Essential or Not Essential? That is the question.

Hello and please help if you can.
I always find this challenging. I tend to think in terms of categories instead of items.
Here goes:
HAPPINESS FACTORS are my #1 essential.
Yellow diamond wedding and engagement rings
3 bracelets (the bracelets vary but 3 is my magic number)
Can an essential part of my outfit be a column of color? If so, then
slim leg pants: black, brown, tan, white
Skinny jeans: denim, ink, black, gray
Lightweight knit tops and turtlenecks: black, brown, ink, gray, white
Tall boots: most essential pair is taupe
Booties: Black and Tan make the essential list
Flat fit belt. It doesn’t show, but it is essential
In winter: a down coat, snow boots, cozy hat, mittens. I reserve the right to change them out and call them all essentials.

I consider the above items as the ones that allow me to add toppers, scarves, jewelry, purses to make my outfits interesting and more me. Without the added items and statement pieces, my essentials seem very boring. Please help a gal out. I never want to look like an old lady who quit trying.

7 years ago

Sal

Veteran

Yes I think that is about right!!

I think there are always some grey areas (is it essential, completer, statement etc) but it does not matter. It is thinking about the pieces we use all the time and would struggle to dress without....

I believe an essential only outfit can look fantastic if the essentials are nice quality, fit well and suit the person. I love seeing women in black turtleneck and perfect jeans and boots for example......

And we do mostly add our own small touches with glasses and jewelry and makeup etc....

Helena

This looks great to me! I wonder if your bracelets are more of a statement signature? Your jewellery always pops imo! I love your #1 essential

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

WELL DONE.

You NAILED it, Mainelady.

Of course, a neutral column of colour can be an essential! From what I have seen, your deep Winter toppers look like essentials too.

The flat fit belt might be a wardrobe basic?

I hear Helena on the bracelets, and YES - you wear a lot of statement jewellery. But I think your core of three as you describe here are an essential for you. Makes sense.

Anonymous

This was well put. Columns of neutrals are an essential that I forgot about.

Suz

I really like Sal's explanation of how an essentials only outfit can look fantastic. It's all in the details, right? And how the wearer feels in it!

It sounds to me as if you have this pretty well sorted. You might put a few of these into the "completer" category later, but overall, looks good.

Sounds good to me.

I suspect your neutrals and columns of neutrals are your essentials. Your bracelet happiness factors are a personal statement.

Mainelady

Thank you all. Your comments all make sense. It’s true, my bracelets are a signature statement (but then again, so are my rings). As Angie said, they are essential for me. Maybe they are category crossovers.
I still have much to learn. I was thinking that all of my toppers would be in the completer category, but as Angie said, maybe there some essentials there. In thinking about my most often reached for toppers I will add:
Black and navy knit blazers, jackets
Black and gray patterned sweater coat.

Thanks to you all I will revise and refine my list of essentials.

Angie, right you are, my flat fit belt goes in the basics category.

Light bulb about the belt-but looks like you nailed it! With the bracelets is there a specific one that you always use to bridge the three?

Suntiger, that is a good question. My most often reached for is an antique storyteller cuff in mixed metals. If I have to choose just one, I think that would be the essential.

Jaime

You are in no danger of looking like you quit trying! I think of essentials as my I want to wear one crazy thing and the rest fallbacks. The fallbacks are my essentials.

Thank you, kind Shevia. You make and excellent point about the fallbacks being the essential pieces. I love how that thought simplifies things in my mind.

Cardiff girl

You ll never be an old lady because you have a young spirit and I can’t imagine that you will ever stop trying.Sounds like a good list.

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