Shortcut to great summer style

Call me crazy, but sometimes I wish I had just a half-dozen — oh, okay, make that a dozen — pieces of clothing in my closet.

In this fantasy, each piece would be a true standout. Not necessarily something expensive, just  something I absolutely adore. It would look great on me — suit my lifestyle, body and coloring to a T. Of course, it would GO with everything ELSE in my closet really well, too.

I suspect I’m not completely alone in this fantasy. For starters, this idea is what’s so appealing about the packing articles that appear regularly in fashion magazines — “Looking Chic on Vacation with Just 7 Pieces.”

But there’s also the notion of having a closet that’s tailor-made for your own personal style. It’s the closest thing most women will ever have to their very own boutique: “My Boutique of Me,” where you are the head buyer and most valued client.

Last week I think I found a strong candidate for one of those dozen pieces.

It’s a vest by Eileen Fisher. It’s a really great that fulfills a bunch of key criteria:

• a great, wearable color
• a lightweight, year-’round fabric — woven wool
• a shape that is totally versatile — it can be worn belted or loose and drapey
• a gorgeous weave — again, versatile but intrinsically interesting upon a second look.

Just to see if it was really as versatile as I thought it could be, I challenged myself to see how many uses I could come up with for it. Here they are: as a swimsuit cover-up; as the foundation of a work outfit with a slight rocker edge; loose and easy as part of a boho weekend outfit; and thrown on top of a going-out ensemble to give it a slightly casual panache.

How would YOU wear it? Leave a comment and let me know. (Or go ahead and tell me you’d never get this piece and why!)

(It doesn’t appear to be on the Eileen Fisher site but you can find it at Nordstrom in Misses, Petite sizes, and in store in Plus.