Living your fashion life according to trends can get your wardrobe and your fashion personality into quite a confused state of fad-overload.

Every season there's an 'it' bag, 'this' cut denim, 'that' colour, and so it can be quite tricky to keep up with these trends.

Yes, trends and seasonal hot items are very important to the fashion world and are what keeps this multi-billion dollar industry interesting, creative and inspiring. However, trying to incorporate every single trend into your wardrobe is definitely not the way to go.

A few key items

There are a few key fashion items that'll never be bound to what Karl Lagerfeld is featuring on his catwalk for spring.

I call them your fashion armour — always ready and waiting to defend you against any high-street fad like scary harem pants (you know, those stretchy pants with the crotch touching your shoe laces) or denim jumpsuits and stirrups.

Your fashion armour should be a well-oiled army of classic, simple and chic items that have your back any day of the week.

The white shirt

It can have ruffles, turn-up cuffs, an impressive collar or a clean design; but the classic white shirt should happily hang in any woman's wardrobe.

Your white shirt shouldn't only combine with your black suit; this fashionista can play around with denim, look hot with a statement skirt or peek out under a pinafore.

Your white shirt should always, always be crisp white — there's nothing worse than an off-white shirt, it'll make your face look dull and turn your outfit from classic into worn-out.

Dark boot-cut denim

A couple of seasons ago the skinny jean was the hottest item around. Kate Moss had one in every colour and soon the fashion fraternity followed suit. The skinny denim is still in fashion and once you love this shape, I can assure you, you will never go back to boot-cut.

Having said that, the skinny denim is not suited for most body types and isn't a classic shape; that's why I would rather recommend buying a pair of dark, boot-cut, hipster jeans.

These babies are magic because not only do they balance your hips, they also sit on your hipbone making sure that your upper body isn't cut in half — this can be very harsh, especially if you have a bit of a tummy. Dark denim is slimming, light denim isn't — end of story.

Shopping for a pair of denims can be very tiring, but I don't care how many pairs you need to try on, once you found that perfect denim your life will be changed forever.

The wrap dress

The year was 1972, the designer was Diane von Furstenberg and the fashion item was the wrap dress. Turning the fashion world on its head, the wrap dress gave working women the opportunity to get out of stiff, dull suits, embrace their femininity and bring dresses back to the workplace.

The wrap dress is probably one of the most flattering silhouettes in fashion because of the cinched in waist, the focus on the cleavage and the length that falls just below your knee.

It's the perfect homage to the hourglass shape. Wear it in winter with tights and sexy boots or dress it down for summer with flat sandals. If Diane von Furstenberg is still making wrap dresses after nearly 40 years it only means one thing — this is a wardrobe staple.

Anything but the Little Black Dress

The Little Black Dress has become such an overused term in fashion that I feel it is out of fashion. This so-called wardrobe staple has made women lazy. This is evident at every wedding, party, cocktail do or launch that I have been to in like forever. If you look around these get-togethers you'll see most women sporting their LBD's looking so uninspiring and downright boring.

The LBD has become the Plan B of most wardrobes and because most women rarely have a Plan A to start off with, out comes the black dress.

But I know, deep down, if you had another outfit you loved you will probably wear it instead of that boring black ensemble. So, pull your act together and start shopping for Plan A.

Firstly, invest in a smart dress that you can wear to quite a couple of functions. This smart dress should be in any colour but black, you can even go for a floral print or design. Try deep red or chic purple — it's not as daring as pink or yellow but it still isn't black.

Find matching shoes and a cute clutch bag and voila! your Plan B takes a back seat and you'll definitely make an impact at your next function.

Because you are going for a trendy colour or print try and get some balance by sticking to a classic shape like A-line, prom-style or a dress that's 'cut on the bias'.

This wardrobe staple might sound a bit bold, but trust me, having a striking and sexy dress as part of your fashion armour will definitely add to your fashion rank.

The trench coat

A winter coat is probably something you'll spend the most money on and that's why you should always invest in a classic shape that won't date. The trench coat is a winning example of a perfect wardrobe must-have.

The colour you go for is up to you. Khaki is traditional; red makes a statement and black smacks of elegance.

You'll find the trench comes in a variety of lengths; longer adds a bit more drama, shorter looks great with jeans and calf-length is the magic go-between.

In addition, the trench is very slimming because of the belt and the oversized neckline and button-detail that draw the eyes away from any lumps and bumps you want to hide.

These are only five items that should form part of your wardrobe. Don't forget about a black cardigan you can dress up or down; a pair of exceptionally well-made black trousers, a fitted jacket, riding boots and a leather handbag.

If you take your time and money and go on the hunt for these must-haves your wardrobe will have a strong foundation. Once you have this foundation in place you can definitely play around with trends and add the odd pair of leggings, wide belt, and an oversized corsage or check swing coat.

Then it doesn't matter how disposable the trend is, your foundation will stay rock solid and your fashion armour bullet-proof.