My Favorite Fall Wardrobe Workhorse

Welcome to Dressed for My Day! We’re winding up a mini series on Fall Classics today. And I thought it would be fitting to discuss the importance of having a really strong workhorse or two in your wardrobe, especially during fall and spring. Today I’m sharing my favorite fall wardrobe workhorse, but I’d love to hear about the strongest working and most versatile piece in your closet, too.

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What is a Wardrobe Workhorse?

What do we mean by “wardrobe workhorse?” A workhorse is simply that piece that is consistently pulling a lot of the weight in many of your outfits. It’s the one you count on to bring an outfit together, to elevate it, and to keep your outfits “on brand,” so to speak.

I was being interviewed by a reporter for Cincinnati Magazine recently, and she asked me about my current favorite thing in my closet. Without hesitation I told her that my Veronica Beard Miller Scuba Dickey Jacket is the hardest working and most beloved item in my wardrobe. And by the way, this amazing blazer has recently been marked down considerably and is fast selling out. If you’ve been contemplating buying this jacket, now is the time! I wear a size 8 and find it to run true to size.

What makes a good wardrobe workhorse? Sometimes I have purchased items I thought would be a hardworking part of my wardrobe, but they ended up staying in my closet more than being worn. I think a true workhorse is one that…

• you absolutely love. It feels like you and makes you feel beautiful when you wear it. It’s a joy to wear.
• is extremely versatile. It “gets along” with so many other things in your closet.
• elevates your outfits. It pulls its weight by providing a little something extra to your outfits.
• works for your lifestyle. It fits your real life activities, geography and tastes.
• is easy to care for.

Of course I can’t just pop my Miller Scuba Dickey Jacket into the washer and dryer. But because it isn’t worn right next to my body, I find that simply airing it out between wears is sufficient for keeping it fresh. I also almost always use a warm, damp cloth to wipe away any makeup that may have gotten on the collar with wear. That works perfectly.

Putting the Workhorse to Work

The versatility of the Veronica Beard Miller Scuba Dickey Jacket or any of their other amazing jackets is multiplied by the ability to add dickeys. These dickeys are not inexpensive either, but every once in a while one will go on sale and that’s when I nab it.

Below I’m showing you how I zip and button the dickeys into the Dickey Jacket. You can see that, in true form, the dickey is just in the front of the jacket, so I stay cool and comfortable with the appearance of another layer under my blazer. These dickeys make the jacket look completely different from one wear to the next.

Choosing a Workhorse by its Color

Another thing that makes this particular blazer so versatile is its color. Not only does camel work beautifully in most every woman’s wardrobe because it goes with so many other colors (basically all colors!), it also is a neutral that elevates your looks. For some reason camel just has that effect when paired with anything from denim to red to ivory to black.

But of course, your workhorse could be another versatile neutral. And your favorite wardrobe workhorse could even be one of your signature colors.

How a Workhorse Earns its Keep

Workhorses also keep their value in your wardrobe for many years. Because they are almost always classics, a wardrobe workhorse will quickly earn its keep by lowering its price per wear. I’ve shared other ways that I have styled this Veronica Beard blazer here, here, here and several other places on the blog. But I’ve actually worn it so many other ways and times in real life, too. For instance, I wore this blazer almost every day at LTKCon.

So I don’t mind investing in what I know will be a true and loyal workhorse. The key is developing an eye for spotting a good one! Wouldn’t you agree?

I shared this great jeans and blazer outfit today in our Fall Classics mini-series because it is indeed a classic. But more importantly I wanted to share with you the importance of having a few hard-hitters in your own closet so that you can easily and joyfully put together outfits that make you feel like a million bucks. Hopefully I’ve given you a few criteria for those pieces so that you can plan accordingly or even pull out the ones that are already hiding in your closet and put them back to work.

Do you have a great wardrobe workhorse hiding in your closet? Or have you been getting a lot of great joy out of wearing one consistently this fall? I’d love to hear about it! Just click on JOIN THE CONVERSATION below and the comments section opens up!

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