*Author and House of Rose Contributor, Cyndi from Walking in Grace & Beauty.

It’s no secret that I love fashion and makeup! I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t looking ahead to see what the latest trends were going to be for the next season.

I started blogging in 2009, but in 2011 I started specifically blogging at Walking in Grace & Beauty where I share tips on fashion, make-up, and beauty, as well as reminders that true beauty begins on the inside with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I’m looking forward to being a monthly contributor here on the House of Rose blog where I’ll share the latest trends and makeup tips with you each month.

But today I thought we’d start at the beginning. Before we add anything to our wardrobe, we need to make sure we have the basics.

These are the pieces that you need to spend a little more money on because you want them to last season after season. These basics help me to create different looks and I love adding pops of color, and accessories to each of them.

1. White t-shirt-Wear this with a chunky necklace and jeans or these are great for layering. They also help take an outfit from season to season. Layer under a sweater or cardigan in the fall.

2. The Chambray Shirt-Can be dressed up or dressed down. Wear it on casual friday with a pair of skinny jeans or with a skirt and a blazer for a dressier look.

3. White Button Up-You can never go wrong with this item! This is a classic piece and is great for layering.

4. Blazer-I love a blazer and it needs to be in every woman’s closet. Try finding it in a seasonless fabric like a wool blend to get the most wear.

5. Classic Trench Coat-Oh my, I wear my trench coat all the time. This is great to wear with your jeans and t-shirt to look more put together. Perfect for the spring and fall season.

6. Pencil Skirt-Pencil skirts are a classic piece but they also happen to be on trend right now. The best length for a pencil skirt is right above the knee.

7. Classic Trouser-It’s good to have these in black, gray and camel. Trouser pants are perfect when you want to dress up a sweater or a blouse. They look great and are a classic item that will never go out of style!

8. Good Fitting Jeans-We all need good fitting jeans. I recommend having jeans you can wear with high heels and another pair to wear with flats. Also you might want a pair of skinny jeans, boot cut and a wide leg pair.

9. Little Black Dress (LBD)-The “little black dress” is a closet staple, and should be made of a sturdy but lightweight fabric.

These 9 wardrobe basics are a great place to start! Then we can add color, accessories and trendy pieces.

Do you have your basic wardrobe pieces? Would you add any to this list?

Tune in next month as we start adding spring trends to our basic wardrobe!