I Tried On the 20 Best Basics at Nordstrom—These Are the Ones I Bought

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a big fan of dressing rooms. The lighting is horrendous, I overheat, and the pressure of the store attendant asking me for the fifth time if "everything is fitting okay" is enough to make me swear off the experience altogether. That's why when I volunteered to hop on the 1 train all the way up to Nordstrom's new store in Columbus Circle to try on a whole bunch of separates, even I was confused.

However, suffice it to say, no one overheated, the clothes were cute, and I was only mildly stressed out after the whole thing was over. More to the point, the purpose of this endeavor was to unearth the best basics at Nordstrom right now. Because it's almost the New Year, it's a glorious time to take inventory of what essentials your closet is lacking so you can start 2020 on the right foot.

Ahead, see my dressing room snaps of 20 standout basics I can vouch for, and if any of them could be of use in your own life, add to cart.

This turtleneck was wildly soft, flattering, and the perfect amount of oversize. The jeans? Can't beat the Wedgie fit by Levi's—truly.

I have way too many basic button-down shirts, which is why I went for this ruffled iteration instead. It looked quite cute with these wide-leg slacks as well.

Remember the turtleneck and plaid trousers from before? Toss this Levi's jacket on top, and you've got a cool, casual look you'll wear all the darn time.

Anyone who spends time with me knows how much I Iove wearing white-on-white. This green jacket helps translate the aesthetic to colder weather.

When I saw this fleece, I made an audible "eep!" sound because it's so cozy but also feels polished. I'll be wearing it with a striped tee and camel-colored trousers.

Confession: I didn't buy this coat, because I still haven't bought my mom a Christmas present, and it's just not in the budget. But if you can swing it, buy it. It's beautiful and made even this simple tee-and-jeans combination look incredibly chic. Plus, it's really comfortable.

Not sure if you need another black T-shirt, but if you do, make it this bad boy right here.

The winter version of a perfect little black dress. I like how this one has buttons up the neck plus slits and a removable waist tie. Versatility, folks.

As I mentioned before, I wear white year-round, and these stiff corduroy pants are the perfect wintry approach to the light hue. A soft sweater swung around the shoulders is one of my go-to styling tricks—steal it for yourself.

I didn't expect to love this sweater as much as I did. It's not scratchy, the color is very pretty, and it drapes my body nicely. Also, it's under $100.

Up next: This editor tried on the best party buys from Zara to Gucci. Which ones are your favorites?