Basic Wardrobe Planning

The Basics of Basic Wardrobe Planning

Whether you’ve started a new job or everything you own is only good for fabric recycling and needs to be replaced, you need to take some time and consider your look before you begin shopping.

Classic Clothing

The bulk of your budget should be geared towards classic items of good quality that will last, rather than something trendy. Assess your budget from the outset and determine how much can go where before you hit the shops. Remember, a great wardrobe doesn’t have to be huge. Most women are not Carrie Bradshaw. Once you have a few really great things that work from season to season, regardless of trends, you can mix and match easily, creating a lot of great, fresh looks.

Considering Color

When planning your wardrobe, it is useful to think about color. Most women don’t want to be monochromatic, although of course it can not only look great, but make shopping and even laundry a lot easier. However, when putting together the basics, it’s good to focus on a simple color palette with items that work together. Black is always a good choice, as are brown, gray, navy and beige. Obviously, when choosing a color base, you want to focus on what practical color looks best on you. You don’t have to pay a stylist or color consultant to find out. Honest friends will be able to give you the exact same information for free. And if it turns out you look great in beige but you hate beige, then pick a color you love, even if it’s not your most perfect. Much of your look is projected by how you feel. If you feel great and confident, that’s how people will see you.

What to Shop For

Once you know your budget and base color, the next step to basic wardrobe planning is selecting the items of clothing themselves.

Basic Trousers

Although they can be some of the hardest items to shop for, every woman should have a good pair of wool or rayon black trousers. They go with everything and can be dressed up or down. Avoid a trendy cut – you want these to be a straight leg, regular rise trouser so that you can wear them for a number of years.

Dress Suit

Most women also need at least one good suit, either with a skirt or trousers. A simple suit in a flattering cut can also be dressed up and down, and blouses and accessories will liven it up through the week.

Essential Skirts

Unless you are absolutely not a skirt person, two or three plain skirts in different lengths are a must for every wardrobe. Combine with two or three pairs of trousers, besides the black ones mentioned above, and you won’t have to do any more shopping for a year or more.

Blouses and Sweater Sets

The skirts, suit and trousers all scream for a white, button-down blouse of good quality. You will certainly buy tops and blouses of other colors, but this classic look never goes out of style and is flattering to everyone.

Two or three good sweater sets are also a must. In this instance, you should choose a color in your base color and then two other colors that look great on you.

Mix and Match

Once you have all these pieces, mixing and matching will suddenly yield you a month’s worth of different outfits, especially once you factor in accessories like scarves. You really don’t need to be a clotheshorse to look like one.

One final note in basic wardrobe planning – everyone does need one great evening dress. A cocktail dress is the most practical as it can be worn for any but the most strictly formal events. For this special piece, go for something that you simply fall in love with.