I've been thinking about this "essentials" vs. "statements" issue the past few days. To me, a big part of the confusion comes down to how we choose to interpret those two labels. Once you move away from Angie's definitions, the usefulness of her system isn't as apparent. .

If you think of an outfit in the same way an artist thinks of the composition of a painting, it seems that Angie is using "essentials" and "statements" in the same way that an artist uses positive and negative space to create balance and harmony in a painting. I'm definitely a newbie in my artistic attempts, but I quickly learned my beginner's tendency to fill a picture plane with subject matter led to a chaotic mess. As soon as I grasped that negative space (the area around my subject matter) was just as important, my compositions became much more interesting and pleasing. Negative space acted as a support system; it didn't take attention away from the positive matter, but complemented it. To me, that's what Angie seems to be alluding to with her "essentials" and "statements".

Negative space doesn't have to be a neutral colour, although it can be, nor does it have to be a solid shade. Even a brief tour through an art gallery will give you a sense of how creative artists can be with their "backgrounds". Sometimes the negative space, in the hands of a talented artist, may even subtly dominate the composition--but the negative space still exists to support the subject by providing a place where the eye can rest.

I think of my "essentials" as negative space for the focal point of my outfit. I choose my statement piece and then choose other pieces to act as my support because I want an outfit which is dynamic but harmonious, and not just a confusing jumble of objects. If I choose to introduce secondary focal points, I need to remind myself they are there to reflect and support, not to compete, with what I've chosen to highlight as my main statement The big lesson, though, is to not make the newbie error of dismissing the importance of and inherent creativity in creating a good support structure, or negative space, for my main player.

I think it would be fun to make "crazy leggings" as your signature. Something that you wear daily, or almost daily. And then build your wardrobe around them. I'm not sure if that makes them an essential or a statement, but it doesn't really matter because you have a plan and cohesiveness.

Crazy leggings are my bakery staple. I'm really rather averse to plain ones. They seem to go over well in the context.

Gaylene, I think you are right about negative space and the sync up with Angie. I have to think about this in the context of pattern mixing which I like and Angie has shown many an example of. Mostly I try to minimize visual vibration, but there's more to it...

Rachylou -- your Gucci items are your statement pieces.

Gucci Gucci Gucci!

But I don't have the white loafers!

I guess I don't have any statements. People usually notice my jewelry or shoes.

It's kinda like what Alexandra was talking about, maybe ... do you think Betty?

For all that I wear crazy pattern, I don't feel I wear a statement that often either.

When I see posts about statement pieces, I always think my wardrobe doesn't have any. Even though my necklaces get noticed, they aren't the type that are advertised as statement necklaces. They're just different from what is sold in department stores. I think that's why they get noticed. Fine by me.

Interesting comments about negative space and how it relates to pattern mix. Before I got there I was wondering how the model holds up in maximal, pattern mixing-type outfits. I think the more statements you are wearing, the less statement-y they individually become. If super wacky, I suppose the entire outfit becomes a statement. But in some cases the effect is more a harmonious blend that reduces the statement effect.
For me, like any model or thought framework, statements vs. essentials can be interesting to ponder but won't be revelatory for everyone. My dressing needs are very simple: 'jeans' and 'tops'. Looking around any store, tops are way more likely to be the statements. So I didn't really need to think about this. It just is. Very conventional and easy.

Thinking about this today. No answers, but I'm wearing a pair of sailor jeans and a graphic top with a coffee press on it. I guess either of these could be construed as a statement, though I don't feel statement-y in them. They also both fall outside of the range of what I consider my essentials, but I wear them a lot because they have certain style properties I appreciate. I don't like to wear my sailor jeans with striped shirts, feels too typical. Likewise my graphic tees with my 501s and other slouchy jeans. So my sailor pants enable me to keep my graphic tees and band tees in rotation, and my graphic tees justify the existence of my sailor jeans. I may not do a uniform, but I do do formulae. I think my desire for a swishy skirt may also be about bringing my graphic tees back into the fold. They feel a bit orphaned when I'm always wearing slouchy jeans + crisp top.

But statement? I dunno, I think sometimes the statement is in the juxtaposition of items rather than in the individual items. Think of wearing all black, or all denim. The individual pieces are basic, but the effect is not.

OK, I'm going to wade in with a couple of other thoughts:

Is it possible we get stuck in thinking certain items MUST be statements because of their color, shape, rarity, or uniqueness? If I think of a "statement" as the focal point of an outfit--the centre of interest as it were--instead of as a quality intrinsic to a particular item, it opens up the concept instead of being so restrictive. For example, La P's sailor pants and graphic T outfit could have either the T or the pants as its focal point, depending on which piece is the attention-grabber. If the T's coffee press is where my eye goes first, that becomes her outfit's statement piece; the sailor pants are a secondary focal point which supports the graphic T because of its witty counterpoint--a kind of "Have a COFFEE, sailor!" comment. If La P's sailor pants are the attention-getter because of their dramatic sweep or design, the T becomes the secondary focal point--a "SAILOR--need a coffee?" vibe.

A pair of Pucci leggings would be a statement piece for many people, but, in Rachylou's case might be subordinate in the context of an outfit which featured an attention-grabbing veiled beanie or sweater with a unusual design feature. Wearing multiple patterns juxtaposed together in an outfit can mute the attention grabbing quality of those patterns enough so the patterns become a background to a single bold statement piece in a solid color.

Statement pieces are the attention-grabbers, but gain that property in the context of an outfit or situation. And, if I think of a statement as the attention-grabber, my statements aren't restricted to just clothes. Jewelry, scarves, handbags, hair, makeup--they can all become candidates for the focal point for an outfit. Grace Torrington's mass of curly red hair was the statement for many of her outfits, while Elizabeth II gets to wear fabulous statement jewels with her "essential" white ballgowns.

Ok, I'll wade in here.

Your crazy patterned leggings are statements, AND they are your signature items, AND for you they are essentials -- but it's the legging part that makes them essentials, not the crazy part.

You could still get dressed if they were plain black, you just wouldn't be dressed in your RL style (signature -- the one you're known for), and your outfit wouldn't be as memorable (statement).

Clear as mud?

Yes. That's it exactly. I think my pattern mixing mutes the statement aspect. The context changes what might make one otherwise think of pattern as attention getting.

Also: I've decided black leggings are basics for me. I treat them very much like socks. If I wore black leggings at the bakery, I'd feel like I was walking around in my underwear!

Interesting thoughts, Gaylene. To me, that makes sense. The focal point is the center of interest, in other words, what people see and are likely to remember. I prefer outfits in which I am the focal point, not my clothes. The clothes are my support cast, but not particularly memorable.

"What people and are likely to remember "
Hmm, as I suspected, I'm lacking in this department. I have one such item - released uneven hem jeans. I own a couple sweaters with an interesting shape, one dropped crotch pair of pants, these are in my base colors of grey, ink and black. Not very memorable, I would think.
I'm entirely forgettable!
It's a statement!

I think we are all different and it is fine to dress in all essentials or in all
Statements.....that's what keeps us all indiduals. Even though my grey and black knit top is quite simple it is not an essential for me because it does not link my looks together, or act as glue. My black knit summer top definitely is essential and I would struggle without it.

For me a striped sheath dress is a bit of a statement but it functions as an essential because it works with lots of shoes and toppers be across several types of occasions.

I don't think there are right or wrong answers though