Closet control: Key item #5

To have a gorgeous wardrobe is every fashionista's dream, having a huge variety of unique but on-trend ensembles at the ready is perfection. However to each wardrobe there are basics that are a must, no matter what you're personal style without these basics you're wardrobe won't be at its best, over the next few weeks I'll post various sections of the 'perfect' wardrobe with pictures, diagrams and helpful hints on how to achieve you're very own 'perfect' wardrobe.

This post is about the fifth key item which will help you to build your 'perfect' wardrobe which is Collared Shirts.

Collared Shirts are an easy way to pull off a formal look. Whether you're going out to dinner, meeting a friend for coffee, or taking a shopping trip you can rock a collared shirt. It's best to have a few within your reach in a few different colours and cuts so you can maximise your options because a neon pink one with a white trim may look super chic paired with black skinnies and neon pink pumps for a bright, fun look during the day. However for a more formal look in the evening a muted claret shirt, tucked into a black bodycon skirt may be more suitable. Here are my suggestions for a small range of collared shirts that you can rock...

1. Casual, denim

2. Formal coloured

3. Formal black/white

4. Casual coloured

5. Short sleeved 

Collared shirts are essential to your 'perfect' wardrobe because they can be thrown on over jeans for a simplistic look or tucked into a statement skirt for the evening. The important thing is that they can be dressed up or down and you can get multiple wears out of them. Here's an example of how I would dress this collared shirt up and down... 

The first look is very casual. You would wear the blouse loosely over the distressed jeans and then wear the claret sneakers for a casual vibe. Finish the look with a chic ponytail and a swipe of lip balm. The other look is a lot more formal. The blouse would be tucked into the claret peplum skirt and this look could be worn with black tights and then the dolly shoes could be slipped on to give a cute finish. I love the clutch bag that I chose for this look and the gold bangles look wonderful with it. To finish this I would swipe both sets or eyelashes and wear my hair in loose curls.  

Overall I highly recommend you get a small selection of collared shirts to base your 'perfect' wardrobe around. I hope you enjoy this post and that it inspires you.

Love Dixie 

:) xox

Closet control : Key item #4

To have a gorgeous wardrobe is every fashionista's dream, having a huge variety of unique but on-trend ensembles at the ready is perfection. However to each wardrobe there are basics that are a must, no matter what you're personal style without these basics you're wardrobe won't be at its best, over the next few weeks I'll post various sections of the 'perfect' wardrobe with pictures, diagrams and helpful hints on how to achieve you're very own 'perfect' wardrobe.

This post is about the fourth key item which will help you build your 'perfect' wardrobe which is Black &White tops

Black &White tops are an essential in building your 'perfect' wardrobe because they're so versatile. You can dress them up or down and they're so simple. It's important to have a few different styles, cuts and shapes of black and white tops so you can easily suit them to the occasion you're dressing for. For example a vest top could be more formal, whereas a structured blouse is more formal. The best thing about black and white tops is the fact you can layer them so easily. 

When Shopping for Black and White Tops it's best to go for simple, plain tops. Buy different styles though such as tight, structured, flared etc. so you have few different options, here are my top 5 styles of Black and White tops...

 1. Vest tops 

These are essential for layering. You can wear them under a sheer blouse, tucked into a skirt, under a cropped shirt etc. There are so many different ways to layer them and they're so cost effective due to the fact they're not very expensive at all yet they last a long time and can be reused again and again in a variety of outfits. 

2. Blouses  

Blouses are important as they're more formal yet they can still be layered and dressed up or down. It's important to have both black and white blouses as you'll have a more options when choosing your outfit.

3. Long sleeved 

Long sleeved black and white tops are important because they perfect for layering. Also they're great to tuck into a patterned skirt, then team with a necklace and a knitted cardigan, or you could tuck into high waisted shorts, throw on a cropped jumper and some converse and you've got a casual look. 

4. Over-sized

Over-sized tops are great because they're very simple, versatile and comfortable; one of the most important factors in an outfit is how comfortable it is. Over-sized shirts can be worn in a variety of ways and are a simple piece to an ensemble. 

5. Short Sleeved 

Short sleeved tops are essential for layering and building up an outfit. They're also very useful for being a simple piece in an outfit  leaving the main piece in an ensemble to stand out. For example, if you wore a black short sleeved top and black tights with a wonderfully bright coloured Aztec print skirt, then the skirt would stand out due to the simple colour everywhere else. 

Black and White tops are essential to building your 'perfect' wardrobe because they can be dresses up or down, they're extremely versatile and they're brilliant for layering. Look at my example here of how you can dress up and down a plain black tee...

This shows how a plain black long sleeved top can be transformed easily. For a casual look, pair I paired it with distressed, boyfriend jeans, black high tops, a khaki overcoat and a gold chain. This look is simple, urban and comfortable - perfect for a shopping trip or walk around the park. My next look is more formal, I paired the simple tee with a pale pink bubble skirt, a pale pink clutch, black tights, pale pink heels and a gold collar style necklace. This look is girly, glamorous and cute, perfect for a dinner out somewhere fancy! 

So overall Black and White tops are should be versatile, simple and plain. This ensures they can be worn in a number of ways with a number of different garments, A few good ways to layer them:

-Tuck into a gorgeous skirt

-Wear under a skater dress

-Layer over casual jeans

I hope you this post inspires you and helps you on your way to creating your 'perfect' wardrobe

Love Dixie

:) xox

   

Closet control: Key item #1

To have a gorgeous wardrobe is every fashionista's dream, having a huge variety of unique but on-trend ensembles at the ready is perfection. However to each wardrobe there are basics that are a must, no matter what you're personal style without these basics you're wardrobe won't be at its best, over the next few weeks I'll post various sections of the 'perfect' wardrobe with pictures, diagrams and helpful hints on how to achieve you're very own 'perfect' wardrobe.

Todays post is about you're very first key item which will build the foundations for your 'perfect' wardrobe which is Jeans

Jeans are my number one key item due to the fact they're such a common thing; everybody owns jeans and they're worn on a regular basis. Because of this to have a few really good pair of jeans will ensure you're wardrobe is off to a good start! 

First decide which style of jeans you prefer, you should take into account your body shape and you're own personal style, the most common types of jeans are... 

Skinny

Skinny jeans are tapered (gradually lessened) through the thigh and calf and generally made quite longer so they bunch up at the ankle, a quick way to solve this is to have them hemmed by a tailor or a cheaper option is to hem them yourself. 

Straight leg 

Straight leg jeans have no tapering, the opening at the bottom and the top are mostly the same. 

Boot cut

Boot cut jeans are generally tapered slightly at the thigh and there is a slight flair at the calf. 

Flared 

Flared Jeans are tapered very slightly at the thigh and flare out a lot at the calf, they have a very 70's feel to them. 

Boyfriend

Boyfriend jeans usually look as though they have been borrowed from a guy (the hint is in the name) So they are usually a loose fit, low rise with cuffed hems. 

Jeans are a perfect key item because you can dress them up or down, for a casual look throw on some boyfriend jeans, an oversized tee, a leather belt, wear your hair up and chuck on some large sunglasses, or for a more formal look wear some skinny jeans with a collared shirt and a fitted blazer with heels to pull of an elegant, more mature look. Jeans are so versatile, it's how you style them that defines whether they're a casual or more formal piece, for example look at this pair of skinny jeans in three different outfits... 

When shopping for jeans it's important to keep three things in mind:

1. The quality of the jeans

2. The stretch

3. Your body shape

The quality of the jeans 

The quality of the jeans is important because you need to invest in pairs that will last as these are a key item in your wardrobe, you're better off paying a little more than usual for jeans because you'll get a lot of wear out them. Look at places such as Topshop, New look and Hollister to find jeans because they do a range of different styles so that you can find that pair perfect for you. The jeans you are looking for should be neatly sewn and last a long time. If they have any rips, tears or stains they're not worth it, unless of course that's the style you're looking for! 

The stretch

The stretch is important because it creates a nice line for your legs, all denim these days has stretch built in, you'll find its best to look for denim with around  2% stretch (check the label) as no stretch makes them too stiff and hard to move in and too much stretch means they need to be washed a lot which can ruin the quality of the jeans. It's best to find jeans that are a as tight as possible, as long as you can do them up fine and move in them quite easily. 

Your body shape

This is super important because in your everyday outfits jeans will feature quite a lot so they should flatter your figure well. It's important to first know you're body shape and second to know what cuts and styles flatter your body shape best, use this helpful guide to help you find the perfect pair of jeans... 

  

Apple: 'Ample bust, rounded stomach and slimmer hips'

Pear: 'Small bust, narrow shoulders, bigger hips, thighs or bum' 

Athletic: 'Sporty, strong body with a few curves' 

Hourglass: 'ample bust, curvy hips and a defined, slimmer waist' 

Slender: 'Very slim with few curves' 

Inverted Triangle: 'Shoulders are broader than your hips' 

Body type - Best style of jeans 

Apple - Bootcut 

Pear - Flared 

Athletic - Bootcut or Skinny

Hourglass - Dark bootcut or Skinny

Slender - Bootcut, a Slight Flare or Skinny

Inverted Triangle - Flared

When trying jeans on it's important to bring a trusted friend with you so they can tell you what suits you, using your new found knowledge of your body shape and what style suits you best this should make the task of finding those perfect jeans a lot easier. I find its best to stock up when you find the perfect jeans so they'll last longer. 

I hope this helps and look for more Closet Control posts 

Love Dixie

:) xox