Cross capsule wardrobe essentials

I know Angie said that basics don't count, but often my wardrobe essentials are essential across all of my capsules.
Here are my pull on black tops. I wear them for sleep, WFH, gear, weekend, daily work, formal work, and fun festive. I have them for summer, transitional, and winter.
Same with black pull on bottoms. The season and formality level change, but always essential!
Anyone else have cross all capsule essentials?

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Halogen Boatneck Asymmetrical Tunic

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Karen Scott Cotton Sweater, Created for Macy's

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Amazon

ClimateRight Long Sleeve Crew Stretch Fleece

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Athleta

Gap Speedlight Snake Top

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Women's Slim Fit Any Day Tank Top - A New Day

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Women's Easy Tank Top - A New Day

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Women's Slim Fit 3/4 Sleeve Boat Neck T-Shirt - A New Day

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Gap Momentum Tank

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3 years ago

Julie

Active Member

Yes! Blue and black tank tops. Good for casual work, WFH, out for a walk, sleep, exercise, as a summer top or as a layer underneath long sleeve tops (especially cardigans). I was trying to channel Angie and call them basics, but it seems like a grey area.

by Julie

LaPed

Veteran

Definitely, especially outerwear and footwear. I have a fair amount of crossover in other categories too -- using gear leggings in place of hosiery when it's cold, wearing my Patagonia Baggies in casual summer outfits, layering merino tanks under just about everything or using them as standalone tops when it's hot. My lifestyle has a lot of crossover, so it makes sense.

Murph11

I have zero crossover. I did, however, purchase two Athleta Speedlight tops in different colors -- one for workouts (gear only) and the other an essential fav!

nemosmom

Long sleeve white and olive cotton tees for me. I wear them for everything - by itself or under a sweater, sometimes to bed, to work (from home), OITW with or without a jacket, sometimes for nighttime light yoga. I have a handful and feel a little lost when my collection dwindles down.

Tanya

What a great collection of black tops!

I do this a little, but in smaller extent. One of my essential categories are simple knit tops in black, navy or white. They do cross over a couple of capsules - a nicer black top might we worn for work, going out or casual, and a different, more casual one, for lounging, sleeping or dance practice (when it used to be safe to do such activities); but I would rarely wear the same top to all of them. I tend to mentally separate them into "good" and "less good" groups, even tough there may not be a clear reason why.

Sal

Black tanks for me might be worn to yoga, under a blazer, or casually with shorts. Or even under a sweater as another layer. They work pretty hard!! I have three but one is very much exercise gear.

Glory

A very nice collection of tops and super functional. I like that there is crossover and that these range from gear to evening out.

Anonymous

Thanks all Glad it's not just me feeling "basics" can also be "essentials"!

To deliniate- the top 8 are more "out and about" tops. I'd wear all them to work, except the halter- cause halters aren't allowed.

The bottom 7 would be considered "basics" by Angie cause I bought specifically to sleep or exercize in them. But I have worn them casually too, and of course to WFH.
I like my gear tops to be nice enough that if I do stop somewhere, like after hiking or paddling, that I don't feel sloppy.

Jaime

(website)

I do wear black tanks to exercise and as a layer but in both cases they are basics. But I do see what you are saying here.

rachylou

It’s an interesting question. I put my Heattech tops down as basics, but they occasionally function as essentials, esp the turtlenecks. I don’t suppose tho that I think they are more functional essentials than style essentials. I wear them more to combat hypothermia than for any style reason. This true of my long Puffies as well, but it’s also true they’ve become part of my style.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

These are great tops! I can see the varied silhouettes work for the varied settings mentioned.

Suntiger, if you wear the SAME black top and pants to sleep in, lounge in, to work in, to workout in, to wear to dressier occasions - then your guess is as good as mine as to how to categorize those items! I don't think that's the case though. I still see BASICS and ESSENTIALS here.

What Julie is describing comes closest to the grey area. Those dark tanks I would probably categorize as a BASIC first, because that is how they are worn the most frequently.

Stagiaire Fash

Yes, my onzie waffle-texture tanks. I have one black and one white, love them both and am always fighting with myself over how to wear them—they are cool and comfortable to work out in—that’s what they were made for—but then they aren’t available to wear as part of outfits. Last week I struck a bargain with myself—wore one all day, as part of an outfit, with yoga capris subbing in for long johns, then just had to pull off some top layers when I got to my PT/training session that evening.

I was curious about this myself - see recent “ ask Angie “ post . I’m terrible at this , and don’t wear my work clothes for social activities , don’t wear my “ good things “ to work , don’t wear workout clothes for every day / weekend wear . I’m so inefficient this way it’s created a massive collection of clothes that rarely get worn . It’s my new mission in life to be more flexible and creative and wear everything all the time .

I definitely wouldn't wear my gear or sleeping tanks for working at the office (fair game for wfh though), but they could be for casual. My normal work things I'll often wear on weekends too. Unless I'm doing something active I don't dress down much on weekends, just 1 more casual piece.

I think of my things along Imogen's "refinement levels"- low is gear and sleepwear, mid is daily work and weekend, high is formal work and festive. I may cross pieces mid and high- like wear my tall heeled boots to a normal office day, but never low and high.

Anyway....the point was that black pull on tops are a category that must be available for every occasion for me. So essential in my gear capsule, essential for sleep, etc...

Same here regarding the black tops

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