my five: wardrobe essentials

Top Fives/Pick Fives/Five Parties are some of my favorite pieces of blogging (and if no one calls them "Five Parties," well, they should). It's a list, which makes it awesome to begin with, and the restriction of five makes it all so high-stakes, don't you think? I'm always on the edge of my seat to see who/what won't make the cut this time! Okay, that's a lie, but I really like the number five anyway. It's a nice round number, not so short that you could never narrow your list down to that and not so long that you're struggling to think of things to fill it. Five is, in many ways, the perfect number. (My personal lucky number is 7, but I find it sort of unwieldy in blog terms for some unknowable reason. Possibly the inside of my head is just unwieldy in general. Interesting fact: "unwieldy" is one of my favorite words.)

And since this is a fashion/style blog, I know that I won't last too long without an essentials post. I'm pretty sure a fashion blog without an essentials post curls up into a tiny cyberball and then self-destructs in a puff of silicon and data. I wouldn't want that.

One: Cardigans

You may not have noticed, but I love cardigans. I think they're the perfect addition to pretty much any outfit. You can use one to dress up a t-shirt or dress down a dress, cover up some skin without getting too hot (depending on the cardigan. I'm particularly partial to ones with half-sleeves for this reason). A good cardigan is a versatile and indispensible piece of your wardrobe.

Two: LBD

The "little black dress" is something of a huge honking cliche now, but in my opinion, it's a cliche for a reason. It's very difficult to go wrong with a black cocktail dress. There's some class and sophistication there, but it can be just as easily brought to a more casual level with flats and chunky jewelry (and, dare I say, a cardigan?). For my purposes, the LBD is more of an archetype than a single entity: everyone should own a nice cocktail dress. Whether or not it's black is up to you; I would, of course, recommend having more than one! But it's pretty hard to look super out of place/inappropriate in black, unless you're at the White Party, so it's a good choice to wear when you aren't totally sure of the formality/style of wherever you're going.

Three: Blue jeans

This is really a no-brainer in this day and age, but seriously: jeans. Not jeggings or some other horrific miscarriage of hosiery, jeans. I personally prefer a dark-wash straight or wide leg, but any jeans work. Remember that the darker the wash, the more "formal" they get, which serves my purposes because I go to more plays than rodeos. Ridiculous embroidery is usually a no, though I will admit to having a soft spot for pocket embellishment. The problem with that is that, in drawing a lot of attention to your backside, it...draws a lot of attention to your backside. So no butt-spangles for the faint of heart.

Four: Pencil/A-line Skirts

Okay, this is kind of cheating, but it's my blog and I don't care. The pencil skirt is perfect for looking a little more professional, a little sleeker. I would recommend one in a dark neutral, because I love black, but traditional-made-sassy patterns like houndstooth would also be awesome. Conversely, a flouncy a-line is a must for any summer day, pretty-but-comfy event, or really any time you might feel like twirling. As a bottom-heavy hourglass, a-lines are my favorites because they go straight out from the hips, very flattering.

Five: Shoes

My final essential is lots and lots of shoes. Honestly, the shoes you "need" depend a lot on your wardrobe, your style, and your preferred comfort level. My own personal "must-haves" are black ballet flats, black boots (knee-high or ankle), neutral heels, a pair of sneakers, and then as many other pairs in as many colors, styles, and patterns as I can get my hands on. A pair of shoes can make an outfit pop or flop, and while the shoes I listed (black, black, neutral) can go with pretty much anything, finding the Perfect Shoe for an outfit is such a wonderful experience. Shoes are also a great way to show your personality, especially when paired with a fairly basic outfit; I have a pair of blue plaid pumps that make my life. I seldom have the opportunity to wear them, but when I do...I feel like a superhero.

What are your wardrobe essentials?