a lot of linen and cotton dresses, put my hair up, and put on a pair of dangly statement earrings. Looks fancy, feels cool and comfy.

For the in-between seasons I layer a lot with light jackets. I have a jean jacket and a leather jacket that are staples.

Since wool, silk, cashmere, leather, etc. are expensive and I don't have an unlimited clothing budget I buy most of my clothes secondhand from Poshmark and eBay.

[HRH Queen Dick I, Orphan]

Underwear

mofongo

[pinkdutchtulips]

tank tops, cardigans, skinny pants, pencil skirts, skinny jeans, sheath dresses, a good dark wash denim jacket

shoes - black flats, tall boots, red flats, cheetah flats, vans slip-ons 

im 6ft tall so my clothing/shoe choices are LIIMITED 

today - i'm wearing a black tank, black pencil skirt, denim jacket and tall boots - i'm a paralegal for an in-house legal dept. 

[notsopicky]

Feb 26, 2020 17:33:00 GMT -5 pinkdutchtulips said:

tank tops, cardigans, skinny pants, pencil skirts, skinny jeans, sheath dresses, a good dark wash denim jacket

shoes - black flats, tall boots, red flats, cheetah flats, vans slip-ons 

im 6ft tall so my clothing/shoe choices are LIIMITED 

today - i'm wearing a black tank, black pencil skirt, denim jacket and tall boots - i'm a paralegal for an in-house legal dept. 

Where do you buy pants? I'm 5'10", all legs and sometimes I find even the 34"s are too short. 

[sandandsea]

I wear dress slacks with a colorful shirt/blazer almost every day.

I signed up for stitch fix about a year and a half ago and love it. I’ve gotten great work pieces and feel like they do a decent job sticking to my style.

[pinkdutchtulips]

Feb 26, 2020 18:25:52 GMT -5 notsopicky said:

Feb 26, 2020 17:33:00 GMT -5 pinkdutchtulips said:

tank tops, cardigans, skinny pants, pencil skirts, skinny jeans, sheath dresses, a good dark wash denim jacket

shoes - black flats, tall boots, red flats, cheetah flats, vans slip-ons 

im 6ft tall so my clothing/shoe choices are LIIMITED 

today - i'm wearing a black tank, black pencil skirt, denim jacket and tall boots - i'm a paralegal for an in-house legal dept. 

Where do you buy pants? I'm 5'10", all legs and sometimes I find even the 34"s are too short. 

Online at Old Navy, JCrew, LLBean ..... ON pixie skinny pants hit just above my ankle. I've had the best with ON when it comes to pants and jeans. 

[joy]

Cardigans. I love flowy cardigans that I can wear over nice work shirts. All colors are welcome.

Dresses. Nice, short sleeve, knit dresses are my favorite to wear all winter (with tights/boots/cardigan) or summer (flats).

I only buy classic cuts of clothes (very few trendy pieces) so I can wear them year after year. I also aim for solid colors (or simple patterns) so I can mix and match very easily.

[alleinesein]

Dresses. Lots and lots of dresses. Most are swing, skater or ankle length with a variety of sleeve options (short, long, tank).

Maxi skirts.

Leggings either paired with a knee-length dress or with a long tunic.

I am always hot so I avoid layers and clothing that requires me to wear clothes under my clothes; the weird sheer shirt trend needs to die; what is the point of wearing a shirt if I need to wear another fucking shirt underneath it?

Shoes are pretty basic. If I am not working, I will be in my OluKai's. If I am at work, I have a few pairs of black boots and black flats that I wear.

[stpancras]

What brands do you like for good jeans?

[cville]

I do a few things re quality that have helped me to have a wardrobe I like more post Kondo-ing my life.

1. I no longer buy things on sale because they're a good deal. If I want something specific, I may stalk a sale for a discount. But 40% off of something you're so-so on is a waste of money.

2. For things with stretch (and I LOVE me some stretch), I buy highest end I can afford. A ponte skirt at Old Navy will never hold up as well as a ponte skirt from Boden (which a poster recently said is just a store for 40 year old academics. RUDE).

3. I buy what I like, not what "professional women should have." Yes, I have black, gray, and navy suits, so I'm not like a wild rebel. But I like drapey button down silk shirts and hate button down cotton shirts so I'm not going to get that "classic white button down" everyone says is essential. I have a bright orange midi pencil skirt that gives me LIFE instead of a gray knee length one.

4. If I really love it, I get one in more than one color.

5. I try to buy things that have multi -season, multi-function utility. I don't live that Instagram influencer photogenic brunch lifestyle, so I have like 2 sundresses and not 12. I do have 4 black lightweight sweaters, and I wear them all, all the time.

[rupertpenny]

Feb 26, 2020 20:42:26 GMT -5 cville said:

2. For things with stretch (and I LOVE me some stretch), I buy highest end I can afford. A ponte skirt at Old Navy will never hold up as well as a ponte skirt from Boden (which a poster recently said is just a store for 40 year old academics. RUDE).

Lol. I work in an academic library and everyday is a Boden fashion show.

But I don’t know why dressing like a 40 year old academic is a bad thing.

[MrsDarcy]

Feb 26, 2020 18:25:52 GMT -5 notsopicky said:

Feb 26, 2020 17:33:00 GMT -5 pinkdutchtulips said:

tank tops, cardigans, skinny pants, pencil skirts, skinny jeans, sheath dresses, a good dark wash denim jacket

shoes - black flats, tall boots, red flats, cheetah flats, vans slip-ons 

im 6ft tall so my clothing/shoe choices are LIIMITED 

today - i'm wearing a black tank, black pencil skirt, denim jacket and tall boots - i'm a paralegal for an in-house legal dept. 

Where do you buy pants? I'm 5'10", all legs and sometimes I find even the 34"s are too short. 

The American Eagle Dream Jeans, high rise jeggings (which I LOVE) come in extra long length online, which I think is 36”.

[Doggy Mommy]

I’m a big fan of Jcrew for basics. They have great jeans, cardigans, sweaters, I have a beautiful blazer that just fits perfectly etc. Their factory store has some decent things too like cardigans.

Other jeans that I love are AG, Good American, and Hudson: I usually get them from Nordstrom Rack. I have some black, navy, burgundy, and patterned slim ankle pants from Gap that are great for work.

I love tops from Anthropologie or Free People for a touch of frilly or boho style.

I also think Chelsea style booties are a great staple for shoes. The ones I have are Sofft brand and go with everything and are super comfy and flattering. I also jumped on the wedge sneaker style bootie bandwagon and am obsessed. The ones I have are Paolo from Nordstrom.