I love this thread! And I love both your wildcard and your workhorse (I loved that workhorse last year, too, actually, and it inspired a somewhat similar purchase on my part this year).

My wildcard: Two by Vince washable silk camp shirt in citron w/ zebra-esque stripes - I love it over white jeans. I purchased it on a whim, even though I thought that it was risky due its oversized nature (it's regular sizing). But I wear it all the time.

My workhorse: last year's Ecco sandals (thanks, Vix). I wear them almost daily since I failed at finding white sandals or oxfords that fit. These have had to suffice. Maybe they're dated, but I find they work really well with all my blue and white, and they're comfie.

Summer is just getting started here. The heat index hit 100 today, but tomorrow is predicted to be cooler. So far I think my wild card is the pair of grey EF pants that I bought for our trip to Ireland because they were I color I wanted and were light weight and wrinkle free to pack. Now they are light weight enough to be comfortable on a warm day and can be rolled.
Workhorses have turned out to be the faded thrift store jeans that I bought for gardening and the white denim vest. I reach for these often.

So fun to see this thread and see your finds!

wildcard: the maxidress you see below. I showed in the eyeglasses thread. I never would have even tried it on without angie's tips and learning about how to dress myself. I tried it on on a whim in the outlet store a couple months ago and now I want to wear it every day with my distressed denim jacket. What did I learn? buy more maxi skirts in bright colors to wear. see a pin below (purple skirt) for a style I'm trying to duplicate if i can find the right skirt!
wildcard #3: Boyfriend Jeans on Angie's Advice I tried on a pair of boyfriend jeans from the Gap and I am now thoroughly hooked on them. So much so I just bought a duplicate pair, but less distressed for $20 at a recent Uniqlo sale

Workhorses: It's all about shoes.

Cole Haan Black Patent Leather Loafers Not many of my clothes survived the massive weight loss of this year, so this is a tough category for me this year. Pretty much only shoes have survived (don't get me started about my love for the now extinct Cole Haan Air Laurie sneaker). But the winner has to go to my patent leather loafers from Cole Haan which got new life once I learned how to wear them, thanks to angie. I also had an old pair of cream colored Born mules (the picture below is as close as I could find online) that I didn't wear much before; but now get used at least once a week because they are comfortable and look fabulous with the boyfriend jeans, ankle pants, anything, really. I basically fell in love with neutral footwear; and as a result I went out and bought (after literally two months of hunting), what I think are the perfect pair of neutral loafers --Bass Weejuns-- to wear with all my colorful and often cropped pants. I also bought a higher neutral heel from aerosoles but I've not really tested them out yet (the fog is really socking us in these days). I couldn't really afford to spend a lot of money on shoes after replacing my entire wardrobe this year (and pants were replaced twice as I dropped from a 22 to a 12 so far) so I had to be more conservative in pricing on my shoes. Next year though....::rubs hands together:::

I was also surprised to see just how much I enjoy wearing White ankle jeans. I had to invest in second pair because they're pretty much my standard the way black used to be my go to. I stocked up on a lot of pretty navy tops this summer and am really loving that combo on me. Since San Francisco doesn't get too cold, I'm likely to wear them year round and am going to start looking for some cooler weather toppers for them. Sweaters tend to leave little fibers on them.

Wildcard: would be the floral Zara jacket (dubbed so by Angie) and my black EF harems
Workhorse: white jeans in both ankle skinny and boyfriend
Wildcard to Workhorse: all the Summer knitwear that I never knew existed, but bought so much of in literally every color of the rainbow! High 5 to Suz and all my sweater twins!

Melinda, your wildcard was a great purchase for you. And isn't that purple inspiration pic romantic looking? I love your new loafers! Those look terrific! And welcome to the white jeans club! It took me a few wears to stop feeling self conscious in them, but once I did, I haven't looked back.

Joy, 100 sounds unbearable. And here I think it is summer when it is only 80! (Actually, 75...but shhhhhh) You look terrific in all your workhorse items. Eileen Fisher is becoming not so much a wild card as a dependable card for you -- when you find something of hers that works for you, it REALLY works.

Sarah, I LOVE your new top, and I love the sandals, too. I don't think they are dated in the least -- Ecco is still making them, I believe.

As for workhorses, it would have to be my two pairs of white jeans. One is full length, from Loft, optic white, and the other is cropped with zippers, from Madewell, off-white. I knew that I wanted a pair of white jeans and that I would wear them, but I am surprised at how often I am reaching for them!

As for a wildcard...I'm not sure that I have one, ha. I did buy this drapey top from Anthro; it just arrived last week. I usually don't do drapey, but it has become clear to me that some of my skirts that are more fitted would look better with a drapey top. So this is my first! Haven't worn it yet, though...just washed it yesterday (had to shrink it a bit; it's rayon). Now if I can just manage to iron it...argh.

What a fun thread! I love your Banff tee! I would be thrilled to find such a fab souvenir from my mountain trip later this summer!

My wildcard?

Silver White Mountain (Birkie-style) sandals from DSW. I'm not a Birkie-girl. I've never had a pair --- ever. I'm not fond of super casual looks or "hippie chic." The silver gave me a bit of shiny glam, and I found that the strong lines of the shoe suits my leg well and, well, there's extremely comfy!

My surprise workhorse?

My (second) chambray blazer. I never duplicate, but I bought this one from Target last year, even though I already had a similar one from the year prior. This one is my favorite -- without lining, and a bit longer and looser, it is more modern and cooler. I can dress it up or down with ease, and it's helped me meet my goal of "lightening up" my color palette. Chambray is my pastel!

Workhorses would have to be Birkis and other flat sandals getting me though broken toe healing. Wildcard has to be Peplum tops!

Two EF items that I bought in the spring. The sandals seem to work with almost everything in my closet and are just so comfortable to wear. The silk bomber is my go-to topper for AC environments. It was a wildcard that stretched my budget because I paid full price for it, but it is my favorite purchase this year so far.

There are many pieces of my wardrobe that have become super workhorses for my summer 2014 wardrobe. Here they are in no particular order.

1. Sundress - this long flowy sundress is easy to slip on, protects my fair skin from sunburn and is easily adaptable to many different situations
2. Miss Sixty Skinny Jeans - every girl has got to have a pair of good jeans and these are my workhorse, go to jeans. They make me look skinny and they have elasticity so they are super comfy.
3. Uggs Clog Boots - who says boots are only for winter? These boots are super comfortable and versatile. They look cute too. The sheepskin keeps me warm in cold air conditioned buildings and lets me breathe when it is hot outside. Sheep fleece really is am amazing product.
4. Flowy Skirt - This blue white flowy skirt is great for parties or a casual day. It looks great with most of my tops too and is very versatile.
5. Graphic Baseball Cap - for the days when the sun is strong and you want something to cover shield your face, it is either this or aviator sunglasses. This however tends to really stand out and I have gotten many compliments on how this cap works well with my graphic tees and jeans.

I love your Banf top!
My workhorses for summer are my Bernia sandals, an Olivia Moon olive stripe jacket and an off-white linen jacket. The unwilling workhorse is my trusty raincoat.

Suz - had to chime in to say how radiant you look in your casual looks! What a fun wildcard - it lights you up! Love both outfits. And I read this post yesterday, and have been ruminating on it....we are only just into summer here, and I've spent the first 11 days of it on a tropical vacation. But for early summer my workhorse was definitely my Vince cashmere sweater. Coming into more heat, I'm wearing my Gap camo BF's shorts a ton as well. Same as Viva, my SE Trinas have been amazing workhorses. I've worn them on the plane, with jeans, with dresses, almost everything. As for wildcards, I picked up a $5 black knit sheath dress at Old Navy a couple of months ago. I don't wear dresses a lot, but like to have these types for vacations. I thought I'd wear it as a beach cover up, but instead wore it 4 times (out of 10 nights) on vacation, and have worn it at home as well. So, for me, it is a wildcard as well as a workhorse

Wildcard: very yellow skirt! I just love it to bits and am SO glad I went back for it after initially leaving it behind.

Workhorse: Mossimo tank from Target, in blue. I almost purged this because it has a hint of a racer back and "needs" a special bra... but then I decided I would just wear a black bra with it and it works fine! It's machine wash/dry so I wear it ALL THE TIME.

Pastrygirl, I love those items. No wonder they are favourites. And how great is it when you can rescue something from the purge pile and wear it to death?

Jackie, thank you! I am wearing those camo shorts a ton, too. And you look amazing in that ON dress. I am not surprised it's becoming a workhorse wildcard!

Joyce, I should have said my Bernia's, too. They are my most worn footwear and I've only had them two weeks now.

Laura, that is quite an assortment of items! Wow! I am amazed at your boot wearing in summer. Although I do agree that arctic air conditioning sometimes calls for it! I wear boots by necessity so much of the year that I refuse to wear them in summer, however cold it is indoors!

Gaylene, those are fabulous purchases, and now you have got me tempted on both! The sandals look like fun.

Tracey, thank goodness for the Birks trend with your poor foot! And you look great in peplums.

Beth Ann, your sandals are almost enough to cure me of Birk poison eye -- I LOVE them on you! Also love the jacket, but you knew that.

Gigi, aren't white bottoms the best for summer? And I am sorry that a lot of the Anthro order had to go back -- but glad you kept this beautiful top.

Workhorse: Saucony Cohesion TR7 trainers in grey/purple. A 15-hour shoe right out of the box, great traction and a bit of 2014 style.

Wildcard: Silver Arizona Birki-like sandals from Mudd. Comfy and fun/trendy.

My wildcard and workhorses are both items of the same category, and a category that I don't often focus on: dresses!

The pink and blue print dresses from this post were purchased specifically for a vacation. And I sport them at least once a week right now. It's been so hot (95F today) that they have been super helpful to have. I actually haven't worn my shorts SINCE my vacation and that was in early May. I keep reaching for the dresses this season.

And I think I know why they are working so well, when they never worked in the past. All the sleeves are elbow length or longer. Which means I don't have to layer something over it for the a/c at work and on weekends they feel cooler than my shorts and a t-shirt.

Lisa, I am SO EXCITED that you've become a dress-woman!! You look amazing in those.

And Laurinda -- fantastic shoes. It's amazing how often footwear can become workhorse as well as wild card.

I have SO many workhorses. All of these I wear 2-4 times a week: ON Boyfriend Skinny Khakis, ON V-neck tee, Kate Spade little bag in Ostrich Egg (I'm really digging way-off-whites), Birks (8 years old but worn with new confidence), Okalas, BR Champagne cardi.

For my wild card I'm picking the Pleione split-neck top. I have it in black, cobalt, and chartreuse. I didn't know I needed polyester tops but they drape beautifully and hang away from the body which means flattery plus ventilation. I usually wear two out of the three every week.

Wow, Jody - that's a lot of workhorses! You have a hard working closet indeed. Good shopping. And how fantastic about the blouse! I think poly can be brilliant for anyone who works in air conditioning or does not have to fight with humidity. That colour looks amszing on you!

Suz this has been a really fun thread to read. My summer workhorse has been a white sleeveless blazer I bought in the spring. At first glance it might appear on the dressy side ( which is far from my everyday life ) but I have found it to works very well with my causal outfits. Wearing a vest in new to me (in fact I don't think I ever owned one) so I wasn't sure I would use it much.
It turns out I do wear it , alot ! Its been quite versatile and adds that finishing touch to so many looks. I'm not really sure why I resisted ownig a vest as they seem to function pretty much like a jacket in warmer weather. And I do love me a jacket or two...... Lol

This thread has kept me thinking for a couple of days now, ha!
I realized that my biggest workhorse this summer is a pair of baggy jean shorts (knee length, with a cuff). I'm wearing them at least a few times a week. Funny thing is, I don't even like them - I just like the way they fit. They have weird wiskering that I wish wasn't there. I think it's time to find a different pair of summer jean shorts! (Now for the time to go shopping....)
And I'm not sure what I would call my wildcard - I kind of feel like my summer style isn't defined enough yet to have something that's not consistent with it, ha!

And now that I've read some of the replies, I've decided that I want a summer dress to be my wildcard! Yes, I feel a shopping trip coming on, I think.

For a summer of writing indoors at home, in blue and black; paired the black pants with a fitted black tank and a linen blend black blazer for an evening out yesterday.

I don't know of a wildcard, unless I can count my Eileen Fisher harem pants, which have also become workhorses. They aren't a summer purchase, but I continue to wear them into summer.
My unexpected workhorse might be the black sling-back Mary Janes (by Think!) that I've had for several years. Last year I didn't get much wear out of them, favoring my pewter sling-back Mary Janes (by Fidji) instead. This summer, I am wearing the Think! shoes quite a lot to work, because they are my best arch-supporting shoes, and I'm just getting over plantar fasciitis. (Otherwise, I've been wearing closed shoes with Superfeet inserts a lot, so the Think! sling-backs are a really good summer shoe for me.)

I adore your tops, Suz! In fact, the photo print seems very you to me.

My workhorses are perhaps not very surprising: White jeans, boyfriend jeans, chino shorts. But - as a pronounced skirt and dress wearer, I find it surprising that I've only worn a dress once so far this season, and skirt s couple of times.

Wildcard: Birkenstock Arizonas in black, which are also workhorses. I love how they are both classic, trendy and comfy.

So glad you got the BR silk top to work out because it is just divine on you. I really love it paired with the white bottoms. White bottoms are one of my summer workhorses. I wore them last summer as well and I don't think I could make it without at least one pair in rotation! The Banff tee is a great top--fun landscape and looks great with shorts and sandals!

Workhorses: Gap jeans. Always Skinny white denim bottoms and SBF's. I got the white AS last summer and they are getting put through the paces again this year. The SBF are older but I have multiple pairs and wear them all quite often.

Wildcard: Gap Neon Orange belt. I bought it on a whim and find myself wearing it all of the time. It goes with everything, surprisingly.

Wildcard 2: Coconuts by Matisse silver sandals. I've been wearing these everyday and neglecting my other footwear. These go with everything too. Makes me wonder why I looked so hard for black sandals. Oh well.

I'll play (P.S. Love seeing everyone's workhorses and wildcards -- have considered adding some of them to my wardrobe -- thanks for the ideas!)

Workhorses
I finally found a light-weight t-shirt with the fluid fit I wanted -- the Vince linen tee. Drapes really nicely and the wrinkles fall out quickly.

My Vans x ASPCA cat sneakers get comments every time I wear them! They look like a neutral pattern from far away, but then up close... cats!

Wildcard
The Vans have been worn with my asymmetrical All Saints Mayra dress. I wasn't quite sure how I'd wear this dress when I first got it, but it's basically like a big t-shirt with a cool cut. And, I found out I can wear it like a tunic by flipping the hem up into my waistline.

OMG, CATHY. I want those sneakers!!! Drat!! Who said more shopping would be the result of this???

Kelly, that's a great wildcard for you. I can see how the belt would work really well with your blues and neutrals. And your workhorses are a lot like mine -- white bottoms are a summer staple now.

Ingunn, it's so interesting how our dress vs. shorts preferences can change over time. I'm not wearing my skirts quite as often this year, either, although I do still wear them. And it is nice to see you! Glad your sandals are giving you joy.

Firecracker, your workhorse/ wildcards make perfect sense, and both are so "you." The harem pants must qualify as one of your best buys ever.

gradfashionista -- so glad you are liking those pants. I would love a pair for my own writing days!!

Amy, you are going the opposite way to Ingunn, wanting more dresses.

Spoff, I envy your vest. I have very much wanted one, too, but have not found one that works for me yet. Maybe next year.

2 items have floated to the top of the pile this summer so far. The Clark sandals which I purchased at The Bay and then left untouched for a good while. Once I busted open that box I was so pleasantly surprised by both the comfort and the casual style. I have gotten loads of wear out of them already. The other interesting thing is that they are feather light.

The second was a grocery store purchase of ankle length white jeans from Joe Fresh which here in Canada is in one of the large grocery stores. I have worn these a ton already. I am a huge fan of white in the summer and these ones are the perfect length for me. Am fighting an urge to duplicate at the moment.

Ha, my surprise workhorse this summer is turning out to be the Vera Wang dress. I've already worn it four times since I bought it in May (to three weddings, and the Westminster ceremony). The hat has already been worn three times too!

Two MORE weddings in September so they'll probably get at least one more wear soon. (I may bust out my coral dress for one of the September ones as I think it is being neglected).

Other new summer workhorses (pictured):
--rose print moto. I like that it's like a cross between a jacket and a hoodie.
--allsaints decadence top.
--EF silver skirt

Old favorites that are still workhorses include my navy sack dress, the green linen pants in #3, my various Naot sandals (one pair is shown in photos 2&3), my yellow gladiators, and my 2 pairs of slouchy clamdiggers.

I can't really think of any wildcards. Maybe the blush top I'm wearing with the silver skirt in #4? It's wildcard only because of the color though. I have bought a lot this spring/summer but it's because everything seems to be right up my alley.