Wardrobe basics are items like panties, bras, camisoles, socks, sleepwear, loungewear, hosiery and thermals. If you are sporty or athletic, workout wear is a wardrobe basic too. Early in the year is a good time to think about replenishing them. Wardrobe basics are not to be confused with wardrobe essentials, which are the simple clothing, footwear and accessory components that are essential to your personal style.
You might not enjoy wearing or purchasing basics because they’re tedious to try on, hard to fit, relatively pricey and hidden most of the time anyway. You’d much rather spend time, energy and money on clothing, footwear and accessories that you and others can see. On the other hand, most wardrobe basics are workhorses. We wear them daily and cannot get dressed without them. That’s why they deserve your stylish attention and a portion of your budget at least once a year.
Do not underestimate how satisfying it is to replenish and wear fabulous wardrobe basics. It can be life-changing to wear a comfortable and fab fitting bra, knickers that stay put, a camisole that breathes, socks that don’t fall down, hosiery that’s comfortable at the waist, loungewear that looks polished and pulled together, and workout wear that’s super cute and flattering. I am reluctant to spend money on some basics like workout wear, but bite the bullet because it’s so worth it. On the other hand, I LOVE wearing pretty underwear and cute loungewear, so I adore shopping for those basics.
First thing’s first. Edit and review your basics capsules by following the steps I wrote about in this post. The idea is to tackle each basics category a drawer, bin and pile at a time, making a list of what’s missing along the way. Re-fit items on when you need to, and make sure they’re comfortable and to your taste. Arrange the items you’re keeping neatly back into their storage spaces, and find better storage solutions if you need to.
Once you know which basics categories need a refresh, it’s on to replenishing the items that are an easy repeat order, and searching for the rest. Prioritize your purchases because buying three or four new bras with panties and some camisoles adds up fast. If you’ve recently lost or gained weight, replenishing underwear should be top of the list.
It’s one of my style goals for 2020 to replenish a good portion of my basics. I’ve done the edit and review, and am looking at new bras, panties, camisoles, and sleeping tees. I’m sorted for loungewear, thermals, hosiery and workout wear. I could do with some new socks, but I’m hard to fit because they slide off my feet. I need socks in narrow sizes, but have yet to find a pair that work and aren’t too thick. I’m sick of spending money on socks that are ill-fitting, so I stick to knee-highs and pantyhose because those stay put and suit my dressy style.
For bras, panties and camisoles, I’m a big fan of items from Simone Perele, Hanky Panky, Hanro and B.P. I’m going to replenish with exactly the same undies I like to wear, AND try some new silhouettes from these brands. I’m also going to try panties from Sloggi, sleeping tees from Tommy John, and bras from ThirdLove. I’ve narrowed it down to what’s in this collection so far, plus some bras that I’ve ordered from ThirdLove. I’m taking my time with the refresh, and enjoying it.
Who’s joining me with a big wardrobe basics refresh this year? When did you last edit and review your wardrobe basics capsules?
