Over the last year I’ve really gotten into basic tops. The combination of not going many places and favoring comfort/practicality has lead me to take a deep dive and try out several basic tops. Everything from tanks to long sleeves and I’ve found nine that I consider wardrobe staples and wear all. the. time. Seriously – people are probably sick of me talking about them and wearing them but when I find things I love I want to share them. I’m breaking them all down below in my basic top guide.

1. J. Crew slub twist-front tank

I first purchased this in a cute leopard print at the end of last spring. It’s a great tank with a thicker strap and high neck. The twist-front detail makes it a little more interesting. It’s no longer available in leopard but I also have it in white and wear it all the time. It comes in coral, gray, light blue and navy as well. It can be worn for workouts or with jeans. Comfortable, casual and not cropped. It’s currently on sale for $16.50.

2. Topshop u-neck tank

If you forced me to pick a favorite tank, this would be it. It’s light-weight, comfortable and can be worn with just about everything. It comes in white, gray and black and I have it in all three colors and wear it at least once a week. It’s European sizes so I go up one and it has a perfectly relaxed fit.

3. Target A New Day tank

This little $8 is another staple I have in several colors. It’s ribbed with a high neck and the most flattering cut in straps. Easy to wear on it’s own or layer. It comes in so many colors and they add new ones every season. It runs a little small (and has a tight fit) so I go up one size.

4. Free People sweater tank

This knit tank is so effortless. It runs a little big and has a somewhat slouchy fit so I like to layer bralettes or basic camis under so it’s not too low cut, but it fits everyone differently. It comes in 8 colors and they seem to add more from time to time. I also love to wear it knotted over a one piece swimsuit.

5. Abercrombie knotted crew tee 

This is a classic t-shirt with a twist (the knotting in the front), but you always un-knot it. It comes in seven colors/prints. I’ve found it to run a little small so I would size up. It’s a great price point at under $20.

6. Free People cropped baby bamboo tee

I first purchased this shirt in black at the beginning of last year’s stay at home order to wear for walks with leggings and bike shorts. I loved it so much I got in a another color too. It is a true cropped tee – I wear it with high-rise pants and you don’t see skin. It’s $20 and comes in a bunch of colors.

7. Free People Cadence long sleeve top 

This is more of an active wear piece as it’s part of the Free People Movement line but I wear it as a noral top. It’s cropped in the front and longer in the back so I like it with high waisted pants. It’s super light weight and the white is a little sheer but it comes in a few other colors too.

8. Abercrombie long sleeve seamless ribbed top

I purchased this top last month and it quickly became a new favorite. I got it in white and have worn it weekly since. It’s stretchy, really soft and flattering. Because it’s tight I went up a size so it would be more comfortable. It’s slightly cropped and looks great with high waisted jeans. Also comes in black and moss green.

9. Free People Betty long sleeve tee

This long sleeve top is really light weight with a lower neckline, but it’s really versatile. I have it in white and wear it often. Because it’s light weight it’s easy to layer and looks great under all my jackets. It runs big, I would size down if possible.

We survived another month of 2020 and now we’re really in the homestretch. I’m not sure how a year that feels so slow can still be moving this fast, but here we are! I definitely didn’t get much holiday shopping done during the cyber sales but I will be buckling down on that soon. In the meantime, it’s the first of the month which means it’s time to share my top 5 best sellers from last month.

J. Crew Collarless Sweater Blazer – For the third month in a row, the coatigan makes the list. I’m happy to see everyone is liking this cardi as much as I do! It’s such a great staple and it goes on sale pretty regularly (still 50% off today). I have it in camel and gray and wear them both frequently.

Geometry Towels – My absolute favorite dish towels! These were on sale for 15% off over the weekend + you were able to stack my discount code (ASHNFASHN15) for an additional 15% off. That sale is over now, but my discount code always works. They sold so many they’re not backordered until the middle of January! They make the best gifts, I stocked up so I can have them on hand for teachers, neighbors, etc.

Black Outdoor Bar Stools – After we completed our outdoor bar at the end of summer I knew we needed stools for the space. I found these on Wayfair and love them! They’re metal and can be cleaned so easily, but they’re still light enough to move around.

Spanx Faux Leather Leggings – These leggings are so flattering and really hold everything in. They’re a bit pricey but go on sale a couple times a year. I was lucky enough to snag them last year during the cyber week sale and have been so happy with them. I wore them weekly last winter and so much during the first few months of quarantine.

Baby Boy Cardigan – I purchased this cardi for Wilder at H&M back in October for family photos and die over how cute he looks in it. I’ve since gone back for the darker gray one as well so he can wear them all fall and winter. They’re comfy (sweatshirt material) but run really big. He’s 19 months and wears a 9-12 month for reference.

I know there’s rules against it, but I love wearing white jeans all year round. I think that rule is pretty outdated anyway. There’s something so fresh about white – in any season. Today I’m sharing three ways to wear white jeans in the fall and winter.

coatigan, tee, jeans, boots, sunglasses

Before I get into it I have a little tip with buying white skinny jeans – size up! You can get away with tighter skinny jeans in darker washes but white shows everything. I always go up a size and feel the most comfortable. I’m wearing this pair in ankle length (I’m 5’4″). They also come in regular, tall and curvy.

Look 1: Winter Whites

coatigan, tee, jeans, boots, sunglasses

Maybe my favorite way to wear white jeans in the colder months is a winter white look. I kept this monochromatic white and then added my favorite camel colored coatigan to make it feel polished. PS – the coatigan is on sale right now for under $100. You already know how much I love it and wear it.

Look 2: Pulled Together Casual

denim jacket (& similar), sweater tee, jeans, booties 

No matter the outfit, I think a slightly oversized denim jacket always adds a cool factor. It’s casual but still feels polished if that makes sense. I went with autumn colors with this rust sweater tee and really comfortable booties.

*Sweater tee is a little itchy but it didn’t bother me.

Look 3: Black and White

sweater, jeans, similar booties 

Wearing a black cowl neck sweater for contrast and love how the animal print booties tie the outfit together. My leopard pair is several years old but I found a similar one here – I also love the look of snake print booties. To me, animal print is always a neutral.

Hope you’re having a good week so far. As always, thank you so much for reading and following.

Just as I expected, October flew by as fast as the last few months. Now we’re in the homestretch of 2020 #thankgod. October’s top five sellers had a lot of popular items from this year. From masks to toddler shoes! Sharing a round up below.

4 pack of adjustable masks – I purchased these a few months ago loving the prints/colors. And since they’re adjustable Jeff can wear them too. They’re my most comfortable mask by far and reach for them the most. Since I love them so much I purchased this set too. There are a bunch of prints/colors here.

Agolde Jamie jeans – I’ve had these for over a year and wear them all the time. Occasionally they go on sale at one of the retailers that carry them and that’s truly the time to buy. They’re super flattering and seem to go with everything.

J. Crew collarless sweater blazer – No surprise that this coatigan makes the list again. I have it in the two colors pictured above and wear it often. It looks great with everything – shorts, leggings, jeans and even shorter dresses.

Topshop u-neck tank – I have a feeling this little $15 tank is going to be my top seller of all of 2020. It’s made the list almost every month since May and I continue to wear it at least a couple times a week.

Toddler leopard converse – I purchased these for Crosby last fall and she was so upset a few weeks ago when they were finally too small. I ordered them in the next size up. They go with so much and are really easy to get on her feet… unlike most converse.

Hope you had an amazing October and Halloween – PLEASE vote tomorrow if you haven’t already!

A few weeks ago I mentioned things I was excited to wear in the fall. One of them was this collarless sweater blazer from J. Crew. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be a great staple piece, not just for fall, but to wear all year. It’s incredibly flattering and so versatile. It comes in the khaki I have and 4 other colors too. It’s definitely not sweater weather here yet, but in the coming weeks we’ll start to have slightly cooler mornings and nights and I know I’ll reach for this over and over. I got a jumpstart on wearing it and styled it three different ways.

Sizing info – I should mention this runs a bit big, but I find that to be the case with most things at J. Crew. I’m wearing an xxs and it fits great but will still be comfortable with heavier layers worn under.

Over shorts and a tank, this is probably the most realistic way to start wearing it now. Perfect for a cooler morning that you know will turn into a warm day.

sweater, tank, shorts, shoes

With jeans and a tee. Honestly the weather is so mild here this is something I could probably wear most of the year. This tee has long sleeves but is super thin/easy to layer.

sweater, tee, jeans, similar shoes

Over faux leather leggings for an “off duty” or post workout look. Another outfit I’ll be able to wear most of the year. If you live somewhere where it gets colder, you could wear a sweatshirt under for added warmth.

sweater, tee, leggings, shoes

This time of year is always a little tricky for me to dress for. It’s definitely still summer here (it will be warm until at least November), on one hand I’d love to live in swimwear and cutoffs all year, but part of me wants a little bit of fall. I’m starting to shop and incorporate a few fall-ish items into my wardrobe. Today I want to share 10 pieces to start transitioning to fall.

J. Crew Collarless Sweater Blazer – this is a new item for me and I LOVE how versatile it is. I can wear it now in the morning or evening when it’s somewhat chilly, and into cooler weather too. It looks just as good over shorts as it does over pants and comes in 4 other colors.

Leopard joggers – these are a fun larger than normal leopard print with a stripe down the sides. Can be worn to lounge, or dressed up a little with a moto or denim jacket.

Target tank – such a great staple! I ordered this tank in 4 colors and will be wearing it all year round. It’s perfect to layer under jackets or sweaters before it gets too cold and looks great on it’s own too.

Madewell sweater – I’m calling this a sweater but it’s really not. I wore it on our staycation with shorts last week and will be wearing it into fall with jeans and joggers.

Aerie oversized sweatshirt – I got this sweatshirt last year and still love it so much. It’s a big oversized and perfect to wear with biker shorts or leggings if you want a little extra coverage.

Faux leather shorts – I’ve been eying these shorts for a few weeks and might need to pull the trigger. They’re the perfect shorts to wear when it’s still warm but the calendar says fall. They’d be cute dressed up or down.

Faux leather moto jacket – I love the carmel color of this jacket but it also comes in black. A great staple to wear the rest of the year!

Felt fedora – another favorite from last year. I think this soft color is so beautiful and it goes with so many things in my closet!

Knit belted jumpsuit – I’ve had this jumpsuit for a few months now and love how practical it is. It’s comfortable enough to wear to lounge and looks pulled together to wear out and about too. You could always swap out the belt to make it a little dressier.

Long sleeve tshirt – another great layering staple. This tee comes in so many colors and is perfect to wear year round. I’d wear it now with denim shorts and later with jeans and the J. Crew sweater blazer.