A Take on The Essentials

Okay, every woman has those few items that she goes back to every single day, week in and week out, amen.  It's so true that pretty much every fashion book out there can even give you the percentages of your closet those items make up: usually between 10% and 20%, depending on the author of the book.  I like to call those the essentials, even though most fashionistas out there would disagree with me.

If you've ever Googled "10 wardrobe essentials," you'll usually get the same boring list: Little Black Dress (LBD), black pumps, black suit, white button-down shirt, dark wash jeans, a pair of flats, diamond studs, etc.  Honestly, while I own most of this stuff, I find it all EXTREMELY boring.  According to all these lists (and there are dozens of them), every woman over the age of 20 should dress in the same manner.  Like I said, boring as all get-out.

My essentials, on the other hand, are the things I look and feel good in, the things that make me feel sexy.  The clothes that make me...me.  And every woman should have a list of essentials, and she should try to make them at least a little different from the woman sitting next to her.  Copying is a very high form of flattery, but showing up in the same silver and black number to a cocktail party is just embarrassing.  Which is why if you do like to have style icons, you really should have several of them.  Please do not copy Jennifer Hudson's look verbatim.

Anyway, these are my essentials, that I use just about every day (or at least every week):

My Essentials by shyarra featuring Belstaff boots

Okay, I flubbed a bit, but much as I love polyvore, they don't really carry pictures of many plus size clothes.  At least, not the ones I wear.  But the look is pretty darn close.

From left to right, top to bottom (like reading):

1. Leather and bead cuff bracelets:  I like my wrists to be covered, but I hate the noise created by bangles clashing together.  Hence the use of cuff bracelets.
2. Silver hoop earrings:  I have about 10 pairs of these, none of them real silver.  I'm a student.  No one expects me to have real jewelry anyway.
3. Blazers:  I have three.  A grey boyfriend blazer, a black suit blazer that I've had since high school (and still fits), and an oversized brown suede blazer.
4. Scarves:  I have dozens, which I love to tie in pretty knots.  I just learned the buckaroo knot and I think that one may be my favorite.  If you're interested, you can find the tutorial video I learned from here.  Yes, it's a guy with a rag, but, dude, it was a cowboy knot first.  Also, I wish I owned an Alexander McQueen scarf.  Polyvore allows me to dream.
5. Motorcycle jackets:  I have two.  A black leather jacket and a white canvas jacket.  Love 'em both to death.
6. Bright socks:  I hate, hate, HATE white socks.  I won't touch 'em and you won't find 'em in my drawers.
7. Satin camis:  This goes back to my love of fun fabrics.  I don't think I even own any cotton camis, but I do own five satin ones.
8. Metallic shirt:  I love my surplice metallic top.  I got it at a great price at Fashionbug, and it's amazingly sexy and comfortable.
9. White blouse:  I own a bunch of these.  Poet's blouses, ruffled blouses, silk blouses, chiffon blouses.  They look amazing layered with just about anything, but especially...
10. Vests:  ...of which I own at least half a dozen.  They give the illusion of a waist, which my apple shape does not have, and they give just a hint of formality, which is nice when you want people to take you more seriously than the lady in the baby doll top.
11. Lace tank:  They're used for layering, much like my satin camis, but they look pretty and flirty on their own too.  This is about as close to floral as you'll ever see on me.
12. Vera Wang Princess:  I hate the name, I hate the color (pale pink, really?), but damn does it smell good.  I wear it every day.
13. Black leggings:  Fabulous for layering in the fall and winter, especially with my favorite
14. Mini-skirts:  All four of mine come from Torrid.  I wear them year-round.
15. Slim black trousers:  Every fashion book out there says I should be wearing wide-leg trousers to "balance out" my upper body, or some such bullshit.  Personally, I love my legs and think they look amazing.  I will show them off at every opportunity and these trousers allow me to do that.
16. Dark wash skinny jeans:  See the above about showing off my legs.  And yeah, they're dark wash.  Anything lighter just kind of scream surfer bum to me.
17. Chunky watch:  I'm not a delicate female and I don't do delicate jewelry.
18. Knee-high brown boots:  I bought mine in Taiwan (the only thing I could get in my size in that country was shoes, oddly enough).  the soles need to be replaced, but I refuse to part with them.
19. Covergirl Volumizing Mascara:  I'm really not one for make-up.  I've never worn foundation or blush in my life.  But I like looking "put-together," so I usually use a little bit of clear mascara on my eyebrows (to hold things in place), a ton of this on my eyelashes and
20. Classic red lipstick:  I love red lipstick.  I'm still looking for that perfect shade (see #48 on my list of things to do before I turn 30), but "classic" is about as close as I've gotten so far.
21. Brightly colored loafers:  Okay, mine are turquoise, not red, but the idea is the same.  I like my feet to look as awesome as they can considering I never wear heels.  Heels are just too difficult considering I walk everywhere.
22. Shiny black duffel:  I've had mine for over a year now, which is incredibly impressive for me, considering I have not yet done the "investment bag" thing.  It's enormous, works beautifully as a school bag, and looks so so pretty.  The best part is the straps are wide enough and strong enough for me to lug around chemistry and biology textbooks.
23. Fructis Garnier leave-in conditioner:  The best hair product I have ever found.  I wash my hair, brush it once to get tangles out, then finger a quarter palmful of this through my hair.  No frizz, curls hold their shape, and my hair stays soft instead of crunchy.
24. Ankle boots:  Of which I have two pairs.  They can be worn over leggings, over or under skinny jeans, and under trousers.  Again, they're flat because even a 1 inch heel causes severe pain after walking for two miles and being on my feet all day.
25. Multi-chain necklace:  Not chokers, because I don't have much neck, but these big necklaces emphasize the girls and just how much my chest isn't covered up.

So there they are - the 25 things I come back to every morning.  I may throw in something different (I do own a few dresses, after all, including the ubiquitous LBD), but inevitably at least two or three of these things get used every single day.

What are your essentials?