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What does your 'must have' list look like?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Since we are all so different, with different occupations, lifestyles, stations in life, climate, etc I thought it might be fun to see what varied 'musts' there are among us.
I have a cobbled list of what I really think I need to round out my closet vs mere wants. Some things can overlap (like my interview suit may well be part of my funeral look). And 2 or 3 dresses categories could be covered by just the right one dress. Oh, and I noticed I did not put any scarves, bags, or jewelry on my list. They truly are just extras and not 'necessary' in my life. Half the time I carry just a wallet or put things in my pockets!

winter or sweater dress

evening dress
sexy 'clubbing' dress
day to night dress
sun dress
day dress

wedding/brunch dress

work jeans (uniform for job)
play jeans

dressier skinnies

suit (for interview/dressy capsule)

pumps for same
funeral outfit

winter overcoat
casual cotton jacket
blazer
leather jacket

cardi
over sized/chunky pullover

fine gauge pullover

dressy tank
button front
drapey tee

dressy skirt
casual midi
casual maxi skirt

boots
sandals
flats
sneakers

lounge wear

exercise gear

You? I'd love to see where we all overlap and where we diverge.

General

42 replies

Latest reply was from Isabel

Thistle

Veteran

Winter coat good down to -35F. Good winter boots, warm with sturdy treads and enough room for two pair of socks.

Absolute. Must.

Can you tell I am dreading the return of winter?

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Thistle, surely you have a pair of pants on under there???

Thistle

Veteran

And long johns underneath those! Silk ones if possible. And a cashmere sweater with silk long johns under that too!

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Fun exercise Mo

Trans-seasonal:

Tees
Tunics
Blouses - silk
Knits
Jeans
Pants - including harem & silk track pants
Booties
Flats & low heels
Jackets - leather, denim & blazer styles
Coats - leather, trench, casual & evening
Dressy pants suit in dark neutral - for day & evening.
A couple of really good bags
Exercise gear & a couple of at home outfits

For summer - some of the above &:

Linen day dresses
Silk for dressier occasions
Great sandals - they make a huge difference to how a dress looks
Sun hats
Linen tops - tees & knits
Linen pants
Cuffs & necklaces because most of my dresses are plain
Swim suits & cover ups - we live near the beach

I like to get my variety from my jackets/coats & footwear so these are my "must have more than the bare essentials" categories.

Thistle

Veteran

In all seriousness, though, my dominant season really dictates a huge chunk of my wardrobe.

I hate tights, so dresses and skirts are out for most of the year unless I am willing to endure them. My shearling lined Uggs help get me through if I do wear a skirt.

Otherwise, I need at least 4 pair of machine washable work trousers and 2 pair of jeans.

For tops, I need enough for two weeks as I am not fond of doing laundry. This usually means sweaters or layering pieces. Even under sweaters, I usually wear a tee shirt for extra warmth. I have a long neck, so turtlenecks work for me too.

And I need at least 3 pair of shoes. I love having more, but 3 is a need.

I learned this summer I can make do with 4 pair of pants, one pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, one skirt, 14 knit tops, and two dresses for both work and casual. I didn't have to like it, but I could do it.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Heh, I must have made this list while in Tahoe last time - I don't see a pair of shorts. Oops! That and a swimsuit are also mandatory for my life.

Laurinda

Veteran

Great thread! Here are my 50-ish 'must-haves' for a 4-season casual life with a variety of outdoor activities. I'm not that far from Thistle. Summer temps can be up to 95F+/35C and humid, winter can get down to -25F/-30C not including wind chill.

These are really just categories, i.e. I have more than one cotton T shirt or pair of earrings.

underthings:

1) cotton knickers

2) no-pantyline knickers

3) T-shirt bra

4) lacy bra

5) cotton crew length sox

6) cotton no-show sox

7) lace cami

bottoms:

8) blue jeans

9) black jeans

10) gray jeans

11) white jeans

12) denim shorts

13) denim capris

14) knit skirt

15) knit dress

tops:

16) cotton tank top

17) short-sleeved cotton T

18) sleeveless blouse

19) short-sleeved cotton blouse

20) long-sleeved blouse - chambray

toppers:

21) sweatshirt

22) wool v-neck sweater

23) cotton cardigan sweater

24) cotton crew neck sweater

25) denim vest

outerwear:

26) jean jacket

27) leather jacket

28) hooded rain jacket

29) down vest

30) hooded down parka

dressier:

31) velvet jacket

32) scarf/shawl

33) metallic tank top

34) beaded necklace

35) pendant/chain necklace

36) colored gemstone stud earrings

accessories:

37) leather belt

38) nylon purse/waist pack

39) nylon laptop bag/backpack

40) small leather purse/clutch

41) prescription sunglasses

42) lip balm

43) elastic hair binders

shoes:

44) Birki-like sandals

45) clogs

46) mules

47) leather booties

48) sneakers

49) snow boots

50) rain booties

ETA 51) Wedding ring and specs (How did I forget those?)

To keep my list near 50, I had to make a separate GEAR list:

a) swimsuit

b) sports bra

c) sock liners & wool sox

d) short-sleeved wicking T

e) long-sleeved blouse - flannel

f) fleece jacket

g) nylon swim shorts

h) knit workout capris
i) XC-ski pants
j) fleece-lined nylon snow pants
k) knit wool leg warmers
l) long underwear bottoms

m) wool mittens with windproof shell

n) wool scarf 'muffler'

o) sun hat

p) rain pants

q) water shoes

e) pool scuffs

s) Teva-like sandals

t) hiking boots

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Wow, Laurinda, you knocked that out of the park! I didn't even think to get to 50 . . . but yes, I also have multiples in categories (tanks, tees, boots, etc.)

Joy

Veteran

For an over 65 life style in a 4 season climate at a minimum I need:
Warm coat, scarf, gloves
Boots
A couple pair of booties or oxfords
Wooly pull over
Cotton pullover or dressy sweatshirt
A couple of turtlenecks for layering
1 black jeans or Ponte knit
1 dark wash blue jeans
1 silk shirt
Black pencil skirt
Black dress pants
Black blazer
Denim jacket
Kimono jacket
Dressy top, possibly with a jacket
Denim pencil skirt
Little black dress
Trench/rain coat
2 pair clam diggers or other summer bottoms. Blue and white
Summer flats, nude and metallic
Low-heeled pumps, pewter or nude
Cotton layering tanks in black and white
No show undies and bras
I am sure to have forgotten some essentials.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I'm just going to suggest metallic shoes. For everyone, and for everyday wear, not just the special-occasion type. I don't know how I ever managed without them in my life. That would be the thing on my must-have list that might have a lot of women scratching their heads! (Like stiletto with a strap did me.)

Elly

Veteran

Edited for organization!

Bottoms:

1. bootcut jeans

2. straight leg jeans

3. boyfriend jeans

4. non-blue denim or casual pants

5. cropped bf jean

6. denim short

7. flared jersey skirt

8. tube skirt

9. summer printed dress that can go to weddings with a wrap

10. pencil skirt

11. dark trousers

Shoes:

12. canvas sneaker

13. other sneaker

14. winter sneaker

15. perforated flat

16. slipper flat

17. flip flop or casual leather sandal

18. dressy sandal

19. casual comfy everyday booties to wear with jeans

20. dressy booties to wear with pencil skirt, slacks

Tops:

21. several dressy tees or tee-style blouses

22. airy casual button down or two

23. l/s layering tees

24. layering tanks

25. sweatshirt to layer under light jackets

26. warm sweaters or sweatshirts

27. soft button downs or blouses in drapey fabric or soft fabrics like flannel and corduroy

Toppers and Outerwear:

28. 1 winter coat-- thinsulate!

29. 1 rain coat army jacket

30. leather jacket

31. denim jacket

Accessories and extras:

32. beanie

33. ball cap

34. wrap

35. tights

36. 1 wristlet

37. 1 camera appropriate bag

38. 2 belts--- one brown, one low profile and black

39. workout gear

40. swimwear

41. hiking/camping clothes

42. loungewear

43. a robe

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

This is fun! These are 50 things I have always tried to keep handy even with my small wardrobe...I need to replenish a few.

1) snug jeans
2) slouchy jeans
3) black jeans
4) white jeans
5) black tees
6) white tees
7) gray tees
8) button up - chambray, plaid, whatever
9) cardigan - bonus points for elbow patches
10) menswear style blazer
11) jean jacket
12) leather jacket
13) army jacket
14) trench coat
15) hunter rain boots
16) riding boots
17) cowboy boots
18) engineer boots
19) Chelsea boots
20) pencil skirt
21) midi skirt
22) denim skirt
23) ballet flats
24) brogues or oxfords
25) sneakers
26) metallic sandals
27) nude sandals
28) leopard shoes
29) red shoes
30) sun hat
31) fedora
32) slouchy knit cap
33) leopard scarf
34) paisley scarf
35) plaid or stripe scarf
36) slouchy shorts
37) tailored shorts
38) hoodie & sweats or leggings
39) black & nude underwear (not white! white is for nuns or nurses!)
40) an outfit for marryin' (other people, not you...)
41) an outfit for buryin' (again, not you!)
42) an outfit for job interviews/grant requests/co op applications/court appearances (you fill in the blanks...)
43) a 'come hither' outfit
44) a 'leavin on a jet plane' outfit
45) a little black dress
46) a statement pendant
47) stacking bangles
48) cocktail ring
49) ultra opaque tights
50) pashmina wrap

Like kiwigal, my gear list is its own animal: snow pants, gardening pants, cross country ski boots, hiking boots, swim wear for sunning, swim wear for swimming, dry layers for paddling, padded layers for biking, yoga pants, zumba shoes, fishing vest, etc
It's a real hodge podge & kind of lives in its own area of my wardrobe. PJs & robes too. (When I am home I am in pjs. I cook a lot from scratch & really hate spattering my clothes; hence the jammies.)

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

My list reveals my shoe orientation. Embarrassing. I'm the woman with 30 foot looks to accompany my 14 work garments...

Staysfit

Veteran

I started making a list and then erased it again. This is complicated and requires more thought than I imagined. Could I have more than 50 essential items?! No way! I have several layers to my life and for each component I have different essentials, but to have more than 50 seems ridiculous. I think I will take another stab and make this a list of the things I use the most and cannot imagine living without. (Ok, I do have more than 50, because I couldn't get them all on this list. I keep trading out items, for example, opaque tights came off the list, and I put long sleeve cashmere crew in it's place, I didn't include sweatpants because I wanted to include a wind breaking jacket. I only put polar fleece jacket, but I also have polar fleece vests and use them frequently. I didn't include my fluorescent/reflective safety gear for when I am out running/walking outside and that is clearly essential.....

Thimblelina, I also wear pajama's when I cook. Didn't our grandmothers wear aprons !

1. Straight leg blue jeans
2. Skinny blue jeans.
3. Pencil skirts.
4. good quality bra and undies
5. Shorts.
6. Fit and flare summer dress
6. Cotton Tee shirt
7. Linen Tee shirt
8. Silk button down blouse
9. Cotton button down blouse
10. Cashmere cardigan
11. Merino cardigan
12. Hoodie (cashmere)
13. Cashmere turtleneck
14. silk square scarf
15. cashmere and or silk rectangle scarf
16. wrap dress
17. sweater dress
18. tall boots
19. booties
20. leather sneakers
21. oxfords
22. ballet flats
23. sandals
24. dressy metallic shoes
25. warm winter coat
26. medium weight wool coat
27. rain coat with zip lining
28. warm winter boots
29. sun hat
30. warm gloves
31. exercise bra
32. yoga pants
33. exercise top
34. sun glasses
35. swim suit
36. hiking boots
37. sweatshirt
38. down vest
39. polar fleece top/jacket
40. knit scarf/hat set
41. wind breaking jacket
42. statement necklace
43. diamond stud earrings
44. bangles
45. lightweight high quality nylon/leather purse
46. long sleeve cashmere crew sweater
47. small cross body bag
48. layering tees
49. neutral colored belt
50. mineral makeup

Laurinda

Veteran

It is so interesting to read everyone's lists, and very helpful for me to reassess my own. After a few years following YLF my basics are still about the same; no silk harem pants or almond-toe wedges have entered my wardrobe as much as I admire them on others. I've tried a couple new things (yeah for white jeans!) but mostly I have come to embrace my core style and I've upped the quality and flattery quotient on the pieces that are part of my essentials.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Must haves? Skirts. Pencil skirts, flared skirts, tube skirts. Skirts for work and skirts for play. Of course toppers to go with. Other than that, it's:

Jeans - BF, regular, skinny, flared. And I don't care that I'm 50 (54, I reserve the right to round down until I hit 55), I'll take at least one pair with rips/tears/patches.

Blazers - must include at least one dressy, one funky, one casual.

Dresses - a new favorite for me, and a HEWI. One for winter would be nice.

Dress pants - the ultimate HEWI. They just never fit correctly. One pair, please, that's all I ask for.

Pants: I love fun and funky plaids and prints. At least one pair that can be dressed conservatively for work and funky for play.

Shirts - Button downs. I adore them. Other types of tops depending on the seasons.

Coats - One gloriously beautiful pea coat. Yep, I adore those too. Unfortunately I must also have one polar bear coat for polar bear weather, and one thin jacket for cool summer nights.

Shoes/boots - I'm a shoe gal. Stack 'em up to the ceiling (oh wait, they already are) and I'll still want (make that need!) more. Add good quality sneakers for exercise and LL Bean snow boots for snowy days.

Gear - This is where I need to focus my attention, and have been recently. Good quality yoga pants, long sleeved yoga top, short sleeved yoga top, good quality exercise bra. These must do double duty for yoga and pilates.

Under garments: Full slips and half slips (my favs are from Gap with thanks to Una who told me about them a while ago), comfy Spanx to smooth that tummy buldge when wearing tube skirts, Hue sheer stockings for when it's too cold to go bare legged in my favorite item - skirts. Which brings me back to where I started, so this is where I'll stop!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is fun. Let me play. For my climate and lifestyle, I would say:

Outerwear:

1. Puffer coat
2. Dressier knee length wool coat
3. Pea coat or similar
4. Trench coat
5. Rainproof jacket

Dresses:

6. "Cocktail" dress (something pretty, a bit sexy, dressy)
7. Summer day dress
8. Winter sleeved dress

Skirts:

9. Knit tube skirt
10. Dark lined pencil skirt.

Pants:

11. Dark slim pants
12. Dark slouchy pants
13. Light linen pants

Denim:

14. BF jeans
15. Slim jeans
16. White jeans
17. Patterned jeans
18. Skinny jeans (for tucking into tall boots)

Shorts:

19. White shorts
20. Denim or similar BF shorts

Toppers:

21. Dark blazer (navy for me)
22. Lighter blazer (taupe for me)
23. Denim jacket
24. "Wildcard" jacket (different pattern, colour, texture of some kind)
25. Leather jacket
26. Substantial cardigan

Tops:

27. Silk shirt plain (sleeved)
28. Tuxedo shirt white
29. Patterned cotton shirt
30. Patterned silk shirt sleeved
31. Chambray shirt

32. Silk sleeveless top plain colour/ neutral
33. Silk sleeveless top pattern
34. Linen tee dark
35. Linen tee light
36. White shell top

Knitwear:

37. Breton stripe sweater
38. Coloured crewneck sweater
39. Neutral crewneck sweater
40. Patterned crewneck sweater
41. Dark turtleneck
42. Light turtleneck
43. Cashmere oversize sweater

Shoes:

44. Snow boots
45. Short utility booties (e.g. Blundstone)
46. Tall weatherproof boot
47. Fashion bootie
48. Metallic sandal flat (ish)
49. Dressier shoe/ sandal
50. Sneakers

Note I have not included bags -- though I need a tote and a smaller bag for sure. And I have not included underwear or gear -- another whole category.

I actually have multiples of most of these and extra stuff, too -- but it's sort of interesting to see it laid out like that.

amiable

Veteran

Hmm - great ideas!
My must haves include:

cropped boyfriend jean
shorts
skinny (slim) jean
boyfriend jean
trousers (business casual - probably dark)
tube skirt

classy tee shirt
tank top
light weight top (mesh sweater, this year)
mid weight top (short sleeve or light weight sweater, or long-sleeved tee)
mid weight sweater (also for layering)
heavy weight sweater (also for layering)
cardigan (maybe)
jacket (suit-style)
leather jacket
button-down shirt with rollable sleeves in breathable fabric (more than one)

walk-all-day sandals
walk-all-day shoes
dressy shoes (maybe metallic?)
boots

summer dress (for really hot days)
dress to wear to weddings (probably two - summer and winter, or add a jacket for over dress for winter weddings)
interview dress or suit

winter coat, boots, hat, gloves or mittens and scarf

sweats for winter sleeping and lounging
shorts and tees for summer sleeping and lounging
underwear
two wonderful bras
Winter undergarments (silk long johns, tank and undershirt)

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

Yes staysfit; and they were wrong... the apron was just another thing that needed ironing on laundry day!

kkards

Veteran

Gosh, I've been thinking about this, and if we are really just looking for must haves, I think I have a pretty small list

1. Black straight leg pants suitable for work
2. Straight leg jeans- darker wash
3. Khaki pants, (yes, I know,but really you can dress them up or down, they work with almost anything, and were I live can be worn anywhere, not like jeans)
4. Lightweight cotton crops
5. 3 season wool pants, navy or black cigarette leg
6. Blazer (black or navy)
7. Long sleeve white knit shirt
8. Short sleeve white knit shirt
9. Black flats
10. Black pumps(2-3inch heel)
11. Black booties
12. Down jacket or coat
13. Light weight transitional jacket with removable lining
14. 14 pairs of comfortable panties
15. Nude everyday Tshirt bra
16. White causal sneakers
17. Basic black knit pants
18. Basic white zip hoodie
19. Cashmere sweater
20. Cotton sweater
21. Wool or cashmere wrap that can work as a scarf or blanket on a plane

Aubergine

Veteran

Fun! I'll have to come back and do this when I have more time.

Warning everyone, though, that mine will probably end up being a whole bunch of finely diced sub-categories of cardigans, dresses, and shoes, with a few types of tops, a black pencil skirt, and jeans thrown in as afterthoughts.

Staysfit

Veteran

I hate ironing! I'll take pajama's for cooking anytime!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Off the top of my head:
Undergarments and socks, tights
Jeans
Shorts or capris for summer
Knit tops of various sleeve lengths
Button front shirts
Cardigans/comfy toppers
Sweaters
Rain coat
Warmer coat
Light jacket
Knit dresses
Sandals
Flats
Boots
Gear sneakers
Gear
A few dressy outfits for dinner out, weddings, funerals etc
'Gear' for trips to places w/ different weather

In real life I have more than this and am more granular about my categories, but this is really all I /need/ with my current life and climate.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

Yeah, I have a lot more than my list, too. I mean, I only listed 3 different shirts, but obviously I have 10 times that number lol.
I have yet to see a satin stiletto among us, or any stiletto for that matter!

Astrid

Veteran

Here's mine:

Underwear, socks and hose
1 wool scarf, 1 lighter weight scarf, beanie, gloves, thermal underwear

1 neutral colored belt, 1 everyday bag, 1 small dressy bag, 1 backpack

1 puffer coat
1 wool coat
1 denim jacket
1 non denim jacket

1 pair of weather proof booties
1 pair of oxfords
1 pair of sneakers
1 pair of sandals

1 pair of relaxed skinny jeans
1 pair of slim non denim pants
1 wool skirt
1 medium weight skirt
1 summer skirt
1 pair of shorts

2 button down shirts (short and long sleeved)
2 wool pullovers
2 lighter weight pullovers
1 cardigan
1 knit jacket
3 T- shirts
2 sleeveless tops

1 semi dressy dress for all seasons and a topper like a blazer
1 casual summer dress

Not sure if I have forgotten something?

ETA
Not mentioning gear (trekking and sports). And pajamas.

bj1111

Veteran

ummm...black stiletto pumps are my go to for business and pleasure.

jonesing for the apron pumps in the finds

Jimmy Choo 'Heath' Pointy Toe Leather Pump (Women)

$895.00 $626.49

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Sal

Veteran

For me the following would cover my essentials.

Accessories and Underwear
Underwear socks and tights
One wooly hat
One wide brim sunhat
one exercise cap/peak
one woolen scarf
One dressy scarf
One wool gloves

Outer Layers
One raincoat
one wool coat

Work/Community commitments
one blazer
one other jacket
one pencil skirt
3 silk blouses/shells
two work dresses
One work trousers
One merino dressy knit

Casual
long sleeve layering merino
wool sweater
Long cardigan
two jeans
one smart casual pants
one shorts
two summer dresses
five casual tees/blouses (two long sleeve)
two tanks

Party
one evening party dress
one jacket
one sparkly/special top

Exercise Gear
one exercise shorts
two exercise tights
one bike shorts
three exercise tee
one exercise jacket
exercise sneakers
Swimsuit

Footwear
casual sneakers
black booties
camel booties
one pair pumps
one pair jandals/beach shoes
one pair summer sandals
Waterproof boots

Count is 54 items excluding underwear hose and socks. Some of these categories are not too different from what I have. Some I have many more options! Given my lifestyle (work from home, on school board, meetings, lots of beach and sports and child focused activities, bbqs etc this would work well. There would be crossover from casual to work ie blazer and into the party capsule ie jeans with evening jacket. It would require careful purchasing so that they all worked together.

I am going to bookmark this list so I can refer to it moving forward with new purchases.

Anonymous

I haven't created a list, but I have my everyday wardrobe pretty much figured out. What I now struggle with are my dress clothes, as I deal with chronic pain and all my wardrobe choices revolve around comfort. I'd love to wear those pumps that bj1111 posted in this thread, but I can't. Now my choices have to be more sensible, which is hard because the focus of my dressy outfits has been the shoes. Now the focus has to be OFF the shoes, and I'm such a shoe lover.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Assuming that everyone needs underwear and something to wear I still must have a very good bra, a sun hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes to leave the house for more than a few minutes. Obviously I need clothes too but I am flexible as long as these bases are covered.

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