It’s easy to collect a pair of shoes or a necklace here and there. Buying accessories that won’t last very long but look trendy is tempting, but you may end up with a pile of stuff in your closet that you never use. 

Often, it’s much more effective and even stylish to stick with some basics that you can rotate between outfits. Whether you’re looking at shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, or whatever other accessories you love, these tips will help you fill your wardrobe with long-lasting staples you’ll wear again and again.

Build From The Ground Up

One of the most important and often underutilized accessories is shoes. While some people are very particular and have high-end collections of shoes, many people aren’t sure how to pick good options that won’t wear out quickly. 

The best way to add shoes to your wardrobe is to invest in a few solid pairs made of high-quality materials. Options like leather sandals, Chelsea boots, and high heels can go with many outfits. It might seem like it would hurt your wallet to buy these high-quality pieces, but you’ll save money in the long run and contribute less to fast fashion waste.

Work On Downsizing To Make Room

If you already have an entire wardrobe, you don’t want to just add new items to the pile. Instead, it would help if you first started with a downsizing process. This might seem overwhelming at first, but you can follow a few easy steps to get started:

  • Make a plan of what kind of items you want to keep and what you can throw away.
  • Only keep things that you actually feel good in and wear on a regular basis.
  • Motivate yourself by thinking of the new stuff you can buy once the downsizing is over.

Getting rid of a bunch of old accessories and clothes you don’t use anymore feels freeing. You’ll now have more room to introduce the accessories you can use more regularly. Just be careful not to slip back into overbuying things you don’t need.

Purchase Some Other Basic Accessories

Once you’ve invested in solid pairs of shoes and made room in your wardrobe for some long-lasting accessories, you can consider adding a few of these items to your closet. Harper’s Bazaar lists these accessories as ones that most women can use:

  • A cuff bracelet that’s simple but made of quality metal materials.
  • A medium-sized bag, such as one made of leather, is perfect for daily use.
  • A clutch or smaller purse for the evening and going out.
  • A diamond (or fake diamond) pair of earrings or necklace that goes even with more simple outfits.
  • A couple of belts in different widths.

Not every item will work perfectly for you, but the list can help you start shopping.

Think About Your Lifestyle

You’re an individual with your own sense of style and busy life, so you want to choose things for your wardrobe that work for you. As you work on building the staple accessories at your disposal, don’t feel boxed into following a particular influencer or list. All of this advice is to help you feel inspired or get you started, but you also know yourself best. 

While staples are meant to be used with various outfits, you still have your own personal likes and dislikes. There’s no reason to have silver jewelry if you like gold much better. If you don’t really carry a purse but instead need a more oversized bag, find options that fit what you do and won’t get in your way. 

When it comes down to it, fashion is supposed to be both fun and functional.