My Ten Favorite Winter Clothing Items {The Things I Wear the Most}

 

Are you watching the Marie Kondo show on Netflix, Tidying Up? I binge watched the first few episodes, I love how cute and upbeat she is no matter how big the mess is!  It is interesting to see how her “tidying up” process works, if you haven’t checked the show out you might enjoy it too.  I’ll admit that after watching the show and seeing the large amounts of clothing that some of the people owned, it made me start thinking about what was in my own closet.

 

While I don’t think I have a crazy huge wardrobe, I am guilty of having those “go-to” pieces I wear all the time, then I have a whole bunch of other stuff that just sits on the shelves. I have heard that is typical, that most people wear about 20% of our clothing or something like that. I believe it! That made me start thinking about what were the best pieces I owned, the ones I actually wore all the time. I thought I’d share them today instead of our usual Friday Sale Favorites (we’ll be back with those soon if you are missing them).  This is a winter list, but maybe I’ll do a summer one if this is helpful.

These are the things I grab when I don’t want to think, the things that are the most comfortable, flattering (in my opinion) and feel the best on.  Everyone’s situation is very different, but I am a work at home mom of three, so I typically get to dress comfortably during the day. I do get dressed every day and try to follow my own rule of ‘no athleisure wear unless I have actually worked out’. If I do go out straight from exercising, I try to wear something decent on top of it like this style shirt or this pullover which have been my go-to’s this winter as I try to be better about actually working out! (See my January hustle post about health here)

Here we go, these are my very favorites that came right to mind. I did have to take a few items off my list that were no longer available, sadly. I had about 15 items on my list originally but narrowed it down to 10.

1). Zella Live-In High Waist Leggings

 

I have raved about these about 1000 times before but I love these high waist leggings. I knew they would be my #1. I wear these leggings to work out in, but I also wear them around as regular leggings. They are seamless so they don’t look like gym clothes if paired with a sweater or a longer shirt, and they are so nice and warm. I would guess these are among my top three most worn items I own.

 

2). Jeans

Of course, like most people, my go-to for everyday wear is a pair of jeans. In the winter I throw them on with boots and a sweater and am good to go most days. I most often wear the Articles of Society skinny jean. I buy a new pair about once every year and love the quality of this brand, not to mention they are a great price, especially when they are on sale, and these are. They hold up well, for as much as I wear them I find I need to replace them about every year to year and a half which is a good run in my book. I think these jeans fit nicely, and they have a good amount of stretch so they are really comfortable too.

 

3). Barefoot Dreams Cardigan

 

My husband tells me I am like Mr. Rogers because when I come home I immediately change into a cardigan just like he did (and slippers ?). It’s always the same cardigan, my Barefoot Dreams Cardigan because it’s so comfortable, warm and easy to wear. I also put it on most mornings when I first get up, so this probably should be my number 1 item but I actually don’t ever wear it out of the house (I don’t see why you couldn’t though?).  It washes beautifully too, I just put it in the gentle cycle on cold and hang it to dry.

 

Zella Leggings |   Barefoot Dreams Cardigan   |   White V-neck Tee  | Adidas Superstars

 

4).  Quilted Vest

I have gotten so much wear out of this quilted vest I could probably use it in a few other colors too!

5) Black & White Striped Shirt 

The shirt I wear is shown under the vest photo above, I wear it all the time. Mine is actually a few years old, so I linked this year’s version though unfortunately it is almost sold out. I wear this shirt under a vest, or under sweaters, and often over leggings because it is so versatile (and nice and long in the back). Here is another option that looks similar.

 

6) Black Jegging Style Pants

I don’t know exactly what to call these, mine came from Stitch Fix several years ago, but I have worn this style black pants more times than I can count. They are designed like jeans but made of thick stretchy material (like leggings) so I’ll stick with “jeggings” though they seem to be one step up from a pair of jeans. I’d wear these to a party or out to dinner when I need something dressier than jeans.   I plan to invest in this pair of black pants soon, they look to have a similar fit.

 

7. Long Cardigan

Similar Booties  |   Jeans   |   Similar Cardigan  |  V Neck Tee  | Purse

This outfit is another one of my favorites, this is one I find myself reaching for if I have a day of shopping or lunch with friends. I like that it is comfortable but still looks fairly stylish. Here are my go-to jeans, along with these booties that have been one of my best buys in recent years. I pair a comfortable long cardigan (this one is similar) with the booties (more on those at the end) along with a simple white tee.

8) White V Neck Long Sleeve Tee

I picked up this shirt above during a Target run this fall and it has quickly become my favorite to wear under a cardigan. This one has a nice slouchy feel, and while I have to touch it up with my steamer it looks cute tucked or untucked. I also always wear one of these tanks under my clothes (pretty much year round), I own a bunch of them and find they fit the best.

9) Turtleneck Style Sweaters

I ordered several of this turtleneck style sweater this year (mostly because they are warm!), some have sold out already sadly but this one is still available. I get compliments every time I wear this one, and nobody can believe where I got it. It’s warm and very soft, I found it to be true to size. I’m considering adding the white to my collection, I am wearing the beige (which isn’t available for shipping, unfortunately) but several of the other colors are.

 

10. White Puffer Vest

Again, I got this a year or so ago so I linked a similar one but I throw this on over sweaters all the time (see it above). Puffer vests are affordable and easy to wear, I have gotten so much use out of this vest (we did a whole post on vests last fall you can see it here). You can also find a white one here. 

Those are my go-to wardrobe items but before I go I thought I’d quickly mention the shoes/boots I wear the most too.

Tory Burch Riding Boots

I wear these almost every day. I know mine are looking a little worn (I should polish them, they’d look better) but seriously, my Tory riding boots are four years old. Even though they were expensive, with cost per wear they may be the best value in my closet. I am sure I can get many more years out of them, probably one of my best investments ever.

Old Navy Boots

I love my gray Old Navy boots (shown with the cardigan above) so much that I added this black pair this year and they are so comfortable. They hold up great and coming in at under $30 during a sale these are a great wardrobe addition. I throw on these booties all the time. I have had this pair for several years but they are still the ones I reach for over and over.

Adidas Superstars

OK, so I love it when my teenage kids’ friends tell me I am a cool mom when I wear these shoes (it actually has happened 🙂 ).  Not only are they comfortable they look great with really casual outfits. So maybe there isn’t much of a difference in wearing these and wearing running shoes, but they seem to be a little more fun. I wear these when I have a really busy day of errands and have lots of running around to do, as they are so comfortable.

That is my top ten, plus three! I hope this is helpful, after writing this up it helps me be more mindful of what I really need when I shop. What are your go-to items this winter? I’d love to hear.

XO,

 

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