Most of the clothes you wear in a given week are probably a “basic” piece of your wardrobe like a t-shirt, pair of slacks or walking shoes.
We wear these pieces the most, so buy ones that you love, blend well with your wardrobe and stand the test of time.
Tips for your next ‘basics’ purchase:
1. Comfort is king: This probably seems like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to give someone a band aid because their new shoes gave them blisters. Sometimes we’re in a rush to replace a basic because it’s such a necessary part of our wardrobe, but remember to slow down and really make sure a piece is comfortable for you or you’ll regret it later.
Walk down the shoe aisle while trying on a few different sizes
Sit down in the dressing room while trying on pants
Raise your arms to make sure the shoulders and sleeves give you enough mobility.
2. Look for a little bit of yourself in the piece: There are more choices than ever when it comes to clothing, which can be overwhelming. You’ll be more likely to wear, take care of and keep a piece for a long time if it’s special to you. The best way to do this is to better understand your style and what you like so that the pieces that best fit your wardrobe stick out to you while shopping. For me, I love fabric. I found these black swishy sweatpants and was immediately drawn to them because they have interesting translucent patches on them. If you don’t have a favorite fabric, you may have a specific color, pattern or style that is special to you.
3. Quality is queen: A basic isn’t any good to your wardrobe if it falls apart after a few wears. Look for pieces that have:
Solid fabric that won’t pill easily or is weak in the seams.
Make sure you know how to take care of a garment when it gets dirty. One thing I’ve found helpful when wearing white is to keep a tiny bottle of OxiClean in my purse to remove stains immediately. Over the summer, a dog with muddy paws jumped on me while I was wearing all white and I was luckily able to remove all the dirt without leaving a stain by using this trick!
