If You Buy These 15 Exact Style Pieces You’ll Basically Never Have To Shop Again
That feeling when the best store in town is your closet.
by The Candidly Team
We all have those pieces in our closet that we’d rather put on than annnnything else. The flattering jeans that don’t suction our hips. The whispery white tee that inexplicably skims the waist. The meltingly soft sweater we regret not buying 5 of. We choose them over every other version we own and feel sad when they’re in the hamper.
Well, this is an entire article dedicated to those pieces.
We thought about calling it “The Best Of Awards: Closet Edition,” because basically we just compiled the most above-and-beyond, staple style pieces that have made us feel like we never really need to buy that thing again. I mean sure we might pick up a fun version or a wild color here and there, but these are the beautiful, foundational pieces we actually need on a daily basis.
We get more compliments on them than anything else. Dressing better is easier because of them. Not much more to say except roll out the red carpet, cause here they are:
1. The Cardi
Modern Citizen Eames Organic Cotton-Wool Button Cardigan
We’ve been looking for a cardigan of this exact shape with this exact sleeve since we saw THIS which is easily the most lustworthy sweater look in modern memory. The problem is that sweater is $1900 (not a typo). This one costs more than 10x less, yet every single thing about is is timeless and flattering and perfect. It isn’t just some gnatty, scratchy, pilling knit thing we throw on as an afterthought. It’s nipped. It’s understated, and it elevates everything we wear. Jeans. Black pants. Dresses. All of it. Also, it comes in 6 colors. Annoyingly, we want them all.
Price: $168
2. The Black jeans
Paige Anessa 31" Wide Leg Jean
Have you read any other article about clothes on our site? Then surely you are sick of hearing us talk about these jeans. And honestly talking won’t do a damn thing to describe how it feeeels to put them on. But we’ll try.
First, you notice the softness. Why do jeans with this structured a shape feel soft as joggers, you’ll think.
Next, you’ll glide them over your hips and button them high on your waist and notice how non-suffocating they feel. But somehow, there’s zero waist gap - just total smoothness.
Finally, you’ll look in the mirror and marvel at how your butt/tum/thighs/hips are all set perfectly in place and suddenly it all culminates in that weird, weepy moment where you feel the long-awaited joy of loving how you look (and feel) in your jeans.
We love them in most of the colors they come in and both lengths (they also come in ankle), but this sort of distressed black is perfect, perfect, perfect.
Here’s the part where we tell you they are not $50 jeans (If you’re looking for that, we recommend THESE which are very, very good). But for a lifetime pair of flawless jeans you will want to wear every single time you care about looking good, we think they’re worth the one-time splurge.
And you can also use our code CANDIDLY15 to get 15% off. Not sponsored - Paige just knows how obsessed we are with them.
Price: $249
3. The White Tee
We won’t bore you with words. We all get that there are good tees and there are bad tees, and the good ones are soft and flattering and effortlessly work with everything. Well, this is one of those. It’s not too long or too square which widens us and can make us look a little slobbish. This one sits perfectly when it’s not tucked, but is still long enough to tuck, and there isn’t all this extra fabric at the bottom. Take a look:
It’s whispery which makes it look luxe but it’s not one of those $90 tees, so you can get it in more than just white. But white is naturally a necessity.
Price: $39
4. The Blazer
Aritzia Babaton Standout Blazer
We never know which black blazer to buy. Half of them either make us look like linebackers or make it so we can’t move our arms and therefore hate our lives when we wear them. Plus, let’s be honest, when not perfectly tailored, a blazer can be pretty boring. But when it is cut correctly, it’s a huge, effortless hack for looking chic. Over a white tee and jeans - chic! Over long skirts and dresses where no other piece of outerwear makes sense - chic! This one is such magic. Just look at the waist cinch:
It’s so popular, you often have to preorder, but as your best blazer for life, it’s worth the wait.
Price: $248
5. The Pencil Skirt
J.Crew Pencil Midi Skirt In Four-Season Stretch
FINALLY … a pencil skirt that is the right shape, the right length, and that has loads of stretch. Of course, it’s from J.Crew, which has found a way to make classic pieces with expensive-looking fabrics comfortable and stretttttchy, and therefore, wearable on real women with real curves (note the incredible size range). It comes in 4 colors, 3 of which we worry very much will sell out before we get them all.
Price: $148
6. The Tall Black Boots
Vivaia Abby Pointed-Toe Knee-High Heel Boots
Perhaps you’re getting sick of us saying this is the best this and most magnifcent that but A) that’s the whole point of this article and B) it’s about to get a lot worse. Because THESE boots are the best, most magnificent, most unusual, tall, black boots we have encountered in our 4-plus decades of life. The comfort is on par with a tennis shoe - in a skinny-heeled boot, you guys. The material is stretchy and breathable and will make your dream of wearing elegant, striking, black boots on the daily because they’re so comfortable a reality. And we do not do foot pain. At all.
Price: $199
7. The Cashmere Sweater
Quince Lightweight Mongolian Cashmere Boatneck Sweater
We could honestly have shown you 15 different cashmere sweaters from Quince that fit the bill for this category: v-neck, crewneck, turtleneck, polo, ribbed, batwing. They’re all excellent and the prices are insanely low for real Mongolian cashmere. But we went for boatneck, because it’s alluring and chic and never ever goes out of style. We sloppily tuck it into our drapiest pants and relaxed jeans, and oops, we suddenly look very “quiet luxury.” And if we want to show a little peek of shoulder, we can do that, too.
Again, the colors are superb. We have our eye on sapphire and minimal pink next. Thoughts?
Price: $80
8. The Work Pant
Aritzia Babaton Agency Pant - (Re)ssential
It’s hard not to be bored by shopping for a work pant. But this one is exciting, because for starters the fit is just very, very good. They look like the kind of pants that cost a lot to begin with but then you paid extra to have them tailored just for you. The cut doesn’t add an ounce of bulk to your hips or belly, and they drape in a way that makes every length of leg look longer. The color and print selection is exceptional (Aritzia has this down). And for the first time in our lives, we’re excited to wear a work pant. Though we also wear it with a sleek tuxedo blazer to dress up fancy and with any of our “going-out tops” for a night out.
Price: $148
9. The Belt
Favorite Daughter The Jordan Belt
Ok, listen up. This belt is good. Very good. It makes all our whatever, neutral clothes instantly turn into actual looks. But we shouldn’t go on, because it sells out in a flash. As of this moment, it is in stock, so if they have your size, be quick.
Here is one of us wearing it with #2 on this list. Seriously, we live in these clothes … when we’re not in house clothes that is.
Price: $98
10. The Warm Coat
Aritzia Wilfred The Only Coat - Wool Cashmere
You know that coat you connect with and keep for life because it fees like a warm hug but also makes you look undyingly chic and luxurious? The coat your gorj granny would have worn and certainly that you’ll hand down to your own child. The one where you find old ticket stubs and lip balms and leather gloves in the pockets and it all just stirs up winter music and snowy sidewalks and coffee shop hugs and sad-but-good breakups and crackly fires and fir trees? Well, this is that coat. And while it isn’t cheap (it’s wool cashmere after all), it is far from the $1000 many coats of this quality cost. We own the camel. We debate every year about whether to get it in black as well. Is this the year?
Price: $350
11. The White Sneaks
In fairness, we could spend a lifetime collecting different color combinations of sneakers. But that one elegant, little, white sneak that we can wear with everything in every season. That works with every length of jeans. That replaces ballet flats with dresses. We only need one flawless pair. And this is our top choice. Every time we saw a woman in this shoe, we wanted it. And when we finally got ours, we couldn’t understand why we didn’t do it sooner.
Oh, and Soludos gave us a code. Whee! Use THECANDIDLY20 for 20% off.
Price: $139
12. The Striped tee
J. Crew Classic Mariner Cloth Boatneck T-Shirt
Oh look! Another thing we never ever ever shut up about on this site. A striped, boatneck tee (or marinière, as the French say) is just chicness itself. An outift by itself. It defies trends, never goes out of style, and year after year J.Crew makes this incredible one, which is absurdly on sale at this moment.
Truth be told, we like the cropped version even better because it makes our waists look smaller and legs look longer and we don’t have to bother tucking it. Take a look.
Price: $24.50 for the original, $15 for the cropped (on sale!!)
13. The Little Black dress
Modern Citizen Fei Tie-Front Organic Cotton Dress
Dresses are impossibly hard. Modern Citizen makes shapes that look incredible on curves, and this one tops our list because it isn’t a sack but it skims the belly, hips and butt. So we get that feeling of being in something fitted and flattering without feeling the urge to suck in all night. Also it works for every occasion while feeling like a sleep shirt.
Price: $138
14. The Pump
This is one you just have to look at to appreciate. There are no notes to give looks-wise. But what sets this shoe apart to us ladies with tired, old feet is that M.Gemi puts comfort above all else. Their pump is handmade in Italy with a padded insole and gorgeous leathers, so it’s one we’ll keep forever and actually wear because there’s zero foot pain involved.
Price: $328
15. The Silky Maxi Skirt
Anthropologie The Tilda Maxi Slip Skirt
We spoke of how effin’ hard it is to find a dress that fits well. The solution? A long, slip skirt. Think about it. You can wear it with any flattering top. Fitted. Strapless. A big, baggy button-down, and boom, you are elegant, smart, a fashion genius. This skirt is our biggest hack for dressing up while being cozy. I mean the waist is elastic.
Here’s one of us wearing it straight out of the box, so please imagine it pressed, but the shape is so smooth and flattering.
Comes in every color you could want. Also plus and petite. Not to mention, there’s a midi version if you’re wanting something more daytime.
Price: $98
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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