Styling philosophy no 4: The icing Vs the cake (The wearable wardrobe ratio)

The pieces that add interest vs the basics, what's the best ratio?

This piece is inspired by one of my lovely subscribers (thanks for the inspo Sheila!) who left a great comment regarding her own wardrobe. She’s interested in the idea of a no buy challenge, but struggles with having ‘more icing than cake’, a common conundrum, one I also know a lot of people feel they have the opposite problem with. The cake represents our wardrobe basics and the icing represents those pieces that add personality and interest. I wanted to share my thoughts on a ratio that has helped me for the most part, find ease and joy during this no buy challenge, and might be helpful for anyone else who is looking to build a wardrobe with intention.

Let’s start with the basics (the cake)

One - Two - Three - Four - Five - Six - Seven - Eight - Nine - Ten - Eleven - Twelve

Above is a snapshot from my own wardrobe of basics that work really hard for me, especially during this time of year. I think the first misconception is that everyone’s basics are the same, when they’re not and nor do they need to be. If you never wear jeans, then don’t feel you need a pair, just because other people include jeans in their version of basics. While many people would consider a skirt a basic, I do not wear skirts, so for me it isn’t a basic. If you like wearing sequin tops every single day, then that’s a basic for you and I would categorise it as such. The first thing that’s important when it comes to the basics is choosing pieces that work for you, and your lifestyle.

What are the main bases you need to cover in terms of practicality and comfort? As i’ve gotten older i’ve found this easier to decipher what makes a great basic for me based on the above question. For example, for a basic shoe to work in my wardrobe I don’t want the heel higher than 2 inches. This knowledge helps me rule out so much noise that while it might work for others, does not work for me at this current stage of my life.

I find it helpful to think of each piece in my wardrobe as an ingredient, and each ingredient adds something to my personal style collectively. Eggs, sugar, butter and flour separately aren’t anything special, but when you mix them, you can create something tasty! For me, the basics act as a blank canvas. They are a starting point for me to add some flavour depending on my mood.

I wholeheartedly believe how any woman spends her hard earned money is her business, and hers alone, but it was interesting when I thought about my own journey in building a wardrobe I love (so much I wouldn’t shop for an entire year) I could see I had prioritized adding in some strong foundational pieces/basics (cake) first. Ultimately, If I wanted to ice the cake, I had to make it first.

By prioritizing the basics first I was able to add micro tweaks (think rolling sleeves up, turning jeans up, experimenting with how I tuck something in) to add interest before buying more items to add interest. More on micro tweaks in my free guide here.

Now onto the Icing (frosting if you’re in the US)

One - Two (Old The Frankie Shop) - Three - Four - Five - Six (old Acne Studios) - Seven - Eight (Similar here) - Nine (Thrifted) - Ten - Eleven - Twelve (similar here) - Thirteen - Fourteen

Now the icing is important, but I think choosing the basics first will help you make better buying decisions when it comes to buying those special pieces that make you feel at home in an outfit. It is ultimately the combination of the two (cake and icing) that makes your style unique to you.

Buying the pieces that offered more interest to my outfits were pieces I felt pulled towards. There was an energetic exchange between myself and the items. It’s hard to explain but they are pieces that spoke to me, they felt like an expression of my creative self. They give me the feels.

The finishing touches (icing) take so many forms, naturally my brain jumped to jewelry and accessories, but I also notice for me the icing can also be in the form of a jacket, or shirt with an interesting collar. Some might call these pieces elevated basics, but the common denominator is they stop my basics looking flat/lacking personality. To be more specific, my personality.

I’m a creative person so putting pieces together feeds my soul and it’s ok if getting dressed doesn’t make you feel like this. We all express our creativity differently.

As i’ve gotten older, I notice my approach to the icing is ‘does this work with a good cross section of the basics in my wardrobe?’ I’ll spend some time thinking about what it adds, and what outfits I would pair it with. I also check to see do I have anything similar in my existing wardrobe?

Generally speaking I save my money for the icing. For example, I can’t imagine myself spending $500 on a plain white tee (no shade if you do) because I always get food down them/or the collar goes yellow within a few months of wear. My jeans are the Abercrombie curve love because these have been the only ones that don’t feel like i’m being cut in half.

Icing the cake, aka putting it all together

To be clear I don’t dislike the outfits on the left, I would happily still wear all four of these, however when I compare them to the outfits on the right, those outfits feel instantly more exciting to me. They feel like a truer expression of who I am, and how I want to express myself. They just feel more me, and I think that’s the goal of personal style, it helps you feel at home in your body. I know hand on heart the outfits on the right would be more empowering to my brain, but I also know I don’t always desire to feel ‘empowered’, sometimes I need simple. There is space for both in my wardrobe, but it is interesting to see the concept of the icing and the cake in action, and how impactful it can be when it comes to getting dressed and making your clothes feel more you.

If I had to split a ratio, I think it would be 2:1. Cake: Icing. When I sat and looked at my own wardrobe I have a fair amount of both, and there’s nuance in this because what I consider a basic you might not and vice versa. Both work hard in my wardrobe, and it’s fair to say in different ways.

When I have too much icing and very little cake, things can feel discombobulated, it can feel incohesive. (But if wearing head to toe icing makes you feel your best self then rock on!)

Good basics can really ground a look. It stabilizes it. But it’s also true that styling with basics alone, at some point can feel restrictive and/or limiting.

This is why when you combine the two magic happens, and I think for this reason I’ll always enjoy my cake with a little frosting.

What would you say has been your ratio of cake:icing? I’d love to know in the comments below.

Harry x

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