This post features wardrobe staples gifted from Mott & Bow.
However, all opinions, musings, and assessments are completely my own.

If you’ve ever clicked through a single fashion post on this blog, you’ll know I’m not a trendy dresser. When winter-time wanders in, I’m filled with a sense of pure joy — a joy that only comes when you can wear nothing but jeans, sweaters, and boots and call it a day. It’s a wardrobe concoction that creates a potion which, above all, gives me confidence. It yields a sense of poise, of put-togetheredness, of a “damn I look great today” magic that goes so, so much deeper than just garments-on-my-body. It makes me feel like my best self.

This is why I say that good-quality wardrobe staples — whether your style is Stevie Nicks-boho to Scandi-street-cool — are the core of any slow, minimal, or capsule wardrobe. Heck, I’d even go as far as to say that your closet staples are the key pieces in any type of wardrobe, minimal or maximal. Like a foundation to a building, these pieces are the groundwork you make to be able to put any outfit together.

With this in mind, it’s worth spending some time finding the best basics that work for you. Look for materials (sustainable is better!), fit, colors, price, brand, and whatever else is important to your own version of capsule wardrobe.

For me, materials, price, and fit were most important. And these features are what led me to Mott & Bow. Their tagline, “Elevated Basics. Grounded Price,” perfectly surmise what they are about. Jeans are listed as if in a periodical table, first by fit, then by material, and color. It’s almost a bit overwhelming, but the amount of information available to help you find the best basics for you is unparalleled. Beyond the very reasonable pricing, what ultimately made me fall in love is the ability to do home try-on. To be able to find the jeans that fit you right, without having to pay a fortune in shipping costs, is what I wish all fashion brands would do. You can read more about the home-try-on feature here.

Considering my penchant for skinny jeans, I decided to switch it up a bit with the Mom Jean in Ridge — a jean that falls somewhere between a slim and a straight. While they are definitely longer on me than the model, I can easily get them hemmed to get that length. These are the stretchiest of the Mom Jean line, which is perfect for those of us who sit at a computer all day long. I got my usual Size 28, and they fit nearly perfectly, if not a little high in the inseam for me (I am very short waisted).

However, if I was looking for a weekend-only pair, The Mom Jean in Henry Fabric is the perfect vintage-denim look.

The tee offerings, while fewer, are perfectly edited. The Boxy Semi Cropped is what I’m wearing, and I truly think the only tee I’d need if I didn’t already own others. It’s cropped but not too cropped, making it perfect tucked into skirts and jeans. It’s also so soft, like buttery soft, and I don’t know how it’s 100% cotton.

The Mom Jeans and the Cropped White Tee from Mott & Bow have become two of my most worn wardrobe staples. Below, I’ve put together three ways you can transform a simple jeans-and-tee combo to become any outfit you need.

And this is why I love high quality, well-made wardrobe staples like those from Mott & Bow: their versatility knows no bounds.

OUTFIT INSPIRATION: TWO WARDROBE STAPLES, THREE WAYS

LOOK ONE: BUSINESS CASUAL

The world is becoming more casual. Unless you work in a particularly corporate environment, business casual is the new business. Mott & Bow’s mom jean are the perfect balance between sleek, tailored denim and slightly-straight, vintage jeans for the weekend. And while a white tee doesn’t necessarily scream ‘Corporate,’ the cropped length gives it a little more polish. Paired with a longer-length blazer, classic bag, and comfy-but-dressy shoes, this is the outfit I would wear to any day at the office (indeed, I wore this to exact outfit my office last week).

TEE // MOTT & BOW* (GIFTED)
JEANS // MOTT & BOW* (GIFTED)
BLAZER // URBAN OUTFITTERS RENEW*
BAG // CUYANA*
MULES // OLD (SIMILAR*)
NECKLACE // THE GOOD FOX

LOOK TWO: CASUAL WEEKEND

When it comes to the weekend, anything goes. I don’t see the point spending your meagre few days of relaxation a year in anything that isn’t comfortable. Switch out the blazer for an oversized plaid jacket, the mules for sneakers, and you have an entirely new outfit, ready for weekend fun. Perfect for brunch, farmer’s markets, or lounging with your cat.

TEE // MOTT & BOW* (GIFTED)
JEANS // MOTT & BOW* (GIFTED)
FLANNEL JACKET // ANINE BING*
SNEAKERS // NIKE*

LOOK THREE: DATE NIGHT

When you’re married or live in San Francisco (or, like me, both), date nights are less glamorous than they used to be. However, I still want to look beautiful, put together, that beautiful balance of effortless and stylish. The jeans-and-tee look — both comfy and cool — are elevated by fashion-forward croc heeled boots, gold jewelry, and a throw-on-and-go cashmere jacket. This outfit particularly works because Mott & Bow’s denim range is more tailored than your average, and the cropped length of the tee is perfectly positioned for that cute French tuck.

TEE // MOTT & BOW* (GIFTED)
JEANS // MOTT & BOW* (GIFTED)
WOOL JACKET // TOTEME (OLD)
BOOTS // GANNI*

*Links indicate affiliate links. This means, if you choose to purchase the product linked here, at no additional cost to you I will make a small commission. Considering this post took me close to 7 hours to put together, it is very, very appreciated. Thank you for supporting sustainable brands, and thank you for supporting this blog!