Essential Bottoms Every Woman Should Own
Happy Thursday, ladies! We’re continuing this week with our Back to the Basics series. We kicked things off last week with 5 Essential Tops. This week, I'm focusing on essential bottoms.
As I said last week, the purpose of this series is to help you build the foundations of a classic wardrobe that will last you years. Today, I'm deep diving into:
- denim
- pants
- skirts
For each category, I've pulled in several inspirational outfits as well as some of my picks from my favorite retailers.
The Summary
Today, we're getting back to wardrobe basics with a focus on essential bottoms every woman should own
For each category, I've pulled in an inspo-outfit
Also, for each category, I've pulled in a few items from my favorite retailers
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Back To Wardrobe Basics: Essential Bottoms Every Woman Should Own
1. Denim
In our modern world, denim probably makes up the majority of our wardrobe. Although that’s not true for everybody, a robust denim collection is important for any classic wardrobe. A few years ago, I put out my definitive denim guide for women. Head over there if you’re looking for a deep dive into denim. Today, we’re focusing on three types of jeans:
- black jeans
- white jeans
- straight-leg jeans
- flare
- bootcut
- boyfriend
- skinny
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essential denim
2. Denim (cont.)
Black Jeans. Although denim can always be styled casually, black jeans can definitely serve as go-to formal wear. A high-rise straight-leg or skinny pair is slimming and looks chic when paired with a button-down, turtleneck, or cashmere cardigan. Let your black jeans serve as your neutral base, and add color with a fall jacket or accessories.
White jeans. The black jeans counterpart, white jeans work well as formalwear. Also a neutral base, just like black denim, I love pairing white denim with a camel sweater and/or jacket. Whether you’re heading back into the office or spending a night out, a pair of white jeans will serve you well. But just like black jeans, white ones go with anything. Wear them with a graphic tee in the summer, or a cashmere hoodie in the winter. You really can’t go wrong.
Straight Leg Jeans. Not a lot to say about classic straight-leg jeans that hasn’t already been said. The most versatile pant on this list, you can wear this with just about anything.
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essential denim
3. Pants
Now on to pants. Essential pants include:
- wide-leg
- chinos
- utility pants
- ankle pants
- trousers
- leggings
- joggers
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Essential Pants
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4. Pants (cont.)
Trousers. Trousers are a little more “fun”—a little more “loosey-goosey” than say a pair of straight-leg ankle pants. When I want to look “put-together” but a little bit more on the casual side, I’m going to go with a pair of trousers.
Ankle Pants. Love straight-fit ankle pants. Sleek and elegant, they’re perfect for a night out or a day at the office. Generally, I dress my ankle pants up, and I try to stick with a neutral: white, black, and/or grey.
Leggings. Comfy, casual, and fun. Every woman needs a good collection of leggings. Whether you like the faux leather look; are part of the jeggings revival; or you just want a super-simple pair to lounge in, leggings are an essential basic. But don’t let their looks deceive you: leggings can reasonably be dressed up too.
Joggers. Even before the rise of athleisure wear, joggers were essential to any wardrobe. I’m loving sweater joggers this season, especially given how cold it’s gotten here in Athens. But you can’t go wrong with classic or ribbed joggers.
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Essential Pants
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5. Skirts
Let’s kick things off with skirts. A couple of years ago, I wrote a complete guide to skirts. Essential skirts I want to talk about today include the:
- pencil skirt
- A-line skirt
- slip skirt
- denim skirt
Pencil Skirt. Did you know the first pencil skirt was designed by Christian Dior in 1954? The slim-fitting skirt was a dramatic shift away from tight waists and full skirts which had dictated fashion runways for several years.
A-Line Skirt. A-line skirts are a personal favorite. Much like the pencil skirt, the A-line is a simple style that’s flattering to most figures. Although slimming too, a-line skirts are a nice departure from the curve-hugging pencil skirt.
Slip Skirt. Slip skirts are no muss, no fuss. Generally, the slip skirt just slides over your hips—super simple. I generally wear my slip skirts a bit more formally
Denim Skirt. Every woman should own a denim skirt. One of the most versatile of all the skirts featured, the denim skirt truly goes with just about everything. Wear them formally or wear them casually—you truly can’t go wrong. From a graphic tee to a blouse—you’ll get a lot of mileage out of a denim skirt. You can start with a traditional blue wash and work your way out to black and white ones too.
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Essential Skirts
In Case You Missed It
This morning, Kelly shared some preppy Valentine's Day outfit ideas. Click the title or image below to read the article.
You are channeling Cat Woman in those body hugging shiny black pants.
Purrrrfect!
I learn so much from how you style your outfits Beth. I love the green pants and denim jacket outfit. The way you have introduced the striped bag with the golden strap to mirror the striped T and belt is perfection. This is the definition of ‘elevating’ the basics. I love how you make this fun too. Thank you
Thank you for keeping the skinny jeans in the list of definitive denim, even though some people are saying skinnies are out. I still like wearing them with long sweaters and tunics. They are like leggings, etc. Loved how you put these outfits together for the blog. Great ideas as usual.
I think skinnies will always have a place in our closet. But I do like a variety of denim on hand.