The Strategist’s Womenswear Hall of Fame
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The Womenswear Hall of Fame is where you’ll find what’s in the closets of tasteful people we’ve talked to — theswimsuits cool moms are wearing,wide-leg jeans everyone is in, andthe Ray-Bans that are back— plus our own closets, where you’ll find things like100 percent cotton, under-$150 sweaters, and evennon-thong, non-granny cotton panties.
Every year this catalogue is updated with new entries, and this year’s includecotton-poplin, barrel-y, drawstring-waisted, semi-carpenterlike pants;fisherman sandals; and thelong-sleeved T-shirt you can wear to dinner. To refresh the list, we revisited the stories we’ve published in the past year so as not to miss anything special, like“everything” black pants,straight-leg white jeans,mules you can speed-walk in, andankle boots you can dance in. And then, just to be sure we cover all the fashion-related bases, we reconsider things we’ve loved in past years — like the bonnetMya Gelber first mentioned in 2024. Other items here are in the Strategist canon — likeLevi’s Wedgiesor theBoat and Tote— and altogether these are among our most-stood-behind products in the ten years since our founding. So you know they’re good. And if you’re looking for moreHall of Famecoverage, we’ve recently updated ourHome Hall of FameandDorm Hall of Fame.
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Especially as it won’t show any bra straps.
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Featuring Gap’s Modern cotton-modal blend with elastane for stretch.
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We’ve long loved Buck Mason’s perfect-weight slub-cotton tees. They’re “effortless yet polished.”
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It replaces a (now discontinued) Organic Basics T-shirt — beating out Old Navy and Madewell.
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“The V is high, slightly rounded, and not too in-your-face.”
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Anyone short-torsoed will appreciate the length (or rather, lack thereof).
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As reported in ‘Secret Strategist,’ writer Michael Zhao asked her about it at a bar.
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“The ‘not like other long-sleeves’ of long-sleeves.”
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More substantial than J.Crew’s Tissue turtleneck.
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Be sure to size down so it’s especially formfitting.
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You can throw it over a sports bra going to the yoga studio, as writer Arielle Avila does.
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The bias cut and depth of the V make this quite sexy.
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It bears a certain resemblance to Ayr’s The Deep End (our former Best in Class button-down).
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It’ll work in the strictest corporate offices.
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You won’t be cold wearing it in 37 degrees or too warm in 68 degrees.
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The “heritage cotton yarn” feels right out of a ’90s J.Crew catalogue.
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Better than any synthetic-based knit, it doesn’t pill very easily, either.
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It has the “economy of a school uniform, with … the sex appeal of ’90s Gwyneth Paltrow.”
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“The answer to ‘How do I dress like a French girl?’”
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Trying them on for the first time, “they did not feel like men’s pants that women can also wear.”
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They’ve survived the New Jersey Transit and New York City subway system.
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Aritzia’s Japanese Crepette doesn’t wrinkle as much as you think it would.
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Ideal for the weeks between summer and fall.
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Writer Kat Gillespie found them “just as comfortable as my nylon leggings for Pilates.”
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You can’t go wrong with having the matching sweatshirt too.
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“Crisp, lightweight, and easily adjustable thanks to the drawstring waist.”
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You could meet someone for coffee down the block in them, writer Emma Wartzman points out.
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“Is this the poplin pant that launched a thousand other poplin pants?”
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Our most-written-about jeans, Levi’s Wedgies, are well-fitting, with a straight leg and high waist.
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Available in the most inseams we’ve seen: 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 inches.
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You can get them hemmed online through Uniqlo’s alteration service.
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It’s an “approachable version of a low-rise” for anyone who’s over high-waisted styles.
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While the denim is thick, it’s not stiff, according to senior editor Hilary Reid.
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The middle ground between too-short jean shorts and too-long jorts.
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The perfect “Going to the convenience store, do you want anything?” shorts.
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Don’t worry, “the perfectly sized built-in lining” covers up most of your thighs.
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Bonus: an elastic waistband and drawstring.
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“Great for typical sundress activities,” including running around a playground.
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Writer Dominique Pariso says her crushed silk is “routinely mistaken for” Issey Miyake.
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Kim France thinks Quince has “exceptionally well-priced silk dresses.”
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You can layer whatever you please underneath on the coldest January day.
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As “jaunty and haughty” as the American Girl doll from the turn of the century.
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“Look to your left, look to your right. One of you is wearing this.”
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When raindrops fall on the jacket’s surface, they can be wiped away “with the swish of a hand.”
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Writer Brenley Goertzen relies on it for “sporadic, often intense bursts of rain.”
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According to contributor Sari Botton, it supports you wherever you need support.
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YouSwim’s Versoform fabric can fit either a size 2 to 12 or a size 14 to 24.
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For a natural, rounded shape, whether you’re a 30A or 38DD.
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Unusually, this T-shirt bra is available in half-cup sizes (like A½).
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Equally supportive for high- and low-impact workouts.
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The wedgie-free hipster is about as VPL resistant as a thong.
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It’s the underwear that the woman who wrote the book on underwear wears.
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Not skimpy, and available in ribbed and pointelle (with a “tiny coquettish bow”).
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They’re “very true to how socks would’ve been made before the popularization of synthetic fibers.”
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They slouch exactly how contributor Emily North wants them to.
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You might be better off with the “basically indestructible” tights than getting Falke and Wolford.
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Before it was the Boat and Tote, it started as L.L. Bean’s original Ice Carrier back in 1944.
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In addition to the handles with shoulder straps and interior zip pocket, it can be monogrammed.
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“To quote Tom Wambsgans, ‘It is absolutely ludicrously capacious.’”
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Fits Listerine strips, hand sanitizer, a NYX lip pencil, Systane eye drops, etc.
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Unlike a scarf, the scrap can stay on while you’re inside.
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Bloomingdale’s has a diagram of ways to wrap it around yourself.
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It’s made out of water-repellent vinyl that she compares to moleskin.
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It helped Durga Chew-Bose get through a month in the south of France.
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They can handle being under the weight of a laptop inside a tote.
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“They’ve got nothing to prove. They’re almost universally flattering. And they’re not 600 bucks.”
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No matter the wash of denim you have on, it complements.
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Senior writer Lauren Ro promises it “lays flush against your scalp.”
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Each round brilliant-cut diamond measures approximately 0.026 carats.
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Instead of the usual O-shape, it’s a U-shaped hoop — which Alexis Cheung appreciates.
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In a rainbow of colors: blue, navy, red, hibiscus, burgundy, violet, sunflower, and even leopard.
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Young took them to the Upper East Side, Hell’s Kitchen, and the heart of Times Square.
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Just like “something you might find at an old-lady shoe store in Rome” (complimentary).
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What a senior editor wore on book tour (which included a launch party and podcast recording).
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Gwyneth Paltrow kept her Weejuns from the set of ‘The Royal Tenenbaums.’
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‘WSJ’ art editor Alexandra Citrin-Safadi says they’re “the Row on a budget, baby.”
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You-won’t-even-feel-like-you’re-wearing heels heels.
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No more toes gripping on for dear life.
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They even inspired Liang to write a haiku, with the line, “Safe ‘Wonder Bread’ shoes.”
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Your feet will be hugged; they fit snugly on the ankle.
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Defined as “not a snow boot but can be worn in the snow.”
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Compared to the standard 13.7-inch width, wide-calf is 14.8 inches while extra-wide is 16 inches.
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Less than a pair of Hunters (and free of Glastonbury connotations).
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For rainstorms, snowstorms, and more inclement weather.
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“I wear them when it shines. I wear them when it rains,” says the Dorsey founder.
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They’re supportive enough for anyone with high arches, or generally sensitive feet.
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No break-in time required — thanks to Rothy’s machine-washable knit.
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Several members of our team have Camper’s walkable sandals.
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They’re better than any other “plasticky rubbery summery sandal” (Chacos, Crocs, Birkenstocks).
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This water-sandal-hiking-shoe hybrid might be “a podiatric improvement on the Voya Infinities.”
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We believe these to be the Sketchers the former talk-show host wore on a sailboat.
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What our updates coordinator Najwa Jamal wears to heated Pilates and on matcha runs.
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Not even an icy patch of sidewalk gets past their “unparalleled traction.”
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