A student wrote to me and said,“My question is, how do I build a wardrobe instead of the basics?”
And I love this question because it gets to the heart of why so many smart, talented women open their wardrobes and think, I have so many clothes, so why do I feel like I have nothing?
We are often told that everyone needs these basics. There are endless lists. A white shirt. A black blazer. The perfect jeans. A neutral knit.
So he diligently collects the basics. You mark them in the list.
And then suddenly you go, I have these basics, but everything feels ridiculous because everything is so basic.
If your closet feels like dry toast, it’s not like you’ve failed in fashion. It’s because you were sold an imperfect formula.
Let’s fix that.
Step 1: Your color palette is number one
When thinking about building a wardrobe, a color palette for color analysis is your first tool as it is your guide to choosing colors that both look good on you but also work well together.
If you have your best color palette where everything works together, you’ll find clothes go together easily. This is not magic. This is color theory.
You want to make sure that your foundations also work together. This is why having a color palette where your neutrals complement your colors is so important.
Not all neutrals work together. A clash of cool grays and warm browns.
These Neutrals Are Different
If you look at the neutrals in the Spicy and Sublime palettes shown below – they are really different from each other.
Note that you cannot mix warm neutrals with cool colors.
And you can’t mix cool neutrals with warm colors to create a harmonious effect.
This is where, even if it’s a basic neutral outfit, it still needs to be in your color palette.
That’s why I teach human color analysis as a science, not a practice. If your colors agree with you and each other, your wardrobe becomes a mix and match by design, not by chance.
If you would like to find your palette to make it easier to choose colors that work together easily, you can find an online color analysis here. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. The important thing is to stop guessing.
Because when your palette is ready, suddenly you have more options for creating clothes.
What Really Makes a Dress?
When you think of a garment, what makes a garment?
- Colors coordinate.
- There is something about the styles, the clothes, the fabrics and the level of sophistication that goes with it
If everything is very familiar, that’s fine. If it’s all too clever, that’s fine. But if you have very smart clothes with super casual clothes, they just don’t work together unless your personality is very good or rebellious.
It thinks about having complementary goods.
A garment is not a random collection of pieces thrown on the body. A combined message.
Because my closet is filled with colors from the same palette, it’s easy to mix and match different items and create new outfits.
And remember, your clothes are not just fabric. They communicate. This is associated with the act of understanding. What you wear affects how you feel and how others perceive you. When the elements are together, you feel connected.
If not, you feel less comfortable throughout the day, and you may not even know why.
If You Only Have the Basics, You May Need Hero Pieces
If you’ve built a wardrobe of basics, you may need a few superhero outfits or accessories to make an outfit unique and interesting.
Not everything has to be basic.
A piece of hero clothing that adds interest. It could be a blouse with a signature color. A jacket with personality. A skirt in a pattern. A divine silk scarf. Something that exists.
This white shirt is a hero – the double open cuff sleeves make it stand out.
Think of your bases as supporting actors. Your hero pieces are the main characters.
If everything is a supporting character, there is no story.
Accessories Turn Basics into Outfits
This is where the resources come into play.
Accessories are really helpful in turning those basics into something interesting.
Jewelry, scarves, shoes, bags. This is not thinking. They are punctuation marks in your sentence.
Personally, my jewelry is in my color palette and my signature colors. I’m always looking for things that will work together naturally.
So when I dress, I don’t try to force a combination. They are already together.
That is the power of the collective color story.
Do You Like Interesting Basics or Simple Basics?
Here is a question that many women never ask themselves.
Do I like interesting basics, or plain basics?
Some people have a very simple and easy style. Some people need more happiness even in their basic things.
You can have a gray t-shirt. But maybe it has an interesting construction. That takes it from something basic and simple to something human.
For some people, that interesting construction is perfect. Some people don’t like that. Or maybe that knit top with a flapper sleeve doesn’t allow you to layer it the way you want. So you may need to choose a lighter piece that sits under a warrior jacket.
There is no right or wrong.
This is about understanding.
In the summer, I prefer more patterned tees as I don’t fall into the third piece like I do in the winter. Note that my pants are like the ones in the picture above and the white shirt, my clothes become transseasonal as the same color family stays in my wardrobe in winter and summer.
And this is where copying other people often goes wrong. We see someone else looking good and I think I’ll have that. But we are not. We don’t have their color, their proportions, their lifestyle, their personality.
What you want to do is understand yourself, and then build a wardrobe around who you are.
Check your Favorites for clues
Often, viewing your preferences can provide that information.
What pieces do you reach for over and over again that make you feel better (we’re not talking about “it will make the things you wear so you don’t wear them)”?
What do they have in common?
Is it construction? Simplicity? Level of detail? Color intensity? The structure?
Your preferences are data.
And smart women love data.
So use it.
Make It Work for Your Real Life
Of course, you need to know your lifestyle and what works for you.
The day I made the video (above) I felt like wearing this colorful blouse. It’s so cold here because of it. But luckily, I have two thick tops underneath to keep me warm. They’re all the same color because my closet is full of pieces in that palette.
So it’s very easy for me to layer. Underneath is a merino wool top. So I can wear a blouse even on a winter day.
This is where it becomes so much easier when you have colors that work together. Layering becomes easier rather than harder.
But it only works because it suits my lifestyle and my climate.
You need to consider where you are, how you spend your time, what you enjoy wearing and what you feel comfortable in.
Because it should be comfortable for you.
Stop Copying. Start Curating.
Understanding your personality is very important. Your style needs to express it.
Not cheating on me. Not copying influencers. Not copying a checklist from a magazine.
When you start copying other people, you don’t feel good, and you don’t feel comfortable.
Style is a skill. It is readable. And it’s deeply human.
If you include:
- A compact color palette
- Elements of a combined style
- A few heroic pieces
- Accessories considered
- Understanding your personality and lifestyle
You go from a wardrobe of basics to a wardrobe of clothes.
And that’s where dressing becomes easier.
Your wardrobe should be like a great husband, not a bad boyfriend. He is faithful. Support. It makes you feel good every day.
It’s confusing, inconsistent and full of purchase regret.
If your closet right now feels like a bad boyfriend, don’t panic.
We just need to give it a better frame.
Discover My Complete Outline
If you would like us to finally fix your style, I would like to invite you to join my 7 Steps to Style program.. ItIt includes not only analyzing your own color, but also body shape, wardrobe and everything in between.
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