The new year (and peak winter!) has arrived, which means there’s no time like the present to fully transition your wardrobe into one more suitable for the freezing temperatures, gusty winds, and wintry mixes that come with it. While everyday essentials like crisp white button-ups, great pairs of jeans, and notable knitwear, are the usual suspects in a polished winter uniform, our staples for the foreseeable future look slightly different. For 2024, we’re giving fabulous faux-fur coats, lug-sole boots, slim-fitting turtlenecks, and chic leather gloves a front row seat.
With that being said, we could never forgo those aforementioned closet classics all together, especially since the start of a new season is often synonymous with change, whether it’s to improve personal routines, set and manifest goals, or even make a sartorial vibe shift. (Maybe you’re rethinking how to approach your style, cleaning out your closet of unworn items of the past, or looking to update and elevate your collection of wardrobe essentials altogether.)
To help, the Vogue shopping team has gathered a robust list of our favorite, most versatile pieces we consider to be foundational for any closet. Pared back but never boring, these are the wardrobe essentials our editors find themselves turning to season after season, the mainstay items, and the pieces we’re loving for 2024. And while we’ll still welcome irresistible seasonal and trend-forward pieces like statement red sweaters and sleek denim midiskirts—it’s fashion we’re obsessed with, after all!—we know those need to live alongside a capsule of staples, because every wardrobe needs a yin-yang balance. That shiny new statement item will dazzle even more when paired with, say, the perfect go-to jeans. And sometimes the item becomes a wardrobe essential itself.
Ahead is a well-curated edit that has helped craft the foundation of our wardrobes. It’s safe to say we’re wearing at least one, if not more, of the highlighted pieces daily. We’ve covered the classics—white T-shirts, crewneck sweaters, trench coats, tailored trousers, chic sneakers—and also those items that have more recently earned their spot as a wardrobe essential: ballet flats, knit maxi dresses, menswear-inspired loafers, and pairs of polished kitten heels that transition from workwear to evening wear seamlessly.
So here’s to raising the bar on stylish essentials this winter season (and beyond) and investing in the timeless, long-lasting pieces you’ll love for years to come. Below, shop a collection of closet must-haves from your friends at Vogue. Happy New Year!
The nautical-inspired striped sweater is a favorite among a handful of our very own editors; perhaps it’s because La Ligne’s striped knits have been perfected by two former Vogue editors. Kules’s cream-and-navy version is another cozy choice.
