Question: How does your average item of clothing qualify for "wardrobe basic" status? I mean, what really is a "basic" anyway? These are the hard-hitting questions filling my mind at night. I would guess
In simplest terms, all a basic really refers to is an item of clothing that you wear on a daily and weekly basis and something that acts as a building block for a variety of outfits. For one person, that will be a white T-shirt, but for another, it might be a pair of coloured tights or roughed-up sneakers. But therein lies the joy of fashion, and as much as some people would like to say otherwise, there aren't really any rules, just different interpretations, personalities and tastes.
To prove my point, I dedicated January's wish-listing story to the mighty basic and all the varying ways that people translate the term. You have the likes of Louisa Hatt and Alyson Walsh, who epitomise that classic minimalism that we best associate with basics. Then on the other end of the spectrum, you have Sara Brown, who turns to colourful separates to build her playful ensembles. Whatever your take on the basic, there's sure to be someone whose style you relate to. Scroll down to see and shop the basics 10 fashion insiders couldn't live without.