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I’m not going to lie, I have a lot of clothes. So much, in fact, that the studio apartment I live in that is made for two people has two closets and two dressers full of my clothes. But even with my plentiful wardrobe, I never feel like I have enough of certain items. I’m all about re-wearing jeans because they seem to be more comfortable that second time around, but there are certain things you can’t pull out of the laundry basket and throw back on without feeling at least a little bit grimey.

So in the past few months I’ve been thinking and there are a few things I really wish I had an extensive collection of, and I like to think of these things as essentials. So here we go, the few items you shouldn’t feel bad about overloading on.

Waffle or Thermal Tees: I’ve come to discover these are about the most versatile item in my wardrobe. You can wear them under jackets, under tees, or even just plain. They come in so many colors and really give you a way to keep it simple and also look good. I wish I could pull off dog tags, (Like my buddies Marcus, Jay, and Kenny do so well) because I think the thermal tee with a jacket and dog tags is one of the best, simple looks out there. Stock up on waffle tees. You can get a solid, cheap collection of waffle tees at Gap. Buy Them Here! or if not, I know the Gap at our mall has them.

Shoes: Alright, I know it’s expensive and takes a long time, but building up a shoe collection is something so key, and also something I’ve done poorly. I figure I might as well give some advice so people don’t repeat my mistake. When you buy shoes, always think of how many different outfit combos you have that you could wear with them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to wear something but then realized I didn’t have shoes to go with them. Yes, it is something that takes a long time, but at our age, our feet aren’t growing that much so it’s well worth it to keep building a collection. In the long run, you’ll be happy you did. Shoes are expensive, so some of my favorite places to look are Zappos and Finish Line’s Sale Page, but Shoe Box and Bare Foot usually have some good stuff on sale.

Colored Socks: Already had a post about this so I’ll keep it short, but only having white socks has killed me so many times. Stock up on different colors, focusing on the simple ones though (Navy, Black, Grey, Brown). Certain shoes just don’t call for white socks. Socks are cheap and you can get them anywhere, so no link here, but check out The Shoe Box’s collection. They have some good ones.

Coats/Jackets: This also can get expensive, but if you take your time, a spread out collection of jackets could do you well. I only have 3 and I can’t tell you how many times I ended up resorting to my North Face with dressy clothes because the only dressy jacket I have is a black peacoat. I would have to say, there are 3 essential colors to have and they are black, Some kind of brown, and grey. Personally I like a more khaki brown, and a charcoal-ish grey, but with these three colors it’ll be hard not to find something that matches. A jacket can really bring an outfit together, and I like to think of a well matched jacket as a perfect ending to a daily dress. After you get a solid base, go crazy, you never know when that bright blue zipper jacket might come in handy.

These are just a few things I’ve recently found myself on the short end of, so I thought it might be nice to let you guys know a few items that having multiples of will help.