Believe it or not, my wardrobe consists of only about 42 pieces of clothing; be it a pair of shoes, shirt, blouse, skirt, pair of pants or a jacket. I'm one of those "weird" college students (if not the only one) that has room to spare in his or her dresser drawers and extra hanging space in the closet.

Do I hate shopping? That's a dumb question, of course not! Do I neglect updating my clothes to fit the appropriate season? Maybe. I just have never felt the need to have this excess of clothes that I don't know what to do with, or own a bulging closet of items, half of which I NEVER wear. Where's the wisdom in that?

How do I do this, you may ask? Simple. I stock my closet with the classic staples that go with anything (literally anything) and only buy a accent or statement piece if I absolutely LOVE it.

Admit it. We've all been there. You went shopping, bought an item you were more or less certain about, brought it home only to find to your ultimate disappointment you never actually wear it. Or worse, you consciously AVOID wearing it, even when it ends up being the last clean think in your closet for the week. Why? Because that item just didn't really say "you" when you took more than an impulse moment to think about, did it? Hmmm...shame.

So then, what are those staples?

Of course we're going to start with something we already know:

The nude shoe

Next up:

Black dress pants (personal favorite, more comfortable than jeans...there. I said it.)

white button down blouse - this can be both casual and dressy. Depending on how you wear it.

denim jacket - easy way to put an outfit together and dress it down a bit.

black blazer - an easy way to dress UP your ensemble.

tan khakis - when you're looking for that contrast between light and dark.

black dress shoes - classic shoe everyone needs in their closet

black skirt - need to give the dress pants a little slack? Trade it up!

white t-shirt - Just an honest basic that should always be there, whether for layering or contrast.

black t-shirt - Same thing. Great for layering or contrast.

jeans - Yes! Even I have jeans in my closet! Nothing beats a nice fitting pair of jeans on Casual Friday.

black dress - This should be an obvious one. Stand out at the party in this little black classic.

If these babies are in your closet you'll have an outfit for any occasion and something to match any piece you put on, because it all goes together!

Ta!

-Jess