Wardrobe basics - anything but basic!

Everyday Cotton Tee in Ultra Violet

Wardrobe basics are the key to a well balanced, functional wardrobe. Without these workhorse wardrobe essentials, all the beautiful extras, finishing touches and final flourishes are little more than a cherry without a cake to sit atop!

A basic can take many forms, from a classic tee to a simple pair of trousers, and will form the basis of almost every outfit you put together. They are the pieces that don’t necessarily shout from the rooftops, but make every single outfit feel pulled together and harmonious, and pair with ‘louder’ pieces like prints, textured knitwear or dresses to anchor them and make the outfit feel complete. If you find yourself wondering where to start with getting dressed each morning, and turning to the same few tops over and over again, it may well be that your wardrobe lacks basics. For the purposes of today, we’re going to focus on basic tops, tees and vests, but the lessons learned can be expanded out to the perfect pair of trousers and the right jacket - basics are quite simply the pieces that you turn to time and again to create outfits that feel comfortable, stylish, and absolutely you.

This is often because the perfect basics can also be one of the trickiest things to find; with a minimalist piece like a basic, the perfect colour, neckline, sleeve length and fit makes all the difference, but how do you identify which is going to work for you?

Well look no further, because we’ve put together everything you need to know to choose your perfect basics! Our basics guide will help you find the perfect pieces to underpin your entire wardrobe, breathing new life into florals, frills, jackets, denim, blazers and skirts.

Read on to learn how to choose your best basics!

Building an outfit - start with a basic Marine Navy Everyday Scoop add a Strawberry Petra Jacket and finish with a Light Teal Florence Infinity Scarf

1. Choose the right colour palette

Always our starting point; knowing the right colours is even more important with your basics, as there really is nowhere to hide with a basic tee or top.

As well as making you look and feel your absolute best, choosing the right colour palette for your entire wardrobe (and particularly your basics) means that everything will mix and match endlessly, and pairing your basics with your more statement pieces will come with ease. And with over 300 colours to choose from here at Kettlewell, narrowing down your palette to only your best colours makes that choice just a little bit more manageable!

If you don’t yet know which seasonal palette belongs to you, our clever Colour Quiz will get you started on your colour journey, helping you discover the colours that make your skin glow, your eyes sparkle and your confidence soar.

The Colour Quiz

2. What is a basic FOR YOU?

You know your colour palette, but how do you decide what a basic looks like for you? This is where your own unique jigsaw puzzle of personal style, lifestyle and personality comes into play. While for one person the most simple, casual tee might be the perfect basic that pairs with everything, for another it might be a more formal looking blouse or crossover top - or you might have a place for all three in your wardrobe!

The best way to identify the basics that you need are to think about the pieces in your wardrobe that you struggle without when they are in the laundry, or if you don’t take them when you are away from home. Is it a boxy, heavyweight cotton boat neck, or an ultra fine long sleeve layering top, or a simple scoop neck? Look at pieces you already have and love (or pieces you’ve worn to death and had to discard!), and begin to identify the common factors between them. Your new basics will want to share some of these factors too.

Neutral colours: ( l-r) Macadamia Silky Scoop | Stone Imogen Top | Silver Sleeveless V | White Soft Square Neck

3. Basic doesn’t mean neutral (but neutrals can be useful too)

When we talk about basics, it’s easy to assume that all basics need to come in neutral colours. What could be more flexible than a simple white top, after all? But while neutrals definitely have their role (as an Autumn who looks far better in Cream than White and feels the cold, a Cream Silky Roll Neck has got me out of more than one outfit crisis this winter!), don’t forget that colourful basics are where you can really have fun with your wardrobe.

A selection of well chosen brights from your palette can completely change your entire look, moving simple jeans from casual to dressy, or elevating a skirt from weekend to work. Think about how different you feel in (your version of) flamboyant bright red or pretty pink, compared to simple navy blue or grey. And knowing which versions of ‘tricky’ colours (the ones we are so often nervous of, like yellow or purple) will give you newfound confidence experimenting with the full colour spectrum, not just a couple of safe shades.

In short, let your basics embrace the full - neutral and bright - rainbow!

A rainbow of Everyday Cotton Tees

4. Which neckline?

The neckline is perhaps the most noticeable difference between basics, and can determine whether a simple and otherwise plain top works for you.

A good rule of thumb is that your best neckline will reflect your face shape. So a heart shaped face with a sharp chin will look best in v necks, while a soft, even round face will generally suit rounded necklines.

A word of warning; most of us are terrible at working out our own face shapes! Three tips to help you identify yours accurately:

-Consider first whether your face is structured and angular, or soft and moulded. Are your cheekbones and jawline noticeable, or is everything more rounded and soft? This is really the most important detail - softer faces suit softer necklines, angular faces, angular necklines.

-Take a photo, face on, with the camera level and at about nose level, and with your hair pulled back off your face. Use an edit or mark up tool on your phone to draw around your face, and see what shape it resembles!

-Ask an honest friend what your face shape is! Use online tools to help guide you both if you really get stumped.

Reflecting your face shape isn’t an absolutely foolproof method, but it’s often a great starting point. Be guided by your body too - an angular, straight, lean body will often be better in angular, or high, tight (crew, turtle and roll) necklines, while a curvier, rounded, larger busted body shape may well be better in semi scoop, scoop, and cowl necklines.

Not sure? Necklines such as semi scoop, square and boat are all fairly safe, as they sit in the middle of the neckline ‘spectrum’, from most angular to softest.

Mint Ice Soft Square Vest | Aquamarine Cotton V Neck | Heliotrope Semi Scoop 3/4 | Watermelon Everyday Cotton Tee | Confetti Scoop 1/2 Sleeve | Pale Peach Cotton Boat Neck

5. Which sleeve length?

This is very often more about preference than body shape or what suits you, as if you feel the cold you’ll always want longer sleeves, whereas some of us always need to be able to peel back to a tee!

But if you want a little more guidance than simply ‘go with what you love’, there are two key considerations for sleeve length:

-Angled vs horizontal sleeve opening (on short sleeves): An angled sleeve opening (as on our Cara or Lydia tees) avoids cutting the arm horizontally, and can be flattering if you are a little more conscious of your upper arms - this is counter intuitive, as it feels like a lot of arm is on display, but the diagonal line can be much more forgiving than a hard horizontal! Horizontal sleeve openings can be perfect on more petite body shapes where a little extra structure and definition is often welcome - a half sleeve is a perfect example - but can visually broaden a large bust, as it stops along the same lines as the bust.

-Sleeve length (on longer sleeves): Where your sleeve stops will draw a line across your body at that point. So be wary of, as above, unbalancing your proportions by adding width to a large bust or (with long sleeves) adding to your hips. Three quarter sleeves are very often beloved for exactly this reason - they stop at around waist height, where most of us are at our narrowest. If you are very straight bodied you may prefer a shorter or longer sleeve, however.

Duck Egg Classic Camisole | Smokey Orchid Cotton V Neck | Cornflower Scoop 1/2 Sleeve | Heliotrope Semi Scoop 3/4 Sleeve | Deep Berry Hetta Pima Long Tee

6. How fitted should your basics be?

Whether you prefer skintight tees or looser, boxier fits, comes down to a balance of body shape, personal style, and practicalities of your lifestyle. As always, a basic that reflect the architecture of your own body will be your most flattering, so with that in mind:

-Fitted tops (body skimming all over, with noticeable waist shaping) work well on hourglass and straight body shapes. They can be uncomfortably revealing on apple shapes, but don’t dismiss them as they can be great layering pieces under shirts or knitwear.

-Classic or semi fitted (with a little waist shaping) is a great option if you aren’t quite sure what to go for, and is a little more forgiving of weight fluctuation throughout the day, month or year! These shapes work for almost every body shape, although particularly apple shaped or narrow waisted body shapes may find them ill fitting.

-Loose fit tops are a great option for straight and apple shape bodies, but can work for almost anyone when paired with the right bottom half to balance them out. Shorter lengths often work well with a loose fit, to avoid unbalancing your proportions and visually drowning you.

Macadamia Silky Scoop Neck | Orange Ochre Cotton V Neck | Brick Red Supersoft Zadie Top

7. Which fabric?

When you find a fabric you love, hold onto it with both hands! The right fabric can make or break a basic, turning it into something you pull out day after day, while the wrong one can make for endless tugging and discomfort, and leaving a top unworn at the back of the wardrobe.

Here’s a quick summary of our favourite fabrics for basics:

-Silky Modal - feather light and either slim fitted (as in our Silky styles) or beautifully drapey (as for the Cara and Pippa styles), perfect for layering and minimising bulk.

-Pima cotton - often called our Hetta hug, and found in our Hettas, Stripey Pima Tee, and Julie Stripe, this 51% cotton, 49% modal blend is fitted without ever feeling clingy, and is beloved by every size and body shape! Can feel slightly bulky for layering under jersey wraps, however.

-Cotton modal stretch jersey - found in our Darcey tops, this sturdy jersey feels smart and supportive, and is perfect for fitted garments when you want a little more weight to the fabric than our silky modal tops.

-Cotton elastane - when you want the feel of (97%) cotton but still want a semi fitted style that moves with your body. We use this fabric for our Everyday Cotton Tee and Cotton V Neck.

-100% cotton - perfect when you just want the cool, fresh feel of pure cotton, and zero cling. Found in our Cotton Boat Necks (where we are proud to use Better Cotton Initiative cotton), and in the Libby shirt and Gabriella tee in the form of a lightweight pure cotton slub.

Group 1. True Red Silky Crew | Hot Pink Pippa Top | Lobelia Cara V Group 2. Sapphire Hetta Pima Scoop | Lemon Yellow  Hetta Pima Long Tee | Cherry and Hot Pink Julie Stripe Tee Group 3. Silver Darcey V | Damson Sleeveless V Group 4. Dark Emerald Everyday Cotton Tee | Pink Ice Cotton V Neck | Fuchsia Everyday Scoop Group 5. Neon Lime Cotton Boat Neck | Iced Aqua Gabriella Tee | Chinese Blue Steffi Polo

8. Don’t get hung up on perfection

While it would be a joy for every basic in your wardrobe to come in the perfect neckline, sleeve length, fabric, colour and fit, it’s entirely possible that you’ll spend your life hunting for a unicorn if you can’t ever bring yourself to compromise.

Focus on what really matters, and remember that the following tricks can be used to turn ‘almost perfect’ into ‘I love this!’:

-Necklines can be visually altered with the addition of a scarf or rounded necklace (to soften) or a pendant necklace (to add sharpness and structure).

-The right colour is important, but remember to think in terms of combinations, not just single colours. Try your new colours on in outfits, rather than by themselves, especially if they will generally be worn as layering pieces under a wrap or jacket.

-Sleeve lengths, in the UK at least, are very often something of a moot point as they are covered from September to May, so think about when it actually really matters.

-Fit is an exercise in balancing your body shape - a looser top may be perfect for slimmer trousers, and vice versa. Fit isn’t solely about concealing or hiding your body!

Most of all, enjoy adding these basics to your wardrobe! While it can feel a little bit of a chore adding these ‘sensible’ pieces, remember how much flexibility, colour and new life they can bring into the same old outfits you’ve been wearing for years. And remember, if you ever need help planning which basics to add, or want advice on the most flexible styles, our friendly Colour Club is packed with over 14,000 members ready to share their Kettlewell experience!

Why not check out our range of colourful basics here