The Basics You Need This Season

Basic dressing is my sartorial holy grail. Give me a quality plain t-shirt, a simple pair of black pointed boots and some sassy denim, and et voila – my fave kind of outfit. My style is based around simplicity, often built up with key accessories or the odd staple item. Monochrome is queen, and good denim never fails. With that in mind, this outfit for my day out at Hever Castle is the absolute embodiment of my love for basic dressing. Based around my favourite Topshop straight leg jeans and  this beautiful off the shoulder piece from Pretty Lavish, I kept things comfortable for a lot of travelling with my staple Zara boots and added spice with a choker and mirrored sunnies. Simple, monochromatic, and totally CP.

If you tend to avoid going full throttle with trends and prefer to update your wardrobe with basics pieces in new cuts and shapes, then these are this seasons refreshers.

Straight leg jeans: The denim divas have given a straight middle finger to the skinny leg, and now we’re all going straight. Opting for a relaxed fit in a blue wash will instantly inject a lil’ bit of new season into your wardrobe, and this cut isn’t going to be going anywhere soon so it’s an investment that will last.

Off the shoulder: We’ve worn it, we’ve loved it, but get ready to obsess over it. Moving away from the skin-tight crops from a few seasons back, now we’re looking at more structured and minimalist scuba pieces as well as free flowing, fluted sleeve huns. Keep it black, white and nude for the option to fill that elusive ‘jeans and a nice top’ tick box.

Neck bands: It started with the velvet choker, and now we’ve moved on to the neckband. They’re wider, stretchy and instantly make anything look sassier *beyonce*sasha fierce*. It’s the cheapest way to update your wardrobe with an item that will work in both the day and the night, and funnily enough, they work really freakin’ well with the cut of the season, the off the shoulder top!

Cheaper trend accessories: Prairie girl is a huge trend this season so if you want to indulge in a little trend-chasing but don’t want to go from Minimal Molly to Frilly Fran, then picking up a few cheaper trend accessories is the way to go. Try a double tipped western belt, a fringed bag or a bolo necklace for buys that won’t break the bank.

Glove shoes: And if you’re going to buy anything, make it a pair of glove shoes. They can be quite expensive, but New Look and ASOS have some great cheaper alternatives. Stick to black for optimum wearability, and pair with statement socks for some kitsch cute.