When I was thinking about what to select for the Wardrobe Workhorse Week, my black Steve Madden Boots, my black wool coat, and my collection of scarves immediately popped into mind. These items are, far and away, my favorite ones in my wardrobe. I wear them constantly in the fall/winter/spring, and it is only in the summer when they are all not in frequent rotation. I was looking for photos of these items and I realized that this blog has not existed over a winter yet! It is still a baby blog, haha. I have therefore not posted any photos of my wool coat here, nor of my favorite scarf, which seems sacrilegious. Well, that is now rectified in this post!
As I was looking through the photos on the blog, however, my last two selections for my Wardrobe Workhorses made themselves clear--my neutral work skirt and my neutral cardigans. These items seem to show up time and time again, and work with almost every item in my wardrobe. They don't elicit the same sense of joy as the first three items, but are worn just as often and are another set of foundation pillars in my closet.
Here are my selections for the Wardrobe Workhorse Week!
Black Steve Madden BootsI love these boots. I had previously worn through three different pairs of black fake-suede calf-high boots (all looking extremely similar to this pair) over the course of three years before I decided that I should probably invest in a leather pair that would last a bit longer--obviously my taste in boots was remaining consistent and this would not be an impulse buy. I looked for the pair for about six months (I am VERY picky) and ended up returning them a few times due to flawed sole construction. I eventually just got them re-soled and the problem was fixed, plus I had my perfect boot. They are wearing a bit faster than I thought they would and will most likely only last me three to four years, instead of the six to ten that I was hoping, but even so I am pleased as punch with these boots.
They are formal enough for work (due to the nice looking leather), casual enough for a day off (due to the slouchy factor), and comfy enough to wear all day walking (extremely important--plus they fit my orthotic inserts wonderfully! ...I feel like an old lady saying that). I wear them constantly. with pants and skirts, and will continue to do so.
Black Wool Coat
I bought this coat when I was living in France mainly because every French woman has a black wool coat. I am not exaggerating! I wanted to fit in and not be immediately identifiable as an outsider, so I found this coat on clearance (it's awesome, there are coats in France that actually fit me and actually make it to the clearance rack!) after several months of looking and snatched it up.
That was three years ago now, and this coat is going into its fourth winter of being worn almost every day. I love this coat. My love for this coat cannot be put into words. It is beginning to get a bit threadbare at the elbows, and I have full plans to take it into the tailor (perhaps next year--it can last a bit longer as is!) and have elbow patches put on. This was a my first garment to hit this stage with me, where I would take it to a professional to mend it when it is getting old, rather than buy something new to replace it. It is a great feeling, one that I hope to find with much more of my wardrobe.
This coat goes with everything. It is black, so it does not show dirt (or the massive wear and tear I am sure it has). It is thigh-length, but not too long on me. It is full on the bottom, giving a bit of a retro-vibe that I love. It is wool and warm. It has huge pockets and a belt to cinch the waist and it fits me beautifully.
Perfect Scarf/ScarvesI wear scarves almost constantly. I have quite a large selection, ranging from a handknit bulky, warm scarf, to a silk/wool blend pashmina, to a few thin, silky scarves. I love how they can completely change the feel of an outfit, while also blocking the wind from entering my coat/sweater/shirt (I'm usually cold, as you can probably tell from my selected wardrobe workhorses, haha!). If I had to pick one scarf to be my workhorse, it would be my cranberry silk/wool blend pashmina that I bought in Kiev, Ukraine. Every time I wear it, I think of my travels, plus the fiber blend makes it super warm and durable. I also love the color (it goes with pretty much everything in my wardrobe, plus it's a
color and not a neutral!), the subtle print (it adds interest without overpowering anything else), and the fringe on the ends (another bit of interest).
Underarmour LeggingsI bought these my freshman year in college and have practically
lived in them every winter since then. They make wearing skirts and dresses possible in the winter (I have lived in some pretty cold places!) as well as being useful to layer under pants when it is truly frigid outside. I will wear them on their own as leggings, under tights for another layer, under pants, and by themselves for skiing/running. They were pricey in the beginning, but I got the price per wear down to under a dollar in the
first year of wearing them and am now going on my fifth year, so they are a true staple for me.
(I'm wearing them as leggings today!)
Neutral Work-Appropriate SkirtFor me it is my taupey-brown skirt, since I have so many other black items of clothing and it avoids the look of too much black. I also have a very similar skirt in black, which I also love, but the brown looks a bit softer and I find myself reaching for it much more frequently.
(good lord, I'm wearing my neutral cardigan, neutral skirt, black boots and a scarf. I just need my underarmour and black wool coat to make this a complete workhorse outfit!)Neutral Cardigan It's been well-established that I am usually cold. Therefore, I am usually wearing a cardigan. I'll wear sweatshirts from time to time, but generally find myself feeling more pulled-together (and therefore more pretty and on top of my game) when wearing a cardigan. Plus, with my new professional wardrobe, cardigans are more appropriate and automatically make anything I am wearing seem more appropriate. I love me a good neutral, and my two go-to cardigans at the moment are my brown cardigan from The Limited (thrifted from Goodwill) and my no-name gray cardigan that I found in someone's Goodwill donation pile. My perfect cardigan would be a mix of the two (long sleeves of the gray cardigan, plus nice weight, buttons and waist-tie of the brown cardigan) but so far I have not miraculously found it yet (what, it's not like I'm
picky! lol).
I hope you found this interesting to read! I am excited to see what everyone else chooses as their wardrobe workhorses, and if it will be at all similar to mine! What items can you relate to, or do you see reflected in your own wardrobe? Are there any workhorses that you expected to see but I did not choose? Anything that caught you by surprise?
