Fashion is going green, but not in the way you may think. For decades, designers have recycled hemlines and silhouettes on runways. In watching videos of vintage runway shows of Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana and Versace, I noticed the exact same looks I see on the streets today.

The fall 1992 Chanel runway featured black leather, chain belts and big bows. The Dolce and Gabbana Spring 1992 show featured high-waisted jeans, crop tops, and sexy red lips.

So why does fashion always seem to do this--recycle itself every decade or so with designer pieces remaining astronomically priced? Are all the top designers out of original ideas? (Still love you Karl Lagerfeld, don’t worry.)

Or are these just key wardrobe staples every woman should have in her closet? I’m choosing to turn a blind Chanel eye glassed eye to creativity dying out every year, and instead believing there are a select few articles that women should invest in.

For starters, a black blazer is a must. A nicely fitting blazer can and will be the most practical item in your closet. Pair it with dresses for a night out, or with pants for a business-casual day look. Even channel your inner Sharon Stone, pair it with a t-shirt and an attitude, and you’re instantly sexy.

It is my personal belief that a woman can never have too many necklaces. Short, long, silver, gold--they are all practical. Don’t be afraid to layer your necklaces on top of one another--a little mismatch adds character to your outfit.

The fall 1992 Chanel show featured gold necklaces layered atop one another on nearly every model. The lengths of the gold necklaces ranged from mid-torso all the way down to some models’ knees. Don’t be afraid to go to all new lengths will your jewelry- long, medium, short; Layer them together for an instant eclectic look.

You don’t need me to tell you that riding boots are popular this fall. Look in any shoe store and you’ll find brown and leather boots ranging from over-the-knee, buckles and studs. The riding boot trend is fantastic for winter because they are so versatile. Wear them with jorts (jean shorts, of course) and tights, dresses, or go for the classic Ralph Lauren look and tuck your skinny jeans in them.

Riding boots can be a bit on the pricey side of the scale, but you don’t have to buy them brand new. Shops specializing in leather treatment and care usually have shoes for sale, and you can almost always haggle for a better price.

On the other side of this phenomenon, the trend that stylists hoped would never come back have slowly crept in to the retail stores, and that is the pantsuit. Marc by Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Diesel Black Gold, Lacoste and Phillip Lim all had pantsuits on their runways at New York fashion week. It takes an incredibly tall and lean body type to pull off what is essentially an adult onesie, but it can be done.

So this is good news, right? This means it’s time to raid Mom’s closet for her Burberry trench coat she wore back in ’91 and forgot she even had, or hit up some local thrift stores for vintage gems.

Salvatore Ferragamo pumps that someone did not realize were even worth keeping, or a brightly colored Pucci scarf that they didn’t even want to be bothered with selling can be found if you just look hard enough. I once found an authentic, mint condition Chanel shirt for $3. (True story!)

Clearly, these classics are not going anywhere anytime soon. Fashion will always be, in a sense, green.