McNaught - Closet essentials: 60 core pieces and how to wear them

First published in the United States of America in 2017 by Chronicle Books LLC.

Copyright 2017 by Quarto Publishing plc
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN: 9781452166773 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN: 9781452166674 (pb)

Produced by RotoVision, an imprint of The Quarto Group
Publisher: Mark Searle
Editorial Director: Isheeta Mustafi
Commissioning Editor: Emily Angus
Editor: Katie Crous
Junior Editor: Abbie Sharman
Art Director: Michelle Rowlandson
Book layout: Agata Rybicka and Richard Peters
Illustrations: Clare Shepherd
Photography: Odi Caspi
Every effort has been made to contact owners of copyright material produced in this book. In the event of a copyright query, please contact the publisher.

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SECTION 1
KNOW YOUR WARDROBE

SECTION 2
DRESSES AND SKIRTS

SECTION 3
TOPS AND SHIRTS

SECTION 4
SWEATERS AND JACKETS

SECTION 5
JEANS AND PANTS

SECTION 6
SHOES AND ACCESSORIES

SECTION 7
RESOURCES

Fashion stylist Rachel Zoe once said that style is a way to say who you are, without having to speak.

While its true that many people use clothing successfully to express themselves, the language of style can be a tricky one to learn, and can often leave us feeling like tourists in a foreign land. We know what all the words mean, but putting them together in a way that says exactly what we intended can be harder than we thought, especially when we see the natives swanning around and making it all look so effortless.

Part of the problem, of course, is that were spoiled for choice. Gone are the days of dress codes and universal trends, when everyone knew exactly what to wear, as well as when and how to wear it. Dress codes are confusing at best (what is smart/casual, anyway?), and there are so many different styles to choose from that it can be hard to know which one says who you are without the message getting lost in translation.

So, how do you find your way to the style that best expresses your personality, and that also works for your lifestyle and body shape, in the face of so much choice? Well, for some people, style is instinctive: theyre those effortless-looking natives who seem to have been born fluent. For the rest of us, theres the capsule wardrobe: a collection of all-time classics that provide the jumping-off point for your own personal style journey. If youre feeling confused by fashion, or are just tired of having a bulging closet yet seemingly have nothing to wear, this book will help you to create and style a classic capsule, which will work for almost any occasion. Then you too can express your personalitywithout having to say a word.

In this book, youll find everything you need to create a wardrobe of classic basics, which will transition easily from season to season, and mean you never have to utter/cry the words, I have absolutely nothing to wear! ever again. Youll also find suggestions on how to style each piece in different ways, plus background information on the history of each item. (Do you know why ballet flats became fashionable, after years of high heels? You will soon...)

However, before starting to read this book, you need to understand two important things. Firstly, theres no such thing as a universal wardrobe essential. Theres no one size fits all, every one of us is different. With that in mind, its important to understand that this book is not suggesting that you rush out and buy every single item on the list, or even that youll want to. Instead of giving you a rigid set of rules, this book sets out to help you build a capsule wardrobe from sixty possible pieces. Secondly, theres no such thing as bad taste. There are just different kinds of taste, and different ways to wear an item of clothing. Thats why each item in this book comes with a set of five styling suggestions, to show you the different ways it can be worn.

The great thing about the classic capsule wardrobe is that it can be adapted to suit a wide range of tastes and styles, and once you have the wardrobe basics, youre free to add in a selection of on-trend pieces whenever you feel like it. The aim of the classic wardrobe isnt to stop you expressing yourself, or lock you into a restrictive style that you can never stray from, but to give you the necessary building blocks from which you can develop your own, unique style. It may or may not be eternalthese days, few of us like or wear the same kind of things for our entire livesbut it will, at least, be yours.

Before you start to gather your capsule wardrobe, there are some realities you need to face, such as:

Your budget: Having a realistic idea of your budget will help you to make the right decisions when facing such an array of price tags, quality and materials, and stores and brands from which to buy your capsule wardrobe. Turn to Shopping on a Budget for more advice.

Practicality: What do you need your clothes to do for you? Before you start shopping, think about your lifestyle. Learning to shop for the life you have, rather than a fantasy life of endless cocktail parties, will make sure you make the most of your wardrobe.

Climate: Similarly, if you live in a cold climate, theres not much point in filling your closet with summer dresses, no matter how much you love them. Sound familiar? Dressing for the Seasons should help out here.