(JessFinds) Tim Gunn is usually right

Tim Gunn is usually right. It is one of the reasons I love Project Runway. And his Guide to Quality, Taste & Style book (and show based on the book). He is the fairy godfather of fashion and while some may balk at his guidelines, I find (for most women) his Top Ten list covers what every woman should have in her basic wardrobe. 

1. Basic Black Dress - Aka the Little Black Dress. The LBD is something that has always failed me. I have never found a perfect LBD. I finally decided I needed to just buy a classic Jackie Kennedy sheath - nothing short, long, fancy or otherwise unique. But a good basic. Since I am so pale, I have the ability to turn any black dress in to a Goth statement. 
2. Trench Coat - I covet the traditional Burberry trench (and cringe at the $1300 base price). I have a cute spring trench that seems to do the trick for now. 
3. Classic Dress Pants - What a pain. I am in that strange area between average and tall -  being 5 ft 10. That means pants never quite fit right. I have decided that all pants I buy should just skirt the ground. Wide legs are better than narrow. I am still searching for the elusive perfect weight gaberdine wool, lined flat-front stovepipe pants with a medium rise. 
4. White Shirt - Referring to number 1, I am really pale and a white shirt can have the effect of whitewashing me out. There are certain shades of pink that make me look naked - I am well aware of all of this. My white shirt needs to have some texture to it - I am currently on the lookout for a 3/4 sleeve button down with some sort of interesting detail. I am, ahem, top heavy so fit with princess seaming is pretty important. Otherwise I might as well be running around with a queen size flat sheet with a hole cut out in the center. 
5. Jeans - I keep going back to the same pair, so I probably should stick with it. But I am always searching for that pair of jeans that makes magic happen. Stovepipe, medium rise. Anything to avoid muffin-top and/ or sausage thighs. 
6. Cashmere Sweater - I have owned many a cheap cashmere sweater. The many cheap ones ($40-$60 a pop) have all long gone the way of the donation pile. If I just saved up and splurged on ONE classic one, I probably would still have it as a staple. I know the rules, don't buy cashmere from Target even if Isaac Miz has put his brand all over it...
7. Skirt - This one I know. I look great in a tulip style skirt, shaped and flared out a bit just at the knee. Long skirts make me look like an Earth Muffin and short ones make me look like a cheap hooker. 
8. Day Dress - I bought a fabulous day-dress (a button down shirt dress) from Lands End and my husband hates it. When I put it on, I feel great and when he looks at me he sees frumpy. Burn the dress. Start over.
9. Blazer - When I was in high school, I adopted my own "uniform" of sorts - it was jeans, heeled boots & a blazer. I was a prep to the core. I experimented with being a glamazon while in college, but when it comes down to it I am mostly drawn to waspy get-ups. I gave up on the blazer at some point and I think it is time to rediscover it. I am on the look-out.
10. Sweat Suit Alternative -This one stumps me a bit. I rarely, if ever, go out of my house in a sweat suit. or sweat pants / t-shirt. It is just not my gig. Not to say I don't fall in the jeans & sweater slump. The implication here is that a sweat suit says "I give up" and "I am a slob." I definitely have a few old standards that would fall in to that category, even though they are not specifically sweats.