My 23 Most Enjoyed Fashion Essentials of 2023

#1 – Talbots Tish Chelsea Pebbled Leather Boots

I’ve been wearing Talbots Tish Chelsea pebbled leather boots for several years at least. And I haven’t found any Chelsea boots I like better. These are soft, comfortable and have the perfect heel height for me.

I have Talbots’  Chelsea boots in black, brown and cognac and can highly recommend them. They are my essential shoe for winter. The Chelsea boots run true to size.

#2 – Black Ally Pumps (c/o)

I love all of my Ally shoes, but these black leather pumps are such a versatile essential in my wardrobe.

Not only are these black pumps essential in my wardrobe, but they are extremely comfortable. You can use code KAYHEELS for $50 off your first pair of heels at Ally. By the way, like I mentioned, I’m included gifted items in this list. I’ll designate those with “c/o” which stands for “courtesy of.” But remember, I selected these products (and I worked for them!).

#3 – Black Tribeca Pants (c/o)

My black Tribeca pants from Talbots fast became favorites this fall. And I suspect I’ll wear them into the spring because they’re made in a great four-season fabric.

I appreciate that these Tribeca pants feature a soft pleat at the waistline, which is a nice modern touch. But the silhouette is classic. Ankle length pants continue to trend, and I’m all in. So these will continue to be big players in my closet. The Tribeca pants also come in navy and camel.

#4 – Talbots High Waist Straight Leg Jeans

After trying so many premium denim jeans (and enjoying quite a few of them), I’ve decided that my favorite jean for a just a good straight leg silhouette is the Talbots high waist straight leg jean.

The length on the misses sizes is perfect for me (I’m 5’8″) and the silhouette is a true straight leg that is fit fairly close to the body. While I love their relaxed fit jeans, too, these high waist straight leg jeans get the most play in my outfits. I wear an 8 in this particular jean.

#5 – Harlow Wide Leg Pants

I’m all in for the wide leg pants trend. But as much as I love the wide leg dress trousers, I don’t necessarily need a lot of those in my wardrobe. These casual Harlow wide leg pants from Madewell are perfect for my casual lifestyle.

The Harlow wide leg pants are extremely comfortable and run a little large. I wear an 8 comfortably. They come in a lot of great colors; I have these in seed khaki and chocolate raisin.

By the way, I tried to include a link to the original or previous post in the caption of all of the photos I’m showing so that you can go back and see more about how I styled the items. In the blog posts above I actually shared four ways to wear these stylish Harlow wide-leg pants.

#6 – Black Perfect Pants from Spanx

Another pair of black pants that I reach for often are my black Perfect Pants from Spanx. The Perfect Pants are a long pant, so they work nicely with boots, loafers and heels alike.

You’ll wear the same size in the Perfect Pants from Spanx that you wear in their shapewear. I prefer the slightly roomier fit of a large on me. I also recently got in the Perfect Pant in the high-rise flare, and I know I’m going to enjoy them, too.

#7– Red Hampshire Ankle Pants

Talbots carries a number of different silhouettes of dress pants to fit different body shapes and proportions. The Hampshire ankle pants work best for me. And while I do have these classic ankle pants in black, camel and even a couple of plaid variations, these red Hampshire ankle pants are among my favorites.

Remember, I believe in working with a narrowed down color palette in your wardrobe. That simply means you choose the neutrals and signature colors you would like to wear for a particular season and try to limit your closet to those (without being legalistic about it, however). I almost always have red in my color palette.

So these red Hampshire ankle pants are perfect for my closet. They give me the ability to wear this signature color on my bottom half and not just the top. I enjoy wearing them with camel, black, white, grey, you name it!

I find the Hampshire ankle pants to run true to size, and they do come in curvy fits, too.

#8- J.Crew white straight-leg jeans

During the spring and summer I really enjoyed wearing white jeans this year…well every year! And this year I found myself reaching for the thick, opaque J.Crew white straight-leg jeans most often.

I like the raw edge hemline and the relaxed straight leg. While I like a close fitting blue or black denim, I prefer my white jeans not fit so snug. I also really appreciate that this denim was thick (but not hot or bulky) and had a nice stretch. They’re not available now, but watch for J.Crew to come out with similar jeans this spring.

#9 – Brighton Astrid Organizer Bag (c/o)

I was thrilled when Brighton reached out and wanted to work with me this fall. I’ve always loved Bright handbags and jewelry, but hadn’t purchased any in a couple of years. Once I got my Brighton Astrid organizer it fast became one of my favorite shoulder bags.

I especially love that this mid-size shoulder bag has two outside pockets with magnetic closures where I can keep so many of my valuables handy, including credit cards, cell phone and glasses. The Brighton Astrid organizer also comes in pink sand and black leather.

#10 – Ivory Aimee Kestenberg Satchel (c/o)

Until Aimee Kestenberg reached out to me, I’d never owned one of their bags. I selected their ivory Day Dream satchel and have absolutely loved it. The leather is soft and supple.

But what I’ve enjoyed the most about this Aimee Kestenberg satchel is the versatility of the ivory color. Not only is ivory really trending in accessories, even for winter, but it’s turned out to work really nicely with so much of my wardrobe.

#11 – Kate Spade Hudson Convertible Shoulder Bag 

I purchased the Kate Spade Hudson convertible crossbody early in the spring, and I’ve enjoyed carrying it in every season since then.

This light taupe convertible crossbody is small, but it still seems to work for me most of the time. It’s not available in this color right now, but they still have it in a couple of others.

#12 – Gold Link Chain Necklace

I’ve been wearing my Talbots smooth link necklace for a couple of years now. This chunky gold link chain necklace is perfect for adding effortless impact to most of my favorite necklines.

#13 –  Brighton Jewelry (c/o)

This year I was gifted some nice jewelry and I purchased some. I decided I wanted to have sets of jewelry that I could easily reach for and know that they would work together. I find myself traveling with just one set at a time too because they are so versatile.

First up, the Brighton jewelry I received this fall. I love that the pieces are silver and gold, so they work nicely with most everything I wear.

#14 – Lagos Jewelry (c/o)

I also worked with Lagos this year and received some of their beautiful signature caviar jewelry. I took this “set” of jewelry with me to London, and that’s all I needed to wear with everything.

I appreciate that Lagos continues to carry many of their best sellers, such as the pieces I have, but they add new pieces that work with these frequently, too.

#15 – Julie Vos jewelry 

While the other sets of jewelry were gifted to me, I purchased my Julie Vos collection on my own. I love the brightness of these pieces, especially for the warmer months.

I think the thing I’ve enjoyed most about all three of these “sets” of jewelry is that I did indeed purchase them as personalized sets. They’re all individually sold pieces, mind you. But I put together collections that work nicely with each other. It just makes accessorizing my outfits so much easier. So it’s a time-saver as well as a great style hack.

#16 – Levi’s Denim Original Trucker Jacket 

I’ve had my Levi’s original trucker denim jacket in my closet for somewhere around 30 years now. But it continues to play a huge role in my daily style.

My original jacket is in the shade sweet Jane. It’s a nice medium denim wash. But this year I did buy a new lighter wash Levi’s denim jacket, and I’m enjoying it, too.

I wear my Levi’s denim jackets with so many things. And right now this relaxed look is more on trend that the fitted denim jackets. In fact, I do not recall every feeling like this particular silhouette of jacket was out of style. It’s truly timeless.

#17- Sam Edelman Trench Coat

I’ve loved wearing trench coats, especially in the spring and fall, for several years now. But I have especially enjoyed the Sam Edelman trench coat I purchased last spring because it’s the perfect length for my casual lifestyle.

Longer ones can look a little dressy for my taste. But this thigh length jacket was great with jeans, khakis, white jeans, you name it. I literally cannot wait to wear it again this spring.

My trench coat is no longer available, but this one is similar and here’s a great option, too. Expect to see more in the stores soon because they’re definitely trending again this year. Plus, these are classics you’ll never need to remove from your closet.

#18 – White linen blazer 

If you’ve been around Dressed for My Day long, you know I LOVE linen, especially in the summer. And I suppose my favorite linen essential is a white linen blazer. I have three and love them all.

My white linen blazer from J.Crew was new this year. I received it when I worked as a stylist at J.Crew one day this past spring. But I probably love my Miller linen blazer from Veronica Beard the most. It was a big investment, even though I purchased it with points. But the silhouette of this linen blazer is so flattering.

And I still love and wear my Talbots linen blazer a lot, too. My mom and I shared various ways to wear them in a video this past spring.

Watch for Talbots to have a similar linen blazer this spring…and grab it! You can wear it so many ways.

#19 – Veronica Beard Miller Dickey Jackets

I guess my completer piece of choice will always be a good blazer. And I love my Veronica Beard Miller dickey jackets the most.

This VB Miller dickey jacket comes in navy and black, and you can select either jacket with gold or silver buttons. I have the navy with gold buttons, but I’m chomping at the bit to get the black with gold buttons, too. I’d simply choose the button color to work with the jewelry you wear most often.

I love that you can zip the VB dickeys in and out of these jackets, of course. They are sold separately. But I really just love the cut, quality and versatility of these VB Miller dickey jackets. I also have the blazer in camel. It’s only available now here.

While I don’t generally wear my Miller dickey jackets as frequently in the summer or winter, they really are four-season completer pieces. And I can’t ever see myself getting rid of them. They’re true classics.

#20 – White Kayla Citizens of Humanity button-front shirt  

I have several white button-up shirts at this point, and I’ve started wearing them more in recent years. But my favorite of all is the white Kayla Citizens of Humanity button-front shirt.

This crisp, oversized button-front shirt features buttons on the side of the sleeves that helps you scrunch them up with ease. Such a great feature!

If you’re not one to wear button-up shirts much, definitely skip this one. It’s pricey. But if you wear them frequently, you’ll definitely love the white Kayla Citizens of Humanity button-front shirt.

#21 – Linen Button Front Shirt

Speaking of button-up shirts, I live in my linen button-front shirts in the spring and summer. And I especially love the ones from J.Jill.

Of course J.Jill does not have many right now, and mine is from a previous season even. But you can expect them to have a nice selection soon. I love the quality, roominess in the sleeves, and colors they offer. My favorites are this chambray blue and my white one.

#22 – Cotton fisherman sweaters

I decided to share all three of my favorite cotton fisherman sweaters because I truly love and wear all three frequently in the spring and summer.

Above I’m wearing my Jenni Kayne cotton fisherman sweater, and the quality really is noticeable and stellar. It’s pricey, but they do run the occasional 20% discount and that’s the time to snag one.

I also love the quality of the cotton fisherman sweaters at J.Crew. Mine above is from last year, of course. But yesterday I ordered this one from J.Crew.

And above I’m wearing my 100% organic cotton fisherman sweater (c/o) from Quince. It’s a super economical option.

#23 – Ribbed Tank Top

And my final selection in my most enjoyed fashion essentials in 2023 is oh so simple…my ribbed tank top. Oh my goodness. I must have worn one of these (at least!) ever week during spring, fall and summer. And I especially prefer the Michael Stars ribbed tank.

The Michael Stars tank fits so nicely true to size. It has plenty of stretch, but never stretches out. And you can wear it under so many things, from jackets to cardigans and more.

If you have any questions about my most enjoyed fashion essentials, just ask away in the comments. Obviously I really love all of these and highly recommend them. Thanks so much for joining me for this little year-in-review exercise. You might want to do the same with your wardrobe.

And speaking of your wardrobe…

My big announcement is that I’ll be hosting a new style series in 2024. You may have been around when I hosted the Dressed for My Day My Way series or the Building A Wardrobe that Works for You series. I think many readers have found those to be helpful. And hosting a series really helps me to stay focused on delivering you content that is relevant, helpful and well-researched.

In 2024 I’ll be hosting the Defining Your Style and Refining Your Wardrobe style series. Yay! We’ll be diving deeper into how to define your own personal style that truly works for your lifestyle, location, vocation and personal interests. Then we’ll go from there to refine your wardrobe so that you can easily pull together outfits that really resonate with you. We’ll also help you put those outfits together and keep your wardrobe tight so that it doesn’t frustrate you, but gives you joy.

Sound like fun? I hope so! Don’t worry. I’ll continue to have all the other sorts of posts, but I’ll share a Defining Your Style and Refining Your Wardrobe blog post about once or twice per month. And I’ll even have a few YouTube videos that work into our style series, too. Let me know what you think!

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