The classics

I’m often amazed at how, regardless of trends (which I’m also totally seduced by, if limited by budget and possibly age), there are a few wardrobe items which I find myself being continuously drawn towards.
I think it’s like consistently buying nail polish or lip gloss only to find the colours are always in the same tonal range, if not actually identical — a comfort thing perhaps?

These habitual purchases may be constant but they’re far from boring! They’re the building blocks of a girl’s wardrobe and are definitely worth collecting, alongside temporary fashion trends.

Here are some items I consider to be wardrobe classics.

The perfect white shirt

It’s hard to beat a button-up shirt for versatility, which is why you’ll find a number of them in my wardrobe. There’s a sleeveless one sashed at the waist for a 1950s Doris Day look, an empire line bell-sleeved linen smock, a printed crinkle cotton one and a black shirt dress, to name a few. But when you’re talking classics, it’s hard to beat a white shirt to lend a formal air or give the face an instant lift.

At Gap last week I found a fantastic long-sleeved white cotton voile shirt, shaped to fit, with two pin-tucks on either side of the buttoning. It’s very cool, feels fresh and goes well over capris or cotton jeans.

It’s similar in look to this very chic white shirt with ruching and oversize cuff detail, which would look good with jeans or a skirt. The ruching at the waist gives you a slimming silhouette, and the turned-up cuffs have a theatrical look far beyond the everyday. White shirts need to last the distance, and at US$99, this cotton-lycra one from shop.com should be worth the investment.

This sweet cap-sleeve linen shirt, fitted with panel detail, is a bit more of a bargain at US$32. It has a cute pleated detail in the centre-back near the waist with three little mother of pearl buttons. The short length would work perfectly over a knee-length skirt, which brings me to my next wardrobe classic…

The denim skirt

You can wear denim skirts (either straight or A-line) in all seasons, with boots or wedges or flip-flops, and with tight tees, shirts or longer sleeved knits. Talk about comfort zones! They’re not risky buys at all, but seriously useful to have on hand.

They’ll literally work with anything in your wardrobe, and denim goes with any colour imaginable — a big relief for those days when you’re too busy to devote much time towards coordinating separates.

This Krizia denim skirt is a classic style and on sale at yoox.com for $38. It’s a sleek fit and sits an inch or two above the knee. If you are wearing the skirt down on your hips it’s a bit longer but I like skirts to sit above or below, just not on the knee, which can make your whole outfit a bit dowdy.

It’s worth homing in on what you consider a classic or staple in your wardrobe and stocking up, especially if you keep coming back to that item in your browsing. Updating the classics works, but don’t allow fashionable trends to sway you into a purchase which might be too uncomfortable.

Some girls can do a more bohemian style with great panache, but if you know your style leans towards the classic, stand tall and look good!