I was in the middle of a getting-to-know-you conversation recently when someone told me she’d been a high school track star. That was her thing. Then she asked what mine was.
“In high school?”
Yes, in high school.
I didn’t have a thing. I wasn’t an athlete, wasn’t in the band. I was smart—but not a true high school nerd. After about 30 seconds, I finally said, “I worked hard.”
I’m a little obsessed with hard work. I come by it honestly—my stepdad used to take me to work with him on weekends and pay me to stamp envelopes, file financial statements, and format floppy disks when I was seven. He gave me the perfect mix of praise and incentive.
Sure, part of that comes from a slightly insecure place—the feeling that I need to earn my success. But along the way, I’ve learned to genuinely love that feeling of hard work paying off.
So when it comes to what I do now, I want your wardrobe to work just as hard as you do.
Since day one, I’ve said things like, “I want to sell you one thing you’ll wear 100 times,” and I mean it. When I’m buying for T&O, I’m looking for pieces that are versatile, wearable, user-friendly, and built to last. I want to sell you something you can style a lot of ways—not a dress you’ll wear once for a special occasion.
Every year or so, I round up my favorite hardworking pieces—the ones that really earn their place in your closet.
What works hard? Here’s some categories & brands that always deliver
- Raffaello Rossi: These are our go-to pants. They’re polished, ridiculously comfortable and can go in the wash. Plus, Raffaello Rossi bangs out wearable silhouettes that we can wear on repeat. Rather than delve into particular favorites, we’re linking to our entire collection here. There’s a variety of silhouettes for different occasions - we think there’s something for everyone.
FYI, we also turn to Tela and Labo.Art for great-fitting, versatile pants.
- Denim: Don’t be surprised. Denim is the original uniform for hardworking Americans. These days, you can wear them everywhere (everywhere except country clubs, and that’s the main reason why I don’t want to go to country clubs.)
Raffaello Rossi’s Vic is a fantastic, mid-rise style that our average-to-petite customers love. It’s soft with a hint of stretch.
Frank & Eileen’s new barrel style, Brennan, came with a bang and has maintained momentum. The barrel is flattering and fresh while this soft-yet-rigid denim feels just right.
ASKK’s new Rosebowl has my attention: it’s straight and mid-rise - an easy-with-everything sort of style.
There’s always more. We’ve linked our denim collection here.
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Il Bisonte: An under-the-radar heritage brand, Il Bisonte stands out as it consistently creates versatile and wearable silhouettes that become more beautiful with wear. Their Classic Clutch fits in everyone’s wardrobe, while the new Linnea Top Handle and Linnea Crossbody get points from Team T&O as they look beautiful and go lots of places.
New to T&O, Jack Gomme makes lightweight, durable bags that bring versatility and are ideal for travel.
Also new, Aesther Ekme uses supple leathers to give you a clutch-that-goes-cross-body or a chic top handle that also has a crossbody strap.
Herbert Frere Soeur is another handbag favorite, always offering cute/different styles that patina with grace.
Marian Paquette makes gorgeous special occasion bags that are chic clutches, always with a crossbody for those moments when we need to be hands-free. This is a win.
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Allude: This German knitwear brand’s merino wool pieces are a personal favorite. The prices is right and they always polish off an outfit, they’re designed for year-round wear. Always cut in classic silhouettes, there’s no expiration date on these babies.
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Samsoe Samsoe: Well-priced, fresh looks and great quality - this Scandi brand has flown under the radar for years. It’s one of those iykyk sort of things - they make a fantastic/classic cashmere sweater that hovers around the $300 price point. We particularly love their wardrobe staples that travel with ease, go lots of places and offer easy care.
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Go Silk: Since a user-friendly (AKA washable) wardrobe is a priority in my value system, Go Silk stands out for their always-washable silk styles - blouses, dresses etc.
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Frank & Eileen: Obviously a favorite, Frank & Eileen fits in as a wardrobe workhorse because the fabrics stand up to a ton of wash and wear while the silhouettes impart effortless style. Their denim shirting is a personal favorite - it comes through the wash ready for action.
- Footwear: Finding footwear looks cute and can be worn for a full-day - or longer - is always my priority at Tea & Oranges. Comfort and wearability are always key for me. Standouts include -
Pedro Garcia - always. Comfort comfort and comfort for days. Oh and they're super cute.
Marion Parke - relatively new to Tea & Oranges, Marion Parke is a foot surgeon who decided that women deserve beautiful shoes that are kind to our feet. Each pair is made with thoughtful architecture meant to balance our weight in our shoes (particularly heels) and an extra cookie for arch support. Yes to the heels, but I also love her new Patty flat - a mixed metal slingback ideal for someone who wants to avoid wearing heels to an event.
Halmanera - an under-the-radar Italian brand that is always beautiful - and continues to surprise me with design features that boost comfort.
Coclico - a personal favorite and a brand with it’s own following, our spring lineup includes some styles that are incredibly lightweight and boost height with ease and style.
- Scarves: I think a scarf is an important part of a hard-working wardrobe. I’m a scarf lady. A great scarf is going to weave numerous colors throughout so that it’s diverse color way can touch on a lot of things in your wardrobe - it becomes one of those scarves that looks good with everything. Alternatively, grab a scarf that is rooted in neutrals and it will play nicely with a very colorful ‘fit. Sabina Savage's scarves are expert with the “lots of colors, all the outfits” variety, as are those from Franco Ferrari and Inoui Editions. Grab something from Meg Cohen or Last Chance Textiles for a more limited color palette.
We want everything at Tea & Oranges to earn its place in your closet—but these are the brands and categories that really show up again and again.
And honestly, one of our favorite parts of all this is the conversation. Stop by or reach out—we’re always happy to share a little backstory on what you’re eyeing and why it works as hard as you do.
Want a curated collection of our hardworking favs? Click here for some choice picks!
