I think fashion can be overwhelming. When I read about new fashion trends and look through runways, I have one of two reactions. Sometimes I am inspired. Other times, I feel as if I should change my style, purchase an entirely new wardrobe, and get rid of everything I own.

My mom still gets nervous when she sees me passing through the house with a trash bag.

The fashion world can be, well, a lot. As a creative industry, there is always innovation: new styles, patterns, cuts, looks, and concepts. If you love fashion, but also love closet space, saving money, and saving time, you may have asked yourself the same question I have asked myself: how do people stay sane? After a few years of swinging between inspired and overwhelmed, I’ve come to realize two things:

a) I cannot own every fashionable piece love.

b) I will always reach for the pieces I feel great in.

At the end of the day, I like to hold onto a few great basic pieces that I can wear over and over again in new ways. I make sure these pieces are ones I love and feel great in. As a person who travels constantly and becomes overwhelmed with excess clutter, sticking to a few fabulous, basic pieces (and adding accessories for bling!) has helped me immensely. This does not mean I avoid trends. Instead, it means that–at the end of the day–I have a wardrobe of pieces I have collected over time, feel great in, can mix and match, and align with my own, personal style (rather than merely trends.)

Finding those “staple items” is always tricky. Read this article from Net-a-Porter for a little inspiration!

Where do I find these “staple” pieces? Here are a few of my favorite places:

• Mango ($)
• Everlane ($$)
• J.Crew (for solid color tee-shirts!) ($$)
• Ann Mashburn (these shoes!) ($$$)
• Frame ($$$$)

For this outfit, while the pieces work wonderfully together, they also work separately. (Also– these shoes are incredibly comfy! They are “I’m-late-for-a-meeting-I-need-to-run-really-fast” approved!)