I am apologizing now for how long this post is going to be! But it is a round up of my ENTIRE closet to showcase all of my favorite fashion staples. Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter, casual, work, fancy, you name it. It’s all here today! So grab some popcorn and some wine and enjoy reading!
When I say my favorite fashion staples, I’m talking about the pieces in my closet that if someone were to say, “fill this one bag with clothes and that’s all you can wear for the rest of your life”, these are the clothes I would put in the bag. These are the staples that can be used in several different outfits and during more than one season. They are essentially timeless and can be a part of your wardrobe for decades because they never go out of style but can be styled numerous ways to match whatever is trending at the moment.
So let’s get started on my favorite fashion staples!
#1 – Different Styles of Jeans
The Black Jeans – black is my uniform y’all. During the Fall and Winter seasons (and sometimes Spring) I’m 9 times out of 10 wearing all black everything. Even my car and my Chihuahua are black to always match my outfits. So the black jeans are definitely part of my favorite fashion staples.
The Ripped Jeans – I think ripped jeans will always be in style, so having a pair of nice ripped jeans to wear for years and years is always a must when it comes to fashion staples.
The Non-Ripped Jeans – I’ve always worn jeans to work at every company I’ve ever worked for. So having the nice non-distressed, work-appropriate jeans is definitely important. Plus you can wear them to visit your grandparents and avoid the “did you know that there are holes in your jeans” comments, haha!
#2 – Skirts for Every Occasion
The Leather Skirt – y’all, my mom had me in pleather skirts when I was in elementary school. These things do not go out of style. I have a form fitted faux-leather skirt and I wear it on so many different occasions. I’ve worn it with a UT Football jersey tucked in and cowboy boots to a game day tailgate, I’ve worn it with a sweater and thigh-high boots to Thanksgiving, and I’ve worn it with stilettos and a sassy top to 6th Street in Austin, TX. If you don’t have a (faux) leather skirt, you really need one girlfriend!
The Leopard Skirt – same thing with the leather skirt, it can be dressed up or dressed down for whatever occasion you have. Whether you’re wearing it with your favorite sports team’s t-shirt to a watch party, with a comfy sweater over to your boyfriend’s house to Netflix and chill ;), or if you’re wearing it with thigh-highs and a crop top to celebrate your BFF’s birthday, the leopard skirt is a great staple to keep handy in your closet.
The Statement Skirt – in my case it is a flared mini skirt that I have had for years and years. I’ve worn it with a white long sleeve top to Thanksgiving a few years ago, I wore it to my 26th birthday brunch with a leopard sweater and clogs, and I’ve worn it with a tacky sweater to a Christmas party! The statement pop about the skirt really just adds a little oomph of style and trendiness to any top or sweater, and that’s why it is one of my favorite fashion staples in my closet!
#3 – Sweaters to Wear Year Round
The Off-The-Shoulder Sweater – I wear this purple OTS sweater all year round. I’ll wear it tucked into denim shorts in the summer or I’ll wear it with jeans in the Fall or Winter. It’s also perfect with leggings for an athleisure look or for lounging around the house or hotel with family. Such a good staple in any closet!
The Black Sweater – you can never go wrong with a black sweater! You can wear it to work, you can wear it with a skirt, you can wear it with leather leggings out to the bars, you can layer it underneath vests or faux fur coats, you name it! My black sweaters (I have quite a few) are definitely in my top favorite fashion staples because they can be worn with almost any style of outfit and during any season just by rolling up the sleeves or leaving them down!
The Bright Statement Sweater – this year my new favorite statement sweater is my yellow BP. sweater that I got from the NSale. I’ve worn this to work with white jeans and wedges for a fun, summery look. I’ve also worn it with black jeans and my black fedora for a more boho look. And I’m planning on wearing it with my leather skirt and with my flared mini skirt for a more dressy look for birthday parties or holiday parties. I’ve also worn in tucked into jean shorts when I was in a hurry to rush out the door. The bright statement sweaters are 💯 when it comes to fashion staples!
The Leopard Sweater – y’all already know that leopard is my drug of choice, so of course, I have to have a leopard sweater in my fashion staple arsenal. Since leopard is technically a neutral, this sweater can be dressed up or dressed down to match wherever you are going. Going to work? Pair it with black dress pants and pumps. Going out for a girls night? Pair it with a black leather mini skirt and stilettos. Going on a boat ride in early Spring or mid-Fall? Tuck it into some denim cut-off shorts and roll the sleeves up so you won’t freeze in the wind. Going out to dinner while it’s freezing outside? Pair it with black jeans, a puffy vest, and warm booties. The leopard sweater is timeless and versatile and can be worn and should be worn everywhere!
#4 – Tops to Layer
The Black Camisole – I wear camisoles all the time. Whenever I’m looking through my closet and don’t have a clue what I’m going to wear, I always grab a camisole and whatever bottoms I feel like wearing. I’ll pair my camisoles with cut off shorts, skirts, jeans, jeans and a cardigan, jeans and a kimono, pants and a blazer, and so on. They’re so easy to layer and build a really cute outfit off!
The White Camisole – same as the black camisole above, I pair my white one with just about any outfit for any occasion. It’s amazing how you can make 10+ different outfits with a simple camisole and a pair of jeans just by switching the cardigan, kimono, blazer, leather jacket, moto jacket, etc.
The Leopard Camisole – if you followed along with the NSale this year, you saw that the BP. leopard lace camisole was like one of the first things to sell out. WELL! I found an almost identical one on Amazon (that is not sold out, thx Amazon) and I’ve been wearing it under cardigans on repeat these past two weeks. Since leopard is technically a neutral, the leopard camisole can pair with just about anything: leather skirt and cardigan for cute Fall pics, jeans and cardigan for work, just jeans and heels for a date night, pants and a blazer to intimidate the f*** out of your colleagues during a big work presentation to let them know you are THE #BossBabe, etc.
#5 – The Only Shorts You’ll Ever Need
The Denim Cut-Off Shorts – I really only have one style of shorts that I consider a staple. And of course those are denim cut-off shorts. I have about 5 or 6 pairs of them and really those are the only shorts I’ll wear during the summer. I do have a pair of white denim shorts and a pair of black denim shorts that I will throw into the mix every now and then, but for the most part, the regular blue denim shorts are always my go-to favorite fashion staple.
#6 – Dresses for Every Occasion
The Party Girl Dress – this is the dress that you would wear on a trip to Vegas or to go celebrate your birthday downtown at the bars or clubs! This is the scandalous, sexy dress that makes you feel super confident and like you’re the hottest girl in the room. Since I spent college and my early twenties in downtown Austin, Texas (hello 6th Street, The Domain, West 6th, Rainey St. etc.), I went out for drinks and dancing and partying A LOT! So I have a huge collection of party girl dresses. But now I’m set for New Year’s Eve, Vegas trips, NOLA trips, birthday celebrations downtown, bachelorette parties, clubbing in Cabo, etc. Everyone needs at least one good party girl dress in their closet for such occasions and of course, the more the merrier! You can also pair a party girl dress with a pea coat or a faux fur coat and look super chic at a holiday party!
The Event Dress – when I say “event” I mean weddings, baby showers, engagement parties, baptisms, fancy dinner with the in-laws, and so on. The event dress is appropriate enough to wear in front of your in-laws but still fun enough to wear to a cute baby shower or to cut a rug at a wedding. And of course you can have more than one event dress on different levels of the casual to fancy scale. I have staple event dresses to wear to the backyard wedding, to a Catholic baptism, to a baby shower, to a black tie wedding, etc. so I won’t have to run to the mall if an event invitation pops up last minute!
The Black Dress – I have so many black dresses in my closet because they never really go out of style. Obviously you need appropriate black dresses should you ever have to attend a funeral, and it’s not really appropriate to go shopping for such an occasion, so having a black dress that you can wear to funerals is also important. And if you just want to get your Pretty Little Liars on or your American Horror Story Coven on, black dresses are the way to go. You can always layer them with cardigans or black tights underneath and a black fedora to feel extra boho and spooky!
The Wrap Dress – since Diane Von Frustenberg changed the wrap dress game, they have become a huge staple in just about every closet. They can be worn with heels to a summer wedding, with flip flops to a backyard BBQ, or with bare feet to cover up a swimsuit while on the beach. The wrap dresses have been around for a longggg time and I don’t think that they are planning on going anywhere anytime soon!
#7 – Tops for Every Occasion
The Game Day Top – okay, so my favorite game day top is a white crochet off the shoulder top. I know the white sounds neutral and not very team spirited, but hear me out. I’m not in college anymore so I may not be going to a UT Football game every Saturday. My younger brother is currently at Texas Tech and of course I have to support the little bro, so I’ll wear this white game day top to a Texas Tech watch party with some red earrings and it works perfectly. Or if we’re watching a Texas A&M game (my cousins and my boyfriend’s family all went to A&M) I’ll wear this white game day top and blend right into the crowd without giving up my burnt orange roots.
Same thing goes for baseball and pro football. I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan and a Texas Rangers fan, but living in Houston I have to cheer for the Astros and for the Texans so this white game day top works perfectly every time! It’s just all about how you style it! My go-to is always cut-off denim shorts and cowboy boots (that’s how we do it in Texas) and I’ll just style my accessories to whatever team I am rooting for! (sorry, totally went on a rant there! I’m like that funny meme “I don’t care what team wins, just as long as both teams have fun” lmao)
The Date Night Top – I actually wore this top on mine and my boyfriend’s first date! And I’ll still throw on this top for date nights now so we can reminisce on our first date together! Having a neutral color like beige, camel, tan, or white will make the top suitable for any season. The off-the-shoulder feature of the top gives it a subtle sexiness without being inappropriate or too forward. Afterall, it is only the first date right? Gotta make him work for it 😉 And this top could easily go with black jeans in the fall (how I wore it), or it can go nicely with denim shorts in the spring or summer (also how I’ve worn it this summer), or it can go with jeans and a black leather jacket if you’re going to a sporting event for your first date and want to look more casual while still looking cute and sexy!
The Flannel Top – hello Christian Girl Autumn! JK, that viral meme/tweet was unnecessary and highly overrated IMO. But the flannel top is always important to have in your staple collection. They can be work with jeans in the fall, add a vest in the winter, or tucked into cut off shorts in the spring or summer. The flannel top is so versatile and that’s why it’s a must-have in the staple collection!
The White Button Up – white button up tops are so classically sexy and forever trendy. Dressing them down with a pair of jeans or tucked into some nice slacks for a more business professional look will always be stylish and subtly sexy for the office. And wearing a white button up with a mini shirt or hanging off one shoulder with a pair of cut off boots is such a cute and sexy outfit also! There are so many ways to style a white button up and that’s why it’s a must-have in my favorite fashion staples.
#8 – Cardigans and Top Layers
The Cardigan Sweater – cardigan sweaters are obviously a huge fashion staple. They can be worn over t-shirts, v-necks, camisoles, dresses, etc. to turn any look into a work-appropriate outfit or to transition into fall or winter. I have more cardigans than I do coats or jackets because 1.) they’re cuter, and 2.) I live in Texas, so most of the time I don’t even need a coat or jacket, just the cardigan will do. My favorite cardigans right now are the two Topshop Long Cardigans I got during the NSale (in camel and oatmeal), and the long leopard cardigan I found on Amazon when the BP. leopard cardigan sold out!!
The Kimono – Everyone needs a kimono, okay I said it. I wear mine a lot in the summer and spring seasons. I’ll wear it over a swimsuit top as a cover up, or I’ll wear it with a camisole and cut off shorts for a cute daytime outfit, or I’ll wear it with a camisole and jeans to work for a summery work outfit. There are so many ways to wear a kimono and so many outfit possibilities if you have more than one camisoles, t-shirts, v-nacks, etc.
The Chambray Button Up – so I wear my chambray button up top as a cover up over a camisole, t-shirt, or dress, I also wear it button up as it’s own shirt with jeans for a cute work look, and I’ll also wear it underneath a sweater or sweatshirt to add a little cute layering to an otherwise boring sweatshirt. In the summer and spring, my chambray button up is also laying out in my room because I grab it and throw it on so often. It’s like my “this top/dress isn’t quite appropriate enough for work so I’ll just put a chambray top over it” top layer to most outfits. Plus it’s super convenient to travel with in the summer also because you can unroll the sleeves and turn it into a jacket almost!
The Neutral Vest – the amount of outfits that you can make with a neutral vest are endless… I pair mine with a black sweater and jeans, a white sweater and jeans, the same sweaters but with black jeans, long sleeve t-shirts and jeans, a t-shirt dress, my leopard print sweater and jeans, and so on. Since it’s neutral it looks good with any color, and since it’s a vest it can go over anything! I’ve had my green vest for several years now and I couldn’t imagine getting rid of it. And that’s why it’s on my favorite fashion staples list!
The Winter Coat – I had this green coat on my wish list for sooooo long and I finally found it a few years ago at the Banana Republic Outlet here in Houston! Mine was way more expensive than that $26 one I just linked… *kicking myself*. But I wear this coat just about every single day in the winter. It reminds me of a coat that a New Yorker would wear walking around the city! Houston doesn’t get anywhere near as cold as New York does, and if it does get that cold it’s only for like a day to two, haha! But it’s still nice to have a warm winter coat for when it does get cold or if you travel somewhere that will be really cold. This coat as only made it to Colorado so far but she will be traveling all over with me pretty soon!
The Leather Jacket – and last but not least, the leather jacket ALWAYS has to be on the favorite fashion staples list! Leather jackets can go with any kind of outfit and can be worn to just about any social event. Just be careful around campfires! I wore mine near a campfire once and it stunk really bad for like a year afterwards… but she’s fine now! I love my leather jacket and I literally wear it all the time in the fall and winter. It’s so flattering and it’s easy to take off and on if it’s cold outside and you’re going to a restaurant or to a bar and don’t want to wear it all night.
So that about sums up my list of my favorite fashion staples that I currently have in my closet! I’m sure as the seasons go on I’ll find a thousand more staples that I wish I would have included in this post but these are the ones that really stood out to me. Maybe I’ll do a Favorite Fashion Staples Part 2 in the winter once I’ve really gone through all of the clothes in my closet!
