How to Update Your Basics

One of the fashion lies we've heard over the years is "Buy this now, wear it forever." But what can you really wear forever other than a pair of diamond studs? Even basics have an expiration date. It would make our lives so much easier if clothes came with tags that read, for example, GOOD UNTIL LABOR DAY 2008. But because we don't have such a definitive directive, it's challenging for many of us to part with pieces we once loved. (In my case, that's compounded with guilt for having spent so much on them.) The result: Many of us have boring, outdated "classics" that should have been ditched seasons ago; they not only take up valuable real estate in our closets, but, worse, they broadcast for all to see that we just can't let go.

One of the keys to looking fabulous all the time is to have a sixth sense that tells you quickly whether a piece is past its prime. I don't have that sixth sense, but I admire women who do. Instead, I've played this ridiculous, time-wasting game with myself (maybe you have too), moving the piece in question down the food chain of available closets: to a second closet, then a third closet, then to a closet in a second home, then to its final resting place in the basement. But I'm getting better at making the tough decisions, and I'm discovering the euphoria of Getting Rid of Stuff -- which beats holding on to it for eternity. I'm passing along what I learned from keeping all my vintage (late 1980s, early 1980s) jackets in the basement. Unless my friend Martha has another Dress Like the '80s party, I am never going to want to wear those dated pieces again. The fabrics look sad, the colors aren't right, the shape is different enough to not quite work, and most important, old clothes don't make you feel good because you're not the same person you were back then. How clothes make you feel is as important as what they say about you; that's why you shouldn't wear something just because it still fits. That basic beige Donna Karan pantsuit from 1994 has to go.

Isn't it time you treated yourself to some new basics? Take a look at our best picks to freshen up your look this spring. Nothing boring about these!

MORE articles in this Topic