Back to School = Fashion Basics Time!

It’s back to school time! When I was growing up, back to school time meant a brand-new pair of white Keds®. Each year, my mom would take us shopping to buy our new sneakers. Then, we would go straight home to Scotchgard™ them so they would be protected from stains. Scotchgard is a something I still use today! 

I loved everything about my new, bright-white school shoes, especially that they went with everything. You see, from a young age my mother always taught me to shop for wardrobe basics, pieces that would be multi-functional in my everyday style. She taught me to look for styles that I loved that were also made from quality fabrics. And in 1990, Keds were the perfect wardrobe staple for a stylish girl in elementary school.  

Fast forward many years later and back to school time is still one of my favorite times of the year! Why? Because it also means the start of a new season in fashion! And with a new season comes all the new fashion trends. Stores everywhere are filling up with lots of exciting new pieces that are marketed to make you think you need to buy all the things. The newness of these pieces is so shiny that it is hard not to look and hard not to impulsively buy! So, what happens? We buy aimlessly. And this leads us to starting a new season with a closet full of trendy pieces instead of a cohesive closet filled with wardrobe basics. 

As a stylist, I spend a lot of time in my clients’ closets helping them put head-to-toe outfits together. Pairing items together doesn’t always come easily to people. But, more often than not, the reason people have trouble is that their closet lacks the quality wardrobe basics that function in multiple ways.

Whether you are back to school shopping or whether you are shopping for some new fall pieces, don’t be distracted by all the shiny new trends that can clog up your closet. Do some inventory first and see what wardrobe staples you might be missing. Trust me; your fall wardrobe will thank you! ■

Written by: Abby Wood

Abby Wood is a wardrobe stylist and style blogger in Kansas City, and her education in design plus retail experience make her an expert in fit, fabric, style and trends. Her professional experience in fashion began with an apprenticeship with a bridal designer, shifted to creating and showing her  own line, moving up to management and training at a retail level and now professional styling as an independent consultant. Abby loves to help individuals develop and evolve their own sense of style. facebook.com/abbywoodwear  /  @abbywoodwear  /  abbywoodwear.com