Forever Wardrobe with M.M.LaFleur Quintessentials

Your Closet

Meet the M.M.LaFleur Quintessentials

These twelve styles form the foundation of a forever wardrobe.

By Sarah LaFleur

Last week, I found myself tearing through my closet, frantic and frustrated. It was the morning of an event I was speaking at, and I’d just learned that the dress I’d wanted to wear wasn’t available at our store. But after a few minutes of stressing out, I stopped myself. What was I doing? I had a tried-and-true formula I could rely on: a Moreland jacket, a Lisey cami, and a pair of Milo jeans. Have I worn this combo 100 times over? Do I know I look and feel good in it? Yes and yes.

Moments like this one are the reason I founded M.M.LaFleur. Did you know that, on average, women spend two more weeks a year getting ready versus men? In my life, I need tried-and-true pieces I can turn to everyday and know I’ll look my very best without thinking too hard. These are the requirements I kept in mind when curating our selection of Quintessentials: twelve pieces that make up the foundation of a forever wardrobe.

For me, an unexpected side effect of the pandemic was that now, in-person connections have taken on outsize value; I find that when I meet people in person, I build relationships faster than I did pre-pandemic. As our society becomes more skeptical about everything that happens online, whether because of AI, misinformation, or politics, IRL (in real life) connection is that much more meaningful. Having an arsenal of beautiful, comfortable, mix-and-match Quintessentials means I’m ready to look my best at any occasion. Read on to learn more about our Quintessentials (and see me modeling them around my home in Brooklyn!).

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ORIGAMITECH is just a magical fabric, and it really represents what M.M. is about. It looks so polished, but it’s light, really hard to wrinkle, and machine-washable.

I pull out the Moreland jacket whenever I want to look sharp, and based on how much our customers love it, I know I’m not alone. In fact, my college roommate, who’s newly a pediatric surgeon (I’m very proud, in case you couldn’t tell), recently told me that she wears it anytime she needs to look presentable. It’s a truly trustworthy jacket.

The Colby pant is one of those styles that can really be anything, depending on how you wear it. You could wear it with a T-shirt on a Sunday and take a long walk, or you could wear it with heels and a jacket and go into a board meeting. I’ve done both. It’s a pant with a hundred faces.

Fun fact for longtime M.M. fans: the silhouette of the Maaza dress is based on the pattern of the original Sarah dress—my namesake piece. When you have one of those days when you just don’t want anything to touch your skin, this is the easy comfort dress you turn to. You can throw it on in three seconds, and it’s transformative. Plus, it’s a silhouette that’s never not going to be in style.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t initially expect the Gwynne dress to be such a hit, but our customers immediately knew that it was something special. It’s a very sexy, but very appropriate dress. There are few products that walk that line so perfectly. Even better? You can also wear it as a chic, trench-style jacket.

BETTER THAN DENIM jeans are the most-worn styles in my wardrobe. I think the Milo jean is the first true Monday-through-Sunday pant we’ve made—I wear it every weekend and to the office. I love the comfort of the fabric, but my favorite thing about the Milo is that it makes me feel cool without having to work at it.

365KNITS were designed to be worn at all times of the year, and they live up to their name. The magic of the Choe top is that it has the vibe of a T-shirt, but it has a more dressed-up feel to it. It’s a simple style, but it covers your arms to the exact point you’d want, it reveals the collarbone just the right amount, and it fits just so. It’s one of those tops that simply looks really good on.

POWERSTRETCH is such a staple, and the Foster pant has been our best-selling style for years. Secretly, I like to call it the Brazilian butt lift of pants. I don’t have much of a butt, and it just gives it that little lift. Add to that how comfortable it is, and it’s no wonder thousands of women swear by this piece.

JARDIGAN is a portmanteau of “jacket” and “cardigan.” In other words, our jardigans combine the sharp look of a jacket with the stretch and coziness of your favorite cardigan. The Merritt jardigan has been a bestseller for so long, I’ve forgotten at times just how special it is. But every time I watch someone try it on for the first time and witness their reaction, I get to see it through new eyes. Usually, with an oversized style, you expect bulkiness, but the Merritt doesn’t have that at all. The fact that it looks crisp but you feel like you’re wearing a sweater—that’s really unique.

PERUVIAN PIMA COTTON is like butter in fabric form. I especially love ours because it’s more substantial than most cotton jersey you’ll find on the market, so T-shirts like the Leslie and Axam look extra polished.

WASHABLE SILK is the fabric I didn’t know I was missing my whole life. You mean I can wear an elegant silk top regularly, and I don’t have to spend a fortune on dry cleaning? The Lisey cami is a game-changer.

ECO SOFT WAVE isn’t silk, but it looks like it. Plus, not only is it machine-washable, it’s also pretty much impossible to wrinkle, and it repels odors. Internally, we call it the Teflon of shirts. That’s why the Lagarde shirt needs to be in your closet: For a shirt that can be styled a thousand and one ways, you’re going to want something classic, durable, and easy-care.

The Priya dress is the newest style of the bunch, based on the shape of our beloved Nora top. One of our customers once famously said, “I need a dress that says ‘listen to me,’ not ‘look at me.’” That probably describes the majority of my closet, but I’m a firm believer that every woman should also have a “look at me” dress. Sometimes, the people in the room need to see who’s in charge.