Style Essentials Every Woman Should Own

*This is a collaborative post*

Fashion is transitional; nothing ever stays the same. What we consider to be on-trend right now will, in time, become terribly passe and old-fashioned. Style is cyclical, and most of us look through old photos of our chosen outfits and emit the familiar refrain: “what was I thinking?”

However, there are a few contradictions to the idea that everything is ultimately doomed to go out of style. While it’s mostly true, there are some items — from clothes to accessories to jewelry — that are always going to have their place. Items that are as fashionable now as they have ever been, and will continue to rule the style stakes years into the future.

There’s no doubt that changing your entire wardrobe with each new fashion season isn’t really an option for the budgets that most of us have to live on. It’s therefore worth taking the time to invest in a few of these classic, time-defining pieces; the staples on which you can add up-to-the-minute trends when the mood hits you.

Without further ado, let’s investigate the eternal items that every woman needs in her wardrobe…

1. Leather Ankle Boots

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The weather is cruel sometimes, meaning that you have to clash fashion with that most unattractive of words: function. When clothing has to be functional, it tends to lose its edge in the style stakes.

However, there is an outlier to this rule: the classic leather boot. Yes, the toe shape and heel height may change occasionally with fashion, but for the most part a leather boot is a leather boot. An ankle boot with a low heel in soft, flexible leather will go just as perfectly with jeans as they do with dresses and tights and will see you through many winters to come.

2. Diamond Earrings

Earrings come in all shapes, sizes, styles, metals, and color. These change along with the fashion trends, usually reflecting what we’re wearing in terms of clothes. I’m loving and fully embracing the current statement earring trend but honestly, as much as I’d love to wear them all day every day they just aren’t practical with little grabby hands around. There is one style that I will always return to and thankfully goes with absolutely everything: diamond earrings.

Diamond earrings are the very epitome of class, quiet elegance, and simple feminine beauty. The choice is endless, too — go for classic studs, or something long and sleek as the perfect complement to an evening up-do hairstyle. 

3. A Black Dress (Not Necessarily A Little One)

The idea of a “little black dress” has become a staple in pop culture and fashion writing. Most often, it’s referring to a rather simplistic style: sleeveless, somewhat boxy, with the hem falling just above the knee.

There’s no reason why your black dress should conform to that style though; let’s be honest, it’s a style that suits very few body shapes. Nevertheless, a black dress in a style that suits you is a great wardrobe staple thanks to how very neutral it is. It can be dressed up with glamorous accessories, calmed down by adding a hat and flat shoes/boots, or just simple elegance defined when worn by itself. So experiment with styles of dress that suit your body shape until you find something that looks and feels fantastic on you.

4. Nude High Courts / Pumps

Unless you’ve got the height of a supermodel, chances are you wouldn’t mind looking a little bit taller and your legs a little bit longer. There are all sorts of ways to play with your outfits to create this impression; you have to be careful with hemlines, for example. However, by far the simplest and easiest way to make your legs look longer is to have a pair of nude pumps/court shoes in your wardrobe.

Firstly, the heel height boosts you up, already making you look taller. The nude colour then creates an optical illusion, where it appears as if your legs just keep going, and going, and going. Obviously, this only works if you’re in bare legs or jeans that sit above the ankle — but when it does work, it really works. For the shoes themselves; there’s a reason the Christian Louboutin ‘Pigalle’ shoes are considered a classic shape and texture for this kind of style.

If you want to recreate the same effect when wearing tights, then simply choose a pair of black court shoes instead.

6. Long Pendant Necklace

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Long pendant necklaces go with so many outfits, across every season, they also break up a block of colour to make it appear as though your torso is narrower. 

You can wear them over the top of winter sweaters or, as pictured, as an eye-catching pop of colour when wearing a white top. This is one piece of jewelry that is often best if you buy it relatively inexpensively; the better quality the metal, the heavier it’s likely to be. If you’re going to buy a pendant made with fine jewels and heavy metals, then at least ensure it’s hollowed on the side that touches your body — or you might find yourself battling with neck strain.

7. A cashmere Wrap

Yeah I know it might seem a little 2000 but you don’t have to stick exclusively to the rectangular shape with tasseled edges. A wrap, an oversized scarf, a cover-up — whatever you call a loose, one-size-fits-all garment that drapes over the shoulders, then you need one.

They’re actually perfect to put on to make yourself look presentable if you just need to rush out for some milk; but they’re also more elegant draped over the top of an evening dress. Look for a wrap that’s cashmere, wool, or a synthetic version of the two — they can keep you surprisingly warm, while ensuring that you’re still going to look sleek and polished at all times.

If you have problems with the wrap falling towards your back, then a brooch can fix the two sides together. This will also provide a little more sparkle to your look at the same time — win/win!

So those are the wardrobe essentials that every woman needs; how many do you have already?