Getting dressed in the morning can be a chore! With the right basic pieces to build a wardrobe, you can have a base for any classic outfit. If you have classic closet essentials, you can literally get dressed in 5 minutes and achieve classic outfits.
No matter what your personal style is, you can find your own sense of these basics. Maybe you look better in a V neck shirt instead of a crew neck like I am linking, but the same “basics” can be applied to your style.
T-Shirts
Depending on if you like more loose boyfriend T’s or fitted T’s, they are staples that every woman should have in her closet. You can dress them up or down, layer them under dresses or flannels, and of course just as is to create classic outfits.
Stick with a high neck or V neck (scoop necks don’t look good on me and can look sloppy), a full shoulder sleeve (stay away from cap sleeve unless you have the arms of a Michelle Obama), and a nice length for your body height. Now, this is just my personal opinion for my body type, you might look better in a V neck.
Gap has my FAVORITE t-shirts. They last a really long time (I’ve had mine for 4 years), hold their shape, aren’t see-through, and fit really nice. Oh and at full price, they are just $20, but you can almost always find them on sale. I have these shirts in white and gray and in the long sleeve version too, but they also have black.
Jeans
Jeans are essential for my classic outfits formula. I wear them every day unless I’m wearing a dress. But if you don’t like jeans, you can take this next basic and tailor the same idea with either dress pants or another type of your choice.
Fitted Jeans
This could either be high-waisted skinny jeans or straight-leg jeans depending on your body type or what you feel comfortable in. I like straight legs because they don’t make my butt look massive compared to the rest of my body proportion. I do have some skinny jeans but I make sure they are ankle skinny jeans to show off my small ankles.
High waisted is the way to go as it helps bring in the waist of you naturally having one creating that hourglass shape. And they are just more comfortable than having a muffin top.
I haven’t found the perfect jeans that fit well and are a decent price, but I actually do like Old Navy’s Jeans.
Everlane has some great options that are AMAZING quality. Below are some linked and the pair that I have.
Girlfriend/Mom Jeans
This is my favorite style to wear because they are a little baggy. My personal favorites are from Old Navy. Another favorite is from Banana Republic but they are more of the mom style. These are super easy to dress up or down, you can wear these with sneakers or booties. And if you have wider hips, they help to balance them out without being so slick to your body.
Outerwear
Now that we have our base layer, let’s move into our additives to create those classic outfits. Your outerwear might change depending on your location, but these are perfect for a fall day or a chilly summer evening. If you get 2 feet of snow, you will want to add a puffer to your collection.
For more ideas of winter jackets, check out this blog post I did on all the different types.
Cardigans/Flannels
I am lumping these together because they are layering pieces. I love layering cardigans and flannels over a basic t-shirt all year round especially when working in an office. Flannels can be considered more of a fall and a cardigan is more like winter, but I wear them all year.
I look for flannels that are made from FLANNEL material, not the thin stuff. I like to get mine from American Eagle and Hollister. This one from Hollister (I got a size Large) is like a shacket (shirt/jacket) so it feels a little thicker than just a regular flannel which is nice.
My cardigan preferences change, but I usually get them from Walmart, Target, Banana Republic, or JCrew. Most of mine are pretty thick but you can also get ones that are thinner depending on your location and weather.
Dress Coat
To class up an outfit, throw on a dress coat, like the tan coat I have here. You can dress up jeans or have a coat that doesn’t throw off your vibe with a dress. These are great to layer within the winter and look classy for years. If you don’t like tan, get grey, black, or even colored ones.
I got mine from Jcrew, but also remember about the Jcrew Factory! Their jackets can be expensive because they are wool but look for deals and utilize this blog post I wrote about my favorite affordable stores and how to save up to 40% every time.
Utility Jackets
Utility jackets are always a staple. If you get a lined one, you can wear it in various weather and still look chic. Get one that cinches in at the waist to define it more so you don’t get drowned in it. I like ones with hoods if it’s lined so I can wear it just in case it rains in the Spring.
Look at places like HM, JCrew, and Nordstroms to find one that’s your ideal style and color of green. You can also get it in a tan-ish safari color if you don’t like green.
This type of jacket looks good with casual dresses and can even slightly dress up just jeans and sneakers. I wear mine all the time and always pack it when I travel.
Denim Jackets
Personally, I don’t always wear my denim jackets, but I feel like you should always have one. I CANNOT wear denim on denim, but you can wear whatever you want. Denim jackets look the best with dresses or skirts.
My closet was without one for a few years and I always wished I had one for those outfits that needed it as a finishing touch or the right layering piece when going out to a restaurant or a chilled night. My favorite one I have found is from GAP (linked).
Shoes
Shoes are closet essentials, duh. No shirt, no SHOES, no service. Shoes can add a little sompthin’, sompthin’ and it can make your outfit look drab if you don’t have the right shoes for your look. But you don’t need a lot of shoes to have different looks so here are my top basics.
Simple Sneakers
Whatever color of sneakers you want, you can’t go wrong with a nice, simple white sneaker. I have 2 of my personal favorites here. I have one that is totally plain and one with a little added detail that can help make the outfit a little more dressy.
Sneakers are just so simple to style, jeans, dresses, leggings, everything! And comfortable! If you are going to be walking around a lot you don’t have to wear workout sneakers, you just got to find a simple, slim shoe to avoid blisters but still be cute.
Slides/Loafer
Once Gucci came out with their loafer slides, everyone has them and styles them, but you don’t have to spend all that $$ on that brand. I got mine for Target ($30) and literally wear them every day in the fall until I have to wear boots.
It’s hard for me to wear shoes without socks, but with loafer slides, you kinda have to. They are nice because they are more dressy than just sandals. So if you struggle with not wearing socks like me, think of it as wearing sandals. But you can also get loafers with a back so you could wear no-show socks.
Heeled Ankle Booties
I LOVE heeled ankle booties! They can make a casual girlfriend jean outfit into classic outfits instead of wearing a flat shoe. Every few years, I get mine from Target but they usually last 2-3 seasons and I always get back because I wear more black than brown or tan (black boots also have a great contrast with the tan coat FYI).
If I’m wearing a dress, sometimes I’ll add some ruffle socks or scrunch down some crew dress socks to add a fun element to the look and you will keep your feet extra warm!
Tall Boots
Tall boots could be riding boots, slouchy knee-length boots, or even thigh-high boots. But, like the denim jacket, I always felt when I didn’t have a pair was when I had an outfit idea and didn’t have them.
I have the Basic Fall Girl brown riding boots, but they are classic for classic outfits! You can wear them with an all-black outfit to add some contrast or with a summer floral dress with a cardigan to dress it for fall.
Accessories
The last category for your closet essentials is accessories. Accessories, kind of like shoes, can add so much to an outfit and switch it up. Wear the same basics every day but change up the accessories and you have a new look.
Earrings
If you don’t like wearing earrings, you could use necklaces instead, but I personally like earrings to add a statement to my outfit and finish off the look. Earrings can draw attention to your face and away from your basic outfit. Don’t wear too much jewelry at once, that’s why I stick with just earrings. Choose a necklace or earrings, but if they are both dainty, then that works too.
I find my earrings usually on clearance at Walmart, Jcrew Factory, Target, HM, and sometimes Forever21. I don’t want to spend a ton of money on them because I usually lose them. But that’s a ‘me’ problem. Another great place is TjMaxx, Nordstrom Rack, or Marshalls for higher-end jewelry pieces but also affordable.
I also have an Etsy shop where I make and sell one-of-a-kind earrings. Check out some of my favs:
Hats
Hats are awesome to add to any outfit when it just needs something or if your hair is really not working that day. This could be a baseball cap, cabby hat, fedora type hat, bowler hat, anything!
One thing I have found with hats is that most are too big for me. Look for adjustable ones or shop at stores that have different sizing options. I don’t spend a lot of money on hats mainly because I don’t always take the best care of them, and when I first started, I didn’t know what style I was going to like the best for me.
The best places to buy hats are at Target because most of them are adjustable and HM because they have different sizing. They are both affordable and during the fall, Target sometimes has 20% off their accessories with their Circle App.
Headbands/Hair Accessories
Like hats, headbands can add something to an outfit and help hide bad hair. If you don’t like headbands, you can add bows, clips, or a fun scrunchy to your hair. These are my staples for classic outfits and to make the outfit more classy, too.
I have an Etsy shop where I make hair accessories from headbands to bows. Here are some of my favs:
Those are my 13 classic closet essentials with basic pieces to build a wardrobe, that makes getting dressed a piece of cake.
What are your closet essentials for classic outfits? Did I miss anything?
XO, Annie