Basic wardrobe doesn't mean neutral
The bold opinion: basic wardrobe doesn’t necessarily need a white tee, plain sneakers, and jeans. And it also doesn’t have to look like this 👇🥱
In fact, your basic wardrobe can include a bright knit, leopard print pants or even a grunge graphic tee.
The concept of the basic wardrobe changed and old ‘one-size-fits-all’ checklists just don’t work anymore. If you don’t like blazers or don’t wear sneakers, they have no place in your basic wardrobe.
Instead, the concept of cost per wear, meaning how often we'll wear an item and how well it will justify its price, is becoming more relevant.
Key basics vs. neutrals
I came across the ingenious idea of key basics vs neutrals from Anuschka Rees, the author of The Curated Closet.
The key basics are those that scream 'you'. Say, you love a structured coat, printed pants, or that pair of clogs that you can’t live without – these are your non-negotiables. They're the ones that make your style stand out, not just pieces to fill the space.
Neutrals are the items you toss in to make everything else look put together. They’re the plain tees, those jeans you wear so much they could walk on their own, the belts that don’t steal the show, and plain bags and skirts.
To explain more figuratively:
Consider your key basics as the lead singers in your style band – always on the front cover of your fashion magazine.
Meanwhile, neutral basics are like the drummers – essential, but not always in the spotlight, yet without them, the band just wouldn’t rock the same. They’re the the comfy cotton undies: always there, essential, but not hogging the limelight.
How to identify your key basics
✅ Consistency. You typically wear your key basics for 10-12 months a year. If you have radically different seasons, some may be specifically for winter (e.g., wool longsleeve) or summer (linen longsleeve). You also wear these pieces consistently.
✅ Comfort. You feel comfortable in these items, and they represent your style – they're the equivalent of your fashion comfort zone.
✅ Indispensability. You update these items when they wear out and you can’t imagine your closet without them.
✅ Functionality. Versatility is key. These pieces take you from day to night, desk to dinner, seamlessly blending with various accessories. They're the fashion equivalent of a Swiss Army knife.
✅ Low-maintenance. Wardrobe staples mix and match effortlessly and get along with (almost) all of your wardrobe. They’re also easy to wash and take care for.
The ratio between key basics, neutrals, and some trendy accent pieces can be blurry and depends on your style.
As a general rule, stylists recommend to have around 80% of key basics and neutrals and 20% of trendy situational pieces for a functional wardrobe.
However, there’s always a BUT…
If clean girl aesthetics makes you yawn, your ratio could be 50% key basics and neutrals 50% eye-catching trends.
Remember, your wardrobe is like a personal playlist – only you know which hits will have you dancing all day long!
With love ❤️
Kathy - "There's no place like home, and no style like your own."