Category: Wardrobe Essentials

Finally, we’ve come to the last part of this series of wardrobe basics where I will be sharing with you some go-to shoes and bags. Like, finally. Check out Part One and Part Two if you haven’t already. Without further ado, let’s make this last leap!

#11 Black Strappy Sandals

Strappy heels are something like a no-brainer staple in a woman’s wardrobe, but again, I find the need to highlight this. There will be times when you come up with a great outfit combo but suddenly find yourself back in square one—all because you haven’t a shoe to pair it with, to complete the look with. If you’re aiming for a chic day look (doesn’t matter the outfit), the easiest fix for that would be this all-time classic black ankle-strap sandals. Not only do these shoes allow you to wear it in the day, it literally accompanies you into the night. It is that versatile. And because of its versatility, it has become one of my chosen footwear styles to have in my closet.

Unlike my confined choices in the wardrobe essentials mentioned in previous parts, I allow myself the liberty to play around with the style of this particular footwear. If there is any guide I follow when I look for black strap sandals, then it would be these:

• Black suede/velvet
• Mid-heel

Just these two. From there, I would move the slider up or down depending on what I preferred at the point of purchase:

• If I see myself wearing this all day, everyday:
  • Block heel
  • Keep the heel height on the shorter side (mid-heel is best)
• If I know I won’t be wearing it regularly:
  • Stiletto heel
  • Maybe heighten the heel height

And one more this to take note when choosing a black strap heel: do try the shoe on and see if the toe strap looks appropriate across the front of your foot. Ideally, it should sit close or just covering the webbing/syndactyly line of your toes. If the strap is too far up and rests closer to the middle part of the dorsum of your foot than to the webbing line, you’re going to have a rather funny looking black strap sandals.

#12 Black Heels

Having just one pair of black heels… *Eyes narrow into slits* Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’m going to let that happen. Hence, my introduction to the second (and possibly third) pair of black heels. Like the black ankle-strap sandals above, these two pairs of black heels I’m bringing to you are also equally versatile. So you might ask: why do I need three black heels if all of them are equally versatile and can go with any look? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of its versatility? My answer is this: if you’re like me and want to have all three kinds of black heels, go ahead, no one’s stopping you. But if you only prefer one kind, that’s up to you too, and that would be the reason for its versatility. The only difference the black slingback heels and the basic black pumps make is that it gives the wearer a different look, an overall different aura that exudes from them.

If you prefer to exude the power of the modern girl-boss in you, then go with the classic black pumps. They are effortlessly timeless and will remain in fashion till the end of time. There is just no expiry date for this classic womanly strength.

But if you’ve caught on to the vintage-look trend where square-toe heels are the It Thing now, then you’d be happy to know that I’ve added a pair of fairly square-toe heels to this list of wardrobe essentials. Isn’t it almost magical how you can transform your look with just a different pair of shoes without doing much to your outfit? ‘Tis another reason I’m a shoe (and bag) person more than anything.

#13 Black Leather Belt

Whether you’re into the belted-mom jeans look or not, you may find merit in owning one of these simple black belts. More than that, if you’re totally not into that belted look in any type of garment, then you should know that getting just one pair of a really good leather belt will save you the trouble of a lifetime, especially since you may not want to be looking at pieces you may have no interest in. But even if you did, then you should have realised by now that having good (great, really) pieces of wardrobe essentials that stand the test of time in terms of wear and tear will allow you more space and freedom to (window)shop or browse catalogues of other types of clothing for the purpose of building the rest of your wardrobe (on top of the essentials) based on your personal style.

I suggest getting a leather belt instead of any other variant like synthetic leather, or even one of a polyester base. Firstly, you need this belt to last a long time, and you definitely don’t need a pair that crumbles at the lack of use (you know how faux materials breakaway when they’re left to dry up in the corner of your closet, and when you pick them up, they turn to dust) or of extreme frequent use. Secondly, even if the leather did start to wear, you’ll end up with your own homemade ‘vintage’ leather belt.

You should also be mindful of the kind of buckle that’s on the belt. One with a simply shaped horseshoe is fine with any outfit. And of the colour, you’ll have to consult your personal taste: would it be gold or silver? If you have a warm undertone, you’d do best with gold or brass finish. If you’re on the cooler side, you’ll look spectacular in silver.

#14 Black Handbag

The last time I owned a black bag (literally any kind) was when I was fifteen. It was small and rectangular, made of synthetic leather with double buckle straps on the front like those old school university professor bags. And like all synthetic leather, the top began to peel after a while. From that day onwards, I had not touched a single black bag, only because I owned this superbly cute and beautiful magenta pink boxy/squarish handbag from Charles and Keith which I used with all my outfits for almost five years like it was that classic black bag, starting when I was about seventeen. Every time I went out I would carry that pink bag and feel like the star of the street. I was that fantastically mental. But recently, the bag started to feel like all other synthetic leather and I had to return it to storage. And because of that bag, I sought to find another bag like it, except in black this time.

The closest choice I got to my ideal black handbag was that classic squarish Prada handbag, in black. Seeing as it’s too expensive for my budget, I found a close second at Kate Spade. At the moment, though, I just recently bought a black croc-effect bucket-ish handbag from Mango called the Kubic bag, which was on sale. I got it for S$30, which is totally worth every penny because, even if it falls apart soon because of its synthetic material, I’m cool with it. I got to live through the limited lifespan of that glorious looking bag and for a cheap price. Next would be to save up for a black Kate Spade handbag, and then later a black Prada handbag. Best of luck to myself. Also, just for your information, I’m aiming for high-end handbags only because I’m banking on good quality and long lifespan. I hope I’m right about those two.

#15 Black Tote Bag

Last but not least, on this mid-length list of black essentials, is the black tote bag. If black handbags are for the purpose of the fling, then black tote bags should be for the purpose of getting real work done. For example, you would swap out your weekend purse for a weekday carrier, and this weekday carrier would essentially store five days’ worth of hustling. Let’s assume you work an office job that has this one basic need: the laptop. You’ll need a bag that can ideally fit your laptop so that you don’t have to lug around a second bag, and fit your laptop horizontally or vertically, whichever way you prefer. The rest of the tote bag’s dimensions depend on your own personal needs. Below is a list of things you might carry around with you day to day:

• Wallet
• Phone
• Pen case with some stationery in it
• Make-up pouch with some make-up in it
• Make-up remover wipes (just in case you smudge your lipstick or eyeliner when reapplying)
• Notebook for note-taking
• Planner/scheduler
• Foldable umbrella
• Headphones (or airpods and its variants)
• Phone charger/power bank
• Laptop charger, maybe
• Water bottle/thermos

Based on the above list of things, you will need a tote bag large enough to store them and your laptop. At the moment, I have a pretty large square-shaped tote bag in black from Charles and Keith. As it’s square shaped, I have to store my laptop vertically with a bit of it picking out the top. Not the most ideal but it works well enough, considering the narrow double straps actually don’t hurt my shoulder for some reason, which makes hauling that big bag a lot easier than it looks for a small person like me.

If could upgrade my current tote bag for some more long lasting and in the perfect size to fit all my things, then I’d be looking at that standard Ted Baker tote bag. If you don’t fancy something black, then your standard Louis Vuitton tote bags are other options.

Then again, I’ve spied that tall Celine bag for a year now, and I might want to get that in the future, though it means I will have to leave out a few more stuff from my everyday bag. Some compromises can be made for a beautiful bag. They actually teach you to adapt to scarcity.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

We’ve come to the end of this three-part post series. I hope the tips and choices I’ve spilled before your eyes that no one knows how to tell you have benefited you in some way, whether if it’s shopping for essentials for yourself or even as a birthday gift set for a girlfriend.

Having said that this list of wardrobe essentials is timeless, I will continue to update it as and when the overall trend shifts so as to keep you in the right dressing zone.

Until the next post, ciao!

Having introduced to you the first five wardrobe basics (The Black Cardigan, The Plain White Tee, The Plain White with Long Sleeves, The Plain Black Tee and The Black Trousers), I will now bring in the next five basics on my curated list of wardrobe basics. Let’s jump right in

#6 Black Turtleneck Sweater/Fine-knit Top

You know how that strappy, spaghetti-strap dress/top is so in trend right now, having been resurrected from it’s 80s grave like all other 80s fashion? Yeah, they are still the in thing even after so many years. That’s what Dr Martens calls authenticity: they stand the test of time—just like Dr Martens.

In the past, these strappy dress/tops are typically worn with The Plain White Tee. Nowadays, fashion has taken a subtle step higher on its trend endeavour and has included not just long sleeved t-shirts in its arsenal of under-layer (like The Plain White Tee), but also the long-sleeved top with turtlenecks as well as mocknecks. The fashionable girls of the high-end street brands wear their strappy dresses with polished, solid black turtleneck sweaters that literally becomes a second skin, and showing off those lean upper arm muscles. That technique/style is so subtle that you may not catch the aura, that somewhat spectacular vibe vibing off of them, but when you do finally figure it out and what exactly makes them shine even under all that black-clad skin-plastering finely knit material, it’s actually their own bodies carrying the look. If you never found yourself wondering about this, then let me be the one to share with you this story: I have been a tad bit envious of those girls who had the perfect skin-gripping black sweater because they were able to detract all attention from the clothing to the actual form of their figures. Do I mean that I want to have my lean upper arm muscles shown though they are cladded? Yes. Why? Because it’s ‘modest’ in a sense, but you have assets to speak off.

Then again, there are days when you find that you don’t have all that lean muscle to show and might be stressing about other options you can wear with that strappy dress of yours. Once again, a slight style revolution had occurred and now you have the option to totally disfigure the not-so-lean upper arms: wearing a loose black knitted sweater under that strappy dress. Well, of course, provided your dress is loose enough, to begin with, otherwise, you’ll have a lot of fabric to deal with against your torso.

But then again, if you aren’t even into that strappy dress trend layered over an under-layer top, don’t fret, you can still have this black sweater. Because who’s to say this timeless classic will ever actually become timed and reach the end of its service?

#7 White Turtleneck Sweater/Fine-knit Top

Like the black turtleneck/mockneck sweater, you’ll need a contrasting pair in white. This one is for all the other outfits that are goth dark and you feel you like lightening up the sombr mood with something light (unless, of course, you’re going for that adult goth look I mentioned in PART ONE, then you may stick with just the solid, matte black option).

#8 Blue Jeans

You must wonder why it took me this long to reach The Blue Jeans on my list of wardrobe essentials. Honestly, I have no reason (I’m sorry). I guess if you still wanted an explanation, the only one I can give is that it’s quite instinctive to know that you should (must, really) have a pair of blue jeans in your wardrobe, because it is undeniably one of the backbones of your closet, no matter your style. And if you think you’re not into blue jeans because (horrifyingly) you just don’t wear them, let me try to convince you otherwise in this segment.

You might have created a checklist (or mental checklist) of the pieces I have identified in this and the last post as true wardrobe essentials/basics. Did you notice that I have included only one other bottom before reaching the blue jeans, the rest being tops, tops and more tops? Because, my friends, those tops I mentioned are like life partners to The Blue Jeans (and The Black Trouser is just a more formal or fancier option to The Blue Jeans.) They match seamlessly and never look at odds with it.

One way you could spice up your Blue-Jeans bottom look is by varying its shape/silhouette. And this means getting a pair of jeans of different cuts, such as the skinny, straight, tapered, mom and flared cuts. Depending on your body type, you may be more suited for a certain cut over another. (But this is a topic for another day: check it out here if you’re interested!)

One peculiar aspect of the Blue Jeans (or any jeans, actually) that I look at which I bet most (or even anyone) looks at is the size of the back pockets. Yes, that’s what I said. Let me tell you my story: I am petite and short and literally small in all senses of the word, standing at 146 cm and weigh 41 kg. Super small, even smaller than fun-sized. So, when I look for jeans, I am very particular about the size of the back pockets.

For a small body, no matter the size of the booty, I can’t and try my best to stay away from jeans with big back pockets. The effect:

• #1: They accentuate the smallness of my person,
• #2: they shorten my middle portion, which unapologetically makes me look shorter than I actually am,
• #3: and they make the jeans look to big on me, though the size is just right when I wear them.

Having said the above, you may think that getting smaller pockets would be better. Beware, though, of getting jeans with too small a pocket either; they could reproduce the same effect as having too large a back pocket. Bottom line is this: get a pair of jeans with pockets that actually ‘speak’ your size, not too large and not too small. In other words, you have to get your booty down to your favourite jeans retailer and try on those jeans. There is no escape, especially for us who are too small or too big. The middle-sized peeps are obviously the luckiest of us.

#9 White Sneakers

White Converse has always been around since the time I was born and very likely even before that, and they too, like Dr Martens, stood the test of time. Today, apparel companies are making shoes that look like the classic Chuck Taylors. Think MUJI, for example. But just like the other wardrobe essentials mentioned, the white sneakers, too, has undergone some style change—or rather, style update, upgrade and inclusion, as is the mission of this century: inclusivity in many departments of life.

One style upgrade (or whimsical downgrade if you don’t resonate with this trend) is the inclusion of sports shoes as an option for sneakers in the broad sense. You have two types: the modern tennis shoes which most ladies out there like because of its clean, rounded silhouette, and the obnoxiously ugly Dad Shoe which experimental trendsetters like. I’m calling the Dad Shoe ugly because that’s what it is, but that’s precisely its unique selling proposition; it’s so ugly it calls, begs, beckons for attention and to be looked at. If you’re a safe dresser, I would suggest you stick with the modern tennis shoes and work your way up the ladder of style denial. If you’re already into this Dad Shoe look, then I beg you to make the rest of your outfit work on the same crazy level as the Dad Shoe. Even in fashion ugliness, those with an eye for style can and will catch the wrongness of your garment matching. If you’re going to brace yourself for the Dad Shoe, do it wholly. I’d rather see someone try a totally crazy look than a half-done one. The spirit of experimental fashion is killed off halfway, and that doesn’t leave the nicest of tastes in the mouth. So you gotta go big, or go home.

#10 Black Sneakers

Last but definitely not the least in this post is The Black Sneakers. Remember the Boy-Next-Door Plain White Tee? Yeah, this pair of black Converse I’m proposing here is the partner-for-life footwear for that tee. Let me tell you the story behind my appreciation for this particular pair of high-cuts: There is this retail assistant (male, not very tall, but dark and handsome) that I used to spy at the common workers’ space at my workplace. I never knew his name, but he’d always smile when he sees me. (Though I’m very sure he’s just a nice soul.) I’m not sure at which store he works, but he always and unfailingly wears full black—and ladies, I loved that. I still think about him and his outfit to this day, shamefully. His daily getup: He wears a black beanie, a Plain Black Tee, Black Jeans, and this very pair of Black Converse Sneakers. He was the epitome of wardrobe basics, and he just looked so unabashedly cool. And I had an acute meltdown every time I see him. Ugh, girl problems. Sadly, I don’t see him anymore. He now lives in the paradisiac courtyard of my fantasies, the seraph with black wings.

Anyway, because of this nameless stranger in black, I started scrutinising this particular pair of footwear. Like all other wardrobe basics, even sneakers need their contrast partners. If white sneakers give off a bubblegum pop flavour, then black sneakers exude daring and a devil-may-care attitude. It’s just dark, sultry and dangerous compared to the white ones, so who’s up for giving up on the dark, sultry and dangerous? Nobody.