20 of the Best Wardrobe Staples
The pieces and brands I swear by.
Ahh, the wardrobe staple. If you consume any kind of fashion content (which I assume you do, if you’re here), you will have seen those two words mentioned thousands of times. Everything is a staple. Everything is an essential. Everything is a must-have.
So, if everything is a “must”, how do you actually filter through that? How do you know that one white T-shirt is better than another? Or that a pair of flats really are worth buying, when you’ve just read three other articles recommending something else entirely?
This is a question that
and tackled in a post here on Substack recently. They called it their “best and only” — a quick-fire round (I highly recommend watching their video, not just heading straight for the links) of their top 10 favourite jeans, T-shirts, crewnecks etc. Essentially, all of those, ahem, essentials we’re told we should have in our wardrobes.As I was watching their video, I started to think about the things I would choose and it prompted this post. I’m amazed that Irene and Kelly could keep their list to a concise 10… I’ve landed on 20 that are staples for me and even that involved a bit of a cull from my original list.
Everyone’s wardrobe staples will look slightly different (I wrote more about that here), so this list is based purely on the items I wear a lot. In some instances, I’ve included two options because when I think about how I dress, my ‘staples’ are often on rotation and it’s always handy to have an alternative when they’re in the wash.
Basic T-shirt
Rise & Fall (£35) or Uniqlo U (£14.90).
You can’t go wrong with Rise & Fall’s T-shirt, especially at £35. It’s got that classic shape that works so well in a tee: a crewneck, sleeves that hit at the midpoint of the upper arm and a straight cut. It’s made from 100% cotton so it’s soft and comfortable to wear, plus the fabric is thick enough so it’s not see-through.
I’m also a big fan of the Uniqlo U T-shirts. They’re made from heavyweight cotton so they’re slightly thicker, and they retain their shape well.
Oversized T-shirt
Men’s Studio Nicholson (£95).
I’m a big fan of an oversized silhouette, so it will come as no surprise that I have a favourite oversized tee. They’re great on their own but they also make an excellent layering piece. My go-to is this men’s T-shirt from Studio Nicholson. It’s boxy, it’s long and it’s made from heavyweight cotton so it’s not see-through.
Classic button-up shirt
Asket (£110) or With Nothing Underneath (£110).
No bells, no whistles, just a classic relaxed fit, great fabric (100% cotton or linen is my best bet) and a style that looks just as good open and loose as it does buttoned-up and tucked in. That’s what you get with all of With Nothing Underneath’s shirts and Asket’s “the Shirt”.
Linen button-up shirt
Studio shirt from Something to Hold ($99 - roughly £76).
I have this shirt in navy and ecru and they must be the best, slightly oversized linen shirts I’ve tried. They work for casual and smart outfits, the sleeves look great rolled up or down, and they’ve lasted hundreds of wears and are still in good nick.
Patterned button-up shirt
Etnodim (from €100) or LaneFortyfive (from £180).
Kyiv-based Etnodim makes excellent embroidered shirts based on traditional Ukrainian designs. For striped shirts, I love London-based LaneFortyfive, which makes all its pieces to order.
Lightweight jumper
Men’s Asket merino sweater (£100).
An excellent piece when you want a lightweight jumper but it’s also easy to layer when you need something a bit warmer. I have it in dark green but it comes in other staple colours like black, grey and burgundy too.
Midweight jumper
Rise & Fall cashmere jumper (£160).
I wear this navy cashmere jumper a LOT. It’s soft, lightweight and works on its own in summer, and layered with a tee or long-sleeved top in winter. I’m wearing a size medium for a slightly more relaxed fit but I’d say take your usual size if you want something more fitted.
Heavyweight jumper
Elwin Raye sweater (£285).
No doubt you’ve seen me in this before. It’s made from 100% British wool, has a lovely natural peat colour and is super warm and cosy. I’ve worn it with everything, and don’t know how I would have got dressed over the last couple of winters without it.
Casual jacket
A chore jacket from Uskees (from £66) or Toast (from £130).
A chore jacket can be worn with everything — trousers, shorts, over a dress — especially if you’re more of a casual dresser. They also work well under oversized coats as an extra layer. Toast and Manchester-based Uskees are the best I’ve tried.
Warm coat
An oversized wool coat. This one from A. Emery is exceptionally good (£620).
An oversized wool coat is a must for me in winter. It’s warm, it’s big enough to fit thick layers underneath and I’ll always like the way that silhouette looks. This dark grey one from A. Emery ticks all the boxes.
Light coat
An oversized trench. I love Louisa Charlotte Oates (prices from around £300 but best to get in touch with Louisa directly).
A trench coat will always be a classic but I like an oversized fit for a style that feels more like “me”, especially this one from UK-based Louisa Charlotte Oates. The fabric is a Japanese organic cotton linen blend. It’s quite thin but in the best way — it protects me from the chill but I’ll never feel super hot in it plus I can fold it up and pop it in my bag if I really need to, without worrying that it’s too bulky.
Jeans
Black jeans from Frame (from £250), COS (from £75) or Asket (£125).
I’m a black denim kinda woman. I wear black a lot, so I find this wash easier to wear than classic blue denim. For a barrel leg, I love the Narrow from Frame (£290), Arch jeans from COS (£85) are great for a tapered leg, and the Standard from Asket (£125) my favourite regular-fit straight leg.
Other trousers
A barrel leg. I love Beyond Nine (from £79, some lower priced in the sale), Studio Nicholson (from £170) and COS (from £40).
Asking me to choose my favourite style of trousers is like asking a parent who their favourite child is. I love them all, as my recent mammoth guide will attest to. But if I could only wear one, it would be a barrel-leg, purely because I think the shape adds so much to an outfit. Beyond Nine, COS and Studio Nicholson are my go-tos.
A ‘dressy’ outfit
An oversized co-ord from Calm Amongst the Chaos or Soeur.
I don’t go to many fancy occasions so I don’t have a huge need for super dressy pieces. When I do need to make more of an effort for a dinner out or party, my failsafe option is an oversized co-ord that has an interesting shape. I love this top and trouser set from Soeur. The Potter top (£145) and Turner trousers (£125) from Calm Amongst the Chaos get a lot of wear too.
Trainers
New Balance 574 (from £85) or adidas Japan (£90).
This was a tough one because I wear trainers a lot. But if I think about the styles that have had the most wear over the years, it’s various versions of New Balance 574 (super comfortable) and adidas Japan (£90), which have a slightly slimmer silhouette.
Boots
Chunky Chelsea boots from Solovair (£179) or Dr. Martens (£140).
A flat black boot is almost all I wear in winter. They’re hardy, they have plenty of space for thick socks, and they go with everything. Solovair and Dr. Martens are the best ones I’ve tried (and they’ve both lasted years of wear).
Flat shoes
Black Mary Janes. I have a pair from Zara that I wear a lot but I highly rate Flabelus (£120) too.
I find black Mary Janes so easy to wear (that little strap makes them feel a lot more secure than regular ballet flats), so they’re always my first choice for a flat that isn’t a pair of trainers or boots. Mine are from Zara which admittedly isn’t the best place to buy quality footwear but they’ve lasted me well. I’ve also tried Flabelus flats, which are excellent.
Sandals
Fisherman sandals from Salt-Water Sandals (£74.95) or Soeur (£315), and suede sandals from A. Emery (£160).
I’ve had these sandals from A. Emery for a good few years and wear them with everything in summer. They have a good supportive sole and suede straps and they’re easy to wear with casual or slightly dressier outfits. The other sandals I wear a lot are the classic brown fisherman sandals — Salt-Water Sandals and Soeur do my favourite versions.
Accessory
Neckerchief (I like Sunspel and Rise & Fall, £50) or square sunglasses from Monokel (£135 with code angharad).
An accessory that always gives my outfits a little something is a silk scarf (see here for winter styling and here for summer). Rise & Fall and Sunspel are the best I’ve tried in terms of size (not too big, not too small) and quality. My other couldn’t-live-without accessory is a pair of sunglasses, particularly this black square style from Monokel.
Jewellery
Silver rings. I like Monica Vinader (from £48) and Kitty Joyas (from £85).
If I could only wear one type of jewellery for the rest of my life, it would be silver rings. I love a hand full of them, especially the different shapes and styles you get from Monica Vinader and Kitty Joyas.
Any items marked with * have been gifted by brands. All thoughts, picks and reviews are my own.
This post contains some affiliate links. If you buy something through those links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
I adore that Ukrainian shirt. ❤️
It’s good to know at 70 that I have about 85% shown, yay