12 Strangely Useful New Fashion Obsessions

First off – this is NOT a post about cute outfits, no, it’s a post about certain things that I’ve purchased lately that I’ve found VERY, VERY useful to wear. So useful, in fact that I have told everyone I know and feel the need to tell you. So from one girlfriend to another, here are some strangely useful new obsessions of mine. Some are boring (but SO necessary) and some are just plain awesome.

1. Navy Light Down Jacket This folds up into a bag the size of your fist, weighs zero pounds and yet is so very very warm and cozy. I’ve been wearing it every day and I know that it’s frumpy but it’s also so easy and light. When I went to the flea market the other day at 6am I was freezing but I didn’t want to have to slug around a huge cardigan amongst my other wares once it got warm. This guy was so perfect. Light and so functional. It’s $70 which I don’t think is too bad, either.

2. Charcoal Slip On Sneaker I’ve developed a serious obsession with all things Dr. Scholls. I’m not sure if they rebranded or not but stop spending $200 on Vince sneakers, folks, because these guys are so comfortable, so stylish, so affordable and they give you at least an 1 1/2″ of height. I have 3 pairs of their shoes and will continue to buy more (sometimes they are on sale for $50 and they are real leather).

3. Crop workout Leggings  Every time I wear these, which is every time I work out, people think I’ve lost weight. It’s just the pants. They hold you in far more than any of my plethora of Athletic brand workout pants. I wear them for yoga, running, and around the house. They don’t cut in at your waist nor roll down and let your tummy fall out. They are wonderful.

4. Black Leather Carry All Tote We all have good totes that are lovely to look at, but I often find their proportions wrong for either over the shoulder or cross-body. This one, by a very lovely couple who started Parker Clay, fits perfectly on my shoulder without me having to struggle to get it up there, and is big enough to store my laptop sideways, but not so huge that you can still wear it for dinner. It’s the perfect size, shape and color.

5. Olive Fedora I’ve owned a lot of fedoras in the last couple years. Some of them WAY too expensive and some of them affordable, but those lose shape immediately. This one is my every day fedora, which a couple of my friends have, too because it’s so great. It looks good with everything, it doesn’t lose its shape, and while it’s not cheap, I think that $80 for a good high quality hat is a decent price.

6. Khaki Short Trench Coat  Not sure if you heard but LA turned into Seattle this year and many of us were totally unprepared. This is the one thing that I didn’t buy, only because I bought #9 instead and it was expensive, but I wanted to give you an alternative for a great rain coat that I love, for every day purposes.

7. Jeans I was part of the generation where jeans went from being $50 to $250. Remember when 7 for All Mankind came onto the scene and all of a sudden we were told that in order to get good jeans that made your butt look good you had to drop serious cash? Well, I have done that and while some are totally worth it (I LOVE Frame and J brand) I have found myself a snob for jeans that aren’t from a denim company. But as you know I go to Target A LOT and I tried these guys on was shocked at how wonderful they are. They are SO VERY VERY GOOD. I wear them all the time, they are super flattering, comfortable (they don’t cut in at my waist) and they stretch out as much as fancy jeans – you have to wash them like every 3 wears. Not bad for $28. They are actually my go-to jean of choice right now.

8. Carmel Mule I haven’t received these yet in the mail – they are new, but man do they look like a way more comfortable, way cheaper Rachel Comey Clogs. But listen, you are talking to the girl that literally got married in Aerosoles (they were nude leather and so god damn comfortable). When is Dr. Scholls going to hire me as their spokesperson??

9. Navy Raincoat On day 19 of the LA rains I realized that maybe this is just the new Southern California, and maybe I need to buck up and prep for it like a responsible adult. My friend, Suzanne, had this coat and convinced me of it. As a fellow Pacific North-Westerner she knows rain, she dislikes umbrellas (me too), and she told me that while it’s an investment, it is the only raincoat you’ll ever need for the rest of your life. That’s compelling. Up until this point I haven’t had a rain coat because I was promised sun in exchange for insanely high cost of living. But no sun, just rain, so I need to either move back to Portland or get myself a rain coat. Done. GAH I just saw this Pale Pink One!!! I stuck with the navy just because if it’s going to be my lifetime raincoat I want it to be timeless, but man that pink one is cute.

10. Rain Boots Most of what I said up there is true for these, too. What I love about these is that they are super light, not huge and still classic (and affordable).

11. Black Clog What, my sloggers? This was the first of four of these things that my friend convinced me to buy. These are the perfect backyard slip-ons and no, they aren’t crocs. If you need to ‘let the dog out’ or ever walk the dog on a quick short one, these are worth the $25. Brian even bought some. We leave them by the back door and slip the on and off all day long.

12. Madewell Jeans: Both of my best friends in LA SWORE by these jeans, all ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants’ style. So I tried them on and indeed they are absolutely essential. Are they the most flattering pants i’ve ever worn? No, but they are pretty darn flattering for how comfortable they are. They have a higher waist that says, ‘I don’t have a 2-baby pooch,’ plus they have that frayed crop bottom that says, ‘I can still hang with the millenials.’ Stretchy and comfy with an edge. See? An everyday pant.

Other things you may have seen here that I didn’t include in the essential list because they are too expensive and more fashion-y than ‘essentials are: 1. Rachel Comey booties, 2. The Great Khaki swing jacket and that navy wool baseball cap – which I can’t find online. Sorry!

So ladies, please dish … what are your secretly kinda boring but essential fashion purchases that we should all have???