A friend was recently complaining that she had a closet full of clothes but "nothing to wear." She asked me to look and see what she was doing wrong. I immediately saw her problem. She had lots of gravy (cocktail dresses, camis, sandals) but no meat (basics). There was nothing on which to build a wardrobe. It was like having a refrigerator filled with chocolate ice cream and having nothing to eat.
Coco Chanel said fashion changes but style remains. The 10 items below, which every woman should have, are always stylish.
1. Little black dress. Enough said, except keep it simple and nothing too elaborate.
2. Trench coat. You'll wear it as a spring coat, on warm days in winter, as an evening coat over a cocktail dress, and even in the rain.
3. Black pencil skirt.
4. A good winter coat. You'll live in it for months, so spend on this item.
5. Cashmere sweater. I love turtlenecks but if you get a plain round neckline, you'll be able to layer it over a shirt.
6. White silk blouse. All right, if you don't like ironing, buy poly.
7. Jeans. Please, if they're so tight you can't zip them up, buy a larger size.
8. Blazer. You can wear it over everything, and with the pencil skirt it will form a suit. A jacket should cover your butt and, when buttoned, fit smoothly without wrinkles.
9. Good, well-fitting pants. They'll look more polished if the waistband hits at your waist.
l0. Simple sheath dress. This can be dressed up or down.
Miriam Silverberg is a freelance journalist and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a boutique publicity firm in New York City. She can be reached at silverbergm@mindspring.com.
