Ever since I decided to stop sweating the small stuff and start focusing on building a perfect wardrobe I've thought much much more about what the real 'staples' of my closet are. And, when it all reduced down, it became clear. Instead of pieces or items, it was colours that formed the building blocks of my day to day wardrobe. I had similar items in a multitude of colours for combining and using in different outfits at different times. Rarely (actually, only really at work) do I wear the same colour head to toe. But, I realised, as I thumbed through my almost identical tee shirts, my same-same cut skirts, my mannish coats, there was potential here to do so. Head to toe tonal dressing is very "in" right now, but it also requires intense focus. Tones need to be varied in order to make the look work. Head to toe black is the easiest, because everything will go with each other. But with the wide spectrum of greys, browns, khakis, navys and beiges on offer it is a lot more difficult to work a complete outfit out of those bad boys. But, if you can get tones right, then the outfit will be a spectacular minimalist feat. Deceptively simple, it creates the illusion of totality about an outfit that is immensely flattering. Everything goes together (even if they don't), because they are all the same.
In a perfect world - the perfect world I am slowly working towards - all my clothes would work well together, but also on their own in their respective colour groups, too. I would have blacks, greys, khakis, navy blues and a smattering of charcoals and caramel-y tans to mix it up. The occasional crimson, violent red as well, just for change. But the majority of it would fall into these easy neutrals. Why? Because they work all year round. With the exception perhaps of black these are colours that are ageless, seasonless, timeless. There is a reason why all the heralded wardrobe staples - trench coats, little black dress, white shirt - are in neutral colours and not brights. Because more than anything else in fashion it is colours - neutral colours, that is - that will never go out of fashion. Sure, they rotate in and out of the inner sanctum, camel is having a moment right now, a couple of season's ago it was khaki's moment in the sun, this season it was white, next it could be ice grey's turn. But in reality they are always there, always in the stores, always worn. If I were a betting woman then I would place money on them being the colours that make up every woman's wardrobe - along with denim blue. I have a few grey pieces, many black ones, some brown ones and some navy blues ones. But my project for now is to acquire more. I want to get some beautiful Bassike oversized tee shirts in steel grey, a pullover with elbow patches in a khaki brown, a mannish overcoat in black or grey, some more a-line, long-ish skirts in grey, khaki or navy blue, a button down shirt in simple cotton in grey, navy, khaki and black.... the list goes on. As I steadily add to that list I can see the foundations of my wardrobe building. A wardrobe that will, hopefully carry me through well into the future.
Rachel comey coat, acne jumper, comme des garcons hat, antonio berardi skirt, alexander wang clutch, karen walker sunglasses, sigerson morrison ballet flats
isabel marant etoile coat, joseph jumper, prism glasses, chanel khaki vert nail polish, janice savit necklace, proenza schouler ps1, sportsmax pencil skirt, surface to air wedges
Rachel comey coat, bassike tee, stella mccartney lace bra, proenza schouler skirt, michael kors watch, reed krakoff boots, proenza schouler suede ps1
mary katranzou cuff, t by alexander wang tee shirt, stella mccartney coat, proenza schouler ps1 clutch, stella mccartney pants, rupert sanderson boots, diptyque philosykos perfume
And all together now: items as before,
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