My Mostly Highly Recommended Wardrobe Staples & Bedding Essentials Are On Sale Now. Don't Sleep!
The Row! Valentino! Dries! And the extra fluffy duvet insert that makes your bed look extremely expensive!
Happy long weekend, to all who celebrate. You’re going to see a lot of stories about all of the Memorial Day sales happening right now, but most of them are just noise. Don’t be distracted. This is a great time of year to replace or level up a handful of essentials—especially for the home—and I’m happy to report some of my tried, tested, and trusted favorites are currently marked down. So happy shopping and stay tuned for my summer sandals story (I’m road testing the best options, and gave my feet blisters in the process; 0/10 on that style) coming up, and a Father’s Day gift guide, featuring a special guest!
As always, if there’s an item you’re shopping for or you need help sorting through the zillions of options out there, please don’t hesitate to drop me a comment and I will add it to my to-do list. (And why am I prompting you to comment? Because while I love DMs and always try to answer you there, my inbox is messy, and comments here are much easier for me to find and use as source material as I’m working on new things. Also, I love comments; they make me feel seen.)
Best Mattress:
Last September, I tested 34 different mattresses to find a new one, and after all that reporting and nearly a year of sleeping on it, I’m delighted to share that I very much recommend Naturepedic. Our kids got us into the brand first (thanks to a recommendation from the amazing Kelly Leveque), and they both have the GOTS-certified Naturepedic Verse Organic Twin Mattress ($999 normally, now $799.20 with the 20% off sale, plus free shipping).
We liked pretty much all of the Naturepedic options, but our top two choices were both hybrid (meaning: they have coils and a latex layer), customizable (meaning: you can make one side of the bed firmer than the other) and GOTS-certified.
We love the Naturepedic EOS Classic Organic Mattress ($3499 normally, now $2799.20 with the 20% off sale, plus free shipping), which is also available in a latex-free version or a wool-free version. If you want an extra plush, extra luxurious option, we also like the EOS Organic Pillow Top Mattress ($4799 normally, now $3839.20 with the 20% off sale, plus free shipping). Both of those styles can be purchased online.
The mattress we decided to get is the Halcyon Azure Organic Mattress ($6499 normally, now $5199.20 with the 20% off sale). Like the rest of the Naturepedic mattresses, the brand is EWG verified (making them the first mattress brand to win this distinction), and GOTS, Made Safe, and UL/Greenguard certified. There are no flame retardants, polyurethane foam, glues, or adhesives, it’s hand-made in the United States, and there’s a 25-year limited warranty. You can customize each side and swap out the layers over time, if you decide you want a firmer mattress or something softer. It’s expensive, but it’s just a dream to sleep on.
Best Sheets:
The Annie Meyers-Shyer, The Strategist, and Hillary Kerr (ha!)-recommended Lands’ End 400-Thread Count Premium Supima Cotton No Iron Sateen Bed Sheet Set ($209.95 normally, now $104.97 on sale) that I’ve written about extensively and are my YCOHO bed item,
My favorite linen sheets—Parachute’s Linen Sheet Set ($359 normally, now $268 on sale), which includes one top sheet, one fitted sheet, and two pillowcases—are also marked down right now. Best news ever: The pillowcases also now available in a side-open option, which I personally prefer to the brand’s traditional back-envelope style.
Best Towels:
My beloved Matouk Milagro Towels are now on sale ($119 normally, now $71.40), as seen in my Towels! Towels! Towels! testing story from February of this year. The Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towels ($44 normally, now $35.20 on sale), which are Wirecutter’s top pick and another option I really love, are also marked down right now. The Frontgate are super heavy and plush, while the Matouk ones are luxurious, but lighter.
Best Pillows:
Pillows feel weirdly personal to recommend, but if you are a side sleeper like me, I think you’ll enjoy Parachute’s Down Side Sleeper Pillows ($160 normally, now $120). The brand’s Down Alternative Side Sleeper Pillows ($110 normally, now $90) are also great.
Best Duvet Insert:
OH MY GOD THIS IS EXCITING. My super fluffy, extra lofty, 12/10-recommended duvet insert is on sale right now at Saks, which is super rare! I get asked about it all the time, as it’s the key background player in my outfit selfies, and honestly: It’s worth buying at full price. But why would you want to do that when the Matouk Montreux Comforter ($750 normally, now $600) is significantly reduced?!?! We have the regular weight one, but it also comes in a summer version and a heavier winter iteration, both of which are on sale too! Run!
Nordstrom Sale:
If you’re tired of a Nordstrom sale, you might be tired of life itself. Fortunately that is not the case for me! Or for you, I suspect! The designer sale is pretty outrageous. What’s worth your time? There are loads of excellent Zimmermann pieces, like the Matchmaker Flare Silk Satin Maxi Skirt ($750 on sale). Also worth noting: The many sale pieces from The Row. Fisherman sandals are still having a huge moment, and I think The Row’s version is outrageously good and will last for ages because they’re well made. Also, while it’s weird to suggest wool pants right now, The Row’s Corby Pleated High Waist Wool Ankle Trousers ($545 on sale) are currently 50% off and definitely a staple. Also, I’m a fool for Simone Rocha, and there are some really incredible pieces on sale now.
Net-A-Porter Sale:
There are over 13,000 items that are up to 50% off at NAP right now, and I’m trying to control myself. My recommendations? I’m really into the Australian shoe brand A. Emery, and love their sandals. One of the styles I like—the Margaux Leather Sandals ($119 on sale)—still has some sizes left! There are over 350 pieces of The Row on sale now too. Again: My favorite thing to do with big seasonal sales is to buy classic pieces that you can wear forever, like the Roan Pleated Wool-Twill Wide-Leg Pants ($695 on sale), even though the fabric is counterintuitive to high summer. There are also 60 blazer and coat styles that are 50% off, which is pretty incredible.
My favorite striped shirt from La Ligne, the Lean Lines Cotton Jersey Top ($77 on sale), is 30% off and is available in every size. Shani Darden’s products are my favorite favorite and right now her mini Shani’s Starter Set ($35 on sale) is 30% off. I have the minis for travel, but they’re also perfect for testing. Be warned; you will fall in love! Very excited that one of my best purchases of the year, Christopher John Rogers’s Striped Brushed Wool-Blend Sweater ($435) is now on sale. It’s so cool and cropped, and the wide stripe is pretty timeless.
While I’m not Team Trousers overall, there are a few styles I am truly obsessed with, and they’re mostly by Dries Van Noten. My go-to pair (the brand’s Wool Wide-Leg Pants ($548), which aren’t scratchy in the slightest) is currently 50%, and I love them so much I’m buying a backup. I’m also keeping a close eye on the Valentino pieces on sale right now, of which there are over 300, including 100+ dresses, which are absolutely investment worthy.
I’m also circling some of the Olympia Le Tan clutches, which are truly works of art, especially the Van Gogh Oleanders clutch, the Madame Bovary clutch, and the Les Fleurs du Mal Baudelaire clutch.
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. (And if you have the time to like it, that would mean a lot to me!) All products mentioned are independently chosen, and some may be affiliate links. Your support is appreciated.
I know when I read your substack I’ll find the best edited edition of must haves. Thanks for always delivery fantastic finds.
You know how something in your house may bother you a little- a fraying rug, a chipped door frame, a cracked storage bin- and then BOOM one day that broken item becomes all-consuming and even though you SHOULD be getting ready for your MIL’s 75th birthday dinner, you cannot stop searching the Internet for a replacement? That was me yesterday looking for new sheets to replace my poorly fitting and constantly wrinkled sets. But I couldn’t make a decision for the life of me. And then your substack appears like a light in the dark. Just ordered two sets of the Lands End sheets. Thank you!