Closet staples series: bottoms
The next edition of my closet series on ‘staples: bottoms. Yep, the clothes that cover your bottom half.
I like to divide bottoms into a few categories by function: denim, lounge, work and casual. Some of these categories are interchangeable depending on your lifestyle(s) but it really helps when you’re thinking about staples for your wardrobe. The lookbook below shows most of the staples in my closet (or current items when mine are no longer available) -- keep in mind that I live in super casual California, work from home a lot of the time, and am a mother to young children -- so my staples might be way more casual than yours (I can help you find your unique staples, just reach out to schedule a style session!).
Denim: denim is the backbone of closets in so many places these days, but that doesn’t mean we can just wear one pair of jeans all the time. I recommend having a few different washes (that you can vary seasonally) and a few different styles (that can be varied seasonally and for the occasion). My top picks for men and women are skinny jeans in a medium wash (straight also works well here), skinny or straight black jeans, a dark wash of jeans in any style, a light wash jeans with or without distressing (great for summer!) and denim shorts in a medium or light wash. For women, I also recommend a denim skirt with a length that you feel comfortable wearing.
Lounge: lounge clothes. We are all a bit tired of them thanks to #stayhome life. However, having quality leggings, joggers and lounge shorts is critical -- and not only during a pandemic. Being able to lounge in style at home makes it so nice to transition out of ‘work’ or ‘going out’ clothes and back into your home life. For women, dressy leggings for wearing under tunics and long sweaters are important, as well as casual non-workout leggings. For both men and women, joggers or sweats make Saturday mornings so much more comfortable and stylish. Of course, I LOVE the Vuori joggers for men and women but there are lots of great options available at different price points. For summer, I also like lounge shorts -- the shorts that you wear when you have nowhere to go and want to be comfortable but not in workout clothes.
Work: work is a bit more tricky because it really depends on your company’s culture. I love to wear skirts for work (and for real-life) so I like to have a mix of midi skirts that I can dress up or down depending on the occasion. For everyone, it is essential to have a black skirt or trousers in your wardrobe. You never know when you will need to be dressed up and your future self will thank you for thinking ahead. For a more corporate workplace, having skirts or trousers in neutral colors (e.g. black, charcoal, bone/khaki, navy) means that you’ll have the basics covered and be able to create lots of work-appropriate outfits. For a casual work environment, refer to denim and casual.
Casual: for me, casual is a mash-up of the other categories. I try to make the most of my own closet (and I encourage my clients to do the same) by buying pieces that can be used across my lifestyles and dressed up or down as needed. In this category, I have dressier leggings that I only wear as pants (not to workout), skirts that are more casual but that can also be dressed up if needed, and the same with shorts. This is also where the more ‘fun’ and less ‘basic’ pieces come in -- depending on your own personal style, casual is where you often get to express yourself the most. Have fun here -- play with patterns, fabrics, texture, cuts, etc!
As with everything in your wardrobe, working with a tailor or seamstress will ensure your clothes fit you well so that you feel confident and comfortable. For bottoms, this especially means taking up the hem of pants so that they fit properly (need help with this? just reach out!). For skirts, this means making sure the waist and length are the correct fit for the style and your body.