Recently, famous and fabulous fashion designer, Vera Wang, made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show. Now that in itself is nothing new since Oprah often features designers on her show. What was so exciting about this appearance is that Vera Wang is now designing clothes for real women with real budgets.

That’s right, you no longer have to be either rich or famous to afford a Vera Wang outfit. The line is called “Simply Vera Wang” and is exclusively available a Kohls department store.

Oprah’s studio became a temporary fashion runway as real-life mothers and daughters teamed up to model the latest Vera Wang ready-to-wear pieces. I must say that I was impressed with the quality and fit of the clothes. The middle-aged moms looked as chic as their daughters.

Whether you are interested in Vera Wang’s designer line or not, she gave some great tips of what kind of basic clothing pieces she felt all women should have in their closets.

Why should you have basic pieces?

You should build your wardrobe around basic pieces because this will give you way more options to choose from than if you concentrate on many mismatched pieces. This strategy will save you both time and money in the long run.

Here are Vera’s suggestions:

Black Blazer – You can do numerous things with a basic black blazer. Pair it with a silk blouse and skirt for the office. Wear it with a white t-shirt and your favorite pai
r of designer jeans. Layer it over a long tunic. Wear it with a colorful sweater.

Black Leggings – Yes, leggings are still fashionable and they are great alone or used as a layering piece. Wear them with a black blazer and a colorful tunic. Wear them underneath a skirt. Wear them underneath a long casual dress. Wear them with an animal print blouse and high heels. Wear them with a casual top, a belt, and flat shoes. Wear them with a chunky sweater and boots.

Basic Skirt – A nice basic skirt that is made out of classic materials and flows easily when you walk is a nice essential to have and a classy alternative to pants. Buy in basic colors: black, tan, grey.

Basic Cardigan – A cardigan sweater in white, black or navy can go with a variety of outfits. A sweater is easy to dress up or down. Accessorize with a neck scarf, pearls, a long necklace, a pin, a belt, etc. Oh, and push the sleeves up on your arms a bit for extra style points.

Basic White Blouse – A fashionable white, cotton blouse looks so crisp and clean by itself or underneath a sweater or blazer. Simply classic.

Little Black Dress – Find a little black dress that fits great and looks marvelous on you and you’re ready for a great evening out.

These are great suggestions and you can find these basic pieces anywhere. Remember that you can start with the basics and build your wardrobe accordingly to your own sense of taste and fashion style.