Adrien: Favorite Style Purchases of 2018.

For the past few years I've been documenting my favorite purchases from the year. This can be a cringe-worthy task as it forces me to go back and look at all the stuff I've bought and face the fact that not all of it worked out. It's also interesting for me to see which items from the past few years (2016 and 2017 here) are still holding strong. I'm doing better! I still have/wear many of my favorites.

For 2018, here are my favorites, which I defined as items that got consistent use and brought me maximum joy:

Madewell jeans 
When you find a brand of jeans that works for you it's basically holy grail stuff. I don't mind paying more because Madewell so rarely lets me down with the denim. My top three favorites are the High Rise Skinny in Tencel, the Slim Boyjean, and the High Rise Skinny in the coated edition (not currently available, but try Poshmark.) These three styles are the jeans that I wear constantly and my other pairs collect dust.

Liberty of London Tote
This was a Poshmark purchase and I wasn't actually sure it would work for me even though I loved it. But, it turns out having a roomy, fashionable tote in a colorway that works with your wardrobe is absolutely not a mistake. There is a reason the LV Neverfull is so popular! It's quite the style workhorse. I'm so glad I went for it and I can't believe I waited so long. If you've been longing for something similar, just go for it.

AllSaints Leather Jacket
The Leather Jacket Saga of 2018 was ridiculous. I bought the Madewell jacket (which is a great jacket) and then bought the Veda Jayne jacket and THEN bought the AllSaints Dalby Jacket and sold the Madewell. Sometimes that's just what you have to do to find the thing that works best for you. Here's why the AllSaints jacket won - the leather is butter soft, not as heavy as the Madewell version and it's just easier to wear. I feel like I'm wearing it instead of the other way around. My grey Veda jacket is more substantial (it has a heavier lining and a belt) so between the two, I'm covered. ANYWAY, when you find your perfect leather jacket, try not to buy two more in the process. Don't be ridiculous like me.

Birkenstocks
I bought two pairs of Birkenstocks last year - my silver Arizonas and black suede Boston clogs. They're both great and I've worn them a ton. My clogs are looking pretty ratty because suede is tough to keep clean (especially since I wear them when I cook) but they're still going strong. I am fully giving in to comfortable shoes but don't think they have to be boring, which is why I love the metallic sandals with the white sole. It's a bit more fashion forward, right? Just lie to me.

Chantelle Underwear
Aerie is great when you want to have a drawer full of cute, inexpensive unders but when I bought a pair of Chantelle seamless? I was sunk. SUNK. They are so good, so comfortable, so superior, so worth every single penny. I now own enough pairs to get me through a week and I'm always looking for more. They do go on sale but always sell out fast. It's a worthy upgrade and one I do not regret.

Universal Thread denim jacket
This jacket, you guys. I mean, I don't think I've ever bought anything from Target that I liked this much. It's soft, comfortable, cute as hell and it's under $30. I have it in white too, which was great for the summer but the plain denim version is an overall winner.