Wardrobe staples and what they reveal about our personal style

Plus, the myth of the infamous list.

Have you ever felt lost with your style? So lost that you looked to outside sources for the answer to all your wardrobe woes?

Was one of those sources a list of the must-have wardrobe staples that every woman should own?

Yeah, me too!

I used to read a lot of fashion magazines. The obsession started when I was in high school. I grew up in a rural town in northern Canada and there wasn’t much to do besides read. Luckily, the local motel had a magazine rack and they stocked Teen, Seventeen and YM. As I got older, I started reading Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. It’s been a few years since I’ve bought one (they started to get a little ad heavy) but now that I’m saying it, I think it might be nice to pick one up.

I can’t tell you the number of wardrobe staple lists that I’ve read in my lifetime, all promising me the perfect wardrobe if I bought these items, but it’s pretty extensive.

Back before social media, influencers and affiliate links, I remember that it was usually around 10 wardrobe staples (but a quick google search for “wardrobe staples women” produces lists of 16, 27 and 40 items, just to name a few, muddying the waters even more), and although my memory is a little fuzzier on the contents of these lists, I think it went something like this:

1. tan trench coat

2. white tee

3. white button down

4. crew neck sweater

5. blue jeans

6. black pants

7. little black dress

8. black ankle boots

9. tan ballet flats

10. sneakers

It’s not a bad little list. I could build quite a few outfits from this little capsule wardrobe. Maybe I’ll refer back to it the next time that I have a trip, although I’d be missing a couple of the items - 4 to be exact (tan trench coat, white button down, black heeled boots, tan ballet flats), but I could find some similar items in my wardrobe to substitute.

I also remember going out and buying these types of items and then never wearing them. Quite a few times.

There was the tan trench coat that I bought from Banana Republic shortly after the birth of my second child. I was struggling with my postpartum body and I didn’t feel like I had any idea how to dress it. I turned to these lists as a way to feel more stylish.

I don’t think I wore that trench coat more than 3 times. I eventually put it in a garbage bag to declutter with a bunch of other items. It then sat in the back of my car for a while, before being transferred to the trunk of a rental car following an accident, where I forgot all about it and when I remembered the bag a day after returning the rental, it was nowhere to be found.

Something like this (image via bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.com)

And oh, how I mourned that trench coat that I never wore. Luckily, I didn’t buy one to replace it, which was uncharacteristic of me at that time in my life.

Then there were the countless white button downs that I bought, never wore and donated (on repeat). My last one was a white linen shirt that I bought at a consignment shop. I tried so many times to wear it and it never worked. It eventually got downgraded to a bathing suit coverup. I think I donated it last spring. I have since learned that I love shirts but prefer a print, such as striped or checkered, or a color (blue).

I think the main problem with these lists is that they are taken at face value too often. They are seen as the rule for a stylish wardrobe, instead of the starting point. They lack an individual component, the aspects that make them truly reflective of the person wearing them.

They’re a one size fits all solution, but we know that rarely works.

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My Wardrobe Staples

If I had to choose 10 wardrobe staples today, based on the items in my wardrobe that I currently love AND wear the most, they would be (clockwise, from top left):

1. green suede Pendleton jacket, thrifted 2023

2. blue/black quilted vintage OshKosh vest, thrifted 2021

3. grey wool Moth mockneck with dog face print, consignment 2024

4. b/w checkered Christopher & Banks shirt, thrifted 2024

5. black Everlane utility pants, consignment 2022

6. black Agolde jeans, online consignment 2020

7. black Naadam cashmere sweater, consignment 2023

8. black Frye moto boots, new 2012

9. black Eileen Fisher slip dress, thrifted 2021

10. black Baserange wrap dress, new 2024

These items are very winter specific and geared for a colder climate. If I redid this list in the summer, it would look a little different.

The first thing I notice about my list is that there’s a lot of black clothes here. There was a time that I tried to move away from this. From around 2021-2024, I tried to add more color - I would see other’s outfits on IG and how colorful and joyful they were and I wanted that too. So I thrifted, a lot. And I found lots of colorful clothes, culminating with the red leather jacket that was the catalyst for my no buy year.

And I’d wear them a few times, but most eventually found their way to the donation pile. Even the red leather jacket has suffered this fate!

It was a long, drawn-out lesson in trusting my instincts and dressing in items that make me feel good - and accepting that black clothing does that for me!

“Great personal style is an extreme curiosity about yourself.”

- Iris Apfel

What I Like/Don’t Like

Over the past year and a half, as I’ve not been buying clothes (minus my rebound period), I have been focused on the clothes that I own and trying to figure out what types of clothing (and their properties) that I really like to wear:

1. I prefer darker, neutral colors. The majority of my wardrobe is black and grey.

2. Through my time experimenting with color, I have realized that I enjoy wearing blue, green, purple and red, but I don’t own many items in the last 2 colors.

3. The materials that I like the most are cashmere, alpaca, wool, silk and cotton. I don’t really like linen - I think it lacks the structure that I prefer in my outfits. For sewing, I love silk noil and cotton. I avoid synthetic materials such as polyester, acrylic and nylon wherever I can. However, I have athleisure and workout clothing in these materials.

4. I prefer structured outfits, but worn in a casual way. Think a crisp checkered shirt, a checkered blazer, a pair of jeans and moto boots, with a bolo tie.

   

   I really loved this outfit!

5. I like juxtaposition in my outfits. Ex - a sweet cardigan paired with streetwear pants and sneakers.

6. I dress to be stylish but if an outfit is uncomfortable, I will start over - comfort > everything!

7. I own a lot of outerwear, but it’s really cold in the winter here and sometimes, my coat is all I can see of my outfit, so I feel justified :)

8. I don’t like overly big handbags. As long as I have room for my phone, wallet (when I carry it - I usually just use a cardholder on the back of my phone), keys, a lip gloss and maybe a book, I am set!

9. When it comes to sweaters, I prefer a crew neck to a v-neck, and a roll or mockneck to a turtleneck.

10. I don’t like oversized items that are simply too big - while I do like an oversized fit, I want the item to be intentionally oversized in the body but still fit well in the shoulders and sleeve length.

Future Plans for My Wardrobe

Based on what I’ve learned about my personal style, here are some changes/additions that I’d like to make in the future:

1. I’d like to replace my red leather jacket with a red sweater. A red sweater was actually the item that I had on my wish list when I bought the jacket and I wish I had held out for it. The jacket just seems too loud and I don’t feel entirely comfortable when I wear it. I think that a red sweater, in cashmere, alpaca or wool feels softer (literally and figuratively).

2. I have been thinking about adding a trench coat in the future, but it would be more of a car coat style and I’d want it in navy, charcoal, dark green or a cool-toned tan (taupe?). I think I would look for a long liner jacket to be able to extend it into the winter.

3. For the longest time, I’ve had a long wool coat on my wish list, preferably in navy or charcoal. I recently found one on eBay and it’s perfect.

4. I recently did a 10x10 capsule wardrobe and I included a pair of black jeans. I really enjoyed wearing them and the outfits that I made with them. I only have 3 pairs of jeans (2 are black and 1 is memade but they’re a bit too big so I’m limited with styling them) and I would really like to add a few pairs over the year (medium and dark blue washes; maybe in a wide and straight leg) - if you have a style of jean that you ABSOLUTELY LOVE, please share them in the comments 🫶🏻

5. I’d like to add Mary Jane flats in black, silver or red.

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I recently downloaded the Indyx app with the intention of digitizing my wardrobe.

I have fought against doing this for a while because I’m afraid of how many clothing items I own and this will give me an actual number that I can’t ignore. But I’m really trying to stop striving for a certain number of items in my wardrobe. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I just really like clothes, so all that I’m striving for now is to have a wardrobe full of items that I love AND wear. That’s it!

I’ve also been lured by the promise of wardrobe stats…my engineering heart loves the stats! However, I’ve been dragging my feet on this project and the free trial window (to see wardrobe stats for free) has expired. It remains to be seen if I continue this wardrobe app endeavor or if I just do something in Excel when I put together my quarterly outfit diary summary.

I’d really love to hear what your 5 (or10) wardrobe staples are - do you feel like they reflect your personal style?

Thanks for reading! xx Gillian