What pulls your wardrobe together?

[Goingdooolally]

I feel I have an insane amount of clothes but struggle with outfits.

What pulls your outfits together? Also, I’m in Scotland and feel the cold so I struggle a bit with outerwear/cardigans etc...

What addition to your wardrobe has given you loads more outfits?

Belts! I have lots of different ones and I think they add a bit more polish even when causal without costing a fortune

A top notch coat.

Prioritising good cardigans instead of treating them like a boring, purely practical item. I used to have boring, shapeless cardigans that would ruin my outfits and I’d avoid putting them on until I was really chilly. Now they’re an integral part of my look and finish off the outfit.

Also having a range of jackets and coats so the colour and length go with what’s underneath.

-shoes which are polished

• a lovely coat or jacket for season

-a good handbag

• red lipstick!

Coats, especially with a texture and a neat cut to the shoulders and lapels, ideally in a colour that really flatters you rather than black or camel or that trench coat greige.
A good leather tote or crossbody handbag in a taupe or tan colour with minimal logo.
Trainers, shoes or boots in a style that’s current while also being practical.

A blazer

Agree with a blazer - or any kind of tailored jacket. Abandoned them during lockdown but I wore one the other day for a Zoom meeting with the big bosses and realised it worked really well to make me feel in charge of the situation.

Big earrings aren’t the look of the moment but an Italian colleague was wearing some the other day and she looked awesome on screen.

Classic plain good quality knitwear especially cardigans
I don’t really do separates other than jumpers and jeans so a great cardigan over my dresses works well
I also keep them for years as they don’t date
I’m also a big coat person - I have the same jaeger wool coat in 7 different colours - because the style is perfect for my shape

I agree with the cardigan comments. I used to wear the long ones for warmth, but I felt fuddy duddy in them. Instead I've purchased a few good quality ones that cut to my natural waist, they are now a smart and cute part of my outfit.

If I might add: Uniqlo is for basics, not for outfits. You need at least one item of dramatic clothing to lift it or you’re risking looking invisible.

Pre-covid, but definitely agree with red lipstick. Also sunglasses but as you’re in Scotland that might look daft. In which case, if you wear glasses, invest in some current ones.

A statement necklace

Ah, great thread - thanks OP!

@OhRosalind and @dudsville - am interested in where you get your lovely cardis and/or any links to some would be fantastic. :-)

@BlackberrySky - am also a fan of the statement necklace so any recommendations would be great...

x

Plain cotton or linen deep scoop or v neck t shirts in white/black/grey in long and short sleeves. I also love the denim blue J Crew vintage wash colour. They are surprisingly really hard to find. Occasionally h&m do decent ones but I would love a silk/cotton mix in a scoop neck plus a range of colours.
A 100% wool or wool/cashmere coat. I would love Maxmara but can't stretch to it so I have Jaeger/Jigsaw wool ones.

@MadameSapphire
I like the knitwear from Sézane, Rouje, and Other Stories. Expensive but ‘statement’ and I have also found some real bargains second hand, especially shopping for knitwear before it gets cold! I haven’t bought from them (yet) but boutique libertie have some similar styles to Sézane at a better price.
Then Uniqlo for simple v-necks in merino or wool. I prefer them oversize and slouchy so I take the next size up, and sometimes wear with a leather belt.
I accidentally felted my favourite cashmere cardy so would love any recommendations for that.

@breadcakebiscuits

Coats, especially with a texture and a neat cut to the shoulders and lapels, ideally in a colour that really flatters you rather than black or camel or that trench coat greige. A good leather tote or crossbody handbag in a taupe or tan colour with minimal logo. Trainers, shoes or boots in a style that’s current while also being practical.

Camel coats I find very chic.

It doesn’t sound like you need to but anything else, it sounds like you need to spend some time making up outfits from the clothes you already have. Take pictures of the whole outfit wait her on you, or as a flat lay (or use a wardrobe planning app). Anything that you love but can’t make an outfit out of, work out what you’d need to make a great outfit and add to a list of things you need for next time you go shopping.
Lots of people have loads of separates and very few ‘outfits’. It just means you’re not planning your purchases. That’s what I’d suggest anyway, otherwise you’ll end up with a cardigan that doesn’t go perfectly with anything in your wardrobe too!

A few basic items that go with (almost) everything.

For example, I have a couple of pairs of corduroy dungarees in plain colours that will go with pretty much every top I own. Same with a couple of pinafores (black and denim ones especially). Alternatively you could have a couple of good pairs of jeans, trousers or skirts to serve the same purpose.

Then some "top layers" that similarly go with everything. For me long cardigans are this item; they can go over any dress or top/trousers/skirt combination and also make lighter tops and shirts suitable for colder weather. I work from home (even pre-covid) so coats and jackets are less important.

One thing I also reach for lots is my striped long sleeved tops especially the black & white and navy & grey stripes.

If I can be bothered , a scarf. I have lots of quirky ones, to compensate for being the dull middle-aged woman that I am

Jewellery and vague colour coordination.

I always wear red lipstick (even with masks now!) and also agree with PPs about investing in decent knitwear. I am in Scotland too, so it is an essential - I buy from Other Stories mainly, and really rate Arket for cardigans. I often get bits from Depop heavily reduced.

The other thing for me that has been useful is knowing where to spend money. I am a hippy size 10, so cheap bottoms look shit on me. I buy trousers mainly from Cos, and jeans from either Whistles or Levi's. They are more expensive, but they are the right shape for me, and keep well. I'd happily get t-shirts from H&M for £5 though.

I wear smart jeans and a tucked in shirt. Sometimes with a belt. If I add a blazer and heels I'm work ready.

Or I can add a biker jacket and boots and I'm ready for shopping / school run.

Scarfs can really finish off an outfit too.

Footwear. They make or ruin an outfit.

I doubt the answer to having an insane amount of clothes is to buy more to pull it together! I sometimes realise what a small proportion of my clothes I actually wear regularly, because I get stuck in a rut of wearing only the most obvious combinations. So I spend some time going through my wardrobe and coming up with outfitsI hadn't thought of.

ohrosalind, I got mine from arket and brora in their sale section.