How To Dress Your Age (& Which Buys Really Matter)

On one hand, we'd like to take age out of any equation in life and instead applaud milestones — landing that dream job, finding your life partner, traveling the world — regardless of when they're achieved. On the other hand, there’s a big difference between where you stand at age 25 vs. 45 — and between the many life lessons you learn at each age.

Just as your identity continues to evolve along your winding journey, so does your style. To help guide your fashion path as you climb that life ladder, we narrowed down 25 essentials to invest in, depending on your age bracket. We're talking foundation pieces to spring for in your 20s, plus the add-ons for all the subsequent decades. By all means, though: If you want to pick and choose fashions from every age, go for it.