1 TOP....in a stretchy synthetic or synthetic blend, silk jersey or crepe jersey. This also needs to be kept simple....almost t-shirt like in design. It can not only be worn with a suit in place of a shirt and teamed with any of your seperates for everyday wear but will make an excellent evening top that can be dressed up or down to suit the occasion. It requires a certain amount of stretch or lycra so it holds it's shape when washed and should be either short sleeved or sleeveless, depending on your upper arms and how much exposure you wish to give them. Stylewise, pears can wear semi-fitted with either a round, scoop or slash neck, hourglasses can wear semi-fitted or fitted with either a round, scoop or sweetheart neck and straights can wear tunic style with either a square, v or assymetrical neck. Choose a dark neutral.
1 TWO-PIECE....in soft cotton, silky jersey, linen or viscose. This is another supremely versatile addition. The skirt and shirt can be worn together to form a dress or the shirt can be worn open over the skirt with a t-shirt or plain top underneath to form a soft suit. Equally though both pieces can also be worn seperately with other items in your wardrobe, giving you, in effect, an extra skirt and shirt. The shirt should be short sleeved making it suitable for all-year round wear....you can always wear the jacket or cardigan over the top in cooler weather. Stylewise, follow the advice given for the skirt and tailored shirt. Choose from either a plain outfit in a deep basic colour or a subtely printed outfit (pinstripe, polka dot, small check) in a dark neutral.
LATER ADDITIONS....when finances allow there are a few other items that could be added to your skeleton wardrobe. A wool coat in a glorious jewel-like basic colour (follow style advice for the raincoat), a denim jacket....semi-fitted for pears, blouson style for hourglasses and tunic style for straights, an extra pair of jeans and a simple, all-occasion dress in crepe, crepe jersey, synthetic jersey or linen....fit-n-flare or empire line for pear shapes, fitted, bias cut, coat style or shirtwaister style for hourglasses and shirt style, a-line or straight cut for straights ( you could also get away with empire line as long as you have a decent amount of bust).
SEASONAL ADDITIONS....this is how you stop your wardrobe from looking stale and dull. Once you have the basics in place you can then add inexpensive contemporary pieces to it each season to boost your options, keep it up to date and keep you looking stylish. In summer you might add a couple of t-shirts, a lightweight dress and a pair of shorts, in winter a pair of trousers or pants, a sweater and a shirt and for the christmas party season an evening dress, a blouse or a stunning jacket. Don't spend a lot of money on these 'add-ons' as they will be out of fashion within a few months and will probably never see the light of day again. When you've finished with them you could either pass them on to a charity shop or sell them over the net on the auctions....I can personally recommend both E-Bay and Yahoo auctions having bought and sold through both. |
