If We Were Starting Our Wardrobe From Scratch Here Are The 17 Pieces We’d Buy First
by The Candidly Team
It’s very 2016 of us, but there are days we still think about Marie Kondo-ing our closets. We dream of opening its doors to exclusively perfect, select pieces, all of which we feel our best in.
We wax poetic about editing down to that chic, minimalist wardrobe every chic French lady has supposedly mastered.
But then we look at the heaping mayhem of “meh” objects in our own closet and we feel … exhausted. Overwhelmed. Bored. Demoralized.
All by clothes WE picked out. Clothes that must, at one time or another, have “sparked joy.” Or ya know, gone wildly on sale.
But we weren’t ready to give up on the idea of owning an impeccable capsule wardrobe. So we thought of another way to approach it. And we did it by asking this one question:
If all of our clothes were to vanish into thin air, what would we instantly buy again?
Turns out we had answers. In the form of 17 Pieces. These are the same clothes we’d tell our friends to buy. The ones that fits so unbelievably well we want to own them in 4 colors apiece. The ones that look expensive and quality and flattering and foolproof, but also feeeeeeel incredible. We’re over 40, and we won’t do waist restricting, itchy feeling, blister inducing things ever again.
So let’s get to the good stuff:
1. The Cropped Pant
The Colette Cropped Wide-Leg Pants By Maeve
If you fervently read all of our stuff (you do, right?), this is your cue to let out a big old yawn, because you have already heard us drone on about these pants 87 times over. And hopefully that means you also own these pants and agree that yes, they are the most comfortable, smoothing, and deeply flattering cropped pants on this or any other planet. The fit is M-A-G-I-C on hips, legs, and bellies.
They feel like we’re in pajamas but present like our chicest self, which is essentially our goal in life. They size in plus, tall, and petite and come in a spellbinding range of colors. So if you’re new to these pants, all we can say is welcome.
Price: $120
2. The Jean Jacket
Quince 100% Organic Cotton Oversized Denim Jacket
We don’t need to tell you that a jean jacket is the easiest thing to throw on to look classic and cool at the same time.
This one is the one we’re always reaching for, and here’s why. It has room to move our arms so we don’t feel stiff and restricted. We can layer it over our finest sweaters in the fall and winter. And it just makes all our clothes more casually chic.
Be warned, it oft sells out in many of those sizes so be swift.
Price: $60
3. the Mariniére
J.Crew Classic Mariner Cloth Boatneck T-Shirt In Stripe
Ok, so remember that brilliantly curated French lady wardrobe we spoke of? Well, it 100% starts with this - the striped boatneck tee made famous by Coco Chanel herself. It’s an under $30 item that magically turns clothes into outfits and makes us look trés quiet luxury. If anything on this list is a no brainer, it is this flawless mariniére from J.Crew.
Pro tip: Buy the cropped version as well. It is NOT at all belly bearing, just hits right at the top of your high-waist pants to make your waist look nipped and your legs go on for days.
Price: $24.50
4. The Long Coat
Here is what makes this coat the one we could grab if we could only grab one. It feels like a warm, fuzzy, weighted blanket. It’s flexible. It’s knit! However, it is not heavy. You don’t look like a linebacker when you put it on. You feel like you can move in it. And while not cheap, it’s half the price of most coats of this quality. Quite frankly, more people need to know about it. It’s the kind of piece you throw on and poof, you feel like you’ve mastered a Carolyn Bessette Kennedy level of elegance. And we say that when we we are literally wearing it over sweats.
Price: $199
5. The Handbag
Insider secret. We all own in this bag. Some of us in multiple colors. Or several textures (the woven version is stunning FYI). We even own the petite version as our ideal evening bag. And even still, we pine over every new design that emerges seasonally from the ingenious Clare V. It’s just the perfect bag. The size and shape are made for our over-40, lazy, slouchy selves who like to throw on a crossbody that contains all our crap and know we look 12X more put together - like we understand all there is to know about gorgeous designer handbags, and we picked the most wonderful everyday handbag of them all.
Price: $485
6. The Jeans
We’re never trying to sound smug when we declare that we’ve found the most flattering version of this or the comfiest version of that. But we might come off a little proud of our discoveries because we know the frustrations of decades of not being able to find things that fit us the way we want. It’s so rare we get to feel that almost emotional spark of trying on something that feels like it was made for our body.
Anyhow, this is all a long-winded way of saying that these jeans will make you emotional. Over rounder booties and thicker bellies - it’s all just soft, curve-hugging beauty from every angle.
They’re more than we usually spend on jeans but they are our best jeans so we bought them instead of 3 other bad pairs and have never felt an ounce of regret.
Oh, and they size in plus and come in two inseam lengths.
Price: $249
7. The Little White Sneaker
Dr. Scholl's Time Off Platform Sneaker
Pretty little white sneakers have become the new ballet flats. We wear them with skirts and dresses and long, drapey black pants (as you saw in above photo). They’re elegant and easy but most of all they’re heaven on our old, achy feet. These are the best of them. Orthopedic … and yet so chic.
Price: $70
8. The Cashmere Cardigan
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Oversized Boyfriend Cardigan Sweater
Do we need to convince you that a beautiful lifetime cardi that swaddles you in cashmere is something every wardrobe would benefit from? Probably not. But oh, look, this one is less than 1/3 of the the price of that other one we all know about. And based on personal experience, no one can tell the difference.
We also own the cropped version, which is even cuter to wear out but equally cozy.
Price: $150
9. The Black Belt
Favorite Daughter The Jordan Belt
We would not be including a belt on this list at all if not for having discovered the quiet powers of this belt. We first spotted it when binging THIS show. But it wasn’t until we owned it that we recognized how the detail makes it elevate every single thing we wear. It’s our favorite accessory we’ve bought this year because we will wear it forever.
Just look what it does to an all-black outfit:
Be warned: it sells out constantly but also comes in a gorgeous embossed croc texture HERE.
Price: $98
10. The Most Flattering Tee
Everlane The Luxe Rib Scoop-Neck Tee
We discovered a hack for making our arms, chests, boobs, and bellies look their best in a tee. It comes down to 3 things:
1. 3/4 sleeve
2. Scoopneck
3. Fine ribbing
This one has all three and is superior to every other tee we’ve tried. Get it in your fav colors and never worry about finding a flattering, fitted tee again.
Price: $40
11. The Ballet Flat
We don’t do trends. But sometimes timeless, eternally beautiful things become trendy, and it leads to something like this - the most sophisticated ballet flat in existence. We wear it with big baggy jeans and every dress we own, and every outfit is made more Audrey Hepburn in the process. The comfort and support in this shoe don’t make sense with how light and sleek it is. We own one pair but have two other colors in our carts/ birthday wishlists right now. Curious if you’d choose the same two.
Price: $275
12. The White Button Down
If we want to look casually sophisticated without giving a second of effort, we wear this button-down. The brand just mastered the white button-down, which is already an MVP staple in every closet. We half tuck it into any jeans or pants with our hair tossed into a messy bun, and people genuinely ask why we’re dressed so chic. It’s our biggest sartorial life hack, which is why we spend more on this one so it fits to perfection instead of buying some starchy thing from H&M we have to replace twice a year.
Price: $135
13. The Silk Maxi Skirt
By Anthropologie The Tilda Maxi Slip Skirt
Allow us to paint a picture. This skirt with the above button-down tied at the waist. Or how about this skirt with that ultra-flattering aforementioned 3/4 tee. Make is casj with a jean jacket, dress it up with pearls and wear it to a gala. It can be styled 837 ways and is always elegance itself (all by itself). And yet, it feels like something we could sleep in. Hence, we wear it constantly.
Price: $98
14. The Loafer
Quince Italian Leather Lug Sole Loafer
Do we need a white, lug-sole loafer? No, no we don’t. Do we need a comfy, supportive shoe that looks good with everything while simultaneously making all our boring, basic staples non-boring and non-basic? Yes we do! These shoes have been a revelation in that we wear them with white or black tees and jeans, toss them on and suddenly, we’re styled instead of just dressed.
Also helps that they feel like literal sneakers in terms of comfort. And yes, they also come in black.
Price: $90
15. The Chic Black Trousers
If you are still searching for that elongating Katharine Hepburn trouser that somehow makes all your $17 tanks and $30 sweaters look more expensive and luxury, these are truly those pants. The fit is utter bliss. We’re so comfortable in them, more specifically how our body looks in them that we even bought them in white:
Price: $148
16. The Divinely Soft Sweater
Aritzia Wilfred Sonder Sweater
When our Editor-in-Chief (a board certified expert on coziness) tried on this sweater, she practically tripped over her feet running to write about it. It’s the kind of softness you want to exclusively live in all fall and winter, hence us already buying it ourselves in multiple colors. It’s also easy to tuck, which means we can style it to look very smart and put-together in addition to wearing it over leggings, which is honestly just as cute tbh.
Price: $118
17. The Buttery Tee That Peeks Out Under A Sweater
This is the kind of t-shirt that you decide to live half your life in, because the softness is unlike anything else. We layer it under the above sweater (and all our sweaters for that matter) so you can jusssst see the neckline, and we suddenly look like Meg Ryan in every movie where her clothes made her all the more irresistible - effortlessly, tomboyishly chic. Sizes sell out ALL the time, so try HERE if you can’t find yours/
Price: $82
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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