Our style is ever-evolving. Changing as we age, enter new periods of our lives, and develop (or grow out of) certain interests. Having vigilantly documented my style journey from the age of 18 (I’m 32 this weekend!), it’s been interesting to note which wardrobe staples have really had a lasting impact on my personal style. Even as I’ve been drawn away from a silhouette, certain themes have continued to creep their way back into the styling elements of my daily outfits.
I’m an analytical kind of woman; I love looking at numbers, and identifying patterns. Given my love of fashion and style, it’s something that naturally made sense to apply to what I wear. Plus, I feel like a bit of retrospection helps to make better decisions in the future, too!
So today I’m honing in on the three wardrobe stapes that have defined my style over the years. These are items I’m more than happy to invest in, and loved just as much at 20, as I do now that I’m in my early thirties.
A BLAZER
Let’s kick things off with a great blazer. I still remember the moment when I splurged on my first contemporary designer piece. It was a beautiful blazer from Helmut Lang (here it is in an old outfit post). Black, with padded shoulders. A slightly pointed structure in the front, and not too fitted. At the time, I was tracking my wear count religiously, and got to 30 wears pretty quickly. It was the outfit equivalent of a purse catch-all; it went with everything in my closet, and made me feel amazing.
Of course, it wasn’t the first blazer I’d ever bought. I’d owned many from Karen Walker, but this one was indicative of the moment when I really started to think about investing in core wardrobe staples, as opposed to only buying beautiful statement pieces.
The style of blazer can have a huge impact on how your outfit looks. Is it fitted? Cropped? Oversized with a boyfriend fit? Double or single breasted? Patterned or a solid colour? It’s part and parcel of why a great blazer has been such a workhorse in my closet over the years, and continues to be even now. Plus, it’s a great way to smarten up a simple tee and jeans combo.
Look 1: Everlane alpaca sweater; En Or wool blazer; Everlane cheeky straight jeans
Look 2: Frame tee (old but similar here); Everlane oversized wool blazer; Levis wedgie jeans
POINTED TOE SHOES
I think I was 17 or 18 when I bought my first pair of pointed toe shoes. They were a white slip on pair of kitten mules, with ruched leather at the seam of the vamp. At the time, I wore them mostly with jeans and a casual top. The design details may have changed slightly now, but the styling notes haven’t. And my love of a great pointed toe shoe has definitely grown over the years.
Going back to my style uniform, so many of my wardrobe staples tend to lean more casual. It’s reflective of the stage of life I’m currently in. My mantra when putting together outfits is that it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed. A pair of pointed toe shoes is a simple fix to dress up an otherwise casual outfit.
Sky high heels are more of a thing of the past, so these days I look to styles which have a low or mid heel. Something like the editor heels tick all the boxes. Not too expensive, well made, a walkable heel, and an interesting squared off cut across the vamp. That being said, I do have my eye on these as an investment/splurge-worthy alternative.
Pictured above: Charlotte Olympia kitty flats (on sale!!) and Dior slingback flats
BELT IT UP
My love of belts really started during my obsessed with Karen Walker. My late teens and early twenties were punctuated with trips to her Wellington boutique, and having added up all my swing tags over the years, it’s pretty clear that a lot of my disposable income went there too. Many of the dresses were smock styles, and as someone with a small waist, I was keen to accentuate it even then. At the time, she used to sell a small but curated selection of beautiful belts; three of which I still have to this day.
I took to wearing these with anything high-waisted. I’d wear a balloon skirt with a billowing blouse, and throw on a belt to cinch things in. I’d wear them with my jeans. Over dresses to nip them in at the waist. Despite having little understanding of how I dressed worked with my proportions, I seemed naturally attuned to this one detail. It broke things up, added interest, gave me definition, and was more often than not very flattering.
The way I wear belts now has evolved, if ever so slightly. Sometimes, I wear them as a purely functional piece, so a skirt or trousers sit perfectly. Or, I’ll throw on a wide belt at the waist, and use it to artfully tuck in a sweater over a dress. To give tailoring a new silhouette, I’ll also wear one over the top of an oversized blazer. At any rate, a great belt has remained as one of the few enduring wardrobe staples in my closet.
Wearing Matteau dress (affordable alternative); Everlane oversized blazer; Isabel Marant belt; Chanel boy bag; Mejuri bracelet
