Back in 1985, Donna Karan struck a chord with women across the world by introducing the concept of “7 Easy Pieces”—her collection of garments around which a woman could build an entire wardrobe. She created a system of dressing where a few interchangeable garments, used in different combinations, would create a versatile closet of stylish and practical attire. Her intention was to design collections that could take you from day to evening, weekday to weekend, and season to season.

Over the years, those 7 Easy Pieces have changed but the concept was locked in stone: you do not have to keep an overstuffed closet to be modern, versatile, and stylish. Alabama Chanin’s design philosophy has always been to design clothing that can take a woman anywhere and everywhere. We do not believe that you have to sacrifice style for versatility and comfort. Our clothing should not be more complicated than our lives and should, in fact, make day-to-day living easier.

It is with this idea of wardrobe essentials that we introduce our collection of Essentials + Basics. The selection includes both hand-sewn and machine-made garments in a number of colors and silhouettes that can be customized to fit your life and your style. Each of these garments can be dressed up or dressed down with little effort—and always with the comfort of our 100% organic cotton jersey. In addition to classic favorites, we are introducing new styles like the Pearl Top, Blaire Blazer, Ella Dress, and Aria Dress. You will also see some brand new colors, including Military, Suede, and Aria and the return of the popular Forest. We hope that you will use these Essentials + Basics to create your own 7 Easy Pieces (or as many pieces as you need) to suit your unique lifestyle.