Good Advice: The Essentials of a Well-Balanced Wardrobe

I go back to this article from Real Simple a lot. There's a lot of wisdom in having a closet filled with classic pieces. It's my goal someday to have all of the things on this list, and simply add a few fun trendy items that are less expensive when the seasons change.

I spend a lot of my money on a bunch of cheap things that don't last, fit well, or survive the trends. I think I'd rather spend more money on fewer things that are going to last. It's so tempting to buy things just because they seem like a good deal or because they're trendy, but I'm on a limited budget and I need to be more choosy about what I buy.

The Essentials of a Well-Balanced Wardrobe:

The Basics
1. Black Tank top
2. Long-Sleeve white T-shirt
3. Long-Sleeve black T-shirt
4. Short-sleeve white T-shirt
5. Short-sleeve black T-shirt
6. Black Turtleneck
7. White Button-down shirt
8. Crew-neck sweater
9. Cardigan
10. Jeans
11. Black Pants
12. Khakis
13. Denim Jacket

The Staples
14. Wool skirt
15. Black suit
16. Pinstriped oxford shirt
17. Shirt Dress
18. Silk Blouse
19. Grey Trousers
20. Fitted jacket
21. Camisole


The Statement Pieces
22. Printed dress
23. Patterned jacket
24. Bold Blouse
25. Graphic sweater
26. Tweed Pants

The Evening Standards
27. Velvet jacket
28. Ruffled shirt
29. Cocktail skirt
30. Sparkly top
31. Velvet pants

I might tweak this list a little, adding some things and removing other things. Some things I consider essentials that aren't on this list?

1. A mix of colorful tank tops
2. Colorful knit shirts
3. Denim skirt
4. Black Pencil Skirt
5. Grey strait skirt
6. Khaki colored skirt
7. Knit skirt
8. Grey Cardigan
9. Black Cardigan
10. Navy Cardigan
11. Brown Cardigan
12. Colorful Cardigan (s)
13. Slim black pants
14. Wide leg black pants

Some of the things I wouldn't need from Real Simple's list?
1. Velvet Pants
2. Cocktail skirt
3. Sparkly top
4. Pinstripe oxford

Next on my list to do? Make a wish list to complete my wardrobe.