Reader Question: Back to Basics

my wardrobe is in big time trouble. i still have stuff from high school in there. yikes. i just got a little birthday money (little being the key word) and would like to update a little. what are some basic pieces that i need to build a good wardrobe from?? i am fashionally challenged. baby steps here. i'm talking the most basic that it gets. what are your recommendations?? :)

What a great question! It's always best to start your wardrobe with a few, can't-live-without-'em basics. Invest in some good pieces you can wear over and over and switch in and out of outfits, and build from there.

Here's EWP's list of must-have essentials:

1. Nice jeans that fit you well
2. A pencil skirt (for the working woman)
3. A basic, fitted cardigan
4. A great basic dress - to dress up or down
5. Neutral pumps
6. One great bag
7. Makeup essentials: mascara and lipgloss
8. Spanx (they will change your life)

Put these in your arsenal and you are ready for whatever life throws at you. Okay, no tops actually make the list, but you can always grab cheap tops for each season to mix in and out of this list. So while it is essential to own a top to go with your jeans or skirt (no toplessness allowed!), I wouldn't call one shirt an essential (i.e. I don't stand by the addage that you have to have a white button-down. Button-downs are not the friend of any woman with a chest, and white ones are boring. You add fun with your top, not boringness). I treat shirts like I do accessories - use them to bring pop to your outfit.

Throughout the week I'll be bringing to you options in each of these categories so you can get your wardrobe started off right.

Oh, and time to ditch the high school duds. I can guarantee none of it is wearable for an adult woman. (Unless you really want to wear your high school tennis shirt to bed, then maybe).