COS Haul! Sorta? AKA: I Bought 19 Pieces at H&M's Minimalist Sister Brand, And These Are The Items I'm Keeping.

Plus! The app everyone's going to be obsessed with in a few months.

Hello my darlings, I hope this finds you well! Before we dive into a few of my new favorite finds from COS, I wanted to share a few things that I’m excited about right now. 

This is a smidge embarrassing to write, but here we go. You might know that I host a couple of podcasts: Second Life, which is about women who make a pivot in their careers, and Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr, where we bring Who What Wear’s editorial stories to life in aural form. Last Sunday, I was delighted to learn that WWWwHK was written up in The New York Times as part of a piece about podcasts for the fashion-conscious, and curious. Both pods I work on are true labors of love that are created with a small-but-mighty team, and I was so proud that we caught the eye (nay, ear!) of my favorite newspaper. (We are also hiring a full-time role for the podcast, if that interests you.)

And speaking of The New York Times, I’m also so proud to write that my amazing husband’s most recent work project, City on Fire, was also just written about in said paper, too. The show. which is from the brilliant Stephanie Savage and Josh Schwartz (yes, of The O.C. and Gossip Girl fame), comes out May 12th on Apple TV, and is set in the downtown Manhattan music scene circa 2003. You can read all about the backstory and Jonathan’s incredible music supervision (and so much more), here, and hopefully you will watch the show with me next week? 

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One more thing before we talk COS haul: Artifact. Have you heard about it? It’s a news app from the original co-founders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. It uses AI and machine-learning technology to help curate your feed with news from reputable sources after you set some initial guidelines about topics you like.

Unsurprisingly, there are both social elements to the app, and a bit of gamifying (you move up different “levels” depending on how much you use Artifact; it keeps track of streaks as well), but overall I find it better and more diverse than Apple News. If you have subscriptions to publishers like, ahem, The New York Times, Artifact lets you link your login credentials, which is nice too. As someone who has been looking for news aggregator apps (my former go-to, Twitter, is going to hell in a hand basket), it was a relief to find something so sleek and thoughtful.

And FWIW, while Who What Wear is included as one of the app’s news source, neither the brand nor I have any sort of relationship with Artifact. (I wish!) I’m just a fan and thought y’all might like it too.

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Okay, let’s talk about one of the fashion industry’s not-so-secret secret style weapons: COS. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, it’s part of H&M, launched in London in 2007, and stands for Collection of Style. The price point is higher than most H&M pieces, as is the quality, and the assortment is quite curated and minimalist, with an emphasis on sustainability. That’s not to say there aren’t trend-forward designs, but generally the pieces are more sophisticated and understated. (There’s also an assortment at Nordstrom and in select Nordstrom stores, as well as the stand-alone COS stores.)

I always keep an eye on what COS is offering because they often have insanely good pieces, but the catch is those items go fast. Case in point: when I placed my order for this story last week, every item was fully in stock, but now many are nearly sold out. And two of my favorite recent purchases—a simple raffia woven clutch and a voluminous black midi skirt—sadly sold out seconds after I bought them.

I haven’t tried any of the brand’s t-shirts yet, apparently they’re great, but I did buy 19 other pieces from the recent collection. For today’s newsletter, I narrowed it down to the best-of-the-best items for your shopping pleasure, and I hope you enjoy. 

Next up? A Skims haul. Watch this space for all the insights, and if you have a brand you’d like me to do a deep dive with, please let me know in the comments below.

COS Oversized Waisted Striped Shirt ($135)

Here’s the truth: When I try to wear oversized things, I end up looking like—to paraphrase from a really funny DM I got whilst wearing this shirt—a “raccoon wearing my dad’s coat.” (Same Bela; same.) But this shirt? This shirt is different. First of all, it’s made from a soft cotton blend that’s the perfect blend of smooth and crisp. Secondly, the oversized silhouette and curved hem make it interesting to look at, and the nipped-in waist makes it look purposefully slouchy, without drowning you. Ths one gets an 11/10 from me, or 0/10 raccoons. (I got a size 6 in this; so true to size IMHO.)

I know it needs a steam, but I was too excited. Worn with very old Madewell jeans and my favorite Dior heels.

COS Eyelet Midi Skirt ($150)

This is exactly what I want to wear to work all summer long. It’s a heavy cotton lace, fully lined, and fits beautifully. I’m not usually into matching sets for myself, but I like that it can be paired with a short sleeve button-up top in the same heavy cotton lace, although that piece is unlined. I realize there aren’t a ton of sizes right now, because things move fast at this store, but I think it’s worth joining the waitlist. (I got a size 6 in this.)

COS Short-Sleeved Eyelet Shirt ($135)

Again, it’s not lined, which is fine, though more of a departure for me. Would work perfectly well over a bodysuit or a tank, if you don’t want to run around showing skin. (Ugh I sound old.) I love the slouchy cut, and think this would look just as great with a pair of worn-in jeans as it does with the more formal skirt. (I got a size 6 in this.)

COS Off-The-Shoulder Smocked Midi Dress ($135) in Dark Navy

TBH, I don’t need another casual, smocked dress, however I decided to keep this one because it’s just special enough I can justify it. I like that you can wear it on or off your shoulders, and maybe this is just my short torso, but it has an almost dropped-waist feel that is surprisingly attractive to me. It also has pockets and comes in white if you’re not a navy person. I’ll wear it to summer barbecues with flat brown lace-up sandals and a straw hat. (For some reason I only took video of this dress, so will put in my IGS, if you’re interested.

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Okay friends, that’s it for now. If you want to follow me on @hillarykerr, I’d love it. And if you have anything to say or ask (preferably nothing terribly mean), please drop me a note either via DM or in the comments below.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’m truly so glad you’re here. If you like what you’re reading, please consider sharing this newsletter. All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated..