Basic Clothing Wardrobe for Women

Jackets, coats, and toppers are the finishing touch to any outfit. They polish off that last layer of style and keep you warm too. The variety of styles, lengths, and colors are never ending. A quality ladies winter coat can be a long lasting investment. When shopping for one you should take into consideration what you wear on a normal basis and how the coat will fit into your wardrobe.

Business casual clothes continue to pose a challenge for many women that are serious about climbing the corporate ladder. "Casual" implies laid back or not serious. However an office environment means business. it is important to choose your business casual clothes carefully. You are being judged whether it is a regular workday day or a casual friday. When dressing for a casual workday it is prudent to stick close to your normal business attire.

Everybody has limited time these days trying to balance family, work and their social lives.  It is not uncommon, when a new season begins, to get the feeling that things are getting stale and to look for ways to freshen up your style. An animal print or colorful blouse/ top will refresh your look.

Intimate wear lets us express our mystique and desirability and there’s a little boutique located in San Francisco that is a divine wonderland of intimates.  Toujours of San Francisco has been offering both high end American and European intimate treasures for decades and next month they will celebrate their 24th Anniversary.

I have an opinion on the subject of women dressing too young. I believe that these days looking young has become a euphemism for looking good. That said there is a slight difference between looking young and looking stylish. There are plenty of old "socialites" looking very stylish but nobody finds them looking attractive and/or young!

Know what pieces of clothing you need before you go shopping and look for thoes items when there is a sale at your favorite boutique and / or department store.  That means organizing you clothing and closet or auditing your wardrobe.  An audit is taking a clothing inventory and an opportunity to get rid of things that you do not wear, don't fit or things that are out of style.

If you are climbing the corporate ladder stockings are a given. Sometimes cold weather may determine if you decide to put stockings on for warmth. Stockings look more polished for formal occasions if your legs are white as snow. Choose pump or closed toe sling back style  shoes with stockings or panty hose for dressy type events if you have white legs.

Knowing your body type is important because in order to look good you need to choose clothing styles that flatter you. Few if any of us have the “perfect figure.”  For example: the inverted triangle body shape is the opposite of the pear shaped figure. This figure is large on top and has narrow hips. Wear clothing that calls attention to the hip area like slacks with side pockets or detailing in the hip area. Ruffled skirts, print or patterned skirts and slacks are also good choices since they call attention to your bottom half. Choose solid colored tops.

For those of you who are not familiar with CPW, it’s a concept that rationalizes the expense of a garment by dividing each time you wear it into the original cost. Cost-per-wear means   the more you wear it, the better the returns on your initial purchase. It does not matter whether the item is an expensive pair of Christian Louboutin shoes or an H&M skirt or, whether you spent $2,000 or $100 on an item, just as long as you get your money’s worth.