You are now armed with an understanding of what is in your wardrobe, better knowledge of your lifestyle and personal style, and some strategies to help you along the way as you build your wardrobe with intention.

You sorted through your closet, then made a list of everything you have by category. This list is an overall snapshot of what is in your fall wardrobe, and it will help you to more easily identify what you need. (Need to catch up? Check out this post!) 

Layer One: Classic Garments

• Garments in classic cuts and neutral colors, made of high-quality materials, that can last in your wardrobe for years.
• Categories: top layers, shirts, pants, dresses/jumpsuits, and skirts.
• Neutral Colors: white, cream, beige, tan, brown, navy, indigo, black, gray.

Examples of Clothes I have in Layer One:

Sweater Blazer (I sized down one size) | Denim Jacket | Green Jacket | Black Shirt | Tan Sweater (this year’s version) | White Jeans | Blue Jeans (I sized down one size) | Black Jeans (I sized down one size) | White Shirt (use code: MICHELLE TOMCZAK for $25 off of your purchase)

See something you like? You can shop it and support my blog at the same time by purchasing through the affiliate links in this post.

How to Decide What You Need in Each Category of Layer One:

Always consider your lifestyle and style preferences. This is really important. You could build an incredible wardrobe that doesn’t actually work for you, if you build it based off of what someone else says you need instead of what you will actually wear.

Versatility, versatility, versatility. This is what this layer is all about— having basic pieces in place that become a springboard for making interesting outfits. A great example is a classic, white, button-down shirt. It is one of the most versatile garments in my closet and I can make so many outfits with it because it can be styled many different ways, (i.e. worn open as a top layer, buttoned up completely, front tucked with the top few buttons open, etc.) and paired with any other color. (check out some outfit ideas, here)

Color Variety. To make interesting outfits you should have a variety of neutral colors in each category; both warm tones (tan, cream, beige) and cool tones (white, gray, black).

Outfit Research. Do some digging. You can search for specific garment ideas that you might have in mind to add to your wardrobe, like a chambray shirt. To do this, you can simply search “how to wear a chambray shirt” on Pinterest or #chambrayshirt on Instagram to find countless ideas of outfits you can recreate. You can also search by style like, “women’s classic outfit ideas” or by season, “women’s fall outfits 2021”.

Determining How Many Pieces You Need in Each Category of Layer One:

There is no exact number. Those of you who like exact rules and formulas, might be unhappy with me right now. Here is the truth: we are all complex individuals with different perspectives, perceptions, lifestyles, budgets, closet sizes, storage space, style preferences, careers, extra-curriculars, priorities, and the list could go on and on.

I not a minimalist. However, I aim for intentionality in my wardrobe because I have found it freeing for me. My stress has gone down, my ease in making outfits has gone up, and so has my creativity and joy in getting dressed each day. Plus, I want to be responsible with what I have (a conversation I would love to dive into another time).

My top couple categories have around twenty garments in them, and my category with the least has two garments. This is what works for me right now. As you build your wardrobe, it might take time to learn what works for you— you can change things at any time. Build, learn, adjust!

Alignment with your lifestyle. Think back over the last couple weeks— what were you doing and what were you wearing? About what percent of the time did you wear a specific category? What things do you wear on repeat and what category are they in?

Style preferences. Maybe there is a category that you do not need, but I would argue that even in your least worn category, you should have 1-2 incredibly versatile items.

I only have a couple of skirts in my wardrobe. I used to have none, but I found that having a couple of them adds variety to my closet. The skirts I have are neutral and versatile and I can wear them styled casually or dressed up. Taking a step out of my comfort zone and investing a small amount of money, added depth and a lot of new outfits to my wardrobe.

I love denim. Even without a plan, jeans are never lacking in my wardrobe because they are the first thing I gravitate towards. However, without a plan I do not lack in amount of denim, but I may lack in variety. If I plan and have an idea what I already own, I will make sure that the new pairs of jeans that I add are different shades of blue and other neutrals colors like washed black, black, and white. Planning also helps me make sure to get different cuts instead of repeats of the exact same styles and shades that I already own.

Once you have completed the list of what you need, it then becomes a shopping list. I personally find that this list helps me keep my focus on being intentional with what I buy. Sometimes I prioritize the list, and other times I don’t— it just depends on how badly I feel like I need something, how many items are on the list, and what the price points are of everything on the list. Sometimes I make things very specific (i.e. Agolde 90s Pinch Waist Jeans in the wash Lineup – $198) and other times less specific (black leather jacket). I always watch for sales in order to maximize what I can purchase within my budget.

If there are expensive items that I cannot get right away or even soon, I make a wishlist of those things and put them in order of priority.  I aim to save up for wishlist items or I put them on my Christmas list if it is something I can wait to get until then. I re-visit both the shopping list and the wishlist every so often and adjust things if I need to.

Where I Shop for Classic Garments: 

When it comes to buying classic pieces for this layer, my favorite places to shop are:

MADEWELL. This is one of my favorite stores! There are some retailers where I shop only specific categories and stay away from other categories because they do not work for me. Madewell has beautiful, high-quality, well-fitting items in every category— a through and through favorite of mine. They are size inclusive, offering a wider range of sizes than a lot of other retailers.

Standout favorites: Sweaters, Jackets, Denim, Jewelry, Bags, Tees, Shirts, Shoes.

EVERLANE. This brand embodies this layer like none other. If you had an empty closet you could fill up this layer all from Everlane. They make versatile, high-quality basics that are modern and responsibility-made. They are transparent about their production costs and factories on every single item. Additionally, they are size inclusive, offering a wider range of sizes than many other retailers. I have so many items from Everlane that I love and have worn for years. This brand is equally great for men’s clothing!

Standout favorites: Jeans, Shorts, Pants, Tees, Shirts, Sweaters, Dresses.

ABLE. This is a local to Nashville, ethical fashion brand that is committed to creating transformative opportunities for women. Their clothing is high-quality and they are working on extending their size range.

Standout favorites: Tees, Graphic Tees, Jumpsuits, Jackets.

J.CREW. To be honest, I like the men’s clothes here best. However, there are a few categories here that I love so much (i.e. blazers and jacket), and the quality is amazing. It can be pricey but they often run sales!

Standout favorites: Sweater Blazers and Winter Coats.

GRAYSON. A female founded company offering button down shirts and dresses made of high-quality fabrics. I am happy to be able to partner with them, and you can use my code MICHELLETOMCZAK for $25 off of your purchase.

LEVI’S WEBSITE. If you know me, you know I love denim. Levi’s is one of my favorite brands and I like buying jeans from their website because they offer a variety of inseams and they run sales often.

AGOLDE. This is my favorite brand of denim, and my first go-to when adding denim to my wardrobe.

SHOPBOP. This website sells things that are pricey so I do not buy a wide range of things here, mostly just investment pieces. I have gotten most of my Agolde shorts and jeans from this website— I check for sales often. They carry some of my favorite brands and they always ship for free!

Standout favorites: Premium denim (Agolde, Moussy, Mother, Levi’s) Veja sneakers, Anine Bing Tees & Sweatshirts.

NORDSTROM. Since they are a department store, they have everything! They carry a lot of amazing brands and stocking up on classic pieces is a great strategy during their anniversary sale.

ABERCROMBIE. A high school throw back for me. I was first drawn back to this brand a few years ago by their jeans and jean shorts. After that, I bought clothes in about five other categories. The quality is good and it is affordable and in my opinion, they just keep getting better.

Standout favorites: Jeans, Shorts, Skirts, Dresses, Sweaters, Graphic Tees.

Layer One Outfit Ideas:

1.) Jacket | Ribbed Tee | Jeans | Flats

Jacket | Shirt | Earrings | Jeans | Shoes (sold in whole sizes only so I sized down 1/2 size)

2.) Button Down Shirt | 90s Jeans | Mules

Shirt (I sized down for a fitted look, stay true for a relaxed fit – use code MICHELLETOMCZAK for $25 off of your purchase) | Earrings | Jeans (I sized down one size) | Bag (similar) | Mules (size up 1/2 size)

3.) Crewneck Sweater | Jeans | White Sneakers

Sweater ( this year’s version, another version) | Earrings | Jeans (I sized down one size) | Bag | Sneakers

Now that you have made a plan for solidifying the classic garments in your wardrobe, you can move on to planning your second layer—classic shoes and accessories—which coordinates closely with your first layer! In the next post I will go over what kind of items are in layer two, examples of things I have in this layer, where I shop for things in this layer, and how the items in layer two work into my outfits!

P.S. Here are the table and basket you see in all the photos in this post!

***This post was originally published on August 21, 2020 and was updated on September 6, 2021.***