The Pieces I Keep Recommending to Clients
This week’s shopping list
What I see most in my styling sessions isn’t a lack of clothes. It’s a lack of the pieces that make everything click.
When an outfit feels flat, we rarely start over. We insert or swap one thing to shift proportion or color and suddenly it feels finished. Small shifts make a huge difference. I should tattoo that on my arm.
The pieces below are the ones I’ve been eyeing or adding to client carts after sessions. This isn’t an essentials list. These are the expanders, pieces that make your basics feel new again.
A few heavy hitters my clients have been loving lately:
Great belt
Structured jacket
Refined flat
Oversized button-down
Versatile bag
What I’m recommending on repeat to clients
I don’t have one single “best” button-down. I love the gamut: boyfriend fits, a classic fitted version (this one is interesting), oversized options and many of my clients love the TWP cropped versions, depending on the mood. The only detail I try to avoid is a double chest pocket. It leans too Western for me and adds too much width through the chest, which makes me look at nothing else.
I’m also particular about the tone of blue. My favorite is a deeper, denim-like blue (like this), but I dont mind a French blue either. The one I tend to skip is a baby blue stripe, It reads a little too sweet for my taste.
Beads do so much. They add whimsy, soften serious pieces, and can bring color and personality by just grabbing and clasping. They make the plainest outfit feel styled.
A strand of beads works with almost everything and balances other personality pieces really well. It’s the friend to a louder item so it doesn’t feel out of place.
And sunglasses are the lowest lift way to take a risk (especially if the price is right). A fun pair can bring so much joy to an outfit and add color when everything else feels gray and cold.
A lot of my clients don’t actually need more everyday bags. They’re missing a flexible “going out” option that doesn’t feel overly formal.
A clutch shifts the proportion right away. If the look is tailored, it keeps it from feeling corporate. It’s the missing category for a lot of people of polished, but not precious.
Not everyone is a blazer person, but these are easy layers to add to make an outfit look put together without much effort:
A classic blazer, in black or a timeless herringbone, is something you won’t get sick of. It adds structure to softer looks and pulls things together quickly.
A slightly more fitted jacket that can act as a top is another reliable piece. Higher break points naturally define the waist, and many blazers can be wrapped or belted for the same effect.
A cropped jacket isn’t essential, but it’s one of my favorite ways to let a longer longer layer hang out underneath.
I wrote about my love for a studded shoe almost a year ago and that love will never die. every season brands come out with new versions and I love seeking out my favs.
A black fitted turtleneck is a true staple. Instead of a tee under your button-down, definitely test out a turtleneck. It makes it feel cleaner and more directional. It’s also a chic going out top on its own, with a mini skirt and tights and a great boot.
Slips I find to be impressively versatile. Not just as dresses, but layered under a sweater or blazer for an unexpected hit of texture. I’m fully riding for the longer layer underneath, but they also stand on their own.
That fringe tee I am nothing without. It adds texture and movement without feeling loud.
the elements that makes the above work: The feminine fringe softens it. The parka over the blazer relaxes it. The burgundy shoe is unexpected and lady bag adds weight and hardware. And that coat guys! I don’t know if everyone has been gatekeeping it or if I’m late to the party but if I lived somewhere cold I would have owned it yesterday.
There’s something about a jewel tone against worn-in denim that feels so right. The look plays with brown and blue in different shades and fabrics so it feels layered and considered. I talked about how the blue and brown naturally tend to look great together because of the pigskin top stitching. Layer the buttondown under the zip up. Then the jacket on top.
I mean I can’t get enough of this coat. I love the pop of red and tawny details that the shoe picks up from the fur.
It feels unexpected, even borderline tacky in the best way. The mix of casual and refined elements all happening at once is what makes it work.
I generally love this Roger Vivier slingback, it does what a ballet flat does but with a heel, so you get that same ease with a little more height. I’m a big slingback person (you see me in my Tabi slingbacks all the time) because there’s no ankle strap. An ankle strap cuts off your leg and with someone who has shorter legs it makes me look stumpy. A slingback elongates.
I love the idea of this green denim instead of a jean. Green and blue always looks good together. And at this point, hopefully we’re all comfortable calling burgundy a neutral. If not, Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style proves it here.
I’ve noticed these kinds of pieces shift how my clients get dressed. They slip in and things come together faster, with less overthinking. That’s usually the difference.
The basics are already there. These are just the pieces that give them dimension and give them new life. It never needs to be more complicated than that.
Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm if youre living in the middle of a snow globe.
xx Kelly
If this resonated, tapping the heart and leaving a comment goes a long way in helping it find the right people.
Just the inspo I needed to finally pull the trigger on a beaded necklace! Such good looks!
Love the outfit combos but super bummed to see fur at prices WAY too low to be anything but fast fashion and inhumane.