With the right items in your closet, you can create many different outfits for all sorts of occasions. Here are four versatile women's clothing items to keep on your hangers or shelves.

1. Little Black Dress

A staple of many women's wardrobes, the little black dress can suit a variety of different situations. Purchase one that's all black so that you can mix and match accessories with it, and get a high neckline and semi-modest length to ensure that it'll be appropriate at various gatherings.

For a less formal affair, such as work or a simple gathering, complement your little black dress with low heels, simple jewelry, and understated makeup. On those occasions when you need to dress up more, switch out the accessories for higher heels, more noticeable jewelry, and more extensive makeup. Keep the dress the same, and you'll be fine.

2. Dark Wash Jeans

Jeans have withstood the test of time, becoming an American fashion classic. To ensure your jeans withstand denim fads that come and go, get them in a dark-wash color. Dark blue denim was one of the original colors, and it'll continue to be in style for a long time to come. Jeans can be worn almost anywhere that's not expressly formal. Denim is durable enough to wear when performing manual labor and playing with kids, and you can dress it up with a button-down blouse or nice sweater when you're not as active. 

3. Button-Down Blouse

A button-down blouse will serve you well on dressier occasions, as it's appropriate for all but the fanciest times when you need a true gown. For a nice look that's still casual, pair a button-down blouse with those dark-wash jeans. When you need something a little fancier, put on a pencil skirt and tights instead of the denim. You can also vary the dressiness of each look by varying the shoes that you wear with it.

4. Knit Sweater

For those days when the air is a little cooler, a knit sweater is a good piece to have. It can take the place of a button-down blouse and be worn on its own, or you can don a sweater over a blouse for a preppier look. In either case, a  sweater can go with either jeans or a pencil skirt quite well.

To make sure your sweater is truly versatile, get one that's a fairly neutral color and doesn't have noticeable patterns. This way, it'll match many other pieces.