Versatile Clothing Pieces for Your Wardrobe
Whether you want to choose where to focus your clothing budget or streamline your wardrobe, maximizing the flexibility of your wardrobe is all about selecting the most versatile basics possible. Stock your closet with long-wearing, high-quality basics that offer superior versatility. You can be sure that you are ready for anything. Knowing what to wear is half of relaxing and having a good time. Let's talk about the most versatile outfits and basics you can choose for your wardrobe.
Timeless Jeans
Women’s jeans are more versatile than they have ever been before. Our society grows more casual, and our jeans dressier with each passing year. If you select a great-fitting pair of women's jeans in a dark wash, you honestly can wear them almost anywhere. Consider straight-leg or trouser-cut jeans if you want to lean into dressier looks. Flattering jeans look great with crisp white canvas sneakers and a Breton tee, then equally fabulous with heels and a cashmere sweater. That kind of adaptability makes good jeans a smart wardrobe basic.
As for what jeans you should have as a closet staple, mid-rise skinny jeans in black work through various ways to wear them. Dress it up with a blazer, top, and statement necklace. Throw on those heels for a night out on the town. Keep it casual with sneakers and a hoodie. These skinny jeans transition well from the office to nighttime.
The other denim staple you should have in your wardrobe is mid-rise bootcut jeans. These jeans sit slightly below the waist. They’re ideal for wearing with boots or sneakers. Lean into a 90s aesthetic with oval sunglasses. Longer hems also bode well with heels to elongate your legs and present a trendy aesthetic choice.
Lovely Leggings
Let’s stop arguing about whether or not leggings are pants. They’re comfy. They’re athleisure-chic. You can wear them to the gym, to the mall, or all day at home and no one can tell you anything. Plus, they even come with pockets nowadays. Get yourself some high-rise Serious Sweats fleece-lined pocket leggings. You can seriously sweat in these leggings and stick your hands and other little goodies in the pockets. To get the best of both worlds, get the jeans of leggings: jeggings. They feel like leggings but look like jeans.
The Dressy Blazer
A blazer is much more versatile than most people realize. You know to pair a blazer with dress pants or a skirt for the office, but when was the last time you threw a blazer on as a light topper on a chilly day? Or added a blazer to an outfit of skinny jeans and a sequined top for girls' night out? You probably wouldn't think to because many people consider blazers workwear and not much else, but a well-fitting blazer can fit into almost any area of your wardrobe.
A navy blazer over a white T-shirt is magically crisp and can be matched with bottoms ranging from your most distressed jeans to your sleekest pencil skirt. The blazer will be the piece that elevates and polishes your outfit, no matter what the outfit is. You'll find that you are appropriate to nearly any occasion when you wear a blazer. Unexpected work meeting? Add a blazer to whatever you're wearing, and you instantly look pulled together. At home wearing leggings and an old band T-shirt when you realize you need milk? Tossing on a blazer instead of a hoodie makes your decrepit band tee seem like a cool vintage piece, not a middle school relic! Blazers are unsung heroes of any flexible wardrobe, and we hope to open your eyes to their place among the five most versatile wardrobe basics.
The Good Ol’ T-Shirt
For many people, tees are everyday wear. Whether it's printed with a funny graphic or a simple base for the rest of your outfit, women’s T-shirts are a must-have item for pretty much everyone. Shop for a women's T-shirt when you need a tee that fits your frame and figure. Look for a medium-weight piece that you could use to layer in cooler weather or wear on its own in warmer weather. A crewneck T-shirt is the most versatile wardrobe basic you can get. A v-neck tee is the kind of tee you can pair with jeans on the weekends, wear under a blazer at work, slip on with a women's flannel shirt for cozy evenings or top with a cardigan for a polished casual look. White is always a good choice for flexibility, but heather grey, rose quartz pink, and black are extremely versatile, too!
The Cozy Scarf
A scarf you love can be worn dozens of different ways and even stand in for several different accessories. We recommend silk twill for its strength and durability, and if you select a scarf in a pattern and colors that complement most of your wardrobe, you will have an extremely flexible add-on that will help make the most of your clothing. Think about the simple square scarf—the 24"x24" silk scarves you may remember from your mom's high school photos or your grandma's wardrobe. This accessory piece can be worn as a ponytail tie or kerchief, a neck scarf knotted around your neck or a cravat tucked into your blouse. If you are willing to go a little further, you could use it as a poofy, feminine pocket square, tie it on your handbag for a little flair, or, with the proper fold, actually wear it as a bracelet. If you’re looking for something with more weight, check out all of our winter scarves.
The Comfy Cardigan
As a grown-up yourself, you probably see perfectly, now, the wisdom of having a women's cardigan sweater available all the time as a light topper, but have you thought about the role a cardigan plays in a well-planned and functional wardrobe? Cardigans offer amazing flexibility in a wardrobe basic, especially if you choose carefully for maximum versatility.
Cashmere sweaters wear well for three seasons of the year and can look good for a lifetime if well-cared-for, but fine gauge cotton is beautiful, too, and might be worn on cool summer evenings as well. You can choose the fabric and knit right for you based on your climate or lifestyle. Maximizing the versatility of a fantastic cardigan is as simple as considering new ways to wear it. You have surely worn a cardigan as a light topper, over a blouse or tee at the office or a social occasion, and over a versatile dress to extend its use into cooler weather. Button up your cardigan and wear it as a stand-alone sweater. Wear your buttoned-up cardigan as a scarf. Tied properly, there's nothing "80s tennis club" about it!
Wardrobe Versatility, Responsible Consumption, and Streamlined Mornings
Choosing the most versatile wardrobe basics can make sense in so many areas of our lives. Not only can you focus your clothing budget on quality pieces that will last a long time, but you can streamline your purchases down to what you will wear and love. It's both financially and ecologically responsible to buy wisely. Build a wardrobe around these five most versatile wardrobe basics to get the most out of your wardrobe, your clothing budget, and your styling creativity.