Watching all the strategic piling on at Copenhagen’s Fashion Week right now makes me think about the forever layers—the pieces that dutifully earn their keep no matter the sub-zero temps or the trend cycle. The base layers that do the most (sometimes invisible) labor, creating ease, outfit magic, and, yes, warmth, long before anything statement-making enters the picture. All of which dredges up a memory from the late ’90s, when I was interviewing for a job at Vogue and understood, perhaps for the first time, how much those foundational pieces matter. I had planned to wear a black sleeveless knit tank—the most flattering, sharply-cut, and assured item I owned at the time. A “friend” borrowed it shortly before the interview and then refused to return it in time, explaining that my “clothes won’t make or break the interview.” Turns out she had already decided my top would be perfect for her college reunion weekend. I did eventually get it back. After the interview. Let’s just say the experience served as a lesson in more ways than one. The one that’s stayed with me is this: when these pieces are designed well, they anchor you. And that’s why I find myself so focused right now on rebuilding those foundations—more button-downs, better T-shirts, sheer turtlenecks meant to support rather than perform on their own. ’s new ’90s-inspired and , below, bring all of this into sharp focus—at a refreshingly unoffensive price point. They’re covetable in the way true essentials always are with their exacting proportions and longevity. The kind of pieces you reach for instinctively—and the kind that, once borrowed, are suspiciously hard to get back! is another solid source, with its (or ) that do all the heavy lifting. Today I just want to pile on a bunch of a la (Spring 26) with ’s new pleated jeans, last pic. Layering may be having a moment, but the most important layers are eternal. They simply make everything else work. And, oh, let me assure you, they can land the interview, too. P.S. My red necklace, above, a new forever staple, is by .