The $40 Wardrobe Staple I Depend on, With an Incredible Price Per Wear

And let’s talk about hair washing for a second.

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There are a number of newsletter topics that you all have repeatedly asked me to discuss—feedback I very much welcome!—but nothing comes up as much as wardrobe staples. And I get it. I am a longtime proponent of uniform dressing (meaning having a handful of silhouettes or go-to outfit combinations that you can tweak easily, which makes getting dressed less time consuming) and have become increasingly selective about what I buy, so staples are my love language.

Whenever contemplating a purchase, I immediately ask myself if I can think of at least three ways to wear it and three different types of places or occasions where I could wear said piece. It’s not a flawless system, but it helps me identify what will actually work with my wardrobe and keeps me from buying things that have no bearing on my personal style or reality. (Like the expensive-for-me kaftan I bought for a beach vacation that I have rarely used because a) I like the idea of a kaftan more than how it actually looks on me, and b) I haven’t been on a beach vacation since I was pregnant with Clark… and he’s 4 and a half.)

But here’s the truth: Staples are completely unique to your personal style, and there aren’t very many pieces that have true universal appeal and usefulness. That said, let’s talk about one of my favorites: Commando Perfectly Opaque Tights. (They're available at a number of places, including Bloomingdale's, a slightly less opaque version, which is also great is at Neiman Marcus, and also at Bergdorf Goodman.)

Tights? Who cares? YOU WILL, at least, once you try these. Over the years, I have purchased every single major brand of tights, from the very expensive ones that celebrity stylists love to the most bare-bones options from the drugstore, and nothing holds a candle to Commando’s version. So why are they so excellent? The waistband is flawless. You know how most tights have a skinny waistband that digs into you? Not this one. It’s super wide, smoothing, and supportive without feeling constricting and never ever rides up or rolls down. It’s unlike anything else I’ve tried and truly enjoyable to wear.

Also, most tights make me itch at some point in the day, but I have worn the Commando ones for literally 20 hours in a row with nary a problem. (I worked all day and then got on a flight from London to L.A., and when I walked through my door at the end of the trip, they were still totally 100% comfy.)

These tights also hold up despite my chronic mistreatment of them. You’re supposed to hand-wash them, but I never remember to do that, and they still work great years later. Yes, plural. I have a pair that I bought six years ago that looks brand new. So while, yes, $40 is a lot for a pair of tights, the price-per-wear math is just impeccable.

QUICK CHAT

You ask questions, and I answer, kind of like a non-disappearing AMA!

I know you exercise every day, but what do you do about washing your hair?

The exercise–hair washing conundrum is a problem that doesn’t have any simple answers and, like everything else, is unique to you, your schedule, and your hair. I have fine hair that I highlight every couple of months, so I have the wonderful problem of needing to wash it frequently so it doesn’t look greasy and needing to be gentle because I bleach it. Currently, I wash it probably every other day, and I try to air-dry it as much as possible. I still get it wet in the shower on the days I don’t wash it, and on those non-wash days, I will still put conditioner on my ends, because Michelle Lee, the former editor in chief of Allure, once said to do that, and for some reason, it stuck with me.

What are you shopping for now?

Mostly just buying additional COVID-19 tests for my new Cue Health Monitoring System, which is similar to an at-home PCR test and used by NASA, the NBA, and more. With two kids under 5 in the house—plus we have vulnerable family members—it’s giving me a fair amount of peace of mind. (It’s expensive, but considering the recent testing issues/shortages, I feel it’s very much worth it.) I also am finally buying indoor shoes because while I prefer being barefoot, it’s too cold for that ish right now. Like so many before me, I have a pair of fuzzy Birks in my shopping bag at the moment. While I famously don’t wear pants, I’m hoping that 2022 is my year to shift my mindset on trousers and jeans, so I currently have a pair of cropped straight-leg jeans from Re/Done on the way. They’re black, which I think is the easiest way to get back into denim after a long hiatus. Madewell has a style that interests me too (the Curvy Perfect Vintage Jean in Lunar Wash), so considering that one as well. And last but not least, I’m waiting for this incredible green ribbed cardigan and ribbed midi skirt to arrive so I can make my own modern version of that green Donna Karan ensemble Gwyneth Paltrow wore in Great Expectations. You know the one.

As always, thank you for being here, and thank you for sticking around. If you have any questions or concerns, or want me to touch on any topics in particular, I’m all ears. Leave a comment on Hi Everyone’s Bulletin or DM me on Instagram—I’m @hillarykerr—my inbox is always open!