The Essential Buying Guide

While we try to buy as little as possible, we occasionally still indulge. So when we do consume, we try to do it with intention and awareness in order to minimize our footprint.

The intention for our suggestions is that the better essentials you buy, the less of everything else you will need. That is why we believe in buying the right foundation to last multiple seasons and wears, even if the price tag is a little more upfront. Also, with a little online searching, every one of the brands suggested below can be bought used.

Our guide below is WIP (work in progress) as we are perpetually searching for the best essentials.

We welcome any and all questions, suggestions, and thoughts. Please reach out - we love hearing from you!

Category

Strategy

Price range 

(new / old )

The bare minimum 

Suggested Brands

Tees

Splurge; while it may be 'just a tee', these are pieces you will reach for over and over again

~$100 / $50

 

1x Short sleeve white tee

1x Short sleeve black tee

1x Long sleeve white tee

1x Long sleeve black tee


 

AYR - A more casual, long-sleeve boyfriend tee. Check out the stripe style as well

ATM - A nicer, more elevated tee that is not quite a crop but falls right around the waistline

Anine Bing - A true boyfriend look with that effortless oversized feel

Blouses

Save; you can find all the best blouse brands used for a fraction of the price

~$150 / $75 

1x Sleeveless black blouse
2x Long sleeve blouses - (recommend black + color that you feel best in)

Vince - Clean, simple blouses that pair well with many things. Highly recommend buying Vince used, or else the price is hard to justify

Massimo Dutti - A reasonably priced contemporary brand that makes more work-appropriate blouses

Shirts 

(oxford button down)

Save; look to a mid-price brand

~$75 / $50

2x Shirts - (recommend neutral + color that you feel best in)

 

Everlane - Truthfully, I am not a fan of Everlane for most things, but I will credit them with a decent and affordable Oxford button-down

Sweaters 

(cardigans, turtlenecks, crewnecks, and everything in between)

SplurgeAll cashmere pills. Discover the brand that works for you and your style

~$350 / $200

2x Crew and/or V-neck sweater 
- (recommend neutral + color that you feel best in)
1x Cardigan
1x Turtleneck

Toteme: Trigger warning this brand will blow the budget, but check them out for a truly modern and effortless look

All-Saints: They have a few solid sweater options. Make sure to wait until the sweaters go on sale, they always do

Vince: An obvious one, and a go-to for elevated and modern knits. Similar to the blouses, recommend buying this brand used

Everlane: For a more affordable basic option, they have many simple sweater options

Other brands to try - LouLou Studio (great for cardigans), Tricot Paris, Riley Studio (recycled cashmere), Lisa Yang, Baaba