I am someone who loves having fun with how I dress. I think it is just as important to have staples like formal wear, casual clothes, and versatile pieces as well as fun accessories.
I believe it is also important to try and balance where you get your clothes from. Personally, I think that thrifting, buying fast fashion, and sustainable pieces are the best combinations to avoid overconsumption and wastefulness. As a teenager with limited funds, I think it’s almost improbable to buy sustainably or name brand every time, especially because many think sustainability is synonymous with expensive which it typically is.
So I went through my closet to create a curated list of my overall favorite pieces and accessories that I’ve accumulated over the last few years.
The first category is name brand and sustainable pieces. The cardigan is from a sustainable Colombian fashion brand A Lot Studio. They collaborated with local artist Angelica Tcherassi based on her “I Am Into You” painting collection. I ordered the “Into You 02” cardigan. You can buy the vest version from Precis.
The next is the All Over Eyes T-Shirt by Vivienne Westwood. She is one of my all-time favorite designers and I bought the piece a few days after her death in December 2022. It’s made of sustainably grown organic cotton that doesn’t utilize methods that pollute the area. YOOX has this piece on sale.
Next up is second-hand pieces and this honestly might be my favorite. These are more unique and make up many of my staple apparel.
This Emma James by Liz Claiborne Turtleneck is probably one of my favorite articles of clothing ever. It’s a bit weighted without being too thick and heavy; the short sleeve also allows for some reprieve if this is worn in warmer weather.
The next is an Avenue orange sweater. It has a short layer to make it seem like there’s a shirt underneath and it’s honestly great. It’s comfortable and a bit baggy and I don’t have to worry about wearing a layer under a sweater.
My last thrift piece is a bright chartreuse green Sherry Taylor zip-up. It’s great if I want to add a bit of color to a simpler outfit and need to warm up as well. It’s a bit thin but that’s great for Florida.
The final category is jewelry. I don’t wear too much jewelry, I like having just a few pieces that I can pair with almost anything instead. I’ll start with the name brands and go into my very last piece, a delicate necklace I got from a local thrift store.
My favorite necklace, and has been for years, is this Kate Spade rose gold necklace. It’s an effortless accessory but I think the beauty lies in its bashfulness. You can buy it from Exact Luxury here.
The next pieces are actually very new to me. I bought them for my 18th birthday. They’re by French Jewelry designer Justine Clenquet. You can buy them here.
My very last accessory is this gorgeous and fragile necklace. It’s extremely subtle and dainty but it was worth putting on this list.
These pieces are some of my absolute favorites from my closet and while they may not be my “simple” everyday apparel, they’re extremely important to my wardrobe. Thanks for reading and let me know if you liked my favorites too!
