Despite the very limited amount of square footage in my SoHo studio apartment, I have a terrible tendency to hold on to clothing, shoes, accessories, and handbags that I never wear. Years will go by of me not even seeing a garment or purse, and still, when I do lay eyes on it again, I get attached, so much so that I hold on to it for another long stretch of time. But this year, I'm determined to be different, and instead of holding on to things that never get wear or feel stale in my closet, I'm dropping the dead weight.
First stop: former wardrobe staples, aka the hardest items for me to get rid of. To hold myself accountable, I went ahead and outlined my closet-purge process below, pinpointing the nine outdated staples that I never wear anymore and the fresher-feeling alternatives I'm replacing them with. (Who needs space to live? Not me.) Scroll down to find out what I'm sending straight to Crossroads this month and what I'm ushering in.
Though distressed denim certainly has a place in my wardrobe, I don't need four different pairs that, to the untrained eye, look like carbon copies of each other. That's why I'm preparing to donate three of the four styles to make room for a more sophisticated and universally wearable jeans style that I know I'll wear far more: dark-wash denim. Paired with other basics or alongside a bold jacket or sweater, the grown-up jeans option is the perfect staple for the season ahead.
Shop dark-wash jeans:
They're not called perfect for no reason.
This tapered fit is so elegant and chic.
Zara has some of the best jeans on the market, just saying.
There was a time when I wanted to wear a chain belt with everything, looped into jeans, on top of a midi dress, or bare on my waist like a belly chain. But now that the Y2K craze has died down a bit, so too has my desire to accessorize my waist with such an impractical item. Instead, I'm leaning into classic belts for the remainder of winter as well as spring, looking for styles that have subtly stylish touches like an interesting colorway or oblong buckle.
Shop classic belts:
If you said that this belt was from a heritage designer brand and cost $500+, I'd believe you. No questions asked.
I'm buying one in every color. (There's a purple style as well.)
This belt lives rent-free in my brain. The studded look is 1000% happening, and I'm here for it.
Whereas oversize, well, everything dominated our wardrobes for the last three years, I'm now calling the end of the shapeless silhouette. In the place of all those baggy coats, blazers, and vests, at least in my wardrobe, will be hyper-tailored, almost hourglass-looking pieces that show off my waist instead of camouflaging it.
Shop fitted tailoring:
This longline, almost '80s-esque vest won't be in stock come March—guaranteed.
I've got my eye on you.
I've had this vest in my cart for what feels like months, but today, for some reason, it feels kismet that I finally make it mine.
Knitwear isn't something I like to think of as outdated ever. Getting rid of it feels wrong to me, especially if it's soft and comfortable. I will, however, store away a style that's taking up too much space in my eye line to make room for one that feels more wearable at that moment. Such is the case with chunky sweaters, which I'll be safely stowing until next winter, and tissue-thin turtleneck sweaters that create dozens of outfit possibilities when layered correctly.
Shop tissue-thin layering turtlenecks:
Though gorgeous on its own, I'm most excited to wear this turtleneck underneath another sweater or button-down shirt.
I'm such a charcoal fan lately, especially when it's paired with red accessories.
This look is really tugging at my heart strings.
The days of carrying about one tiny "fashion" bag and another canvas tote for all the things that don't fit in said tiny bag are officially in the past. In a far more practical move, I'm investing heavily in XL shopper totes that are just as stylish but fit a whole lot more.
Shop XL totes:
I had to ask my desk neighbor if I was reading this price correctly or simply imagining it. That's how shocked I was that a gorgeous tote like this one costs just $35.
This tobacco-colored tote from Métier is the kind of bag you'll own for decades (or longer). Made of soft yet durable calf leather and done in a shade of brown that'll never go out of style, it's one item that's impossible to regret buying.
*Adds to cart immediately without giving the purchase a second thought.*
One swipe through my Instagram feed, and you'll find visual proof of my newfound obsession with sheer tights. Whereas I always wanted to love and repeatedly wear split-hem leggings, they never seemed to get a ton of use, no matter how many times I put them on. Sheer tights, however, are one of my most frequently worn wardrobe items, styled with skirts, dresses, and even on their own (call me Kendall Jenner).
Shop sheer tights:
Every time I go into Calzedonia in SoHo, I walk out with three pairs of these at the very least.
There's no one in my little black book that I haven't gone on for hours about the strength of Sheertex's tights to.
An easy sell.
For years, the only earrings you'd find me wearing were chunky, gold hoops. I loved them and swore I'd never get tired of them. But shockingly enough, the day has come that I begin craving another bauble to accessorize my lobes day in and day out, and the particular style on the job is the oblong drop earrings, from brands like Jenny Bird and Cult Gaia.
Shop oblong drop earrings:
I'm writing this from NYC's Who What Wear office, and next to me, two of my fellow editors are wearing these earrings, as am I.
My co-worker Anna LaPlaca wore these during fashion week, and I've been obsessed ever since.
These swirl earrings have me in a trance.
I've officially outworn my quilted jackets and am currently on a very intensive search for a much fresher-feeling piece of outerwear: a floor-sweeping maxi coat. Luckily, brands like Nanushka and Frame have plenty of drool-worthy options to choose from at a mid-level price point that feels more than worth the quality and style level.
Shop floor-sweeping coats:
Truly floor-length coats like the sort I'm looking for haven't quite hit the lower-price brands yet, but this Topshop, slouch-shoulder option is dangerously close and under $200.
I've legitimately memorized the link to this Frame floor-length trench coat. That's how many times I've typed it in.
Full disclosure, I already own this coat and wear it at least five times a week. It's glorious.
The days of dad sneakers dominating every fashion girl's daytime shoe routine are officially behind us. Though they felt fresh when the style first arrived on the scene, it didn't take long for their chunky silhouette to stale for me. These days, I'm steering more toward simple, old-school sneaker styles like Adidas Sambas and Gazelles.
Shop retro sneakers:
Who knew Mango had such a stellar sneaker selection? Not I.
Finding a pair of Sambas is as hard right now as getting Taylor Swift tickets. And yet, this cool new style is almost fully in stock (and on sale).
This color is taking over my life (in the best way possible).
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