These 9 Pieces You Throw On As An Afterthought Will Make Your Boring Outfits Look 5x More Expensive
Cha-cha-chic!
by The Candidly Team
Despite our Pinterest-board intentions, most days we find ourselves in some version of a t-shirt and jeans. Ok, maaaaybe black pants. But always neutral colors. You get the idea.
We basic.
But mostly we’re just busy. And lazy. And we don’t want to have to think about how to look good. We just want it to magically happen for us.
We realized there are 9 things in our closet that pretty much make this magic happen for us daily. If we throw any of them on over whatever lukewarm outfit we’re wearing, we suddenly look 5x chicer. 5x more luxe. And like we spent 5x more effort (*cough* money) on our clothes.
ln addition to being gorgeous, each of these pieces are flattering and comfortable (our criteria as over-40 women who are done squeezing and stuffing ourselves into stiff, scratchy clothes to look good).
Ok, enough build up. Here they are:
1. The Leather Jacket
Quince 100% Leather Cropped Zip-Front Jacket*
Right, so finding a genuine leather jacket with that classic, waist-nipping cut for $225 was already a win. But the real value of this one is that every time we grab it off the hook on our way out the door, we look like we spent actual time putting together our entire outfit. It gives us a great silhouette whether it’s over dresses or jeans or literal leggings. The leather is soft and luxurious and the crop is extremely flattering. It actually makes our legs look longer and gives more of a cooler, cleaner effect.
Price: $225
2. The Best-Ever Black Belt
Favorite Daughter The Jordan Belt*
It’s wild how many people ask us about this belt when we wear it out. We honestly can’t believe the difference it’s made to all our otherwise forgettable outfits. Our tees and jeans look styled, our all-black ensembles look couture. Needless to say, it is the most worthy purchase we’ve made this year
And you can use the code THECANDIDLY15 to get 15% off.
Price: $118
3. The Tall Suede Boot
First and foremost, they are comfortable. Ok, so now we can marvel at their beauty. Everything comes off more sophisticated, more luxurious, more styled when you pair it with a sleek, suede, HEELED boot.
* Gifted
And these are the ones we’ll be wearing all of fall and winter.
Price: $250
4. The Perfect Pleated Skirt
This skirt checks every single box we have for a skirt (and we have many). The fit has just the right amount of fulness to not feel skintight but to also not add an ounce of bulk to hips and thighs. The waist is elastic so we don’t feel suffocated, and everything falls smoothly over our tum. Finally, the pleating swirls in the most mesmerizing way when we move across the room. It comes in so many colors we either own or want. And anytime we pluck it out of our closet instead of yet another pair of black pants, we know our work is done. We’re ready for any occasion and look our very best.
Price: $150
5. The Luxe Saddle Bag
Quince Italian Suede Saddle Bag*
One of the things that makes this bag so “quiet luxury” is its softness of the suede. Because it’s crossbody it becomes part of your outfit. It also comes in the most gorgeous colors, all which match/ elevate everything you wear.
Price: $90
6. The Minimalist Diamond Earrings
Quince 14K Gold Pave Diamond Medium Hoops*
Quince makes gorgeous and more modestly priced minimalist pieces made from solid gold and real diamonds. These are the everyday earrings that make you pretty much stop wearing any other earrings. They have that understated sparkle that feels like us … a little bit modern with a strong bend toward classic … but they also leave us feeling about 8x more elegant than we typically feel in our lounge sets and chaotic top knots.
Price: $300
7. The Chic Vest That’s Also Your Best Shirt
Madewell Scoopneck Cutaway Vest in Drapey Twill*
Flattering doesn’t begin to describe. Yes, it fits like we had it tailored just for us. Yet, it makes our entire look fall into the category of “quiet luxury.” But that neckline. THAT is the clencher. It makes our shoulders look less broad, our chests look more finely framed, and our waists look whittled. We own it in white linen* but black* is next on our list.
* Gifted
Price: $90
8. The “Nice” Black Jeans
Paige Anessa 31" Wide Leg Jean*
This is the only brand we will splurge on for jeans. And it’s pretty much because of this particular style. We’ve long raved about the ankle length which we wrote an entire article about they’re so miraculous on curves, but the long version, in this sort of washed out black is just so incredibly chic and serious and cool (if we can use an uncool word here). Just the perfect pair of dark jeans. Trust us, your search will end here.
* Gifted
And you can use our code CANDIDLY15 to get 15% off.
Price: $249
9. The Most Gorgeous Heels You’ll Ever Wear That Are also Orthopedically Comfortable
We will not do foot pain. Not at all. So when we tell you these are the most comfortable heeled sandals we’ve tried in the last 15 years of being extraordinarily picky about heels, we feel like our word carries some weight. We wear these with all our fancy outfits (we actually find it hard to reach for anything else) but we also feel free to strap them on with long jeans and drapey pants, and we happily stomp around in them all day long because this is the kind of comfort we’re dealing with here.
* Gifted
It’s shocking to us to be able to get the height and lift and beautiful look of a heel again without feeling we have to suffer. A dream really. If you’re anticipating lots of holiday parties or events in the coming months, this may be time to make your move and try Margaux.
Price: $300
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.
We have to eat.
