10 Wardrobe Basics that you Can’t Live Without.
Well actually this is ten wardrobe basics that Lady Smaggle can’t live with out. I’ve had a few readers email to ask me what ‘basics’ I have built my wardrobe around. Here are the main basics that form the back bone of my wardrobe…
Black – I get that ‘black’ isn’t actually an item but it’s a big, big player in the land of Smaggle. Maybe there’s a little emo trapped inside me. I have black tops, black skirts, black pants, black shoes, black scarves, black earrings, black bags. It’s ridiculous. I only have one weird phobia when it comes to black. I hate primary brights worn with black, it’s far too 80’s for me. I prefer to wear black and white, head to toe black or I like to mix my blacks with patterns and muted shades. I can handle black and red as well.
Scarves – I’m a bit addicted to fringed ones at the moment but I’m not discriminatory when it comes to this versatile accoutrement. I wear them in my hair, around my neck, around my waist, tied to my bag. And I rarely leave a thrift store without buying one. And I rarely leave a girlfriends house without accidentally stealing one.
Boots – Only ankle or knee high. I could never pull off calf length because I used to dance a lot when I was little so I have these massive Sherpa calves. Boots just seem to effortlessly dress up an outfit. Plus they are a great way to look presentable in winter when it’s far too cold for strappy heels.
Bangles – I generally wear some kind of bangle everyday. I just don’t feel comfortable if I’m not jangling a little when I walk. But the second I get home (and by home I mean my house, Mr Smaggle’s house, a friends house or a rehearsal) I generally take the lot off and leave a little trail of my jewels through out my location. It’s a bit of a trademark of mine. Like a calling card. (This isn’t my entire collection because I know I have a stack of bangles on my desk at work and also in the boot of my car. And I probably have stacks scattered from one end of Canberra to the other…)
Maxi dresses and skirts – I’m really, really tall so these babies elongate the hell out of me and make me look even taller and more stretched out. Plus I can go for WEEKS and not shave my legs and no one notices. I’m also a loungy type of person and I like to lie on the floor, roll around in grass and sit cross legged and maxi skirts are great because you just bunch them up or spread them out and they keep covered what should be covered. They are also super comfortable. Especially if you’re having a piggy day.
Wedge shoes – I’m not good at spindly little heels. I need some sturdy support underneath my feet because I tend to fall over a lot more than the average person. Even though I am quite tall I like to have a little extra height because it makes my legs look longer. Also Mr Smaggle is a (skinny) giant and it puts me at eye level with him.
Tights – Love em. Can’t get enough. Every colour of the rainbow and every pattern imaginable. It’s winter for about 7 months of the year here and it’s the easiest way to keep my wardrobe looking fresh – I just update my tights!
Cardigans – I love to layer.
Belts and obis – Just really complete an outfit. I like belts that match my shoes and bag. There is something so quaint about it. I love to match the colour of my accessories and by wearing belts you can get your feature colour around the middle of your body. Say if you wear a red necklace and red shoes the featured colour is all around the edges. You need the belt in the middle to tie it all together… so to speak.
Tiny details – Okay I know this isn’t a basic but it’s something that I do wear nearly everyday. I wear something like a tiny little hippo brooch, a flash of a green slip, tiny pearl earrings, rings that spell L.A.D.Y, chopsticks in my hair. I’m just so uber quirky aren’t I?
What are your basics? What do you wear nearly everyday? I define basics as something that you own a large quantity of in different colours and styles. Do you wear cowboy boots all the time? Do you have a huge collection of baby doll dresses? White ribbed singlets? Headbands? I’d love to hear about the basics that you build your wardrobe around!
Love Lady Smaggle
xxx
It’s so fun to see pic’s of other peoples stuff! Yaaay!. I love your stuff. I’ve been doing “favorite things” posts and It’s fun!
I am big on tights and dresses, boots, belts, shoes, jewelry and jeans. Wait, I love it all, dammit someone stop me.
I guess jeans (of which I am expanding my collection after I had the enormous realisation that I wear them *all the time*), vintage jackets and coats which I had to ban myself from buying because I have waaaay too many, tees with cute prints (thankyou, Threadless), flats, massive earrings, and red lipstick. I have four red lipsticks, each of them unique and totally necessary. And I just found a new one that I so totally want and I think I might go and buy it now…
Body Jewellary – Well if you have piercings, I suppose this kind of goes without saying. Though recently when I have taken a piece out, someone ALWAYS notices. ‘Hey, you only have one nose ring in?’ etc.
Boots – Though I am short, I just love flat boots. I can’t really do with heeled boots ( though I own one pair I am considering getting rid of). I am onto my 9th pair, I just lay-buyed a a pair of blue vintage ones for $25.00 yesterday :-O
Pajamas – Most people who know me, know I have a thing for pajamas and if you find me at home, you will generally find me in my pajamas!
Big sunglasses – Mmmmhmm. I think they suit my face.
Large coffee cups – It is SO cold here lately and I shouldn’t be drinking them but I have a mega huge soft spot for soy chai lattes and you will generally find me wandering about town with one.
I have a few more but these are the first ones that come to mind. I don’t even know if you would call them ’style’ pieces. They are more ‘Nicoleeeee’ pieces.
<3
I would definitely say hats, mini to knee-length skirts, comfy t-shirts in great colors, a certain number of black pieces of clothing, bike shorts to wear under skirts, any kind of flat shoes, empire-waist tops, and quirky jewelry.
Black everything, interesting shoes (i.e. bright colours, unusual fabrics, ultra-high heels etc), tights, gel nails and perfume (I know the last two aren’t clothing, but they do add to an outfit).
Wow, I didn’t know you were tall?!?! I imagined you were a tiny little thing, for some reason.
I have a billion different skirts. I’m with ya on the shaved leg thing. Plus they just suit my figure. Also have a stupid amount of necklaces – necklaces are like your bangles to me.
P.S. Photos of inside your house and wardrobe give me a buzz, lol.
P.P.S. I tagged you for a lil’ blogging game (although I know you’ve replied to a tag thing not long ago, so don’t feel pressured to do it!)
well, I’d have to say black, as that is the one colour I wear every single day without fail (unless I’m at home in my pj’s laying on the couch like a fat pregnant lady, which happens quite alot lately). But I also have a shit load of singlest and many many colours and styles and I will wear one of those under everything. Some days it’s to keep me warm (like my mother told me), other days it’s to keep the puppies in check under a low cut top, otherwise under a jumper so I have a hint of another coulor peeking out under it and it alsi covers my butt so when I bend over the undies are hidden…
Jocelyne – I’m a total sticky beak too! That’s why I share stuff like occasionally. Oh and thanks for linking me the other day. I tried to comment but computer spazzed out. I’ll try again later.
Na – Totally massive earrings and lipstick. Very you.
Nicoleeeee – Oh wow you have body piercings? That’s mental what do you have pierced? I like that massive coffee cups are one of your basics.
Kristen – You wear bike shorts under skirts? How very primary school of you.
Emma – Oh I wish perfume was one of mine! I still haven’t found my signature scent yet…
Ivy – Seriously you just made my day. It’s an illusion that I’m short – I have really stumpy legs and long torso so it’s not that evident in photos. I’m 5′8 in real life. About 176cm I think… I’ll go and check out your tag now my love!
Mrs Munk – Always black for you lady. As if you aren’t totally stoked to be a fat pregnant lady! I’ll make you some slice. Oh singlets are mine too! I love them and wear them everyday. Well I wear a black one every day.
Ahem, I wear bike shorts of cut off (above the knee) holey tights under my skirts too, in summer – it’s the only thing that keeps the Chubby Rub at bay!
This is going to sound weird, but I’d say my hair is a staple wardrobe item; after a few years of various pixie-cuts (which, when I see pictures now, tended to make me look butch rather than pixie-ish, unfortunately), I finally have long hair again.
And, unlike the last time (all of my childhood, adolescence and early twenties, basically) I now know how to take care of it so that it stays in good condition, and how to put it up, braid it etc in at least two (or three) dozen diffent ways.
I often plan the night before how I want to wear my hair (up, down, half-up, braided – and all of these have lots of variations) and what ‘hairtoy’ I’m going to use; a lovely wooden hairfork, or hairsticks, or my beloved steampunk clockwork hairstick…
And then I’ll adjust the rest of my look accordingly; with my hair completely up, I like either turtlenecks (in winter) or wider necklines, but not a shirt with a collar for instance, because that tends to look prissy. I’d usually combine that with dangly earrings.
Braids are great, because then I can wear a hat or a beret easily, which I love; and if I do double braids (looks very nice if you do them REALLY loosely) I’ll probably not wear earrings, but a large necklace.
Etc, etc, etc!
Er, by ‘of’ in the first sentence, I meant ‘or’….
It gets pretty incomprehensible otherwise!
Boots – so many boots – I have been going on boot hunts every year for about 10 years now (only a few pairs have lasted the test of time). It starts around March and doesn’t end until August – I have a very tollerent husband! An essential in Canberra.
Bumbble – Ah the chubby rub! My unfriendly summer pal. I love the hairstyle thing. My hair isn’t long enough – or verstile enough for that.
Penny – It’s so hard to find good boots here. I find redpaths kicks butt though.
I wear a lot of red! From my clothes to my shoes to my accessories! I always layer my bangles & rings & I feel naked without them! I need to have a headband on too! I am usually in high waist mini skirts..I like all kinds of skirts but I am pretty biased towards polka dots, florals & leopard print! I rotate between skirts & dresses daily & rarely wears pants/jeans! I am very big on flats especially unique fun ones because they are comfortable & I like how a pair of bright color flats can pop in an outfit! I am bad wit belts but when I wear them I am usually wearing skinny belts!
Ohmy, what a long comment! I hope I didn’t bore you! Btw, I need t try maxi skirts too! They seem awesome!
Great post, those totally are your basics too.
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