The Five Pieces I Would Buy If I Were Starting My Wardrobe From Scratch
I would start underneath. Then I would think about my feet.
· 4 min read · Tania Cottew
If I were starting my wardrobe from scratch, my first five purchases might surprise you.
There would be no white shirt, no tailored blazer and no little black dress. Not yet.
I would start underneath. Then I would think about my feet.
That might not sound like the most exciting shopping list, but these are the things I would want sorted before choosing everything else. Clothes can be beautiful, but wearing them is much less enjoyable when your undies are digging in or your socks are taking up more room in your shoes than your feet are.
So here are my five.
A well-fitting, supportive yet sexy bra
Yes, all three things.
I want a bra that fits properly and gives me support, but I also want to enjoy looking at it. Practical does not have to mean that every bit of pleasure has been removed.
Something pretty, a lovely colour, a detail that makes me smile - those things matter too, even if nobody else sees them.
I would take the time to find the right fit for the body I have now. Not the size I used to buy, or the size I think I ought to be.
And I would not leave the "sexy" part off my list simply because I am older.
Undies that stay where they belong
My requirements here are straightforward: they must not roll down, and they must not dig in around my waist.
I do not want to spend the day pulling them up or trying to ignore an uncomfortable band underneath my clothes.
There are enough things to think about without adding your underwear to the list.
The right pair would feel comfortable sitting down as well as standing up. I would want to move, bend and get on with my day without constantly being reminded that I was wearing them.
A properly shaped full slip
Not just a tube of fabric with two straps attached.
I mean a fitted full slip, complete with bust darts and shaping, like our grandparents wore.
There is something very sensible about making a slip with room and shape for the body inside it. I want it to sit well underneath my clothes, rather than bunching up or pulling where it should not.
Under a dress or skirt, a suitable slip can help the outer fabric move more smoothly. But I would choose it with the clothes I intended to wear over it in mind - the neckline, the length and the fit all need to work together.
It may be an old-fashioned item to put on a new wardrobe list. I am quite happy with that.
Practical shoes that can also be elegant
And no, I do not mean trainers.
Trainers have their place, but they would not be my choice for this particular foundation.
I would look for a pair of shoes I could comfortably walk in, which also looked lovely with the clothes I wanted to wear. Practical enough for an ordinary day, elegant enough that I did not feel I needed to change them just to look a little more dressed.
The exact style would depend on the fit. I would not buy a particular shape simply because someone had declared it an essential.
A shoe cannot be essential to my wardrobe if I cannot comfortably wear it.
Socks and hosiery in my actual foot size
This is a small detail that makes a real difference to me.
I love socks and hosiery that fit my feet properly. Not something so generously sized that the extra fabric has to find a home somewhere inside my shoes.
A heel sitting in the right place, enough room for my toes and no unnecessary folds under my foot - that is what I want.
I would try my shoes with the socks or hosiery I actually planned to wear with them. The two need to work together.
Then I would choose the rest These five purchases would not make a complete wardrobe. I would still need clothes to wear over them. But they would give me a starting point that made sense for me: support without giving up prettiness, underwear that stayed put, a thoughtfully shaped slip, elegant practical shoes and socks that fitted. Before asking, "What should my wardrobe look like?", I would ask, "What do I want it to feel like to wear?" That is where I would begin.