Stories by

Phoebe Gates

789 stories

Travel Outfits for Every Kind of Trip

Travel Outfits for Every Kind of Trip

What you wear to travel sets the tone for the whole trip, and the best travel outfits are comfortable without looking like it. These four looks cover a city break, a long-haul flight, a road trip and a layover that turns into dinner. Each one uses pieces that pack small and rewear easily.

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Travel Outfit Pieces: Knit Sets, Easy Shirts and Carry-Ons

Travel Outfit Pieces: Knit Sets, Easy Shirts and Carry-Ons

My favorite travel pieces: 24 knit sets, wraps and carry-ons from Burberry, WeWoreWhat, BEIS and Away.

The Winter Outfits Edit: Five Lessons for People Who Dress for the Walk, Not the Car

The Winter Outfits Edit: Five Lessons for People Who Dress for the Walk, Not the Car

Winter outfits in five lessons: the coat, fine knits, tall boots, scarves and hats, and one bright thing. I would treat the coat as the first decision and the color as the last, and I would never go out without a hat.

Black Flats Outfits, From Workday to Evening

Black Flats Outfits, From Workday to Evening

Black flats have become the go-to shoe for everyone from celebrities to office regulars, and they suit far more than a pair of jeans. These outfits pair Mary Janes with a leather skirt, classic flats with straight jeans, shearling flats with tailoring and satin point-toes with an evening dress. Each shows how much a simple shoe can carry.

Black and White Outfit Ideas for Early Fall

Black and White Outfit Ideas for Early Fall

Black and white is the easiest palette to get right, and it looks especially sharp in the weeks between summer and fall. These outfits pair a white tee with black trousers, a draped blouse with a slim skirt, white jeans with a black knit and a satin skirt with a crisp shirt. A single silver piece or a good pair of sunglasses is all the extra they need.

The Shawl Edit: Five Lessons in How to Wear a Shawl Without Fuss

The Shawl Edit: Five Lessons in How to Wear a Shawl Without Fuss

How to wear a shawl comes down to five decisions: shape, fiber, pattern, print, and silhouette. I like a layer that handles drafts without making a speech about it.

Black and Cream Outfits for Fall

Black and Cream Outfits for Fall

Black and cream outfits for fall: cream knits and silk with black pants and skirts, plus a simple swap of white for cream.

The Old Hollywood Outfits Edit: Five Lessons in Dressing Like the Studio Is Paying

The Old Hollywood Outfits Edit: Five Lessons in Dressing Like the Studio Is Paying

Old Hollywood outfits come down to five lessons: the bias cut, long gloves and wraps, pearls and drop earrings, the pointed pump and the little evening bag. I would walk down a staircase for any of them.

The Long Lunch Outfit

The Long Lunch Outfit

It starts at one in full sun and ends at five. Eight midi dresses, eight flat shoes that pack flat, and the small bags that stay off a dusty floor.

The Disco Outfits Edit: Five Lessons From the Studio 54 Dance Floor

The Disco Outfits Edit: Five Lessons From the Studio 54 Dance Floor

A guide to disco outfits in five lessons: the slinky dress, one metallic piece, wide trousers and a plunging top, platforms you can dance in, and gold hoops with a tiny bag. I would pick the dress that moves over the dress that glitters every time.

The Denim Outfit Edit: Five Lessons in Breaking Up the Blue

The Denim Outfit Edit: Five Lessons in Breaking Up the Blue

A denim outfit guide to jean proportions, jacket layers, shirt shapes, skirt lengths, and one-piece denim. I have a weakness for a sharply turned cuff and any plan that starts with the shoes.

The Cottagecore Outfits Edit: Five Lessons for Dressing Like You Bake Your Own Bread

The Cottagecore Outfits Edit: Five Lessons for Dressing Like You Bake Your Own Bread

Our guide to cottagecore outfits covers prairie dresses, puff sleeves and smocking, cardigans, Mary Janes and the small country details that finish the look. I would take the ruffles seriously and the bread slightly less so.

The Colorful Shoe Trick for Neutral Outfits

The Colorful Shoe Trick for Neutral Outfits

A colourful shoe is the easiest way to wake up a neutral outfit without changing anything else. These looks pair citrus flats with a camel coat, burgundy slingbacks with a gray knit, blue sandals with cream and black, and purple and green heels with navy and white. One bright pair can change the whole mood of an outfit.

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The Clogs Edit: Five Lessons in How to Wear Clogs for Women Who Clomp

The Clogs Edit: Five Lessons in How to Wear Clogs for Women Who Clomp

Clogs for women are less a single shoe than five lessons in suede, leather, shearling, height, and wood. I still spend about four seconds deciding whether the clomp is charming.

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The Casual Outfits Edit: Five Lessons in Getting Dressed on a Tuesday

The Casual Outfits Edit: Five Lessons in Getting Dressed on a Tuesday

Our casual outfits edit covers great jeans, white tees and striped shirts, sneakers, jackets and the one bag you will carry every day. I get dressed in about ninety seconds most mornings, and these are the five pieces I would grab every time.

The Brown Knee High Boots Edit: Five Lessons in Acting Like You Planned the Outfit

The Brown Knee High Boots Edit: Five Lessons in Acting Like You Planned the Outfit

Brown knee high boots get easier to choose when you compare low leather shafts, suede care, heel shape, equestrian roots, and western slouch. I like a pair that lets one detail lead and keeps the rest of the outfit calm.

The Bandana Edit: Five Lessons in How to Wear a Bandana Without Overthinking It

The Bandana Edit: Five Lessons in How to Wear a Bandana Without Overthinking It

How to wear a bandana, from cotton prints and silk squares to oversized drapes, neckerchief knots, printed tops and hair scarves. I would let the print set the mood, then decide how much of it the rest of the outfit can handle.

Beach to Dinner Outfits: Crochet, Linen and Lace

Beach to Dinner Outfits: Crochet, Linen and Lace

Beach to dinner outfits lean on crochet, linen and lace, with sarongs, raffia and easy sandals.

Tennis-Inspired Outfits for Fall

Tennis-Inspired Outfits for Fall

Tennis style, with its knit polos, pleated skirts and clean sneakers, is one of the easiest looks to borrow for fall. These picks cover polo sweaters, pleated skirts, striped and argyle knits, and white sneakers with a cap and a tote. Mix a few pieces with jeans or a coat for a look that is sporty but polished.

Barrel Jeans Outfits, From Ladylike to Denim on Denim

Barrel Jeans Outfits, From Ladylike to Denim on Denim

Barrel jeans have settled in as a real alternative to straight legs, and they are more versatile than their curved shape suggests. These outfits take them from ladylike knitwear and mules to head-to-toe brown, denim on denim and a peplum top with flat shoes. Each one balances the volume of the leg with a neater top half.

Ballet Heels and How to Style Them

Ballet Heels and How to Style Them

Ballet heels take the shape of a ballet flat and add a heel, which makes them one of the easiest dressy shoes to wear. These outfits pair them with a floral skirt and cardigan, wide tailoring, straight jeans and a slinky evening dress. Each look uses a different heel height, from a kitten heel to a slim pump.

Apple Picking and Pumpkin Patch Outfits for Fall

Apple Picking and Pumpkin Patch Outfits for Fall

An orchard day is cold in the morning, muddy by noon and sweet by the end. Here is what I would wear for apple picking, from sweater to boots.

All-White Outfits for In-Between Weather

All-White Outfits for In-Between Weather

All-white outfits are not just for summer, and they look especially fresh in the weeks when the weather cannot decide what it wants. These looks pair a crisp shirt with pleated trousers, a white midi with gold accessories, white denim with light layers and soft knits with a mini. Mixing whites and creams keeps it from looking flat.

Sneakers and Jeans Outfits for Fall

Sneakers and Jeans Outfits for Fall

Sneakers and jeans is the most familiar outfit there is, and small changes keep it interesting. This edit pairs mesh, metallic and suede sneakers with light-wash, white, brown and straight jeans. Each look adds a jacket or bag that makes the whole thing feel deliberate.

Skinny Jeans Outfits for 2026

Skinny Jeans Outfits for 2026

Skinny jeans never really left, and slimmer shapes are back on the shopping list for 2026. These outfits pair cigarette and slim-straight jeans with tall boots, a crisp white shirt, head-to-toe black and ballet flats. The idea is to balance a narrow leg with a strong top half.

Open Edit The Icon Trousers

Open Edit The Icon Trousers

Open Edit The Icon trousers are cut long and full through the leg in twill, a very different garment from the stretch ponte pant they replaced. I look at the wide leg, cigarette and flare cuts in the same twill.

One Navy Blazer, Morning to Night

One Navy Blazer, Morning to Night

A navy blazer is one of the hardest-working pieces you can own, and it looks different depending on what you pair with it. These outfits take it from a morning coffee run to the office, after-work drinks and the weekend. Pick one blazer from the list and repeat it with every look.

Rainy Day Fall Outfits That Still Look Good

Rainy Day Fall Outfits That Still Look Good

Gray skies are a good reason to dress up, not down. These are the trench coats, boots, knits and bags I reach for on a wet day.