They say we wear 10 per cent of our wardrobe 90 per cent of the time.
That's certainly true for me. Although I'm a bowerbird when it comes to shopping and love to collect statement pieces that catch my eye, these don't realistically get that much wear. They're like a sugar hit: I put them on occasionally and they feel good and always elicit compliments, but they're not the things I actually live in.
The things I live in are like the protein. They're the workhorses of my wardrobe that might not get the attention of my louder, more trend-driven buys — but actually get me through from day to day, as a working mother, trying to retain some sense of personal style.
I'm talking about a reliable pair of blue mid-rise jeans.
The green denim shacket that goes with literally everything.
And the just-fashionable-enough sneakers I keep next to the front door.
These more underrated pieces deserve some spotlight too, right? Here are seven I swear by, and where you can shop them.
1. Zara denim shacket.
Image: Supplied/Tamara Holland
