Number one in my series on the Top 10 Every Woman Wardrobe Essentials: The skinny leg black pant. Trust me, these are a MUST. Not optional. My three favourites?

1. Banana Republic's Martin Fit Skinny Pant ($89.50, Banana Republic): These are my personal go-to pants for work. Love, love, LOVE. I style them professional with a sharp blazer and crisp blouse, and I also love to wear them with a loose-fitting sweater and tucked in my favourite boots. Completely versatile, the Martin fit is figure-flattering. I stand about 5 foot, 6 inches tall, and the waist of these pants hits just under my belly button. The rear welt pockets provide instant lift, and the stretch cotton/rayon fabric doesn't fade or wrinkle. The front features zippered pockets, which is a welcomed twist on tradition.

2. See By Chloé Skinny Stretch-Wool Pants ($245, Net-A-Porter): Like the 50s-style darling pants seen in Isabel Marant's Fall 2010 collection, these See By Chloé pants will transform you into instant skinny. Don't believe me? Try them on. They zip up and feature a waistband that wears above the hip. The most sophisticated wear-to-work pants I've known, these SBC pants are made from a fantastic stretch wool blend. Again with the instant lift in the back, the welt pockets will work wonders for your backside.

3. Ann Taylor Ponte Skinny Leg Pants ($98, Ann Taylor): Don't be deceived by the photo; these Ann Taylor pants don't wear as trouser-like as they appear. Once you've got them on, these slim-leg pants have a more figure-hugging fit, which works to lengthen the leg and add height to your frame. They've got side pockets, back welt pockets (need I say more), and they've got belt loops so you can style them with your favourite belt and a tucked-in shirt. The rayon/nylon/spandex blend means two things: These Ann Taylor pants have some serious stretch, and they also won't fade. Keepers!

Get your notepads out and get your wallets ready: Over the next 10 days, I'm happy to present Hope's Top 10 Essentials for Every Woman's Wardrobe. I receive so many emails from women all over asking about my top wardrobe essentials, questions about closet classics, and what my favourite go-to pieces are in my personal wardrobe; I realized it's about time I break it down for everyone. It's a shame that so many women waste valuable time each day wondering what to wear to work or out to play. Getting dressed shouldn't be stressful; getting dressed should be one of the most inspired parts of your day!

It's simple, really. What's in your closet isn't a matter of quantity; it's a matter of quality. And when you have a few key, high-quality pieces of clothing, I guarantee your daily dressing experience will become less stress and more styled success. Ready to get started? We'll start with the basics (clothing, duh) and then we'll move on to accessories.

From that perfect wear-to-everything LBD to the best figure-flattering denim out there, I look forward to sharing these practical gems of information with you.

Check back tomorrow for our first installment!

xo, Hope

The final, fleeting days of summer are upon us; I'm already seeing change on the morning horizon and falling leaves whilst driving to work. And with a change in season, comes a change in clothing — though you might be fighting it, the time to store summer clothing and pull out your heavier fall fare has arrived. While some of us more organized than others and have a system in place for storing summer clothes in a spare closet or an unused set of drawers, others have no extra space in which to store their clothing. No matter what your lot, I hope that each of us can take something from the following suggestions on clothing storage and use it in our own wardrobes. With proper organization, you can fully utilize even the smallest of storage spaces!

Whether a go-to piece in your everyday wardrobe or an article of clothing you're putting away for the off-season, clothing needs proper air circulation and space. When you try to squeeze too many pieces into a small space for a long period of time, chances are that your clothes will come out of the drawer or off the shelf permanently damaged and misshaped. Also, when storage space is too tight, you'll find you have trouble getting to your everyday clothes, which is another reason why proper organization is the key to a fully functional closet and wardrobe.

The solution for maximizing use of space is simple, really: Take an inventory of the clothing you plan to style during the coming season (in this case, Fall/Winter), and organize the clothes you plan to put in storage by sorting it accordingly. Blouses, sweaters, lingerie, and fine garments; pants, skirts, dresses, and shorts. Once you've done this, decide which pieces will be most frequently used over the next few months, and which you might not wear at all. Then, dedicate at least one drawer (or shelf) to your tops and bottoms, and everything in between. Store less worn clothing in the back of your closet, and in your lowest drawer.

In the closet, cothing can be hung on either silk or cedar hangers. I find silk hangers work best for hanging delicate fabrics like silk and cashmere, whereas cedar hangers are favourable for hanging more heavy fabrics and bottoms. Cedar also imparts a refreshing fragrance and is a natural safeguard against moths. Clothing you plan to store in drawers or on shelves can be sorted according to material — silks and linens; light knits and summer-weight cashmere; cottons and polyblends. California Closets makes a fantastic multi-functional plastic divider, that can adapt to either a drawer or a closet shelf. This will ease the often daunting task of sorting and storing your clothing, and it will also provide easy access and visibility to your clothes.

_{Shop these suggestions:}

_{Whitmor Covered Hangers, $12.99 for a set of 10, Target}

_{Cedar Hangers (assorted styles), $8.99-$9.99, Bed Bath & Beyond}

_{Custom Closet Accessories, call for consult, California Closets}

Some looks from the runway are ridiculous and shouldn't be done - unless you're Lady Gaga. But I like to think that in every season, there are subtle runway trends you can style your own.

Take the Spring/Summer 2010 collections for example. While not every woman would be comfortable wearing Alexander McQueen's reptile-printed dresses or Alexander Wang's leather shorts - every woman can easily channel the runway with something simple like... cuffed pants.

Appearing in the RTW collections from (L-R) 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, and twenty8twelve, cuffed pants are a realistic trend that can be styled for real life - for less than 100 dollars.

Pick up a pair of J.Crew's scout chinos (I own them in 3 colours). Perfect for both weekending and work, these cropped cotton pants - with a 26-inch inseam - will become a go-to piece for your spring/summer wardrobe. With the cuffs rolled, you can pair these pants with almost anything: From flats and tees to sky-high heels and a boyfriend button-down. And, this year, they've updated the scout with a pastel palette (another runway trend you can bring to real life)!

_{J.Crew scout chino, $69.50, J.Crew}

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