How to Build the Perfect Wardrobe with Seven Fashion Staples
These pieces can be tweaked to match your personal style, but there's one thing they should all have in common: A perfect fit.
Up next in How to Dress for Your Body Type (32 videos)
You don't have to have the perfect body to look amazing; just find the clothing styles that work best with your body type, with the help of these videos.
You Will Need
- A little black dress
- Plain dark jeans
- A crisp, white button-down shirt
- Black dress pants
- White T-shirts
- A black skirt
- A trench coat
- Professional laundering (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Invest in a little black dress
Invest in what fashionistas call the LBD, or Little Black Dress: A simple, elegant sheath.
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Try a sheath dress in navy, brown, charcoal, or red, too. Just make sure it's a solid color.
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Step 2
Find the perfect jeans
Have a go-to pair of jeans that fit well and can be dressed up or down. That means no rips, studs, or fading – just a dark pair of plain jeans.
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Step 3
Get a crisp white shirt
Own at least one crisp, white, button-down shirt. Look for fitted ones that won't bunch around your hips when you tuck them in – but won't tug at the buttons, either.
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Unless you can afford professional laundering, avoid 100 percent cotton in favor of a no-iron fabric.
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Step 4
Have black dress pants
Buy at least one pair of black, all-season pants in a basic cut that works just as well with a sweater or jacket as it does with a shirt or blouse.
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Step 5
Stock up on white tees
Stock up on white T-shirts – crew neck and V-neck, long-sleeved and short-sleeved.
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Step 6
Get a good skirt
Get a good black skirt. A knee-length, A-line skirt is universally flattering. But if you have the figure for a pencil skirt, go for it.
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Step 7
Buy an all-weather trench coat
Buy a classic, all-weather trench coat. Don't skimp on it; a well-made one will last you a decade or more.
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Sixty-six percent of women own at least one "little black dress."
