7 Items To 21 Outfits – In A Flash!

paulaReyne.com 6 Item wardrobe 567x480Now that you know what your personal style is (from taking the Style Quiz in my previous post, ‘The 80’s Called – They Want Their Look Back!), you’re ready to build a wardrobe that fits that unique style.  Even if you find that most of the items you currently own don’t fit your style, it’s okay because there are items that regardless of style, you absolutely need to build into your wardrobe – and today I’ll show you how even if you’re starting from scratch, you can have an amazing wardrobe from just a handful of items.

The items – which you can think of as the building blocks that form a foundation for a wardrobe that fits your own personal style – need to be of good quality.  They need to wear well and look great every time.  They should be of a classic style (and since they are classics, you may already own at least a few of them).  Essentially, these items are like paint on the walls of a house.  They’ll make up the backdrop for everything that comes later on, and they’re essential for setting the overall tone and theme of your look.  Lastly, these items all need to be ones you truly love – if you had to rank them on a scale of 1-10, they should all be 10’s!

The items I’ve chosen to show you with, how to build your own amazing, new, wardrobe – one that works regardless of your personal style – is made up of just seven basic items:  a long sleeved white blouse, a short sleeved patterned top, a colorful camisole, a lightweight, black cardigan, a black skirt, a pair of black pants, and a pair of jeans. All items are of good quality, fit well and work well for my figure, and from this basic grouping, by just choosing ones that fit well and work for your own figure, you can have this new wardrobe too – of 21 great outfits!

Here is how you do it…

Day# 1 – For Monday, nothing speaks “reporting for duty” like a crisp white blouse and tailored skirt. Few people are eager to get back to work after the weekend, which is exactly which this all business look is perfect – especially if you’ve keen on making promotion!

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Day# 2 – Having established a “take no prisoners” tone on Monday, Tuesday is a great chance to show your versatility and soften your look a bit. This sweet, but still professional look, with a pencil skirt, lavender camisole, and lightweight cardigan is just the ticket.

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Day# 3 – Wednesday is Hump Day, and the day most people feel their energy level take a turn for the worse.  Rather than trying to be that talking camel, try this whimsical, printed top instead to help liven up the day.  It’s sure to be much less of a career limiting move...

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Day# 4 – Thursday is one day away from Friday, and that means it’s nearly the weekend – so it’s also a common time for work groups to get together after work for Happy Hour.  Black slacks, paired with a lavender camisole and long sleeved white blouse, has you completely suited up for work by day, and if need be, to transform into a more relaxed after hours look for the night.

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Day# 4 – Bonus Look – Add a rinestone studded barrette to your hair and relax the whole look a notch or two (pictured below), and you’ve just transitioned from office chic to that chick from the office that gets invited other places as well – and all in less time than it takes to place your order for a cocktail.  Happy Hour events can offer a great opportunity to work on building work based relationships in a less threatening environment – but do be wise about it.  Remember that just because you’re not at work, takes nothing away from the fact that all the people involved are people you work with.  Trying to be the life of the party in that crowd can easily lead to an untimely death of any career advancement opportunities you might otherwise have had.  (Forewarned is always forearmed…)

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Day# 5 – Finally, we made it to Friday!  The patterned top and sweater over black slacks is just right.  Push the sleeves up as you leave for the day, and the look is relaxed enough to carry you straight to a Friday date night dinner out with your special someone.  Since a lot of restaurants keep their thermostats low, the versatility that a lightweight cardigan provides is a real help, especially if you’re easy to catch a chill.  Even if the room is fine, it’s lightweight enough to stow easily in your bag.

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Day# 5 – Jeans Day Option – If your company’s casual dress code for Friday is one that includes the flexibility to wear blue jeans, you can always  substitute a nice pair of jeans for the Friday look above, and just keep the sweater in your bag – for at the restaurant  later on (if needed).

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That’s one full week’s worth of outfits, and you can expand it even further – up to 21 complete outfits – making enough looks to carry you for three full weeks without repeating an single one!  Although I’ve only shown a week of outfits here, you can find the complete list of possible combinations on this list: Wardrobe Combinations List.

This is truly one of the simplest and most versatile wardrobes you’ll ever hope to find, and one that works regardless of your personal style, so I hope seeing how easy it is to put all it together has inspired you. The sky is the limit from here! By adding additional colors, some texture, and a few focal pieces here and there, your wardrobe can be radically transformed into one that is uniquely you, and one that both you – and everyone else –  truly loves!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick introduction to how to build the best basic wardrobe ever. If you have enjoyed it (or any or any of my other posts) please be sure to leave me a comment and let me know it.  I love hearing from you!  Also, if you like, you can always sign up for free, using your email address, to begin receiving my latest posts, as they become available.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Paula Reyne 🙂