The Perfect Wardrobe Formula No. 1

Topshop Unique Ribbed Turtleneck Crop Top  •  Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. ‘Penelope Pink’ Lipstick  •   Globe-Trotter Safari Travel Trolley  •  Frame Denim ‘Le Flare de Francoise’ high-rise jeans  •  Kilian ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’  •  Laundress x Le Labo ‘Santal 33’ Signature Detergent  •  Valentino ‘Va Va Voom’ Shoulder Bag  •  Gianvito Rossi Python Triple-Strack Pumps

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I have mixed feelings about the ‘dressing for the job you want (not the job you have)’. It’s a valid sentiment—faking it ’til you make it does work in some cases, because have the battle is believing in yourself—but it’s not good advice. It’s the kind of mindset that breeds spending above your means and credit card debt. Work first, buy later. Financial independence is a state worth achieving.

In any case, I’ve got the job, and now I need the closet. In fact, I’m on the quest to curating the perfect wardrobe. There’s the usual criteria of course quality over quantity; timelessness; versatility; etc., but it’s time that my wardrobe reflects not only the woman I want to be, but the woman I currently am:

• THE CROPPED TURTLENECK. A staple of mine—and I think I’ve found the perfect one by Topshop.
• THE NUDE LIPSTICK. Named and created for Penelope Cruz, ‘Penelope Pink’ must be the perfect nude. I’ve decided that I want to be the girl with four (Charlotte Tilbury) lipsticks: a nude, a fuchsia, a red, and deep burgundy. (I’m currently looking at my collection of random lipsticks I never use in utter disdain right now.)
• THE PERFECT CARRY-ON. I recently bought a cream Samonsite (see it in action here), and while I adore it, what I really have my eyes—and heart—set on is a set of the iconic Globe-Trotter Safari collection. Impractically luxe and probably requires its own plastic bag to make it through TSA to keep it in all its pristine glory, the Globe-Trotter suitcase is easily the crème de la crème of jet-setting essentials. Who am I kidding? It’s totally gratuitous, but a beautiful reminder to travel more whenever I can.
• THE HIGH-WAIST, FLARE-LEG JEAN. A perennial favorite for years, the high-waist, flare-leg jean is a staple in my wardrobe. I’ve yet to try ones by Frame, but I fully intend to: everything from cut to color that Frame does is pretty perfect.
• THE SIGNATURE FRAGRANCE. Scent is everything, if not pivotal to being. I’ve been searching for years looking for the Fragrance (yes, with a capital “F”) to no avail, settling for the (very) generic Viktor & Rolf ‘Flowerbomb’ mixed with Serge Lutens unisex scents. (To be fair: I actually quite like ‘Flowerbomb’ after a couple of hours when the artificial top notes have faded and the scent has mixed with my natural oils/scent.) I was recently drooling in Saks’ fragrance department—namely Kilian—when my co-worker suggested ‘Good Girl Gone Bad.’ It’s divine. Robust. Womanly. Musky. And the packaging! Kilian just kills the game in luxe kitsch.
• THE GROWN-UP DETERGENT. Speaking of scent. Few things are more comforting than fresh sheets and laundry. There’s something incredibly grown-up about not only having detergent that doesn’t smell like Downy or Tide, but also lingers throughout the day. It’s quite the romantic notion to have a signature siliage. The ideal: The Laundress x Le Labo’s ‘Santal 22’ signature detergent, to pair with its perfume counterpart or mix with the Kilian.
• THE DAY-TO-NIGHT BAG. If you can’t tell by the theme of this board, I’m loving neutrals lately: stark whites, warm creams, and beige-y taupes are my go-to’s for a fresh, feminine monochromatic look lately (likely because I’m trying to milk this fast-fading summer tan for as long as possible). This Valentino is pretty much my perfect bag: size-wise, it’s ideal (I’m a small bag kind of girl); it’s classic, but just the right amount of edgy; the hardware is beautiful; the leather is gorgeous. If there’s a bag to splurge on…
• THE STRAPPY POINTY-TOE PUMP. How many strappy, point-toe pumps can a girl own? (This is a rhetorical question.)

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xx