An ideal basic wardrobe will vary from woman to woman according to her lifestyle. For example, a business woman may need a suit as a basic, but a stay-at-home mom will find a pair of jeans and a casual jacket more appropriate.
Your basics may consist of basic trousers, skirts, jackets, coats, dresses, a classic white blouse, a paiWhen I did Lili’s wardrobe audit, we discovered that she had a multitude of funky tops, but no basics to wear them with. Good basics should allow you to dress your fashion items up and down, mix and match and maximise your wearability. Good basics are investment pieces, so be prepared to spend a little more on them if necessary.
Fashion items:
Women often spend too much or too little on fashion items. A fashion item has some form of detail and is less basic than a pair of neutral trousers.
These may include fashionable colours, styles, prints etc. Fashion items individualise your look. Many women can wear a black pair of trousers, but what you wear with them will differentiate you from everyone else. Don’t be afraid to add colour and print to your wardrobe as they add interest and maximize wearability.
For example, a top in a fashion print or colour can be dressed up with a basic skirt to wear to a wedding, dressed down with a pair of jeans for a night out on the town, or worn with basic trousers to work.
How to buy them:
Make sure you buy more fashion items if already have a multitude of them in your wardrobe. If not, select a few key items that you will love for some time and can be worn with your existing basics. Be careful of buying an item with a price tag that you may tire of quickly.
If you pay a high price tag, ensure you will get lots of wear from it and it speaks of your personal style rather than being the ‘must have’ item for this season.
Accessories:
Aaaahhh, the accessories trap. Yes ladies, this includes shoes and handbags. Women love buying accessories since you don’t have to ask, “Does my butt look big in these shoes?’
If you are only spending a large portion of your wardrobe budget on shoes, make sure you have the basics and fashion items to wear them with. The same goes for jewelry, scarves, belts etc.
How to buy them:
Avoid the more is better approach. Rather select a few accessories that will make a statement and reflect your personal style. Be careful of spending high price tags on costume jewelry.
If you enjoy a variety, rather select lower priced items. If you seldom change your jewellery, the real thing is worth investing in.
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Renowned for her work as a personal stylist and fashion designer, Tracy Gold offers a variety of personal styling services especially designed to assist you to feel fabulous about yourself. Tracy will help you refine your existing wardrobe by teaching you what works for you, what doesn't and why. She will also teach you her effective shopping techniques that will save you a fortune and keep you from making the same expensive fashion mistakes again.
Visit her website for more details www.tracygold.co.za