Back to Basics

The day to day of a freelance stylist is never static. At one moment I can be out running around the city, meeting with clients or going to press previews to view a brand’s latest collection. While other days I’m on set at a photoshoot or chained to the computer at my office requesting products for said shoots. Then there are the days that consist of some variation of all of the above. With that in mind, my wardrobe has to reflect this unpredictable daily grind.  So over the years I have continuously found myself gravitating back to style basics.

Style basics are those tried and true pieces that I know look good, are easy to wear, and work for any occasion. One of those items, for me, is the classic shirt dress. I have several in my wardrobe and they are worn often. It is versatile enough that I can pair it with a casual look or dress it up for a more formal function. However, this isn’t just a one stop fashion miracle. The challenge of dressing with basics is finding a balance of feeling like I am still expressing my personal style and not just submitting to the often dreaded words, “comfortable” and “boring”. Below are some of my tips for how to dress up your staples.

• Supporting Cast Member or Star of the Show? Your outfit is an ensemble, and just like the cast of a play, you have supporting pieces and a star. A great way to jazz up your basics is by adding in a cool trendy accessory or outerwear. It adds interest to the look without going over the top.
• Quality Over Quantity: Your fashion staples are meant to be worn often. Because of this make sure you are investing in a quality product. This doesn’t mean you have to break the bank, however, you don’t want something that is going to fall apart after a couple of wears either. A good rule of thumb when purchasing an item is to take the total cost and divide by how often you wear that style of clothing.  An example, if you spend $100 on a top and wear it twice the item breaks down to $50 for that piece. If you were to buy a $300 top and wear it 10 times, the the top itself is $30. Your money can go further with higher price items because you’re getting more use out of them.
• Think Out of the Box: Basic articles of clothing are just that, basic, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be boring. Try playing around with different ways to wear an item, you might just discover a whole new look you didn’t think  could rock.

Hope you enjoyed this post and as always thank you for taking the time to read it. If you have any topics you would like to see covered here at The Everyday Editor please leave them down in the comments below.

xx

The Everyday Editor

OUTFIT DETAILS

Shirt Dress worn in both looks: Shifts (HERE).

Look 1

Plaid Poncho: Uniqlo (Similar HERE). Pearl and gold brooch: Vintage (Similar HERE). Black and red cross body bag: Emm Kuo (Similar HERE). Belt: Vintage (Similar HERE). Black leather boots: Delmans (HERE).

Look 2

Sunglasses: Rayban (HERE). Leopard faux fur coat: Vintage (Similar HERE). Denim jacket: Gap (HERE). Skinny Black Belt: Vintage (Similar HERE). Suede boots: Duo (Similar HERE).

All Photos by Bain Stevens