Welcome to The Great Try-On. We’re gearing up for spring, and that includes freshening up our wardrobes with some new pieces. We got to try on some of the best spring pieces from some of your favorite brands and documented it all from our at-home dressing rooms so that you can see how they actually look IRL. We hope that our photos and candid reviews will help you shop for spring wardrobe builders and trend-forward pieces that you’ll wear over and over this season and beyond.
With spring officially here, so many of us (myself included) are ready to reassess our wardrobes by doing a closet clean-out or adopting a few new trends. For me, the shift has been even more existential because I’ve found I can’t stop thinking about the meaning of personal style on a micro and macro scale. From my purview, it sometimes feels as if the definition of personal style has been lost in the aim of keeping up with what’s trending rather than investing in pieces with a higher price tag that you love and will wear for years to come. Of course, I can’t lie and say that I haven’t personally been a part of this erosion at times. (After all, I do report on fashion for a living.)
But it’s a new season, so I’ve decided to prioritize building a wardrobe with well-made basics that can last moving forward. In an effort to kick-start this journey, I wanted to try on pieces from one of the best minimalist brands out there: COS. Founded in 2007, the label has become beloved in the fashion industry for its elevated everyday items at entry-level prices. It’s become the place where minimalists and quiet-luxury enthusiasts shop. And after having the privilege of testing the clothing out myself, I get why. Ahead, you’ll find photos and my reviews of 12 pieces I tried on from COS’s spring 2023 collection. Whether you’re reevaluating your relationship with style or need a few new staples, I can safely say this collection has you covered.
Styling: Tory Burch Marble Hoop Earring ($248); COS A-Line Denim Dress ($175) and Classic Leather Belt ($69); Schutz Asya Mirror Up Nubuck Boot ($238)
My Review: What I’m about to say might be a controversial opinion, but here it goes… I’m not a fan of jeans. I know that denim is a fundamental building block for any wardrobe, but I rarely find a pair of jeans that I feel looks flattering on my body. That, however, doesn’t deter me from wanting a few denim pieces in my closet, so when I saw that COS had released this A-Line Denim Dress in its spring collection, I knew I had to try it on. What I initially loved about this piece is that it gives us anti-pant people a chance to don denim without squeezing into a pair of skinny jeans. And that love was amplified when I got my hands on the dress. First off, I should note that the textile used to make this dress is sublime. Some denim can be either too stretchy or too stringent, but the fabric used for this COS dress is a perfect balance. In terms of the fit, I’m usually a size 6 and chose to order the dress in that size, which was a great call because it fits true to size. With button-front denim dresses, I often have issues with the fit (e.g., it’s too tight around the hips or the buttons gape around the chest), but this dress felt like it was tailored right to my body despite being right out of the delivery box. In part, I think the fit is so great due to some of the item’s design details—it has enough roominess in the bust area, a mid-length slit that’s suitable for various heights, and a low-slung waistline that doesn’t squeeze the hips too tight. Even if you’re a little smaller in the waist or are between sizes, the great thing about this dress is that you can simply just add a belt. I chose to add this classic leather belt from COS and am so happy I did. While the dress already fit perfectly without it, adding the belt just brought my entire impression of the ensemble up a notch. The belt fit well (I ordered a medium/large), and I could tell it was great leather, which isn’t always the case with other brands’ accessories. Overall, both pieces not only fit nicely but also were so clearly made well that they made any of my previous apprehensions about denim melt away. I can definitely see these pieces becoming fundamental parts of my wardrobe for years to come.
Styling: Jenny Bird Nouveaux Puff Earrings ($128) and Izabella Collar ($230); COS Double-Breasted Cropped Linen-Blend Blazer ($250), Gathered Bandeau Top ($89), and Tailored Linen-Blend Bermuda Shorts ($135); Proenza Schouler loafers
My Review: For my second look, I wanted to focus on another fundamental part of any wardrobe: suiting separates. The great thing about COS is that it always has a slew of well-tailored separates and sets every season that make for great long-term staples—its spring collection is no exception. While it took me a hot minute to decide which suit I wanted, I eventually tried COS’s Double-Breasted Cropped Linen-Blend Blazer and the matching Tailored Linen-Blend Bermuda Shorts. What drew me to this suit set initially is that I believe that linen suits are the ideal spring staple, which is fundamentally lacking in my present wardrobe. When choosing which sizes to order for this suit set, I landed on trying on the blazer and the shorts in size 6. Initially, I was worried the blazer wouldn’t fit just because I’m a bit bustier. Sometimes, cropped blazers hit the body in a weird place, but that wasn’t the case with this piece. The blazer fits perfectly. It was super comfortable to move around in, and it managed to button perfectly over my bust without being too tight. I became obsessed with it and could see myself pairing it with other spring-ready pieces in my closet or wearing it with matching bottoms. Speaking of the Bermuda shorts, if you’re a little curvier, it’s worth thinking about sizing up, as I found the waistband to be a bit tighter than I would have preferred. But waistband aside, the shorts are ultra-cozy (the fabric isn’t itchy), and the flare of the shorts makes them the ideal piece to wear on a hot spring or summer day. What’s lovely about both pieces is how many different ways you can potentially style them, but for the purposes of this story, I knew I wanted to make it feel more relaxed. I landed on pairing the suit with COS’s Gathered Bandeau Top, a pair of Proenza Schouler loafers, and Jenny Bird jewelry for a business-casual look. What drew me to this tube top is the fact that it seems like the perfect warm-weather separate to add a little edge to suiting looks, and I was right. I loved how this top looked with COS’s linen suit set and the fabrication’s comfort. My only regret is that I got too nervous about the sizing and chose to order a large rather than a medium to potentially accommodate my bust (for reference, I’m a 34DD), which was not the move. While the top was wearable, it was a bit looser than I would have liked. I would have been okay ordering the medium, as the top fits true to size. After being able to style this top with this matching suit set, I now don’t understand how I lived my life this long without a beige suit set and white tube top. These pieces officially have a place in my wardrobe, without a doubt.
Styling: Jenny Bird Nouveaux Puff Earrings ($128) and Izabella Collar ($230); COS Cropped Utility Jacket ($150), Gathered Bandeau Top ($89), and Wide-Leg Tailored Wool Pants ($150); vintage Givenchy heels
My Review: For my third look, I knew that I wanted to show how at least one of COS’s staple pieces—its Gathered Bandeau Top—could be styled differently. So I decided to pair the top with another beloved staple, black trousers. While COS always has an incredible assortment of pants, I landed on trying on its Wide-Leg Tailored Wool Pants in size 6. I was drawn to these trousers because they’re the type of piece I know is a fundamental staple, and I was curious about how well-made they were. When I first slipped them on, I finally got the power of owning a perfectly tailored pair of pants. For context, most trousers I’ve found never fit my larger hips and tinier waist well. Plus, I’m only 5’4″, so if I find pants, they often need to be tailored. But COS’s Wide-Leg Tailored Pants fit my waist and hips, and they were the perfect length. It basically felt like I was witnessing a miracle. That may seem dramatic, but as I avoid wearing pants 90% of the time on account of fit issues, it’s not a hyperbolic statement. But what made me love both of these pieces even more than before was how I chose to style them. I wanted to give them a tiny bit of a “trendier” feel, so I paired them with a silver collar necklace from Jenny Bird, vintage silver slingback heels from Givenchy, and COS’s Cropped Utility Jacket. What drew me to try on this jacket from COS was that I wanted to test lightweight outerwear options and loved the baby blue. Also, with utilitarian elements popping up in spring/summer 2023 runway collections, this jacket felt like the perfect way to still nod to what’s happening trend-wise while also having a piece that’s fundamentally functional. And that assessment was proven right on my part once I was able to try on the jacket. The hue was just as beautiful in person as it was online, and the fabric was the ideal weight to categorize it as outerwear that could be worn in the spring and even the summer. In terms of the fit, I ordered a size 6 and found that the piece fits true to size and is even more flattering than I had initially anticipated. Overall, I found that all of these pieces proved to me that well-tailored staples can spark as much joy as any buzzy item of the moment.
Styling: Jenny Bird Nouveaux Puff Earrings ($128); COS Regular-Fit Twill Trench Coat ($250), Knitted Tank Top ($69), and Pleated Wool-Blend Midi Skirt ($175); Tory Burch Wrap Ballet Flat ($209)
My Review: I knew I wanted to wholly lean into the quiet-luxury aesthetic for my fourth look and pick pieces that lend themselves to being long-haulers. I started by identifying one staple I found synonymous with spring wardrobes—the trench coat. While I own a black trench I adore, I have yet to find a classic beige version that I’ve liked enough to invest in. Part of the reason I have yet to see this staple despite its universal prevalence is the fact that most outerwear fails to meet my sometimes “picky” requirements. It has to fit right, it needs to have luxurious details, the fabric can’t be itchy, and it should have an accessible price point. I’ve been searching for a trench that could live up to these standards for so long that I thought it was a lost cause until I tried on COS’s Twill Trench Coat. I may have doubted whether this coat could live up to my great expectations, but after trying it on, I feel like my search for the perfect everyday trench is over. I ordered the coat in size 6 and found it fit my arms and chest well, and the hemline landed mid-calf, which is the ideal length for me. What’s more, since it’s made from a cotton blend, it’s ultra-soft and not irritating to the skin. But what really sealed the deal for me on this trench coat is how it has some of those more luxurious elements (e.g., the storm flap on the back and sharply pointed collar) that you’d find on a designer coat without having that excessive price point. But possibly the best thing of all about this piece is its infinite styling possibilities. Though, for this story, I knew I wanted to keep it simple and pair it with another beloved staple like a tank top. COS has many great tanks, and I ended up pairing this coat with its Knitted Tank Top. For the tank, I chose to try it on in size 6 and found that it fits true to size. In terms of the fabrication, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality, as it was incredibly soft and felt like the perfect lightweight knit fabrication to wear in the springtime and even the fall. What I love most about this top, though, is that its simplicity lends itself to being a piece that can be worn season after season with just about anything, including a pleated skirt. There’s no more pivotal bottom to invest in than a great skirt. I own quite a few pleated skirts, which are the foundational bedrock of my closet. So of course, I had to try at least one skirt from COS’s spring collection. As a skirt lover, choosing one was no easy task, but eventually, I landed on trying the Pleated Wool-Blend Midi Skirt in black in size 6. What I loved about this skirt is that it felt like something that would be easy to add to my wardrobe, and I was right about that inclination. The skirt is made from a heavier fabric, so it definitely couldn’t be worn in the summer. Still, because it has two different types of pleats, it feels more elevated than similar styles from competitor retailers. In terms of the fit, admittedly, it was a bit snugger around the waist than I would have liked. It fits, but if you want to tuck in tops or maybe layer tights underneath, it could become a little bit too tight, so it might be worth sizing up. That being said, the skirt, much like the trench coat and knit tank, had me daydreaming about different ways I’d style it with other pieces in my closet. And I feel that the mere act of envisioning how I’d style these pieces if they were a part of my closet proves why they’d make excellent purchases.
Styling: Tory Burch Marble Hoop Earring ($248); Jenny Bird Gia Bangle ($140) and Izabella Bangle ($130); COS Contrast-Panel Midi Dress ($120); BY FAR Lana Open Toe Mule ($468)
My Review: Finally, for my last look, I knew I couldn’t possibly skip trying on one of the most fundamental parts of any spring wardrobe: a breezy dress. One of the things I’ve always loved about COS is that it creates dresses that are warm weather friendly and polished enough to be worn to work. Plus, they’re timeless and can be pulled out of your closet years later and still look good. COS has no shortage of dresses that can do just that, but when it came to choosing which style I wanted to try on, I turned to one dress I’ve been lusting over for a long time, its Contrast-Panel Midi Dress. Nothing embodies warm weather more than a white cotton dress, so I was drawn to this one. Before I even tried it on, I loved this dress because it features a closely fitted tank-like bodice with a drop waist and flowy skirt. And once I did happen to slip it on, I knew I didn’t want to take it off. Like the other pieces I tried on for this story, I ordered this dress in size 6 and found it fit my body perfectly. It was incredibly flattering, and I could tell it was made from high-quality cotton, as it felt so comfortable. The dress’s simplicity also made me love it. The small details make it special and embody that quiet-luxury ethos to a T. Of course, there are ways you can spice it up should it feel a little too simple. For example, I chose to pair the dress with some unique jewelry (my favorite Tory Burch earrings and layered Jenny Bird bangles) and a colorful pair of sandals from BY FAR. But you could also style it with a jacket and sneakers for running errands or with wedges and a clutch bag for a baby/wedding shower. Though minimal, this dress can be whatever you make it. Like all great staples, it’s not about how “in style” it is. It’s about how you choose to style it. From this process, I’ve learned that I don’t have to keep up with every trend to be stylish. It’s more important to learn that functionality can be fashionable. You have to know where to find the best pieces, and while great staples can come from anywhere, I know some of my favorites can now be found at COS.
Spice up your suiting collection with the addition of this sleek waistcoat.
Denim skirts are trending right now, making this the ideal spring purchase.
So elegant!
Two-tone hoops? Don’t mind if I do.
The back of this dress is everything.
Meet the perfect everyday bag.
The chain hardware on these loafers makes them all the more luxurious.
Imagine this necklace peeking out of a white poplin button-down shirt—chic, right?
You’ll wear this all spring. I can guarantee it.
Please take a minute to note the flap detail on these trousers.
Nipped-in waists will be everywhere this spring.
Everyone needs a little black pencil skirt.
Is it even springtime without a pair of sunglasses?
Nothing is more classic to me than a simple tank top.
