The Must Haves....

This list is for all the girly things that we all must have. Well maybe not all but the 10 staples.

1) A Kick Ass pair of boots. They are so versatile. They go with anything and everything and will last you forever. Class up a pair of jeans, make that perhaps-dowdy skirt H.O.T. or make that amazing dress of yours that much better. I think that if you’re only going to have one pair make them black, but if you wear a lot of browns make that your first. Save the colors for after the staples, but don’t be afraid of them. The good ones are a little pricey but most definitely worth it. They’re an investment. I personal have one black, one brown, and one amazing copper metallic.


2) A great pair of heels. This is along the same vein and offers a great deal of variety but this is the key here; we’re going for strappy and able to see your toes. On your special day you’re going to have a pedicure and you don’t want to cover it up with shoes that don’t show ‘em off. I usually go for the 4” status, but I’m short so I totally respect that Cor is going to get smaller heels. Strappy though is amazing on everyone though because they elongate your feet, not a bad way. And they give you the feminine look we so love.

3) A fantastic pair of dark jeans. You can do so many things with a good pair of dark jeans. Pair it with a button up and nice jacket and you can rock dressy/casual. Just with a tee and you’re casual date night still looking hot. The key here is really to find ones that you’re comfortable in and ones that fit. They aren’t always the most expensive (the ones that fit me best are really cheap). Just find ones you feel good in and fit correctly.

4) A dress. Not a skirt with a brilliantly paired top, I’m talking an actual dress. One that is nice enough to wear to a fantastic dinner on a cruise, your friend’s wedding, the state affair you always dream about going to. And here you can go wild on color, cut, pattern, honestly whatever you want. Find one you love, then you can have lots of options for shoes, accessories, overlays, whatever to go with it and you’re set for all fancy occasions!

5) Leggings. Alright now let me just say once and loudly for the record: LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS. EVER! Great now that we have that out of the way we can move on to happier subjects. Leggings are great for many different reasons; they can casual down nice dresses, they keep your leg warm in the pesky air conditioned 65 degree buildings, super cute under shorts at the gym when you don’t want to show the whiteness of your legs, and great for those shirts that are long enough to cover your butt (REPEAT, OVER THE BUTT) but not long enough. Don’t be afraid to use and abuse (gym status) because they’re cheap and everywhere. Stock up. Black is best and what you should have first, solids are fun too. Patterns I’m not totally sold on yet but don’t let that stop you rockin’ it. Just not cheetah, snakeskin, etc. please.

6) The boyfriend hoodie. Don’t deny it, we all love hanging out in the boyfriend’s hoodie more than our own. First of all it’s huge enough that we can just hunker down and feel small and snuggly in it. It’s the one you want to just throw on and go to the store in or sit on the couch and watch a movie in. It’s even stylish because you know it’s a boyfriends. Basically it’s the oversized hoodie of whatever style you prefer. So comfy.

7) A great coat. I was recently watching the news and the country freezing, including Florida, and tons of stores there are sold out of coats. This I don’t understand. No matter where you live how do you not have at least one coat? So this inspires me to say: You need a coat. There is always a place for the coat that is probably not the most flattering coat but it’s warm. The coat I’m talking about here though is one that is warm but also makes you look bueno. My personal fav is the pea coat but take your pick. A nice trench will go with any dress, skirt, pantsuit, anything. Invest in one, it also will last.

8) A great scarf, glove, hat set. This is along the same line as the dress, and no matter where you live it gets cold sometimes. The gloves don’t have to be amazing (if you live in a cold place though I would invest in some nice leather ones) but just get a cute set that matches. I have nice black ones with a white hat, goes with much. This is just a suggestion as well that you get tons of scarves. They don’t all have to be warm and they can dress up anything. There are so many color options, style options everything. My only piece of advice on this though is find ones that feel good. There is nothing worse than having something scratchy around your neck for any period of time.

9) A nice button up shirt. In our lives we will all have periods when we need to look professional. Some more than others but the point remains the same. Currently I am looking for a nice white one but apparently they only make them for men and those just will not work. You need to actually buy women’s button up shirts because they are fitted and you don’t look like a sack. Full length sleeves are also the best option. You can always roll up the sleeves but having the complete look of long sleeves is a good one.

10) An every tee. Cor’s are Old Navy scoop neck, mine are Gap, but the principle is the same. Find a style/brand of tee that you like and feels comfortable, doesn’t shrink, etc., and buy every color. I’m not even joking here. Find a simple tee you like and get a lot of them. Tees are the ones that wear out and the ones you want to pair with everything so get all your favorite colors and don’t be afraid to toss out the ones with pit stains, losing their stretch or just old. Embrace that you wear them a lot and they’re going to wear out. It’s because you love them and you should continue having them.

The bottom line of all these things is in all these staples, find the ones that you are comfortable in. The more you are comfortable in your clothes, no matter what they look like you will look great in them.

And a couple things I just would really recommend you never buy ever:
1) White washed jeans. They’re disgusting and look good on no one. The blue parts accentuate all the wrong areas and make you look huge.
2) Clothes that are too small because you want to delude yourself. I understand the difficulties with self confidence but don’t take it out on your clothes. Tell yourself you love you and buy a piece of clothing that accentuates something you love. For me it’s shoes….