Ask Babe: Basics, Bitch.

I’m stuck in a rut and have been feeling incomplete lately. As such, I decided to rip my wardrobe to the studs and rebuild it from the ground up. Naturally, I am keeping all my chic unique pieces. I just want to get back to basics.

What are the best basic, everyday t-shirts, jeans and shorts to buy (6-8 pairs of) that can transition seamlessly from the house to the gym to the facialist to the best frenemy’s birthday pool party and look like you couldn’t give a flying fuck?

Thanks for all your help, and if this works out well (and I’m sure it will), consider me hooked on your blog and your books.

A****

Basic bitch,

I’m not a huge believer that an outfit should “transition” from one location to the next, as every occasion calls for it’s own sartorial vibe. Also, I really only wear jeans and t-shirts when I’m feeling like a depressed, B-list, off-duty model pounding the pavement on go-sees and praying that Terry Richardson won’t sexually assault me during a photo shoot. So what I’m saying is it’s rare to catch me in the aforementioned state of basic-ness (especially since I started new meds) but it does happen occasionally.

When it comes to basics, no one does them better than Rag & Bone/JEAN. Seriously. Their clothes will fulfill every basic desire you have in your dark little soul. For example, this hoodie is perfect for a post-gym smoothie run, but also perfect for hiding your face if you’re having a fat day. And this oversized black t-shirt is great for sleeping in or throwing on under a fur to go buy some cigarettes. And not only does Rag & Bone make simple, easy jeans, they also make jeans with interesting embellishments. Like these split separated legging jeans that are stripper-y but in a cute way.

Since we’re on the subject of stripper-y things, you should invest in some Ksubi cut-offs in black as well as a regular wash. They’re just the right amount of slutty for summer. If you’re not thin enough to pull those off, don’t kill yourself. Just buy some from J Brand.

You’re gonna need a few t-shirt options as well. As far as white tees go, this Current/Elliott “perfect” tee lives up to its namesake. Buying 4 or 5 of them can’t hurt. And this Helmut Lang threadbare tank is also great if you want to butch up your basics. Wear it without a bra and you’ll have a girlfriend in no time.

I also have to take a moment and tell you about how obsessed I am with Raquel Allegra. She makes the most incredible deconstructed t-shirts. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve locked myself in the bathroom wearing nothing but her shredded cotton-blend jersey top and underwear and cried for days, but it’s definitely less than 20 and more than 17.

Hope this helps. Now buy my books, and never ever ever ever ever call me “Ms. Walker” again.