1. Nude shoes.
Every girl should own at least one pair of nude coloured shoes for the simple reason that they make your legs look longer. The skin tone of the shoes gives the illusion of a longer leaner leg. There is a reason why you always see celebrities in nude shoes. Try and match something to your skin tone if you can, and in an ideal world have a peep toe pair and a classic pump pair. Nude shoes are sold everywhere. (Photo below courtesy of Donny Galella)
Sounds boring right? But a black blazer goes with everything (smartens up denim, goes with an evening or day dress, works with trousers, looks great with a 50's skirt). Get one that is fitted and tailored at the waist that sits above the hips. The whole point of a blazer is to show off your waist. So those long boyfriend jackets are awesome if you are a size 6 but won't do much for you if you are a size 10 and your best asset is hidden. Go for something lined (preferably in a contrasting colour). This is something you should spend money on, as you will wear it for years to come. Great places to invest are Witchery, Cue, Country road, Ojay, Morrissey and some of the concessions in David Jones.
3. 5 decent white singlets.
Why 5? Well the white singlet is often the basis of any outfit, or is grabbed in the morning when you are out of your mind in a rush and can't find what to wear. But not all singlets go with everything. So get 5, and you do not need to spend more than $20 on each. One needs to be long with thick straps, one needs to have thin straps, one needs to be short, one should be ribbed, In fact get two long ones. I can't tell you how many white singlets I have. It must be about 15 now.
4. A classic pair of straight leg mid denim jeans
Mid blue denim will never go out of fashion, especialy if you get a straight leg. And I mean straight leg and not boot leg. Boot leg jeans are for women in their 50's, we're not in the 90's anymore. Straight leg jeans are the most flattering style on any shape especially when worn with heels. A straight leg can also be turned up for when you are wearing ballet flats. You do need to spend money on a pair of good jeans, the reason being the more you spend, the better the denim, the better the cut, and the better they are at sucking you in. I've found True Religion to do the best straight leg jeans for my shape (Big legs, small waist) but you need to find what works for you. Spend a day in the denim section in DJ's or Myer (or any good dept. store) and then find those bad boys online at the best cost.
Large black fabulous sunnies make any outfit look expensive (to use Alex Perrys words). You can wear them with anything. They even turn a dirty messy hairstyle into something glamourous. Pretty much every major fashion label does the classic black pair. Look for what works with you face shape, but go for something a little bit oversized. Great for hiding hangovers, crying at work, hayfever and much much more!
Stay tuned for more staples later this week!
Everyone should have a selection of basics. You could even create a guys list that is remarkably similar - brown leather shoes, navy sportcoat, white shirt, blue jeans, raybans.
ReplyDeleteThe trick, as with anything style-related, is putting your own spin on the basics. Brown suede brouges instead of leather oxfords, tweed blazer instead of navy cotton, natural indigo selvedge denim, etc.
Would be interesting to see how girls make the same tweaks.