My head is a fun place to live. I am always making up sizable phrases to describe very specific things. (Anyone remember Season-All?) I am a lover of slogans and creative puns and should probably be the Chief Marketing Officer for errr…every company in the USA? But here we are writing for free about fashion. Unexpected Essentials are my favorite thing to discover and they should be yours too!
Whenever we make a purchase, especially a costly one, we want it to be what I coin an Unexpected Essential. Essential: because we obviously want to get good use out of everything we buy. Every garment can and should be worn multiple ways. (Anyone who tells you otherwise is hurting the planet through lack of creativity.) And unexpected: because who doesn’t love the surprise of liking a piece more than you would have thought! Exhibit A: pink floral boots that actually work in almost every outfit I curate. At the moment of purchase, pink boots are something I thought I needed (Shoppers high is very real!) and now pink is the trendiest color on the market and a core feature of my looks. My go-tos that I think you too, can reinvent time and time again are detailed below.
Cheers to smart shopping!
1. Leather Pants: As a long-time leather skirt wearer this was an easy adoption for me. I have leather skirts in classic black and tan snake skin, fuschia, cherry red, two in gold (mini and midi), and a black studded number that truly feels like home. If you notice yourself gravitating towards a certain fabric, mixing it up by wearing it on different parts of your body is actually so easy! Long ago, Ross Geller taught me to size up when buying leather pants. Since my white leather pants are a straight/skinny shape, I went up two sizes. You’ll be seeing a lot of these in my winter articles with fab sweaters and boots. I just wanted to give a little tease!
2. Denim Dress: Same concept here but with an even more hyped fabrication: denim. There are so many denim dress silhouettes on the market. Find the one that flatters you and wear the hell out of it! Mine is slightly fitted with a purposeful v-neck in classic indigo. It is cut below the knee allowing for boots of all lengths and strappy summer sandals. A con of a denim dress is that a lot of us love denim jackets and the two together is not the look. Pair with a printed jacket instead or take creativity to new heights by wearing your denim dress as more of a jumper with a long sleeve underneath. Whenever I get invited to an all denim party I am the least corny-looking person there. Just sayin.’
3. Naked Sweater: Slightly less daring than Carrie Bradshaw’s naked dress and double as stylish. A fuzzy brown sweater is a blank canvas that can be worn simply or with piles of accessories. That decision is up to you. I style mine according to my mood which is more often than not with some sort of floral skirt and gold hoops.
4. Shiny Tote: The essential part is: needing something to carry everything a man’s pockets hold and then some. The unexpected part: is how holographic is the most chameleon color! Since walking is my main mode of transit, I am slowly transitioning into a big bag gal. Finally, I know!
5. Sweater Tanks: I will be the first to admit that a sweater tank top makes no sense. So why do I own them in solids, prints, mocknecks, and crewnecks? The black crewneck sweater tank I wore on my 21st birthday also made it into my luggage to Europe five and a half years later and I am not ashamed! A sweater tank with the right amount of not-too-short cropped length is a rare gem that must be dug up immediately! I kissed black tees and black camis bye a while ago to pledge my true allegiance to the sweater tank. I wear it under layers in winter and rock it straight up on summer nights. I got my first sweater tank at Plato’s Closet. The definition of an Unexpected Essential.
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