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The Three Two-for-One Pieces You Need This Fall
A coat, a jacket, and a top that do double duty.
I’ve always been a pretty conservative shopper. It’s a habit learned from my mother, who’s been known to rock jeans she got in the ‘90s and ask proudly, “Guess how long I’ve had these?” I, too, try to be thoughtful about the clothes I purchase, investing only in pieces I expect to wear season after season. And before the pandemic hit, I had a pretty clear idea which pieces met my criteria. A dress in an easy-to-style color that I could wear to work and a wedding? In the cart it went. A gorgeous top…that would only look good with 1% of the bottoms I owned? Not gonna cut it.
This so-called “new normal” feels a bit like a permanent state of uncertainty—which poses challenges if you’re trying to build a timeless, sustainable wardrobe. And thus, I’ve developed new criteria for welcoming a piece into my closet: First, it must be useful in the context of my current lifestyle, which consists mostly of working from home and occasionally seeing (but not hugging!) friends. And second, it must also work for the “old normal”—going to the office, traveling beyond my immediate neighborhood—because the pandemic won’t last forever. (This also acts as insurance against the urge to replace all my slacks with sweatpants.)
Because of these new self-imposed shopping rules, I got very excited when I saw what M.M.’s design team was working on for our latest collection. Not only were the pieces beautiful (I’m a sucker for a fall palette), but a few of them were definitely two-for-ones—items that can be worn in two distinct ways, effectively giving you two pieces for the price of one. The perfect fit for my glass-slipper shopping rules! Here are the two-for-one styles I’ve added to my wardrobe this fall, plus how I’ll be wearing them for years to come.
1. A Reversible Coat
I was obsessed with this coat from the moment I saw it—and that was before I knew it was reversible. The lighter, flax-colored side feels more casual to me, so I like to wear it over my go-to comfy outfit: stretchy pants, a hoodie, and sneakers. When I head back to the office (or just feel like embracing my witchy Scorpio self), I’ll wear the sophisticated, rust-colored side over the sleek Lagarde shirt, Mejia pant, and Lana boots.
2. A Shape-Shifting Jacket
I’ll be honest: The Arden jacket wasn’t really on my radar until recently. Yes, it’s stunning, but I just didn’t think I’d have a use for it right now. That changed when I learned that the lapels can be worn two ways: splayed out, like a classic blazer, or overlapped to create a cool-girl bomber-jacket vibe. These days, I’m wearing it bomber style over cotton turtlenecks, my favorite wide-leg jeans, and sneakers. Next time I need a power outfit, you can bet I’ll be flipping those lapels out and pulling on my Catwoman pants.
3. A Top That Goes Undercover
By some feat of sorcery unbeknownst to me, the Bridget top is both 100% silk and machine-washable. And in case that wasn’t enough to convince me I needed it in my life, it’s also designed to be worn two different ways, for two very different vibes. First, you can wear it with the top few buttons undone, which gives it a kind of airy, romantic feel. That’s how I’ve been wearing it recently, along with stretchy pieces like the Rogala pant and Colette jardigan that match the top’s relaxed look. And second, you can go fully buttoned-up, which creates the appearance of classic button-down lapels—the perfect way to give your suits some pizzazz.
