10 Spring Wardrobe Must-Haves, According to a Fashion Writer

I recently sold bags and bags and bags of old pieces of clothing I’ve fallen out of love with to consignment stores. Right after I got home from lugging the massive bags all around the city, I walked through my room and took a deep sigh of relief. There was so much room, and so much less clutter. I could finally see the floor of my bedroom! I could finally open the door to my closet without seven bags seemingly falling from the sky! I could finally let my boyfriend bring in some of his clothing he’s been keeping in our shoe closet in the hallway! Which is exactly why I’m now excessively spring shopping for replacements with the money I’ve made from everything I’ve gotten rid of. Listen,  I deserve some kind of reward for (my version of) spring cleaning, right? 

But the best way to balance my love of clothing and my shopaholic tendencies is to focus on investing in staple spring pieces I truly love and will wear time and time again. My ultimate goal is to have a closet filled with less things and more high-quality pieces. So, here are the 10 items from Nordstrom I’ve deemed acceptable to take up room in my closet – from a Dua Lipa-approved, under-the-radar ‘It’ bag to a ribbed ocean blue shrug worthy of a ballet recital. 

This Luar Ana mini bag is another ‘It’ bag in the making, and the fact that it’s under $250 feels like a typo. Raul Lopez,  the designer behind the New York-based brand and former co-founder of buzzy Hood by Air, was one of the hardest people to speak to at the past two New York Fashion Weeks. To say his return to the calendar after a two year hiatus was highly anticipated would be an understatement. Lopez’s smooth top handle bag was worn by Dua Lipa last September and was even spotted at the Met Gala that month, as well on Troye Sivan. It’s compact, flirty, affordable, and — up until recently — impossible to get your hands on. But now that it’s available at Nordstrom, I’m buying it immediately, and I just know it’s going to be a staple for years to come.

My biggest fatal fashion flaw is that I always am shopping for statement pieces and I never think to stock up on basics. So when the time comes around to pair a buckled multi-print Chopova Lowena skirt with a simple top, I find myself at a loss. I’ve decided I’m too extra for a simple Skims white tank top (although it’s still fab), but I still somehow find a way to justify this $150 take by Marine Serre. She’s one of my favorite designers, so there is that, and her iconic crescent logo feels like a secret handshake among fashion people. When you see one, you just know. I also love how this top is very much a basic with a little detail that makes it feel more unique and more me. And I’ve spoken to some fashion editor friends who own one, and they all say the quality is unmatched: it’s a tank that’ll last. 

I’ve recently fallen out of love with many of my jeans, which is unfortunate considering they take up so much space in my already too-small closet. But I’ve been craving a pair that feels looser and gives me a little bit more room to breathe. I basically want a pair like Katie Holmes’ that resembles the popular JNCO jeans of the ’90s. And like everything else Acne makes, these are perfect. 

I own a SafSafu limelight necklace from Farfetch, and I’ve had my eyes on these matching earrings for so long now. I love everything the brand does because it reminds me of my favorite Polly Pockets and I can attest that the colors are just as vibrant, if not more so, in person. The blue version of this earring is also very much giving Rose’s necklace in the Titianic, which makes me even more obsessed with it. 

Never have I felt more relieved than when I graduated middle school and never had to take a ballet class again. While I love barre classes, being a ballerina was just never for me. Ironically, though, I have been fully mesmerized by the balletcore trend and find myself wanting to dress more and more like a ballerina every single day. I blame my Miu Miu ballet flats. But if I’m going to go all in, I might as well get this Paloma Wool shrug, which looks so much better than any of my old ballet costumes did anyway. 

The love I have for YanYan knows no bounds. I own so many pieces by the label and I swear it makes the most beautiful designer knits on the planet that look like nothing else. But of course, knits are super seasonal in that once it gets too warm, I simply cannot justify the sweat. Which is exactly why these crop trousers by YanYan are a must. I think they’d make the perfect beach cover-up, and the contrasting blue ribbon makes me think of this Dua Lipa outfit. A win-win overall. 

While I absolutely cannot afford a Balenciaga Le Cagole bag at the moment, I’m going to manifest one into my life if it’s the last thing I do. I cannot stop thinking about it, and I’m pretty sure there hasn’t been a day in the last three months where I haven’t gone to bed dreaming of it (I normally do my online shopping right before bed, and no I don’t recommend doing this). The Le Cagole bag is a modern take on the iconic Olsen twin-loved city bag, and — rightfully so — has become the biggest ‘It’ bag of the past couple years. I aspire to own as many as Alexa Demie one day, so please send all good vibes my way, or at the very least text my boyfriend and let him know I deserve one. 

On the complete other end of the bag spectrum is this no-fuss Marc Jacobs traveler canvas tote. Every time nicer weather rolls around, I find myself needing to do everything outside, but I have very few bags I can trust with the task of carrying an entire picnic’s worth of stuff. This Marc Jacobs tote is a classic, and for good reason. I just know it’ll be the perfect bag for a summer Friday at the beach and the perfect picnic bag for a midday stroll in the park. And it’s probably one of the most chic-looking canvas totes on the market. 

Puppets and Puppets is the kind of name you probably wouldn’t know about if you weren’t really into fashion, which is exactly why you should pay extra attention. It’s absolutely a brand-to-know and was one of the only fashion week shows last season that every single fashion editor was excited to attend. The brand recently launched at Nordstrom, and one quick look at its offerings will tell you everything you need to know. There’s a mini tote that looks like it’s made of tinsel, a pair of Mary Janes with a cheese wedge for a heel, and a 3D black-and-white cookie on a bag that I need in my life more than anything. 

Thanks to the renewed interest in everything John Galliano, the fashion girls have made mesh tops and dresses cool again, though I honestly never stopped loving them. Louisa Ballou makes some of the best new takes available, with patterns so vivid they feel like a vacation in themselves. I particularly love this mesh dress because I think it’ll be great to layer on top of pieces for spring, and I can easily transition it into a beach cover-up come summer. 

Shop now: $455; nordstrom.com