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!