Their wardrobes may be brimming with a seemingly endless choice of clothes but it’s still a conundrum most women face everyday: ‘I have nothing to wear’.
But there are basic essentials every woman should own.
Kelly McCarren, who’s the PR and content manager of online clothing boutique Showpo, has revealed how you can build your dream wardrobe with just 16 items.
‘It is all up to a bunch of key items,’ the Sydney woman said in a YouTube video.
‘And if you have those key items, you can actually bring in different trends and bring in other additional items that you wanna wear and everything will always pair together and you will never ever ever ever say again “I have nothing to wear”.’
Their wardrobes may be brimming with a seemingly endless choice of clothes but it’s still a conundrum most women face everyday: ‘I have nothing to wear’
PR and content manager of online clothing boutique Showpo Kelly McCarren (pictured) revealed how you can build your dream wardrobe with just 16 items
Cami
‘Cami’s once left in the 90s, now back forever and we are eternally grateful,’ she said.
‘So flattering and they cut into your breast no matter what size they are like in the most perfect shape.
‘You can wear it over a white tee – two basics together. You can pop it under your leather or denim jacket with your black skinny jeans.’
Turtleneck
‘Something with a high neck that’s really fitted is so chic. It literally looks like you came straight from Vogue in New York,’ Kelly said.
‘I love it. It’s very much loved in the high fashion fash pack.’
Kelly said a white button-up top is the ‘one hero piece that can take you from work to play’
Kelly said turtleneck tops and cami are must-have staples because they go with everything
White T-shirt
‘Never underestimate the power of a simple, classic, crisp white tee,’ Kelly said.
‘It completely anchors the entire look so no matter what else you’ve got going on, you can always fall back to a white tee.
‘It looks great paired with jeans, you can wear it under things… It’s the perfect thing to pop under a jumper. I love it.’
She said there are different styles to choose from, including the ‘crew neck and V-neck.
‘You cannot go wrong with a crew neck style. My personal favourite is actually, probably more of a V-neck,’ she said.
White button-up top
‘Getting the right fit is the most important thing,’ she said.
‘So you can absolutely never go wrong with a crisp white button up because it is just the one hero piece that can sort of take you from work to play. You can tame it down or glam it up.
‘One of the reasons why I love wearing a button-up so much is because it’s actually the perfect mix between being really polished but also really casual – so you never really look like you’re trying that hard.’
Kelly explained denim jackets are the perfect piece to ‘throw’ over any outfit for any occasion
A white T-shirt ‘anchors the entire look’ while nude heels can elongate your legs
Striped top
‘Not just for the nautical… Stripes go with so many different things and they’re such a cute little… French influence on your wardrobe,’ she said.
Denim jeans
‘They’ve been around forever, they’re never gonna go out of fashion because they are such a staple,’ Kelly explained.
‘Find a pair that are comfortable so you can move freely but fit you properly. They are flattering on your figure so completely depends what your figure is in terms of what you would like.’
She said the best part about wearing a pair of jeans is how versatile they are because you can dress them with sneakers or up the ‘glam factor’ by adding nude heels.
Denim jacket
Kelly explained that denim jackets are the perfect piece to ‘throw over your outfit’ for any occasion.
‘I personally love and generally favour an oversized denim jacket because they are so comfortable and they’re kinda like very street style,’ she said.
‘But if you prefer a fitted version, there are so many nice options out there. They trim everything in because it’s a lot more tailored and you can still actually layer like a nice turtleneck under it and that looks really cute.
‘If you don’t know what the temperature is like, don’t take a cardigan unless you’re 80, take a denim jacket.’
Knitted sweaters and a denim jacket are a must-have essential for your wardrobe
Knitted sweater
‘Every single person in the entire world needs a cozy knit,’ she said.
There are so many different options and shades to choose from.
‘You can get them with a turtleneck, you can do it like a bit more fitted so a nice streamline cashmere sort of fit and then we’ve got these sort of chunky knits, which I think are a little bit more wearable,’ Kelly said.
Blazer
‘Everyone needs a blazer. I’m partial to a black blazer but some are partial to a nude blazer. It completely depends on your personal style,’ Kelly explained.
‘The thing that I love about a blazer is that if you’ve got an [important] meeting – pop a blazer on and you’re immediately channeling your inner girl boss mode.
‘You can also pair it over jeans and a tee. It’s a really versatile piece.
‘A lot of the time I think people think “Oh no, a blazer is super corporate” but it’s actually not because if you get it with a more of a relaxed fit that you can still do up to make yourself look super professional… well you can wear it anywhere.’
Blazers may seem professional but Kelly explained how you can dress yourself casual with a pair of jeans and t-shirt. She also said wrap dresses astonishingly flatters every type of figure
Wrap dress
‘The humble wrap dress has been around since Diane Von Furstenberg introduced it literally 50 years ago,’ she explained.
‘And I promise you, I promise you… no matter what your body type is, no matter how short or tall, what size you are, a wrap dress will flatter your figure.
Black skinny jeans
‘They don’t have to be black skinny jeans but just like a black, tailored pair of pants that you can chuck on with your trainers or you can pop on with your black ankle boots,’ she said.
‘They go with everything, your chunk knit sweater, you can pop them with your cami, you can pop them with your white T-shirt. They are so versatile.
Faux leather jacket
‘Your leather jacket or faux leather because animals are friends, not food,’ she said.
She said the piece was perfect to wear with anything, such as dressing it up with a frock for a wedding if it gets a ‘little cold’ or dressing it down for a weekend away.
‘White plain sneakers are a must for everyone’s wardrobe because they completely dress down and make outfits a little bit more casual,’ Kelly said
Kelly said a little black dress will always make a woman feel good whichever occasion she’s dressing for – and a striped top goes with anything all year round
Little Black Dress (LBD)
‘You could go for something that’s got a little spaghetti straps, something that’s a little bit shorter,’ she said.
‘I personally think that a midi-length, midi to short is probably the most flattering and it goes with most things because you can still wear it to things like a family dinner but you can still pull it up, slide it up a little bit and wear it out with your denim jacket over your shoulders.
‘Basically the concept of an LBD is that it doesn’t matter what shape it is, doesn’t matter how old it is, doesn’t matter where you get it from, it will always make you feel good. So pop on your LBD and you’re gonna feel hot stuff.
White plain sneakers
‘White plain sneakers are a must for everyone’s wardrobe because they completely dress down and make outfits a little bit more casual,’ she said.
‘Plus they are comfortable.’
Must-have staples include a knitted sweater, black skinny jeans, and a faux leather jacket
Nude heels
‘Nude heels are the second must-have shoe that you should have in your wardrobe because they elongate your leg,’ Kelly explained.
‘They go with everything, they’re very chic and the stacked block heel is so comfortable. I hate heels but I could wear this style all day for hours and go out dancing. Not that I do that anymore that much but if I wanted to.’
Black ankle boots
‘Another pair of shoes you really need are black ankle boots. I wear them all year round. They’ve got a heel so they’re quite flattering on the leg,’ she said.
‘There are so many things you can wear your black angle boot with and they keep your tootsies warm.’