What are your personal classic wardrobe essentials? When my daughters were growing up, we developed a concept we called the “permanent wardrobe” – pieces we would always like and want to keep, even if just for special occasions. One of my daughters has built an impressive collection of vintage dresses that perfectly suit her. As an ESTJ who manages a thrift store, she combines her love of history through Introverted Sensing with the playful exploration of Extraverted Intuition, selecting vintage pieces that match both her silhouette and color palette.
Benefits of Personal Classics
Let’s talk about why identifying your personal classics matters.
- First, it’s an investment strategy – when you know what truly works for you, you can confidently spend more on pieces you’ll wear for years.
- Second, these pieces offer true wardrobe longevity, transcending trends while remaining relevant to your style.
- Finally, this approach supports sustainability – when you buy less but better, you reduce your environmental impact while building a wardrobe you truly love.
These three benefits – investment, longevity, and sustainability – help you to free up massive amounts of resources – time, energy, and money – to devote to the things that are important to you – your family, your goals, and your community.
Now, before we dive into classic wardrobe essentials pieces, it’s worth noting that the percentage of classics in your wardrobe might depend on your personality type. For some people, especially those younger or with high Extraverted Sensing, playing with trends is an important part of self-expression. There’s no rule that says your entire wardrobe needs to be classic pieces.
Here’s the thing: Creating your collection of personal classics is the bridge between timeless style and authentic self-expression.
10 Classic Wardrobe Essentials Personalized
Here are ten items commonly appearing on classic wardrobe essentials and some ideas for personalizing them to you.
- The Little Black Dress – or Your Power Color Dress
- Black is actually a power color for people with very light coloring
- If your coloring is dark, you might want to consider your best white
- Feel free to substitute a dressy pantsuit if dresses aren’t your thing
- Choose a dark shaded color that flatters you better than black
- The White Shirt Myth
- Button-front shirts (not “button-down” – that’s actually a specific collar style)
- White isn’t flattering for everyone
- If you wear white with black pants, you might look like wait staff unless your coloring supports this combination
- Consider blue as a more versatile conservative alternative
- For a modern take, choose a quality t-shirt in your favorite flattering color
3. The Blazer
- Your hair color could be a great alternative to black, creating a natural frame for your face
- If your hips are widest at the upper thigh, choose a shorter jacket
- For a high hip shelf with narrow thighs, let your jacket extend to the low hip
- Consider a stretch fabric or even sweatshirt material for comfort
4. The Perfect Skirt
- For rectangles or straight hips, a straight pencil skirt works well
- Other body types need a slightly pegged pencil skirt
- A-line skirts are ideal for hourglass silhouettes
- Choose either pencil or A-line as your personal classic based on your body design
If you aren’t sure about your hip shape, you can learn that and alot more in your Essential Signature Style Guide. Learn more or buy right here: Essential Signature Style Guide.
5. Straight-Leg Trousers
- What’s sold as “straight leg” can look entirely different on different body types
- Consider tapered trousers if you have shorter legs (these have become a personal classic for me through understanding my body type)
6. Dark Wash Jeans
- Success with dark wash depends on combining them with the right color value
- If your hair and skin are similar in depth, pair with a dark top
- If your hair and skin are very different in depth, choose a light top
- In a business casual setting, you can think of these as a modern alternative to dress pants
7. Cashmere Sweater
- A dressy-ish alternative to button-front shirts for cold climates
- Works especially well for curvier body types
- Care tip: machine wash and hang to dry
8. Trench Coat or City Coat
- Depending on your climate
- Consider a wool city coat for cold winter areas
- Choose a length that works with your most common outfit proportions
9. Classic Footwear
- Buy your preferred toe shape (round, squared, or pointed) when it’s readily available
- Same goes for heel shape
- Did you know that some workplaces require closed-toe shoes?
10. Structured Handbag
- The amount of structure your handbag should have depends on your lifestyle.
- It may also depend on your personality. Are you a person who prefers structure?
- Choose a size that works with your proportions
Beyond Wardrobe Classics: Personal Essentials
Creating your collection of personal classics is the bridge between timeless style and authentic self-expression. What is classic for your body, lifestyle, and personality can be very different from those generic lists of classic wardrobe essentials.
Here’s your homework for this week:
- Look through your wardrobe and identify pieces that already function as your personal classics; these may be the pieces you reach for again and again
- Notice which traditional classics you’ve tried that didn’t work for you. You have my permission – as if you need it – to ditch those and find something that works better for you.
Extra credit: plan your entire wardrobe for this season using my free downloadable guide, The Wardrobe Pyramid.