Every woman periodically faces a situation when there is a huge amount of clothes in the closet, but nothing to wear. A well-designed basic wardrobe will help you forget about this problem forever - a universal clothing designer, which modern ladies have dubbed the "holy grail of women's fashion". In fact, this concept hides a minimum number of classic or neutral things that are ideally combined with each other and with any other outfits. With such a "smart" assistant, you can quickly and effortlessly create an image for any occasion.
What is it
A basic wardrobe is made up based on a woman's lifestyle and consists of the things she wears most often. Simply put, the clothes that suit a housewife will be inappropriate in the life of a business lady, and vice versa. In addition, when making up a set of things, you need to take into account the girl's age, figure, and color type.
The advantages of a basic women's wardrobe are that:
- It consists of a minimal number of practical and universal things.
- Large sums of money are not spent on compiling the database.
- All the clothes that make up an ideal wardrobe are 100% compatible with each other.
- Things that are basic are suitable for use in any situation.
A properly selected women's wardrobe is relevant at all times and seasons - it never goes out of fashion. And in order to quickly change the image, complement or refresh it, stylish accessories are used.
Unlike a capsule wardrobe, all items in a basic wardrobe are universal. They can be combined with any other clothes. Usually these are monochrome items, similar in texture. In a capsule wardrobe, items are selected for specific life areas (for the office, home, walks, sports, etc.), that is, this is a narrower direction.
Principles of formation
To create a basic, yet fashionable wardrobe, you need:
- Choose the style that suits you best.
- Take into account your field of activity.
- Determine your color type.
In addition, there are other principles for forming a basic wardrobe for a modern girl. Firstly, it should be composed for several seasons at once. That is, it should include items for use in summer, winter and in the off-season. Accordingly, clothes are selected taking into account the climatic features of the region in which a particular woman lives. For example, in Siberia, for wearing in cold weather, it is appropriate to include a down jacket in the list of universal items. And southerners can get by with lighter parkas and coats.
Secondly, what exactly should be in a basic wardrobe is determined by looking at a woman's lifestyle. It is necessary to list each type of activity taking into account the time spent on it. The easiest way to do this is as a percentage. For example:
- work - 40%;
- family (children, walks, cleaning, cooking) - 40%;
- sports - 10%;
- education - 5% and so on.
Based on this data, it is easy to determine what things are relevant for a particular woman. For example, if a lady spends most of her time working in the office and studying, her clothes should correspond to this direction, fit the concept of business style. If a girl spends a lot of time at home with her family, is engaged in raising children, not paying attention to her career, she should have simple and comfortable things in her closet.
Every basic wardrobe item should be truly necessary for a woman, and suit her here and now. Taboo is clothing left "for later" in the hope of losing weight, getting a good job, or waiting for a fashion flashback.
It is important that each item can be combined with at least three other items. The style of clothing should suit a woman's figure, hide her flaws and highlight her advantages. For the most part, these should be items in a classic style.
Ultra-fashionable items cannot be included in the basic wardrobe, as trends change often, and what is relevant today will be forgotten tomorrow. You should buy clothes from the catwalks consciously, choosing what you can wear at any time, and not just in a specific season.
Requirements for elements
Answering the question of how to put together a wardrobe that is basic, stylists note that clothes should be of good quality, made of good material, with even and strong stitching, and neutral colors.
It is desirable that all elements are of a single color. Also, basic things should be minimally decorated, in general - the fewer details, the better. The design should be simple and laconic, then it can be easily complemented with any accessories, refreshing or completely changing the image. The following colors are preferable:
- beige;
- grey;
- white;
- black;
- brown;
- blue;
- muted burgundy.
It should be difficult to determine the style direction by clothes; it is better to choose the most universal options. Things that can only be worn to the office or exclusively for a walk or a party are not suitable. Stylistically neutral wardrobe items are variable: today they can be worn for shopping, tomorrow for work, and the day after tomorrow - for a get-together with friends in a cafe.
List of basic things
When making recommendations on how to create the perfect wardrobe, stylists offer two options: a minimal list of suitable items and an extended list. In any case, clothing should be selected individually. An option that suits one woman is not suitable for another, since each representative of the fair sex has her own lifestyle, body type, and even different religions that influence the choice. For example, Muslim women have their own nuances:
- Special headgear is required.
- Floor-length dresses and skirts.
- Hands should be closed up to the wrist.
- Heels, low-cut clothing, bare shoulders, and shorts are prohibited.
- Clothing should be loose, not tight.
Based on the approximate basic list of things, every woman can choose the items that are suitable for her. The minimum clothes that should be in the wardrobe:
- 2-3 knitted dresses, sheath style.
- Chinos or skinny trousers, preferably cotton.
- Classic jeans.
- Pencil skirt, alternative - denim model.
- Jacket or blazer.
- Cardigan (long or short).
- Tops, blouses, shirts, vests, simple cut T-shirts.
- Outerwear: coat, fur coat, down jacket, jacket. At least one item for each season.
- Footwear: demi-season boots (ankle boots), classic pumps, sneakers, sandals.
- Headwear: scarves, berets, caps.
Accessories for the female image should be mentioned separately. These can be gloves, scarves, sunglasses, watches, belts, bags. Neck jewelry should be universal.
These are the things that should ideally be present in every girl's wardrobe. Mothers on maternity leave and business women can adapt the list to suit themselves. The former should have clothes that are comfortable for spending time with a child, walking, playing, running. When choosing items, the emphasis should be on comfortable trousers, jeans, T-shirts and tank tops that don't get dirty easily, jackets, and sneakers. Business ladies, when making a list of basic items, should pay attention to office clothes: sheath dresses, shoes, cardigans, blouses, classic trousers, pencil skirts.
Men should also have their own minimum basic wardrobe. It includes:
- Classic crew neck jumper (ideal for clerks and businessmen).
- Dark jeans (for everyone).
- 2-3 plain T-shirts (relevant for freelancers).
- Light shirts (especially needed by entrepreneurs and clerks).
- Classic suit (not required for freelancers, but definitely needed for businessmen and office workers).
- Checkered shirt (informal style).
- Knitted cardigan (for everyone).
- Sweatshirt (required for all men).
- Desert boots, sneakers.
Clerks and businessmen should choose classic shoes and trousers with creases for their basic wardrobe. Freelancers can do without these clothes; casual style options are more suitable for them.
Which models to choose depending on your body type
All figures of the fair sex can be conditionally divided into athletic (“rectangle”, T-shaped, “apple”) and feminine (“pear”, “hourglass”). When choosing items of women's wardrobe, one should focus on the features of each body type.
"Pear" is the most common body type. The task of basic clothes in this case is to balance the top (narrow shoulders, small chest) and bottom (full hips). Skirts and trousers of a simple cut in dark colors are suitable for these purposes. Blouses should be light, plain or with a classic pattern, oval or square neckline, jabot collar. Jackets should be fitted, dresses - sheath type.
The hourglass figure is rare, it is the most harmonious, proportional. In order to preserve the natural beauty of the silhouette, girls are recommended to emphasize the waist, without overloading the top and bottom of the outfit. Semi-fitted dresses, short jackets (above mid-thigh), wrap-over blouses and V-necks are suitable for this purpose. A loose cut and a minimum of details are welcome. From tops, it is better to choose models with American armholes. Classic trousers with arrows or flared from the hip. Skirts should be flared.
To make the "rectangle" figure more feminine, you should highlight the waist with clothes. Dresses with belts, preferably A-line, loose tulip or sun skirts are suitable for this purpose. Trousers should preferably have patch pockets, blouses and tops - peplums. A jacket with a geometric pattern should be chosen. Straight trousers with creases or flared trousers that start from the hip will do. Cardigans, shortened or, conversely, elongated, suit women with this figure very well.
Girls with an apple-shaped silhouette should be able to distract attention from the waist with their clothes, visually increasing their height. Fitted clothes and belts do not suit them. Dresses should be plain, made of thick fabric. Jackets should be straight, mid-thigh length. Trousers should be flared or, on the contrary, tapered at the bottom. A-line, pencil, straight and wrap-around skirts are suitable. Blouses should be chosen with a high waistline, classic tops with a straight cut.
In the wardrobe of women with a T-shaped figure, things should be feminine, highlighting the waist. The ideal solution would be fitted and straight-cut jackets. It is better to choose trousers with patch pockets on the hips. Jeans - straight or slightly flared. Tops and blouses should be as simple as possible, without unnecessary details, below the middle of the thigh. Cut-off collars are suitable. The top should be darker than the bottom.
Tricks for choosing accessories and shoes
In order to create the maximum possible number of interesting looks, the list of shoes for creating a basic wardrobe should include:
- For winter: classic flat boots, another one with a heel, as well as masculine-style lace-up boots.
- For spring: flat ankle boots, ankle boots, sneakers and rubber boots.
- For summer: loafers, pointed-toe high-heeled pumps, flat sandals.
- For autumn: suede ankle boots with heels, military-style boots.
It is impossible to assemble a basic wardrobe without accessories. Bags that should be in every woman's wardrobe:
- Leather, black or dark blue, gray, roomy.
- A small bag with a shoulder strap or a chain.
- Satin or guipure clutch.
The basis of the jewelry should be 3 accessories: a watch in a masculine style, a necklace (long chain + pendant), a wide metal bracelet. A stylish belt is also a must. It is better to choose wide belts for dresses, and narrow ones for trousers. Textile options are suitable for summer.
Gloves will be the highlight of the winter look. Long knitted models will go well with fur coats and short-sleeved coats.
A properly assembled basic wardrobe must include cashmere scarves or shawls. It is desirable that they have a gradient. The shade of the product should match the color of the woman's eyes. As for sunglasses, they should have smoky lenses.
Features of the right wardrobe taking into account age
The basic wardrobe of a girl aged 20–30 consists of classic strict black trousers suitable for work and study, 2 pairs of jeans - comfortable, stylish and fashionable. Boyfriends are considered comfortable, and skinny jeans are beautiful. A men's cut shirt that can be worn both to the office and in an informal setting is a must. A universal white T-shirt is relevant, which goes perfectly with skirts, jeans, trousers. For the off-season, it is worth buying a turtleneck, blazer and jacket. The products should be of good quality, made of high-quality materials, and monochromatic.
The must-have items in a woman's wardrobe aged 40–45 are slightly tapered or straight trousers, with a high or medium waist. They can be worn with an oversized white T-shirt. Of the skirts, it is better to choose a pencil skirt made of elastic, wrinkle-free fabric. The necessary minimum is a little black dress. For spring and autumn, it is worth buying turtlenecks in black, beige or white. In winter, you need a large knit sweater, gray or blue.
The minimum required items for a woman aged 50–60 include:
- A-line skirt made of light, flowing fabrics.
- Classic dresses of a strict cut without bright decorative elements.
- Straight trousers made from natural fabrics.
- Blouses made of expensive materials with a closed neckline.
Girls in their 20s and 30s can include in their wardrobe items not only of universal colors, but also of bright, eye-catching ones. Starting from the age of 40, it is better to choose clothes in neutral, calm shades. And at 45 and older, it is better to avoid items with a deep neckline, open shoulders, and short sleeves.
If a young fashionista will look organic in inexpensive things, then a mature woman should be more demanding of materials: expensive clothes made of fine fabrics are preferable.
Selecting a color scheme depending on the season
Depending on the season, basic wardrobe items are selected by color. Delicate, airy shades are suitable for spring:
- pale peach;
- mint;
- lavender;
- light yellow;
- cream;
- grey.
There are so many colors that are suitable for summer that you can't even count them: they are all bright, bold, sunny, marine, natural tones. But the official shade of the hot season is white. It goes perfectly with any color scheme, which means that you can create many different looks based on it. In addition, it is worth including in the classic summer wardrobe clothes of colors such as:
- citric;
- blue;
- tangerine;
- fuchsia;
- pink;
- turquoise.
Autumn is famous for its beautiful, muted colors. At this time of year, clothes in neutral, calm shades look harmonious. Examples of colors:
- khaki;
- purple;
- eggplant;
- mahogany;
- muted orange;
- coffee;
- mustard.
Every girl's basic winter wardrobe should include clothes in deep, rich colors. For example, cream, sapphire, chocolate shades. Marsala, carmine, black, gray, dark purple are also suitable.
The main clothes in the basic wardrobe should be of the colors listed above. Other, brighter and more juicy shades can be used in accessories and jewelry. But it should be remembered that fashion for many colors changes quickly, and in a season they may already be out of trend.
Once you have created a basic wardrobe, you can forget about the problem of choosing clothes for several years. It is enough to buy good quality items that will be in trend for years. However, you will still have to follow fashion, because spectacular and stylish looks based on classic clothes are obtained only with the participation of interesting accessories and expensive jewelry.
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