Why You Hate Essentials (And What To Wear Instead)

Essentials are called essentials for a reason, right? I mean, is it even possible to build a wardrobe in 2024 without the checklist of solid, neutral and versatile pieces deemed essential by stylists and fashion experts everywhere? Can it even be done?

I dive into these and other pressing style questions in today’s video, where I break down what makes an essential an essential, and how to find a version that feels like you.

Whether or not you’ve ever been the white-tee-and-jeans type, this wardrobe will give you a fresh take on the true style stars in our wardrobe and how to choose pieces that speak to your own personal style.

So, here, the full breakdown on essentials.

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What’s an essential?

An essential, simply put, is a wardrobe staple or basic that is usually solid neutral and versatile. You can find my essentials guide right here to see my list of these basics. If you’re a minimalist or have relaxed or casual style, essentials can serve as your entire wardrobe. But for most of us, they serve as the foundation, and the connector pieces that can help other items in your wardrobe “go” together more easily.

Create Your Own List of Essentials

But you don’t have to take these rules and apply them verbatim to your wardrobe. Instead, taking your preferences, lifestyle and location into account, create your own list of essentials. What are your staple pieces, the ones that you reach for the most?

One way to do this is to choose a single overarching style word, and use that word as the filter to choose your essentials. For example, you could use the word “rich” or “dramatic” to describe the essentials illustrated in this picture.

Once you choose the word, use it to find essentials that are solid, versatile, and neutral but also fit your style word, whether it’s preppy or romantic.

3 Ways Essentials Can Have Personality

How can you find essentials that speak to your personal style when you’re not using color or pattern? You look for one of these 3 qualities that can turn a basic essential into a personality piece.

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1. Shape: An interesting shape, cut, or silhouette can transform an essential.

2. Texture: Texture, whether nubby knits or feminine lace, can elevate everyday essentials.

3. Details: Embellishments, buttons, and any other details on an item can transform it into something that you love.

Now let’s look at 2 common wardrobe essentials, and what they look like through the lens of personal style words.

The Tee

A basic neutral tee is on every checklist, but why does it have to be basic. These tees are interesting, elevated, and are more representative of a variety of style personalities.

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The White Shirt

A white button-down shirt, often in cotton poplin, is an essential on every list, but we can mix it up by swapping out the fabrics, silhouette, and other details.

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What if you are still not convinced that you can find essentials that speak to your style? Then you have one of 3 options for building your wardrobe.

1. Replace Neutrals With Colors

You might decide that instead of wearing solid neutrals, you replace them with solid colors. If the saturation levels are the same (and in some cases, even if they’re not), color goes with color, so you could build a wardrobe of predominantly or exclusively colors.

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2. Build Your Wardrobe Using Clusters

Clusters give you an opportunity to play with color and pattern in mini capsules, where they are more manageable.

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3. Build Your Wardrobe Using Outfits

Rather than building a wardrobe of versatile pieces, you can build a wardrobe entirely of outfits that are not designed to mix and match at all, but are standalone looks.

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What do you think of wardrobe basics? And what do you think about reinventing basics to suit your style? Let’s discuss in the comments!