Wardrobe Warriors

You don’t have to be a fashionista to get behind the concept of “wardrobe warriors” — reliable yet stylish essentials that are impervious to trend, season and the test of time. We all have them, and love them. Wardrobe warriors are enjoyed year-round and for decades on end, reminding us dressing is much more about what we have, not how much. It’s never too late to optimize your wardrobe with practical, all-season separates that flex to any occasion. It’s a wardrobe strategy that will keep you polished and appropriate season after season, year after year:

1. Trench coat
   The iconic trench coat couldn’t look dated even if it tried. It’s just about the most sensible purchase anyone could ever make, so buy a good one if you haven’t already. Look for quality features like removeable quilted liners, back vents and double-breasting to maximize its versatility and overall function, and choose a color that’s in your most flattering and serviceable light or dark neutral. Fabric weight should be neither too heavy nor to light to ensure year-round wearability from April showers to September storms.

2. Tailored blazer
   A tailored blazer is a classic menswear-inspired look that never goes out of style. Invest in a quality one with a timeless cut — no shoulder pads or oversized boyfriend styles — and make sure the hem sits above the hips for the most flattering look. Consider leather for a luxe statement, a dinner jacket for a sophisticated twist and avoid velvet since it’s less flexible for all-season wear. Pair it with anything and everything from jeans to tuxedo pants to joggers. A tailored blazer is a wardrobe warrior essential that will never let you down.

3. Wrap dress
   A wrap dress is the ultimate in versatility. It can be dressed up or dressed down, allowing for wardrobe quick-turns from day to night, summer to fall or winter to spring in a single wrap. Play it safe with solid black to have an LBD at the ready, or consider a print or tone-on-tone pattern in your best accent color for a statement look. Pair with a fashion sneaker and safari jacket by day, or classic pump, trench or blazer by night. Accessorize the look with a statement handbag for daytime or dangly, sparkly chandelier earrings for night to amp up the style.

4. Chambray shirt
   The magic of a chambray shirt is its ability to be worn tucked in as shirting, or layered as an overshirt or light jacket. The possibilities are endless, but start with a denim-on-denim look for daytime in mild seasons, then add a pea coat or down puffer in colder months. Anything goes for footwear — loafers, espadrilles, driving mocs, engineer boots, sandals, stilettos — so rotate different looks as the seasons change to keep it fresh. And don’t relegate your chambray shirt to casual dress only. Pair with cigarette pants and a dinner jacket, sequined harem pants and a leather blazer or leopard pencil skirt and a trench coat. The more you push its boundaries, the more your chambray shirt will stay on repeat.

5. Cashmere cardigan wrap
   Cashmere is ultra dense, ultra warm and ultra compact, allowing it to transition from season to season effortlessly. Don’t let the lightweight, finely knit material fool you though. It packs a big punch when generating heat in winter, yet is compact enough to carry in a tote bag and protect against aircon blasts in summer. Then use it as a layering piece in shoulder season and voilà — the perfect wardrobe warrior in a 365-day rotation. You will love the unencumbered feeling!

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