Whether you are a proud minimalist or a complete pack rat, the odds are you would prefer to have a little more space in your closet and spend a little less money on clothing. You might not want to sacrifice your personal style or fall behind on the latest trends, but no one is opposed to getting what they want for a little less money. It simply seems like that is often impossible. Thankfully, however, there are ways to continue to be fashion conscious and show off your personal style without breaking your wallet. In order to do this, you need to have a wardrobe that is filled with flexible pieces. That way, you do not need to have four completely separate wardrobes, one for each season. You can simply reuse the same basic pieces throughout the year. You can mix and match various pieces in order to create new looks that are fitting for whatever the weather may be or that reflect your current feelings. When you want to change it up a little more, you only need to buy a highlight such as a statement necklace or fine tie. The basic components of your wardrobe do not need to change. This will save you money in the long run and time in the morning since you do not have to try and remember whether each piece of clothing is appropriate for the current season. You can simply grab what you need, and you need these 15 fashion essentials for every season.
Duster Jacket

Forever 21
One of the keys to a flexible wardrobe is having clothing that lends itself to layering. This means that you have clothing you can wear in summer comfortably, but you can also continue to wear it in the winter when the weather changes and becomes cold. One of the best ways to layer is to have a lightweight, fashionable jacket of sorts to wear over shirts with thin or no straps. Duster jackets are perfect for this. These cover-ups are soft and lightweight enough that you could wear them comfortably during early fall or midspring. They are also warm enough that you would remain comfortable inside even when your office’s office building loses its heating. Dusters come in a variety of colors, lengths, cuts and weights, so be sure to look around and find the one that fits your needs best.
Sunglasses

Forever 21
Sunglasses are always associated with warmth and summertime. Cultural associations, however, do not stop you from needing sunglasses in the winter when it is bright outside. During the winter, you are less likely to have a pair of sunglasses with you, but you are very likely to need them. If you live in an area that gets a great deal of snow, you definitely need to have a pair of sunglasses with you in the wintertime. Sunlight is often brighter than ever when it reflects off snow, and the last thing you need is to be trying to drive down an already slippery road and be struggling to see through the glare of the sun.
Sunglass prices vary wildly, so be sure to do your research before buying a pair as well as considering what you are really going to be doing with the glasses. A cheap pair might be best if you are simply going to keep them in your car for emergencies, while a more expensive or heavier duty pair may be needed if you work outside.
Scarf

Forever 21
Sunglasses are overwhelmingly associated with summer. The issue may be even more pronounced when dealing with scarves. When people hear the word “scarf,” they immediately picture a winter scarf made of wool or cashmere that is meant to keep a person warm in cold weather. While there are many scarves that serve this exact purpose, that is not the only thing a scarf can do. In addition to being practical cold weather pieces, scarves can easily serve as an accessory.
Scarves come in a variety of thicknesses, so be sure to choose the one that is right for you. Cotton or wool would be the warmest in the winter, and silk or satin will be the coolest in the summer. If you want a flexible piece, however, choose a scarf that is made largely from lightweight natural fibers such as cotton or linen. These fabrics should not be too hot in the summer, but they will also keep you warm during the winter.
Hair Accessories

Forever 21
For women, one of the most time consuming parts of getting ready in the morning often has little to nothing to do with clothing. It is doing their makeup, styling their hair and choosing accessories that takes up the most time. There are endless tutorials online about how to cut down on the time it takes to put on your makeup and advice on how to achieve similar looks with less product. Accessories take less time when they are chosen the night before. As for hair styling, a few special items can cut down on that time dramatically. Hair accessories such as hair sticks, decorative clips, ponytail holders with attached metal and decorative headbands are excellent investments when it comes to saving time in the morning. Most hair accessories require very little styling but still create a professional look.
Embellished Belt

Forever 21
Sometimes you are better off wearing outfits that are more conservative. You may work at a company that has a stricter dress code or need to wear attire that is more traditional. You might be going to a job interview, meeting with people higher up the corporate ladder or simply not someone who likes to dress in crazy or outlandish styles. That said, you may want to keep your clothes more toned down but still find a way to show off some of your own sense of style. In those cases, you are best off to choose something small and simple. For women, that style is often expressed through their jewelry. Men may choose to use their ties or cufflinks to do it. Both genders can also make use of less immediately apparent accessories such as embellished belts. These belts can be as decorative as a person wants and range from slightly more elaborate buckles to having the entire belt covered in jewels, studs or embroidery.
Long Dress

Urban Outfitters
Dresses are staples for women of every age across the world. They are most popular in summer, and many women prefer not to wear dresses or skirts after the weather starts to cool down as they find pants to be noticeably warmer. This makes perfect sense, but a long dress is still a necessity for any woman looking to construct a flexible wardrobe. Long dresses and skirts are perfect for those days when the weather is transitioning from warm to cold or visa versa. If it is cold in the morning, you can wear a jacket or coat over a long dress. The sleeves will keep your arms warm, and the dress will keep your legs reasonably warm especially if it is paired with tall boots. Then, in the afternoon when it is warmer, you can take off the jacket and enjoy a much cooler outfit.
Cami

Urban Outfitters
A cami is an essential item in any woman’s wardrobe. These thin undershirts come in a wide variety of colors, styles and weights. Some have hair thin straps with cloth that could not keep out a strong breeze. Others could pass as summer shirts. It all depends on the cami. Regardless of which kind you buy, however, you need to have at least one or two in your closet if you are trying to create a flexible wardrobe. Camis are by definition made for layering. During summer, you can wear them under a light wrap or to make low cut dresses or shirts more appropriate for the workplace. During winter, they serve as an excellent way to keep yourself warm when worn under a sweater or long sleeved shirt. Camis may be thin, but an extra layer goes a surprisingly long way in the winter.
Booties

Steven Madden
Ties

Drakes
If you are a man, you need to own at least a couple ties. You may not like them, and you may not need to wear them every day for work. That does not mean that you should not have a couple tucked away in your closet. Ties do not take up much space in a closet or chest of drawers, but they are the sort of thing you need to have on hand. When you need a tie, the last thing you want to do is have to shop for one.
Ties are often required for formal or semi-formal events. You may also need them for job interviews or special company events depending on where you work. Even if you do not need to wear a tie for your job each day, it is not unusual for the dress code to be slightly more formal at special company events such as Christmas parties or meetings that involve executives.
Loafers

Florsheim
If you are a man, you need to have a pair of loafers in your closet. These shoes may not be terribly exciting or ones that you wear very often. Like ties, however, when you need a pair of nice shoes, the last thing you want to be doing is running from store to store trying to find a pair that fit. Shoe shopping takes too long to do last minute unless you are the sort of person who is either very lucky or is not picky about your shoes and finds almost everything to be comfortable.
Loafers are the kind of shoes that can be as dressy or as casual as you want. If you wear them with casual clothing, they look more relaxed. When worn with a dress pants they are seen as more formal. This flexibility makes them a perfect addition to any man’s closet.
Basic Jewelry

Forever 21
Accessories are an easy way to show off your sense of style when you are hemmed in by a strict dress code. Some work places are very specific about what employees can and cannot wear or have a culture that discourages fashion experiments. In such cases, it can feel like you have no way to express yourself through your clothing. That, however, is not true. Your self-expression may not be quite as obvious or loud as it might be in a casual workplace, but that does not mean you cannot show off your sense of style with your accessories. Necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings all work well to express your sense of style. You may have to stick with more basic jewelry in an office with a more conservative dress code, but that does not mean you cannot wear any jewelry. Stick with some flexible pieces such as small gold hoops, the occasional statement necklace or a silver cuff bracelet, and you should have no problems. You may have to get a little bit more creative when it comes to using simple jewelry and clothing to express yourself, but creativity tends to be rather use it or lose it, so exercising it will be good for you.
Nice Jeans

Todd Snyder
Is there anyone left in America who does not own at least one pair of jeans? The classic denim pants have become a staple of fashion, and they are so ambiguous in the United States that almost every nation’s mental image of an American involves a person wearing a good old fashioned pair of jeans.
American culture has changed over the years when it comes to fashion. Jeans used to be seen as excessively casual. Now, however, it is becoming increasingly common for workplaces to allow employees to wear denim to work. If your employer does not mind you wearing jeans to work, that does not mean you should wear your ratty, faded pair that are the most comfortable thing in your closet. Save those for lounging around on a lazy Saturday afternoon, and instead, invest in a pair of nice pair of jeans. This way, you can still wear comfortable denim to work, but you will look casual chic rather than rumpled or lazy. Be aware that what you pair with the jeans will also determine how professional your outfit appears. Jeans with a t-shirt will always look casual. Jeans with a blouse or polo shirt, however, looks more work appropriate.
Dress Shirt

Hamilton
No matter how comfortable it may be, you cannot live your entire life in sweatpants, hoodies and t-shirts. You will eventually need to wear clothing that is considered nicer and more formal. When that happens, you will want to have a dress shirt in your closet. For men, this means you will need to invest in a couple of nice button down shirts. Women have a little more flexibility in this regard. Women can wear a traditional blouse that closely resembles a man’s dress shirt, shell or nice sweater as a dress shirt. You do need, however, to make sure than any top that is going to serve as a dress shirt is cut modestly. Events that require dress shirts are not the time to be wearing anything that is skin tight or has a low neckline. Do not go too far to the other extreme either. Dress shirts should not be tight, but something that is loose to the point of being baggy is not going to go over well either.
Watch

Timex
Regardless of whether you are a man or woman, it is a good idea to have a nice watch in your closet somewhere. A watch is the sort of thing that is both practical and fashionable at the same time. Watches are a good way to show of a sense of style even in a workplace with the strictest of dress codes. They are subtle and simple, but they come in a wide enough variety of colors and styles that you can use them to personalize your outfit.
Watches are also very practical accessories. Many people feel that watches have become irrelevant as they can simply check the time on their phones, but this is not always practical. Pulling out your phone at a company event is far less subtle than glancing down at your watch. Depending on where you are, getting your phone out of your pocket or purse might not be easy either. In those cases, having a watch with you can be a huge advantage.
Coat

Forever 21
Whether you are five or 50 years old, you need to have a warm coat in your closet. Not to do so is simply foolish. The odds are that you live somewhere that at least has a decent winter. As such, you will need a coat for chilly evenings and winter nights. There is no reason to wander around feeling cold when you could simply put on a coat. Even if you live in southern Florida, you will likely need a jacket. In that case, however, you need less of a coat for warmth and more to keep out the rain.
Assuming you live somewhere that experience an actual winter, you need a winter coat. How thick that coat needs to be will vary wildly depending on what the weather is like in your area. Someone living in coastal Virginia, after all, does not need the same sort of thick winter coat that a person from central Minnesota would require.
Whether you are constructing your wardrobe from scratch or simply trying to clean out your closet a little bit, your best bet is to choose a handful of flexible pieces that you can wear throughout the year rather than trying to create dozens of season specific outfits. Keeping with flexible basics will ensure that you always have what you need and allow you to save time, money and closet space. You also get to wear your favorite items of clothing more often since you know that they are the sort of things you can wear at any point in the year. Cheaper, less crowded, faster and more comfortable. What is not to love?