I think I’ve almost exhausted Tim Gunn’s book about style but thought I would post his “Top Ten” list of pieces a woman should have in her closet. It’s kind of ridiculous and then there is a lot of truth here as well. I wish I would have had a copy of this to give to the woman I saw waiting for the bus this morning wearing a mint green long sleeved shirt and mom jeans. Strange outfit but also – it’s July! It’s going to be 80 degrees! What are you wearing? And who looks good in mint green? What skin tone does mint go nicely with? I contend no skin tone. But I’m being bitchy this week so maybe when I’m in a better mood I will embrace mint green…

1. A Trench Coat – preferably waterproof and something that hits you at a flattering spot on your leg (not too high and not too long).

2. An Alternative to a Sweat Suit – Gunn suggests cashmere pants in winter topped with a sweater coat or cardigan. Cashmere pants? I don’t know about that. Or slim black pants or dark jeans with a V-neck sweater. In summer, linen pants. The main thing is to avoid sweat pants, which are not flattering to the ass.

3. The Boot, The Pump, The Ballet Flat – this is actually three things but he’s right. You gotta have ’em.

4. The Shapely Jacket and Go-Anywhere Blouse – throwing on a well-cut jacket or blazer makes any outfit look better and more put-together. The blouse should be self-explanatory. When I cleaned out my closet, I realized I have a shortage of blouses so I now am on the hunt for more. A good blouse can be hard to find though.

5. Signature Jewelry – He suggests one piece that makes a big impression, like a cocktail ring or a strand of pearls. With the pearls, I think you really need to be a certain kind of person to make that your signature piece. You don’t want to look like the school principal all the time, nor do you want to look like Nancy Reagan.

6. The Under Arsenal – get decent underwear and bras, basically. And get some that match your skin tone so that you can wear them under anything. I’m loathe to admit it, but I never feel like spending too much on underwear. Or I let it hang around long after it’s worn out its welcome. And the right bra really does change everything, whether flat-chested or full.

7. The Day Dress – every woman should have that fun or pretty dress she can throw on. It instantly makes you feel better, awake and more human. I think the same for skirts. Have a great but loose fitting dress for days of period bloat. You’ll be comfortable and everyone will think you look great even though you are retaining 7 pounds of water.

8. The After-Five Look – The first thing that comes to mind is the Little Black Dress. Gunn wants us to also consider tuxedo pants and a tank. I guess…

9. The New, Cheap, Trendy Item – Get something fun but Gunn warns against buying a lot of cheap trendy stuff that clogs up your closet. If this happens to you, you must cut yourself off from Forever 21 and H&M immediately. He’s not messing around here.

10. Denim – He suggests two fabulous pairs. I suggest three. They look good with flats, they look good with boots, they look good with jackets…