I spend a lot of time putting together slideshows of runway inspiration. Take a look at how I actually dress, though, and you’d never guess it. See, I decide what I’m going to wear in the first five minutes after I wake up—no outfit planning, no Fashion Week references… Just simple, easily-matched pieces I can throw on in a hurry, before I get coffee in my system: big sweaters over slip skirts, a bodysuit under high-waist jeans. For me, shopping is a routine, re-ordering the same few pieces over and over again, trends be damned.
Every so often, though, there comes a moment that’ll break your comfortable routine. For me, that came during Jason Wu’s Fall 2018 show during New York Fashion Week, when, among the princess tulle dresses and embellished skirts, a handful of models emerged wearing thin, camel-colored turtlenecks underneath their looks, from unbuttoned shirts to coat-dresses. It was Ali McGraw, old Céline, and sophisticated Jason Wu muse all in one outfit, a mix that spoke to my latent predilection towards neutral, pared-back dressing.
Though it’s by no means a new styling trick, I had never thought of wearing a turtleneck underneath a button-down before. But I clicked out of that runway recap thinking that it looked so easy, even I could do it. And I already had the perfect layering piece: a Madewell bodysuit that I found marked down to $34.99 in an end-of-season sale. I thought of it as a pragmatic purchase at first—bodysuits have the obvious advantage of never coming untucked, after all, and can pass for real shirts. It’s soft, warm, and neutral enough to match most of my accessories. Also, I repeat: $35.
Instead of simply wearing it with trousers, I started styling it underneath blouses and other fall tops, as a sort of “Look, I can Fashion” move. It took no time to put together, and it received a rare compliment from another Glamour fashion editor. (No exaggeration: She called out my “lewk” on her Instagram story.) I tried it with denim and chambray, with skirts, and with my favorite slip dress. The cost-per-wear is infinitesimal at this point.
I’ve since turned my sale find into the foundation for a turtleneck bodysuit collection: I picked up a black version from American Apparel, to wear under sheer tops and button-downs since my first a-ha! moment; the creamy oatmeal version I bought from Madewell is now long-gone, but turtleneck bodysuits are aplenty in stores this fall for that same price or less. It’s one tissue-thin layer, but it makes any blouse or dress look a little more thoughtful—almost like you bought it from the runway.
$35 is the most I’ve felt compelled to spend on a bodysuit so far. I rounded up a couple that fall just above my price threshold but are still less than $50—meaning that when Cyber Monday discounts roll around, I’ll have my credit card ready.
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