3 Tips To Avoid Getting Tired Of Your Basics

But what a shame to abandon clothes that help us create our daily outfits.

Choose practical and desirable pieces

We too often equate basic with practical. It’s a fact, our basics are practical! But their primary function should not make us forget that they are as visible as our other clothes. No, they are not endowed with a power of invisibility! Maybe it is us who, by dint of wearing them and treating them without attention, no longer see them. However, from the outside, we notice them as much as the other pieces of an outfit. A pair of poorly made black pants (soft / crumpled / too elastic / too shiny / too loose / too tight) risks giving you the impression that you are going out in pajamas. A pair of carefully chosen black pants (material that falls well / flattering cut / neat details) will give you a crazy look. An art that the supporters of “quiet luxury” have mastered with their timeless pieces with impeccable fabrics and elegant clean lines. The worst thing is that ordinary basics can impoverish the appearance of an outfit. Take a pair of black pants worn with a shimmering shirt. Black pants without soul or real cut will make the look lose all its charm. Not only will your black pants end up tiring you, but the shirt will also lose its shine without you understanding why.

My advice

When you buy a basic, don’t stop at its primary function. Yes, we need it because it’s practical. But who said that practical couldn’t be desirable? Only keep the basics that deserve it because they have caught your attention with the quality of their material, their drape and the depth of their color. You will quickly find that you will want to wear them every day.

Bet on the right neutral colors

The strength of basic colors is that they can be combined with a majority of clothes and styles. Both so that they can be worn together (a white t-shirt + gray jeans) and to accompany bold pieces. So it’s obvious, to create a harmonious look, we choose among the most conciliatory shades, those that can be mixed with our eyes closed. But neutral does not mean boring. So be careful, not all neutrals are equal. Just like any color, they deserve to be carefully selected. For example, I see that beige is criticized for making you look bad and lacking radiance. If the dye and material are cheap, it’s true, you will gain a sink complexion. But with a luminous beige, you will be dazzling.

My advice

Select your pillars from the palette of neutrals that match the majority of pieces in your wardrobe (white, black, ecru, gray, navy, camel, beige, chocolate, olive, etc.). Then be demanding about the quality of the dye. To spot it, know that it generally goes hand in hand with that of the material. So, you will quickly realize that there is gray and gray. Gray that weighs you down and gray that makes you look healthy. Chosen with care, the very simple duo of heather gray t-shirt + ecru jeans will not make you yawn with boredom. And then, open your palette of neutrals to muted colors (taupe, khaki, ochre, eggplant, petrol blue, etc.) as elegant as they are accommodating since they love spicy, vitamin-rich or soft shades. For example, a total loungewear look will be much more disconcerting in muted tones. Think about it when choosing your basics: there is more than just black and white!

Spot the basics with the soul supplement

We can consider that they allow us not to get bored because thanks to them, we wear all our fun pieces. It’s the white t-shirt or the navy blazer that will tame a long skirt with an extravagant print. You’ve understood that for a long time. Now, you would like more fantasy without going beyond the basics. So count on spicy accessories that will spice up the look (leopard fanny pack, gold shoes, spectacular necklace, multi-colored bag, etc.) or bet on fascinating banal. Even an ultra-basic basic is entitled to an extra soul: astonishing white t-shirt with pagoda sleeves / majestic loose trench coat / oversized white shirt in super cute poplin / sensual t-shirt dress with clean lines / flowing satin black pants with sharp details / raw denim shirt with an asymmetric cut … A timeless wardrobe that will never get old. Impossible to get tired of it.

My advice

Don’t fill your closets with the universal list of must-have basics (it doesn’t exist: we don’t all have the same needs or tastes). Count only on those that make your daily life easier. To have fun, enhance them with strong pieces and colorful accessories. Or let yourself be seduced by these timeless pieces whose color, cut or details will make you say that something is happening.

About The Author

Hannah Jackson

Hannah is a fashion writer at Vogue. She wrote for in Elle, The Cut, Harper’s Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Architectural Digest, W, and elsewhere. She is based in New York.

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