My essentials have hardly changed since last year, aside from adding lighter, trendier jeans. Unsurprisingly, the color palette is tight; olive is another neutral I use often, but it's not quite hit essential level for me yet. Maybe next year! This is what I have:
- Solid tees and sweaters in black and navy, fitted but of different sleeve
lengths for different seasons
- Striped sweaters and tops in blue or black stripes with white/ivory
- Black and dark blue skinny and bootcut jeans
- Lighter wash jeans with trendy element (fraying etc)
- Black and navy pants
- Black or navy pants (the material depends on the season)
- Metallic footwear in the summer/shoulder seasons
-
Black booties
in winter
- Denim jackets in blue and white for summer layering
- Long pendants to wear with winter knitwear, in gold and silver
2019 essentials buying list/goals:
- Navy medium weight knit top. I've had bad luck buying this. One size won't work, the, size I need will then be sold out, etc. I plan to nail this down in Feb. I have two options in mind to try.
- Navy tee - likely a J Crew perfect tee
- Black skinny jeans - just passed some on (too tight). I know what I want to buy as a replacement.
- I'd like more refined black booties with a higher shaft, but this purchase may wait until I have less pain walking on pavement. I have a real investment piece (for me!) in mind, but I have a feeling it will be less shock absorbing than the stuff I currently rely on.
- Whatever I add should be high quality. This is the core of my wardrobe and my preferences here don't vary too much from year to year.
- With jeans and pants, I need to be careful only to add things that aren't too tight on my belly, or I will never wear them.
- Stay mostly away from pants and jeans not in the above colors (though white and olive jeans are okay). I've learned over the last year that my pants and jeans mostly need to be neutrals; I just won't reach for anything else. I have a few other options as completers (ie burgundy cords, grey slacks) and statements (ie patterned summer pants). These can stay, but I don't want to increase that number. I even made it a goal last year to add different colored options, and have concluded that I don't like reaching for those at all. Lesson learned.
