If You Buy These 16 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 Classic Denim Jacket
J.Crew New Classic Denim Jacket*
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 we write about and write about and write about, and you might be sick of it, but you will never ever get sick of owning this jacket.
Price: $79.50
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
* Gifted product
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: $145
* 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 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: $168
6. The Chicest Boots 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 leather boots are the most comfortable and stunning tall boots in existence. We wear them with skirts and jeans and dresses, and every single look is 10X more elegant and “quiet luxury.”
However…
No boots are worth anything to us if we won’t actually wear them, and we won’t wear any boots that aren’t comfortable on a sneaker level. This is where Beek is worlds above the rest. Their boots are made with buttery leather, a stable heel, and molded arch support that means we can walk miles and feel nothing. They’re definitely not the budget boots you get on DSW, but the cost per wear after your first fall/winter with these boots will already be dwindling. And since we plan to wear them forever, we feel strongly these are the boots to splurge on.
And you can use the code CANDIDLY10 for 10% off.
Price: $475
* Gifted product
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 minimal pink next. Thoughts?
Price: $80
* Gifted product
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
* Gifted product
10. 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
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
* Gifted product
12. 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. Can be customized with complementary embroidery. Send to loved ones who ask what you want as a gift with your initials accordingly.
Price: $100
13. 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
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: $378
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.
Price: $73.50
16. The Leather Jacket
If you are like us and have been searching your whole life for the single best-fitting, lifetime leather jacket before you pour your money into one, then this Sézane jacket might bring you the kind of joy it did us. It isn’t puffy or bulky or shiny or overly fussy. It’s clean, it’s cropped enough to make our waists look whittled and our legs look long. Yes, it’s an investment, but it is THE ONE we will rely on over and over to make us look elevated and edgy and luxe until the end of our days, so it is deeply worth it.
Price: $500
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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