What are your 5-10 must-have wardrobe essentials?

[rubybeth]

I've resigned myself to needing structured, fitted clothes even for casual wear because of my petite but curvy body shape. I have two looks - really well put together (structured clothes) and slobby (loose fitting, casual clothes). I'm too petite to pull off the slobby look and I don't feel good about myself. But to make the structured look work on a day-to-day basis without spending a lot of time and money is going to take some forethought and planning. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you tackle it?

Okay, just saw this, and we are completely different body types, BUT I'd still say that you can wear one loose-fitting piece (top or bottom) as long as the other piece is fitted. Like this:

Oversized comfy sweater/loose flowy blouse/hoodie or loose t-shirt for relaxing but wear these pieces with slim-fit pants/jeans (not necessarily skinny, just not trousers or boot cut or whatever) or a pencil skirt. If you want to wear an a-line or long, more flowing skirt or trousers with a lot of fabric near your feet, keep your top more fitted (button down blouses that fit you well--no gaping or straining, but nothing too lose--t-shirts that flatter your shape--v-necks can elongate you a bit, fitted/tailored blazers, etc.). You can also add some 'structure' to an outfit with a belt placed at your narrowest spot--this might not be at the waist line of what you're wearing, it may mean wearing a skinny belt over a layered cardigan/t-shirt with trousers/khakis/whatever.

If you aren't already on Pinterest, there are a LOT of outfit ideas. Sometimes if I'm stuck for what to wear, I'll just type in 'black pants' or 'brown cable sweater' or whatever, and then see what kind of outfits pop up. I usually have similar elements already in my wardrobe that I just haven't thought of putting together in that way.

 

[rubybeth]

Ah, just started the joys of clothes shopping NOT! I hate when nothing fits me.

Quick question: What's LBD?
Another quick question: Why are tapered ankle-length pants considered a no-no for petite, curvy ladies? I tried on some last night and really liked the streamlined silhouette but the sales lady gave me some strange looks.

Gah, another reply, sorry!

LBD = little black dress - I have a few of these for different seasons (a wrap dress, an a-line shape, etc.)

I don't think tapered ankle-length pants are a no-no for petite, curvy ladies. You'll just want to pair them with the right shoes (no clogs or other heavy-looking shoes, think ballet flats or kitten heels). Ankle pants can sometimes look like you just bought pants that are too short.

 

[StacylikesSparkles]

Thanks ladies for all the helpful hints! I've printed out this thread and I'm taking it shopping with me! I've saved the webaddresses too (thanks Gypsy, Staceysparkles, and thing2of2) I just want to see how clothes fit on me in a store before I order anything online. (It's been awhile since I tried on new clothes).

The key take aways are this.


4. CHEAP does not mean VALUE. I'm not talking buy brand names but, for example, target cardigans were recommended above. Now I buy clothes from Target, a few of their items are great buys especially their tank tops and stuff like that. But for cardigans they kinda suck. Their cardigans shrink, lose color and ball up after just one or two washes. They lose buttons, or their button holes become loose. In short, they are a terrible VALUE. The price might be cheap. But the VALUE is low. You are MUCH better off paying 80 bucks for a merino wool cardigan from Banana Republic (who has them every year). It will last you 3 seasons or MORE with proper care. I have bought ONE cardigan from Banana Republic each year for the last five or size years and ALL OF THEM (except for one year where the quality was problematic and they returned it for a full refund) are still looking amazing. Same thing with anything on sale. When something is really reduced you can be talked into buying it even if it doesn't work. Remember, that 30 dollar top is not a deal if A) it falls apart the first time you wash it and B) you have to buy new shoes and a jacket for it.

What the heck are you doing to their cardigans? I have a ton from Tagret from several years ago that have held up without issue. So their VALUE to me is fabulous! Then I can buy the $200 boots to go with my thrift store jeans that I had tailored to fit me.

 

[iheartscience]

Ah, just started the joys of clothes shopping NOT! I hate when nothing fits me.

Quick question: What's LBD?
Another quick question: Why are tapered ankle-length pants considered a no-no for petite, curvy ladies? I tried on some last night and really liked the streamlined silhouette but the sales lady gave me some strange looks.

The standard fashion trope about curvy, petite women is that they should wear fuller legged pants to visually "balance" out their curves on top and lengthen their legs. I disagree and love a slim ankle pant on everyone. They're a great combo of vintage and modern and go well with pretty much any type of top. Plus they're cute with ballet flats, heels, oxfords, loafers-you name it!

And LBD=little black dress.

 

[karpouzi]

The key to a small wardrobe, for me, is layering. You may only have two sweaters, but if you can wear them over a blouse, under a jacket, worn open over a dress, etc., you get many more looks than if you have ten sweaters that you always wear by themselves with slacks. (This used to be my uniform and talk about getting into a rut!) When I buy clothes, I think about different ways to wear them. I look for blouses that fit slim to the body so that I can wear them alone, over a tank, or under sweaters and jackets. I buy sweaters in warm but compact materials like merino or cashmere so that I can layer them both over and under. Merino is a great all-season weight. That's another thing I look for when I shop, is versatility across seasons and across occasions--being able to dress a piece up or down.

Another key to keeping a wardrobe small is memorability--I think where HollyS's coworker went wrong was buying five really memorable outfits. Everyone will notice that she's wearing the pink sheath every week, but if it were a navy dress and she layered and accessorized it differently people may not notice--or even if they noticed, it wouldn't seem odd to them. Staple pieces should not be very memorable. I make an exception for coats because I love brightly colored coats in the winter and no one expects you to wear a different coat every day of the month.

My favorite neutral is medium gray. Much more flattering and interesting than black, and goes with just about anything. Black is hard to pair with brights or pastels--gray works. Most of my clothing is neutral, but I have brightly colored handbags. They add just the right amount of color to an outfit. I also incorporate color in sweaters (especially for work when I won't be carrying my purse around), blouses and scarves.