The 5 Pieces of Clothing Every Busy Woman Needs in Her Closet

This is your savior if the place you’re rushing to is on the dressier side—including the office. Whether you work alongside hoodie-wearing folks or ladies and gents in suits, a high-neck black dress can be dressed up or down to match. Plus, in a swingy, stretchy fabric, it’s super comfortable.

Get the look: French Connection ($98); J.Crew ($138); Black Halo ($375)

A bit fancier than jeans but still totally at-home in a casual setting, slightly cropped pants pants are a wardrobe workhorse. As in, you can pair them with almost anything—from basic tees to statement tops—and they’ll look perfect. Note that these should hit just above your ankle and skim your legs without hugging them too tightly.

Get the look: Topshop ($38); Theory ($275); Rag & Bone ($275)

To toss on top of the aforementioned black pants, of course. The color and cut are really up to you (we’d personally go for black or navy, because that’s how we roll), but any solid color will do the trick.

Get the look: BP. ($39); Eileen Fisher ($148); Vince ($265)

If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times. A trench coat will never (ever) let you down. The beauty of a classic topper like this is that it looks as elegant and timeless with slacks and a T-shirt as it does with an LBD. Basically, it’s one of the easiest ways to add instant polish to your look—even if you just rolled out of bed five minutes prior.

Get the look: Via Spiga ($120); London Fog ($158); Burberry ($1,895)

And finally, the shoes that tie all of these pieces together. Think of black loafers as chameleons. Menswear-inspired, they add a touch of effortless, androgynous cool to any ensemble, and despite their lack of high heel, they look totally professional when paired with a black dress and black tights (or bare legs, to be honest).

Get the look: Soludos ($90); G.H. Bass & Co. ($110); Gucci ($730)