If You Buy These 12 Exact Style Pieces You’ll Basically Never Have To Shop Again
That feeling when the best store in town is your closet.
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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 Cropped Trouser
The Colette Magic Fabric Crop Wide-Leg Pants by Maeve*
It’s such a relief to own a pair of pants you know will look good on you, even when you feel shitty and schlumpy and bloated to the heavens. Pants that have stretch but also a great, chic shape. Pants that magically hold you in and smooth but are still breathable. Welp, these are those pants. They come in more colors than you could possibly buy but sadly will really want to buy. The size range is excellent, which is a blessing cause they’re magic on curves. We write about the A LOT because we believe they just are the ankle pants every woman should own.
And here they are on one of us:
Price: $120
2. The Best Denim Jacket Of All Time
AGOLDE Palmer Jacket (Weightless)*
Our Editor-in-Chief is a jean jacket junkie. She’s tried them all. And this is the one she recommends above all others. It has spacious arm holes and a cropped(ish) length that makes our waists look smaller yet layers over everything. Our lives become a whole lot easier when we own that one effortlessly cool, flawlessly fitting jean jacket that we can just grab and know with certainty we’re going to look our very best. This one is THE one.
Price: $268
3. The White Button-Down
A white button-down is the ultimate elevates-and-goes-with-everything item in our closet. So it’s necessary to own one that fits exactly how we want it. We’ve tried on around 167 button-downs, and we can tell you AYR’s is famous for good reason. You can tuck, untuck, tie, or half tuck haphazardly and always look chic, chic, chic.
Price: $165
* Gifted product
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 Midi Skirt
FINALLY … a midi skirt that is the right shape, the right length, and the right volume. It skims over hips and butts but doesn’t add bulk. Plus, while the front waistline is smooth, the back is smocked, so we can eat a plate of pasta on vacation and not feel squeezed. . It comes in too many colors we want and a stripe* we wrote all about HERE.
Price: $60
6. The Comfiest Strappy Sandals Known To Man
Perhaps you’re getting sick of us saying this is the best this and most magnificent that but A) that’s the whole point of this article and B) it’s about to get a lot worse. Because these sandals are the ones we’ve been waiting for
They have actual cushioning and arch support and make our outfits so much more exciting than when we just lazily succumb to flip flops.
Very important side note: They also make a heel that’s unlike anything we’ve ever worn* in terms of comfort - walk in all day and night without noticing kind of comfort.
Price: $115
* Gifted product
7. Your Most Flattering 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 what they do to ur middle-aged butts. 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 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
8. The effortlessly Chic Tee
Nuuds Vintage Cotton Off The Shoulder T-Shirt*
A classic, flattering white tee is c-r-i-t-i-c-a-l to our capsule wardrobe. But get one with an alluring fit, and poof, your outfits are that much more put-together, styled, perfected. This is our leader for distinct white, everyday tees. But if you want our favorite crewneck, it’s THIS ONE*.
Price: $58
* Gifted product
9. 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: $149
* Gifted product
10. The Striped tee
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 outfit by itself. It defies trends, never goes out of style, and the French brand Sézane might just make the best one around. Sizes up to XXXL.
Price: $105
11. The Wrap 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 year-round. It’s the dress we picture ourselves slipping into it after a loooong day to head out to dinner. It sizes to 1X and, unsurprisingly, we want it in every color.
Price: $168
12. The Bag
We’ve written about this being the best everyday bag, the one worthy of investment. It’s gorgeous and elevated and fits our myriad collection of crap. And the way it drapes across your body makes it PART of the outfit instead of just a sidelined accessory.
Comes in every color and texture you could want. There’s even a petite version for summer.
Price: $495
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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