Kimberly Jarman Photography

There are some things every woman, be they teacher or race car driver or mom or novelist or saleslady,  just needs.  A really great best friend who never puts their phone on silent.  A man, be it father/brother/husband/boyfriend/son, that thinks of her as the most wonderful girl they know.  A boss that appreciates them and makes no secret of it.  A night with nothing to do.  A personal assistant ( I said we all need it, not that we all have it!)  A trusted hair stylist.  A moment in time where you were sublimely selfish.  Yes, ladies, we’re complex animals and we have very specific needs, but universally we share a lot in this department.

I feel the exact same way about our wardrobes.  While we all have individual style, there are some universal pieces that all of us, regardless of age/race/tax bracket/size, need to have stashed in the closet.  Some women don’t figure out the list until they’re 50, but I’m going to clue you in, because you’re all my best girls and you’re all so dang cute.   Here’s your exclusive look at the JennyP Everywoman Needs List rundown.  There is more to the list, but the is the basic-bare-bones-you-need-it-now version.

Everywoman Needs:  An amazing pair of jeans.

Katharine Hepburn led us down a path of no return in the 50’s:  she wore pants in public.  Well, now in 2010 the most common article of clothing worn on a daily basis is a pair of jeans.  Dark wash, distressed, fitted, flared, whatever- we wear most of our modern lives in blue jeans.  The thing is, it’s not always easy to find a pair that you really, truly love.  It’s necessary to figure out though girls, because this one article of clothing will get you through more days than any other.  Go on a shopping trip with the sole purpose being the purchase of a pair of jeans.  Yes, you heard me–just one pair of jeans is your goal on this outing.  Try on a million pairs, get a salesgirl to help, look at all kinds of brands, and don’t be afraid to spend a little more than you would hope because once you have that one pair (you only need one!) that you’re obsessed with, you’re good to go.  You just created half the outfits you’re ever going to wear.  Bite the bullet and make the investment.  I have one, just one, pair of True Religion jeans and they were worth every cent, I wear them constantly.  You need them.

Everywoman Need:  A great nude bra.

What’s the difference between a stylist dressing you and dressing yourself?  The underwear they would have put you in.  A lot of women still haven’t realized that you can either go to the gym or you can buy the right underwear.  I choose underwear).  It starts with the bra, and many, many, many of you are walking around right now in a stretched out, fuzzy, half-fitting scrap of fabric over your lady lumps, and it’s causing you to hate your clothes, whether you realize it or not.  You need to do the following:  get into your car, head to a department store or Victoria’s Secret, tap a kind-looking saleslady on the shoulder, and let her fit you for a bra.  A nude bra.  Why nude, JennyP?  Because it works under everything, from white to sheer to colored to black.  One perfect fit nude bra can change lives.  I’ve seen it.

Everywoman Needs:  A black dress.

Let’s think of common life events:  a wedding, a funeral, a Christmas party, a dinner, a cocktail party, a birthday luncheon, a date, a church service, a fundraiser.  What can you wear to all of these and look great?  One amazing black dress.  A simple, well-cut, classic, fitted-to-your-body, black dress.  I’m telling you I bought the most perfect black dress at age 20 and I still have it in the rotation.  Not many of us can afford to buy a new dress for every single occasion, so investing in one really great black dress is the smartest thing you can do.  You will never frantically panic over what you’re wearing to the next event, because you always have that one great dress in your closet.  Go get one.  Right now.

Everywoman Needs:  A perfect white shirt.

I have variations on this one because we all do lead different lives.  For some of us, we need a perfect, fitted, white t-shirt.  For some of us we need the perfect, crisp, white, button-down.  Whichever one you are, or both, the white shirt is necessary.  It needs to be a great length, sleeves you like your arms in, and fitted to your body in the most flattering sense.  This shirt will get you through days almost as often as your perfect jeans will.  What should you wear with that skirt?–your white shirt.  What should you wear with those new pants?–your white shirt.  What should you wear with those new shorts?–your white shirt.   It’s the easiest go-to piece in your closet and a staple for every one of us ladies.  You know what I’m going to say next:  go get one, now.

Everywoman Needs:  An outfit they feel GORGEOUS in.

This one is a little more elusive and can take on many shapes, but I really feel we all need that one outfit that makes us feel hot.  It might be jeans and sexy tank top, it might be a maxi dress and sandals, or it might be the best pair of black pants known to man with your favorite top.  Whatever it is, we all need at least one.  One hanger in the closet we can pull out when we’re standing amidst all our clothes strewn on the floor hating the way every other thing looks.  One outfit that can be turned to, like an old friend, and make your body look right time and time again.  I used to have this one pair of jeans that were SO AMAZING.  I swear I was complimented every single time I put them on, and I wore them until they literally ripped to the point that they couldn’t be repaired again (BKE Starlite Jeans, 2001-2008, Beloved body transformer and friend, R.I.P.).  They were my go-to, the one thing I knew I could yank on when all my other clothes failed me.  Seek out yours and cherish it.

There are so many more things we need and want and wish we had, but I really think this list can get you through a lot of days and events and life moments. After you get these pieces, you can build your wardrobe off of them.  Every creation needs a foundation!  If all else fails, you just wear that white shirt, nude bra, and jeans everyday until an occasion comes where you then pull out the black dress.  Seriously, it could work!

I can’t wait until these two tie the knot! Nicole is going to make a stunning knock-out bride and Hank is going to give new meaning to the word dapper. I could take pictures of these two all day… and I’m looking forward to doing just that in October! Psst, Hank – I hope you bring your ukulele, just in case =).

“What is that woman wearing?”  “Who does she think she is?”  “Oh my gosh, look at the woman right behind you!”  “Did she raid her daughter’s closet?”  “Is she a nun in her off-time?”  “I had those jeans in 1988”

We’ve all said this stuff.  We’ve all pointed and giggled.  We’ve all been mean girls, just admit it.  So having said that, and doing a group forgiveness hug, let’s talk about the issue of how exactly one should dress to avoid these comments.  (But if you’re wearing jeans from 1988 I cannot help you, you need a professional.  Head to a department store, find a cute sales girl, and point at your jeans.  She’ll take it from there.  It’s gonna be OK.  Britney came back from being bald, you can do this!)

One issue I see, and hear about, a lot is that women get stuck dressing in an age range, when in actuality they’re about 10 years off in one direction.  My mom takes major issue with Jennifer Aniston on this point.  She is always complaining that she needs to, “Stop thinking she’s 25!”  Now, I hear what my mom is saying, but….she looks 25!  Her body is hot, her clothes fit, why does she have to avoid any styles??  Live and let dress, right?

Well, most of us can’t get away with much of anything the lovely Ms. Aniston does, so if even she is getting this criticism, then frankly I’m worried and I bet you are too.  Alas, friends, you’re not alone.  I’m here to help!  Let’s just set some easy ground rules to follow to avoid being “that woman”.  Here are some little things to ask yourself when purchasing something new, or stepping out of your closet in the morning.

1.  Am I comfortable in this? First and foremost, do you feel comfortable in it?  Recently my adorable 21-year-old sister bought a cutie little pink sundress, and I was going to borrow it.  I put it on, and though it fit well, I just felt….stupid.  It was so pinky and little girly and I felt like an idiot in it.  If you’re pulling at it, feeling nervous, unsure if you can pull it off—DO NOT WEAR/BUY IT.  Don’t ever buy any clothes you’re uncomfortable in!  If you don’t feel like Hottie Mchotterton in it, then put it back, it’s not for you, other fabrics await you.

2.  Would a friend my age have this on? I recently witnessed a 30-40ish woman putting her 3 kids in her car outside the mall and could not stop staring at her t-shirt.  It said, “2 Cute 2 Boot” with a pair of red cowboy boots printed on it underneath, paired with her extreme low-rise jeans flashing her entire undergarment choice to the world as she lifted her son into the car.  I mean….come on, lady.  What are you doing?  You’re wearing a shirt with numbers in the place of words!  Check out women your age, are they wearing similar styles?  Are they looking at you and pointing?  Take note of your fellow sisters, we’re all in the same boat.  Take cues from others in your age group.

3.  Does anyone in this store look like me? I’m a small-sized person.  I can wear clothes from pretty much any teeny-bopper shop out there.  Does this mean I should?  I remember when I realized this:  2005, I’m 25, in Charlotte Russe, and see a 12-year-old holding the same dress as me.  It was hard, people.  I had to face the fact that I needed to get out of there and go play with people my own age.  Look around, are you fitting in?  Are you a decade older/younger than the lady next to you?  My mom doesn’t shop in Hollister.  I’m grateful.

4.  Is this the image I want to give off? This sort of goes with the theme of dressing the way you want people to see you.  If you’re wearing a shrunken t-shirt and miniscule jean skirt at your child’s dance recital, is that really the woman you want to be?  The one who “probably raided her daughter’s closet”?  Similarly, if you’re at a college bar after class having a bite to eat with friends, do you want to be the chick everyone is wondering why she’s wearing her mom’s jeans?  If you don’t care, then more power to you, own it, rock the Mom-jeans outta the park my friend.  But like most of us, you don’t want to wake up one day and realize all of your clothes are just kind of…inappropriate.

Having said this, I’m all about individual style.  I have a friend who dresses a little provocative, all the time, and owns it.  She knows people assume things, she knows she gets comments, and she doesn’t care.  I’m all about that kind of confidence!

But I do think there’s a time in every woman’s life when she needs to look her age—because they’re all such fabulous looks!  The cutie 20-something coming from school loving her cellulite-free legs in a teeny-tiny-mini; the sexy 30-something woman in a great black cocktail dress at a party owning the body she’s come to love; the sophisticated 40-something lady at the coffee shop wearing the most perfect jeans and accessories; the regal 50-something with the blown out bob and magically wrinkle-free slacks; the lovely 60-something woman in the long flowy skirt and grandkids all over her; and the beloved 70-plus-somethings that can wear anything they darn well please including purple hats!  We get to be ALL of these things eventually!  Don’t knock your age, it’s always worth dressing up for.

My Favorite “Dress My Age” Celebs

Selena Gomez- Teen            Megan Fox-20’s            Kate Winslet-30’s               Salma Hayek-40’s            Rita Wilson-50’s            Helen Mirren-60’s