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Fab Fave Friday: wardrobe basics

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Jen’s note: Fab Fave Friday is a recurring feature in which I highlight some of my favorite things — in all sorts of categories. Today’s category is wardrobe basics.

We’ve all seen the lists: The ones that tell us all women must have a crisp white button-down shirt, a little black dress, a trench coat, black pumps, a navy or black blazer… etc. And all of those items are great. I’m sure some women wear them all the time and look fabulous in them. But I’m not one of them.

When I was working in the Pentagon, I wore pencil skirts, silk blouses and pumps almost every day (with a cardigan or blazer). Now that I’m in casual California — and I cover a lot of outdoor events that make pumps unsuitable — my basics are a little different. So, today I’m sharing the pieces I return to again and again: the things that always work, the pieces I can throw on when I need to run out the door in a hurry, the things I pack when I’m not sure what to pack.

fashion basics

Striped sweater: I think I’ve told you how I have a million striped tops, but the perfect navy-and-white striped top or sweater can work with a skirt, jeans, shorts… whatever you need it to work with. I love this one from the Gap (it’s on sale), but they’re not terribly hard to come by. Boden has lots of cute striped tops and sweaters in all sorts of color combinations, and Splendid has tons of options as well, if you’re in the market.

Long tank tops: Definitely not the most exciting item on the list, but I wear one of these almost every day — under sweaters and T-shirts and sweatshirts and tunics. I stock up on these from Target, but these from Splendid are super soft and nice, if you have some extra money to spend.

Cute tennis shoes: We talked about this before, but I love colorful or printed sneakers with just about anything. These Nikes are pretty cute, if you want something that you could actually wear for working out, too. Target has some lower-priced options, and Vans are always good for an 80′s surfer vibe.

dark jeans

Dark jeans (without whiskering): This is kind of a “duh,” but dark jeans can also work for a variety of occasions and tend to be flattering (especially if you go with a straight leg or bootcut). I tend to like jeans from Lucky, Old Navy, and Nordstrom, but as we’ve discussed, finding some without whiskering can be a challenge. The ones in the collage are from Gap.

V-neck T-shirts: Another not-terribly-exciting item, but one that is very flattering and easy to wear. I find V-necks look better with my figure than crew necks, but you probably know what works best for you. And crew necks sometimes work better for wearing under things, if that’s what you’re going for. Gray, navy and olive are my favorite neutrals, and tend not to be see-through, but you should get what goes with your wardrobe. I’ve heard great things about Everlane T-shirts, but clearly T-shirts aren’t terribly hard to find.

Cardigan: I’m not really a jacket person, and cardigans can work as a substitute for a blazer or just as a light layer over jeans and a T-shirt. I have a few black and navy ones, of course, but I prefer colors, prints and unusual styles — to easily jazz up one of the above-mentioned T-shirts, boyfriend shorts or solid-colored dresses. Anthropologie is great for unusual cardigans, but you may be surprised at how many fun ones you find once you start looking.

Leopard flats: They seriously go with everything. Target seems to have discontinued my recent favorites, and I wore holes in two identical pairs made by a brand called Soda before they seem to have stopped making them. I hate ballet flats with that stupid elastic thing, or anything with a rigid back part that digs into my achilles, so I am going to try Target’s new iteration and if I don’t like those, I will have to find a new brand to get behind. If you know of any, will you let me know in the comments?

boyfriend shorts and oxford shirts

Boyfriend shorts: Shorty-shorts really don’t work for me anymore, and I’m not a fan of shorts that look good while standing but cut into my thighs while sitting. Boyfriend shorts are a great way to be casual and comfortable without showing quite as much leg. I have pairs from Gap and J. Crew.

Oxford shirts: While white button-downs don’t really work for me, I do love a blue, pink or purple shirt in a thicker (and not-see-through) cotton. They can dress up jeans or shorts, go under a sleeveless top or dress, and work well with khakis or other chino-eque pants for an easy and comfortable but not-too-casual look. My two favorites were purchased from Madewell years ago, but any place with preppy basics (think Gap, Old Navy, Brooks Brothers and Talbots) usually has some in stock. This version is pretty cute, if you’re looking for a bit of a twist on the original.

A fun sweatshirt: I guess this isn’t really a requirement for everyone, but I love the fancy sweatshirt trend. Being able to throw on a comfy sweatshirt and still look cute and fashion-y is awesome. I have several, from various sources, but this one from Nordstrom, this from Jack Wills (also on sale) and this leopard version from H&M are pretty fun! Make it extra fancy by adding a statement necklace.

dresses

Little red dress: Red is soooo much better on me than black, and it has the added benefit (?) of making other people think you’re a sexual menace, apparently. Ha! You can certainly go with navy, or cobalt, or emerald green, or purple… whatever color makes you look great. But having one dress you can throw on for work, an impromptu lunch date, dinner or a Georgia football game is never a bad thing. A few red dresses to check out: Anthropologie, Anthropologie petiteASOSJack WillsBoden

Maxi dress: Talk about versatile: This throw-on-and-go dress can cover all manner of carb-related sins, is just as cute for brunch as it is for dinner, and you don’t even have to shave your legs. Winning. I have this Boden dress and this Madewell one in red (it’s on sale — order at least one size smaller than you normally wear).

Flat sandals: I didn’t bring a single pair of heels or wedges to Hawaii, if you can believe it. Just a few pair of flat sandals, which are super easy to pack and don’t have heels that squash your toes and sink into grass and sand. A couple pairs to consider: American Eagle, Roxy, Jessica Simpson, Steve Madden

Leather tote bag: I obviously love having lots of interesting, colorful bags to coordinate with or compliment my outfit. But for one bag that holds a bunch of stuff and is appropriate for work, travel or the mall, a leather tote bag can’t be beat. I have a monogrammed olive bag from Madewell — they don’t have olive anymore, it seems, but they do have this lovely brownGap has olive. And this cute black Zara one is on sale.

What are your wardrobe workhorses?



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