Ginger, I think your style and mine are similar in that they are based in things other people would consider “extra” or statements. You are the only person I know for whom a tiara can be a good, serious part of an everyday look. I don’t have tiaras, but people here have told me that my wardrobe is “statement heavy”, which would be a problem in a 5PFW.
I have the idea that I should own a pair of jeans & I do, but I rarely wear them, and don’t consider them any different than other pants. I have “layering Ts” but am just as happy to wear a bodysuit or teddy, or to put another sweater on when I need more layers. So those are not essentials for me. I don’t think I have other essential pieces either.
I notice that people sometimes associate shopping for essentials with drudgery—necessary to make their style work, but not fun. I don’t do that. With rare exceptions, like the 501s that wore out recently, I look for pieces that have a little something special, like the pinstripe G-stars with “twisty” legs that replaced the 501s. So now my jeans are apparently statements instead of essentials. That doesn’t change the way I wear them. One could argue that even the 501s were statements, because they were throwbacks/iconic jeans even when they were new, as they contrasted strongly with the paper bag waists, peg legs, bell bottoms, and other trends that had raged for decades. My layering tops all have something “fun”—the texture of knit linen bodysuits, silk/cotton tanks with channels in the fabric, a raspberry LS T… Totally boring/drudgery tops need not apply. My tights are sparkly, or have chunky cable knit, or some other feature. Simple plain ones, like the fleece tights my Cleveland sister got me before we moved here, are not essential for me—they are hard to wear.
In an earlier conversation about essentials, I said—& Angie commented to agree—that my berry color scheme is essential for me. I think that can be broadened to include interesting details and my color scheme generally. I call it “lurking quirk”. Without it, my style doesn’t really work. It might be a detail in the clothing itself, or it might be a slightly unexpected way to wear things, like sorta clunky closed-toe shoes with a sundress. (The tricky bit with the unexpected things is to make sure it’s obvious that I’m doing it on purpose).
This is probably related to the fact that I don’t enjoy putting on a lot of jewelry. Does decoration in my clothing sub in for jewelry? Seems to me that earrings sub in when there’s not enough going on in the clothes, lol. It’s all a matter of perspective.
But anyway, high (nonFrench) 5 to my “extra” sister.
ETA Chewy, sorry if this is too far off topic. Clearly, it is not about Jenn’s wardrobe. I’m guessing you posted in the forum instead of DM to start a discussion about essentials and their place in a wardrobe and I tried to stay on that topic. My apologies if I misread your intent.
