Closet Basics: Outfit #1

After complaining about my lack of "closet magic," I decided to get down to it, inspired by this post of Une femme d'un certain age.

The reality is, I do have basics, my "go to" pieces, that create three kinds of outfits.
Most popular: Pants/Jeans + Blouse + Sweater

I wear this at least twice weekly, sometimes three times. Comfortable, easy, and professional -- in my world. The basic part is the jeans or trousers.

Jeans. I prefer a slightly casual cut, with straight legs. I also prefer a dark wash/blue or a black jean, but the combination is hard to find. I am so petite and round that I usually have to take whatever to the tailor for adjustment. Right now, I am wearing Lee Jeans: they work for my female figure without having an overabundance of stretch (which annoys me) and wear well. They also don't come all tricked out with fancy pocket sequins or fading.

Trousers. I found a particular style a few years ago at Chadwick's that suits me; it is a slightly flared leg, sits slightly below the waist, with no front pleats, and an easy fabric. I currently have two pairs in black and just bought a third--I am terrified they will discontinue them! I also have a black pair chalk-striped with red and white, faint but stylish.






All my blouses, cotton or silk, are simple button-front collared blouses. Not a lot of variety in style, but in collor I range from white and pale blue, to wine and navy with white polka dots. I try to stay away from the jeans/cotton blouse combination for teaching, because it is too casual.

In terms of sweaters, I think of them mostly as an accessory/finishing touch. For the past couple of years I've been adding cashmere to my pile, which I see as an investment. Most often, Big D doesn't get cold enough for full-out winter clothing, but cashmere adds a nice layer. My go-tos here include:

The soft boyfriend cardigan. Cadet blue. This comes over the hips and functions as a jacket-sweater.

The V-neck sweater. Worn over a nice, peeping t-shirt, not a blouse. Black, soft brown, charcoal, light gray.

The turtleneck. Black (of course!) and looking for a nice cream soon. I have a very good multi-colored one, mostly green that I wear occasionally; it's about a 1,000 years old, but still looks good.

The coat sweater, more than a cardigan. Currently, gray and black in my closet. These are abit heavier than the boyfriend cardigan, a bit more structured and formal in appearance.

All, easy to layer, depending on the temperatures outside. Because these pieces offer neutral color and line, sometimes texture, I leave the prints and bright colors to my scarves and jewelry. I can get a good, solid line of color neck to toe, thereby offering a slimmer, longer line, while still adding variety.

Mostly, I wear heeled ankle boots with the pants. Something like this, in either brown or black.

With a scarf, earrings, pin, and bracelet, I'm good to go. Comfortable, professional, and not too conservative for my casual workplace.