https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021 Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:30:49 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168397 Thu, 28 Jan 2021 03:34:45 +0000 Jaime 2168397@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh I remember those overheated NYC apartments fondly. Anyway, your list makes perfect sense and you will have a lot of fun expanding the rest of your wardrobe after your move. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168394 Thu, 28 Jan 2021 03:31:56 +0000 Christina F. 2168394@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Suz, that bag is a workhorse for sure!</p> <p>suntiger, yes, exactly! Both about the shoes and working from home. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168350 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:44:37 +0000 Suz 2168350@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think metallic shoes can be an essential, for sure. Some of mine are. I am beginning to think my RM metallic bag is an essential, also! I don't have another bag I use, at the moment.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168344 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 23:08:37 +0000 Anonymous 2168344@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I definitely think metallic shoes can be essentials- but you're right, they're much more statementy in winter. In summer they're next to skin so lower contrast- but next to pants Look At The Metallic Shoes!<br /> :,( re: early morning winter commute. After Covid they should let us all wfh all winter! For safety- of course </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168307 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:06:04 +0000 Christina F. 2168307@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><div>Thanks, <b>Angie!</b> These particular winter coats (the black wool and blue puffer) were more of an essential back when I went anywhere... Usually when I go out now, it's to take a walk or run and errand nearby, and they're too hot and heavy for those things unless it's frigid out. But their time will come, when I start commuting in the early mornings again in the winter. They can stay in the essential column--I'll just say they're just on a break!</div><div><br /></div><div> I want a statement or completer topcoat since I reach for the tweed one so much, but like so many other things, it has to wait.</div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168300 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 19:33:50 +0000 Angie 2168300@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>*APPLAUSE*</p> <p>You totally get it! WELL DONE.&nbsp;</p> <p>The metallic sneakers can go either way: essential or completer. Still neutral enough to be an essential. The tweed coat is a very quiet false plain, and can absolutley pass for an essential.</p> <p>My dear <b>Christina</b>, you live in NYC. Your dark neutral Winter coats are an essential :)&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168280 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 18:24:10 +0000 Christina F. 2168280@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><div><b>rachylou</b>, I use the coat as a neutral, which is why I wonder about it. I agree that it's similar to the stripes lots of people have in their essentials, in terms of how I use it. That said, I realized I need to add my short black&nbsp; puffer to the list above... I must think of puffes when I see your name! :P</div><div><br /></div><div><b>slim cat</b>, I believe my metallic Ecco sneakers and other metallic shoes have been accepted as essentials in the past. The silver Chucks may be too shiny. I thin <b>Tanya</b> makes a good point that the headband may be a workhorse/signature but not an essential. They are certainly a <i>signature</i> item now, so that may be why I was wondering about it.<br /></div><div><br /></div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168240 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 16:56:37 +0000 Tanya 2168240@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nice set of essentials, and very similar to mine from the days before I started working in a office.</p> <p>I would say that your rose gold headband is either a completer or a statement, not an essential, but certainly a signature piece, workhorse or both.&nbsp; &nbsp;Items can be signature pieces or workhorses without being essentials.&nbsp; &nbsp;Joggers I'd say are basics, since they are loungewear.&nbsp; From my point of view the tweed coat is an essential if you wear the same way you would a simple solid one, but I am in the camp that texture does not prevent an item from being an essential. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168223 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 16:24:03 +0000 slim cat 2168223@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have metallic sneakers and sandals too and not sure if they could be called essentials - but maybe compleaters? I'm still figuring it out - lol.<br />Same feeling about headbands - solid would be essentials but more bright, colorful, metallic may be something else ( you see my struggle ).<br />Anyway - great collection of jeans, shoes and tops! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168219 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 16:13:45 +0000 rachylou 2168219@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I’m thinking the headband is a workhorse statement... and possibly the colourful tweed coat is a completer... but maybe it’s really a workhorse statement too... I *almost* feel confident in saying something multicoloured can’t be an essential even tho it can be a bridge, but then stripes are multicoloured aren’t they and they make a lot of essentials lists. Lol! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/essentials-for-2021#post-2168202 Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:23:01 +0000 Christina F. 2168202@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p> <div>This is hard to do during the pandemic in some ways, but in some ways, not. Giving up 75% of my wardrobe to storage has made my categories clear. HOWEVER, it's warm in my apartment and I'm hardly wearing sweaters, though I have a sense from before of which are essential. I look forward to my new home, where I can keep things cooler and wear my sweaters.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I have learned during these months that am NOT a capsule wardrobe person. I like having a variety of completers and statements. A lot of the essentials definitely needed to be retained so I could make my statements work. Essentials are an area of my wardrobe that I really struggled with before YLF, since I always liked statements but consider one per outfit to be enough.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I think the essentials are all similar to before, except maybe the army green and cream jackets, and the headband. The jewelry I mention below was worn daily last year as well, but I didn't think to add it then.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Essentials:</u><br /></div><div>-<b>knitwear and tees in solid navy, black, and white/cream</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>-knitwear and tees in neutral stripes (Navy and white or black and white)</b></div><div><b></b><br /> </div><div><b>-Jeans in wide, bootcut and demi-bootcut shapes--dark and medium washes</b>. (I still have skinny ones but don't reach for them)</div><div><br /> </div><div><b>-White, black and metallic sneakers, hi and low top (I do need new white low top ones--the old ones stopped being supportive enough)</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>-White and metallic sandals</b></div><div><b></b><br /> </div><div><b>-Black booties </b>(I feel like white or metallic ones make more of a statement in the winter? They are often contracting the darker colors of my coats.)<b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>-Some kind of top layer in summer<br /> for indoors a/c TBD </b>(used to be denim jackets, but this may change due to<br /> the pandemic and my new home... it may be I buy more knitwear toppers. I<br /> will hold off until I'm there and it's warmer.)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>-Army green utility jacket in shoulder seasons</b>, and <b>my cream denim chore jacket</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>-ETA - Black short buffer jacket </b>- forgot this before<b><br /></b></div><div><b></b><br /></div><div><b>-black and navy pants, esp. in warmer weather (for work)</b>&nbsp; <b>- </b>I don't wear pants so much as jeans at home, but I'm off skinny shapes either way. Army green pants used to be in this list, and may be again, but the ones I have currently aren't what I reach for. This may be an area to replenish in warmer weather.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>-rose gold Apple Watch and my wedding and engagement ring</b>. The only jewelry I've been wearing since March, but they are worn daily.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Questions/unclear items:</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div><u><br /> </u><b>-my rose gold headband</b>. The Zoom-era accessory that replaces my long pendants (I haven't been wearing jewelry beyond what I mention above). I have other headbands that are statements, and are worn less because I have a lot of statement tops. This can be thrown on with most outfits. I want a silver one, too.... Is this neutral enough to count? I am using it as a neutral. <br /></div><div><u></u><br /> </div><div>- Not sure I consider any of my <b>winter coats</b> an essential,<br /> except maybe my <b>tweed topcoat,</b> but it's probably too colorful (though the colors in the tweed allow it to go with everything, and it's grounded in white and navy). I wear it all the time, except when it<br /> dips below 40. I have a black and navy winter coat, but it's not always cold enough for them<br /></div> </p> <p> <div><br /> -I<br /> suppose at this point my <b>black and grey loungewear joggers</b> have to<br /> count? Are we counting loungewear? I don't wear it to WFH, but I do wear<br /> them every night. I am guessing this won't count :P<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>-Shorts in my solid neutrals </b>were never in one of these categories before, but I wore them a lot last summer since I was home more and my house was hot. My new home will have central a/c, so this remains something I won't know until the summer, and it will depend how much time I spend outdoors (I will have a small yard/patio, and will be able to work out there, too). So this is TBD.<br /></div></p> <p> </p>