Basic is Boss
In my second job out of college, I worked in management for a clothing brand that was HAVING A MOMENT. 🔥
(My first job after graduation was with a lingerie brand and it was such a scandal that my uncle called me out at the Thanksgiving dinner table.)
But at that second job…the same fresh, beautiful, wearable clothes were being snatched up by both fly college kids and chic, upper middle class moms. They just mixed them up in different ways to create outfits that looked totally distinct.
That's where I learned the power of wardrobe basics that can be remixed into outfit formulas.
Sometimes, I refer to them as Outfit Recipes. 🍝
Just like a go-to pasta dish (pasta + protein + veggie + sauce), an outfit formula uses your basic pieces to remix endlessly.
A classic business casual formula might be: structured blazer + pants + tee + statement accessory.
One day it's a navy blazer with skinny jeans, ivory cashmere tee, and bold necklace. Next week? Same formula, but with a cream blazer, black ponte pants, blush top, and statement earrings.
Outfit formulas take the guesswork out of getting dressed, but still give you creative freedom. Once you know your formula, you can get dressed in minutes. I've seen this strategy work wonders for busy women who want to look polished without the stress of starting from scratch every morning.
Instead of staring at a closet full of clothes wondering what you’re going to wear, you can quickly grab "pants + tee + cardigan + flats" and know it's going to work.
The formula does the heavy lifting, leaving your mental energy for locating lost school permission slips and trying to dial into a conference call in the drop-off line. 🙄
Over the next few months, we’re going to explore the basics you need, and the outfit formulas that get you out the door and on your way to greatness! Or just Tuesday.
First up? Chambray shirts.
I believe that you can mix a chambray shirt with anything. And I’ll fight you on it.
I own four long-sleeved chambray shirts covering three different fabric weights, two sizes, and three washes. I am a believer in the power of a great chambray shirt. 💪
Chambray is like a dressier, more versatile and sophisticated cousin to denim. It’s created by weaving a colored thread (traditionally blue) with a white thread in a plain weave pattern. Picture a checkerboard where instead of black and white squares, you have colored and white threads crossing each other. This creates that distinctive chambray look that appears solid from a distance but has a subtle depth up close.
Mixing this dark chambray shirt with camel suiting gives it a relaxed but polished look, while keeping you in the maximum comfort zone.
A light chambray shirt with only one breast pocket is ideal for layering because it will lie flat under your cute sweater. Plus, the cotton keeps you cool.
A wardrobe of different washes and weights of chambray shirts will give you maximum flexibility, but you only have to start with one.
Have a wardrobe basic that you swear by? Leave a comment below and let me know what you depend on to get you through your week.
