13 Clothing Brands with Elevated Basics for Your Capsule Wardrobe
The most common question clients ask me is: which brands are the best for wardrobe basics? As we work together, we often realize that although they have a variety of poetic pieces that express their unique personalities, they lack the right basics to bring everything together and create a cohesive and effortless wardrobe. So, here is a list of my favorite minimalist clothing brands for different styles and occasions. Mix and match a few high-quality essentials with your unique poetry pieces to create the perfect capsule wardrobe and personal style that reflects your multidimensional self.
1. Ozma of California
Pairing California comfort and a natural elegance, Ozma offers a tightly curated collection that celebrates the essence of timeless silhouettes and refined ease. With palettes and textures guided by the natural world, they focus on sustainably sourced and biodegradable textiles - raw silk, washed linen, drapey cupro, providing a luxurious feel against the skin. Consciously made in California with local or artisanal productions, these pared back and natural clothing essentials serve as foundational pieces for any wardrobe.
2. Almina Concept
Almina is a direct-to-consumer brand that provides elevated essentials for the modern woman. Offering high-quality styles with a minimal and modern sensibility, as well as sophisticated and classic design details. Founder, Angela Gahng worked as a merchandiser for contemporary and luxury brands including Club Monaco and Loewe and has created a brand that is affordable and strikes the perfect balance of design, quality, and price.
3. Eyn Vas
A personal favorite! Eyn Vas exemplifies the essence of humble luxury. These elevated wardrobe essentials are designed to bridge the gap between urban life and a more natural existence. Made using regenerative materials and crafted by master artisans in the US, Nepal, and Japan, each product provides a rich experience and embodies an ancient meets future look and Wabi Sabi aesthetic.
4. Organic by John Patrick
In 2004, John Patrick launched Organic, his signature fashion label. Prioritizing organic materials, fair labor practices, and ecological awareness. With luxury silks cashmeres, and a carefully honed, vibrant color palette, mixing and matching is effortless. A standout piece: the 100% silk slip dress, both poetic and classic, and available in a variety of colors.
5. Frances de Lourdes
Frances de Lourdes was launched in New York City in 2017 by Alejandra Echeverria, a Parsons graduate. The masculine and feminine influences reflect the brand's signature ease and sensuality and it’s versatile pieces are locally made, using the most luxurious and soft fabrics sourced from Italy and Japan. FDL embodies laid-back elegance and casual cool at it’s best.
6. Enza Costa
Enza Costa's unique brand of minimalist, modern clothing is designed to elevate everyday basics into luxury essentials. Their designs embody femininity, sensuality, and casual elegance, using featherweight blends of sumptuous supima cotton, cashmere, and silk. The Essenza Collection in particular offers effortless style that is perfect for layering and accentuates the feminine silhouette with a refined ease. All garments are made in Los Angeles using the finest fabrics sourced from Italy, Japan, and California.
7. Refine
Inspired by the classic and everlasting allure of the slip dress, Refine specializes in crafting high quality, luxurious cotton and silk satin pieces that enhance the beauty of the female form. With an air of effortless sophistication and feminine grace, Refine is the perfect choice for special occasion dresses and silk essentials.
8. Shaine Mote
Inspired by the balance of beauty and utility, Shaina Mote’s designs are the epitome of poetic minimalism. Timeless separates feature elevated twists on classic silhouettes and thoughtfully unexpected design elements. Each garment is versatile enough to be dressed up or down, to elevate the everyday while being suitable for any season or occasion. Since it’s launch in 2007, Shaina has maintained her brand ethos, embracing a circular production practice and opting for organic and biodegradable fibers. Designed and developed in Los Angeles, the brand reflects these values in its core principles.
9. First Rite Clothing
Offering biannually designed collections made of 100% natural fibers (linens, organic cotton and twill) and beautifully neutral earthy tones, First Rite crafts collections that embody thoughtful minimalism and seasonal fluidity, with interchangeable pieces designed to seamlessly integrate into any wardrobe.
10. Atelier Delphine
Atelier Delphine’s collections are inspired by French minimalism and casual sophistication. Designer Yuka sources fabrics and works with global artisans: fabrics from India, sweaters and shoes crafted in Peru, and leatherwork from Italy. Her designs blend wabi-sabi aesthetics with technical details. Without traditional fashion training, Yuka studied literature, poetry, and philosophy in Japan, drawing inspiration from Edo Period garments to French New Wave films. She merges conceptual art and textiles, creating garments that invite personal interpretation of beauty. The Kiko pant and Haori Coat are must-haves for your “not-so-basic” capsule wardrobe.
11. Leset
"You could wear it to a meeting, take a nap, and then have dinner — all without having to change." Perfect for the modern woman's minimalistic capsule wardrobe, LESET offers day-to-night versatility while embodying the brand's signature elegance, ease, and comfort. LESET provides a perfect system of mix and match sets, elevated basics, and seasonal hero pieces; thoughtfully curated and organized by fabric set, making wardrobe building simple, intuitive, and cohesive. Their 100% Extrafine Merino Wool sets are the perfect WFH uniform.
12. 7115 by Szeki
7115 is a design studio founded by Szeki Chan in 2008 in New York City. Each piece is expertly crafted and tailored in small batches, with high-quality materials and relaxed silhouettes to offer both comfort and functionality without sacrificing style, providing a seamless dressing experience for women and men (unisex) seeking a minimalist daily uniform.
13. The Line by K
The Line by K, created by blogger-turned-designer Karla Deras, is designed for fearless women who want to accentuate their figure and feel confident, strong, and unapologetically sexy. The CORE collection offers “basics that aren’t basic,” with a more unique look and distinctive details than the typical "essentials,” creating an easy, elegant, and effortlessly unique look.