When thinking about what to buy, there’s no better feeling than finally snagging the one thing you truly love that serves a personal purpose, whether it be filling a designer-shaped hole in your closet, making your home more pleasant, or investing in essentials you reach for multiple times a week. As 2022 came to a close, Glamour staffers reflected on some of the best things we bought during the year, from luxury loafers to perfect denim to a cookbook that makes weeknight cooking effortless. See what we loved below, and—if the urge hits—feel free to add to cart, as nearly all these items are all still available.
Investment loafers
A January shoe splurge was my best purchase of 2022. It was the year of the chunky loafer and these Pradas took me through all four seasons. wearing them with leather pants in winter and styling them in the summer with white socks and a sundress. The chunky sole added edge, height and a nostalgic ’90s nod. I clocked up countless miles in these loafers and they will undoubtedly continue to be a wardrobe staple as we go into 2023. —Samantha Barry, editor in chief
The coziest socks
I didn’t know I needed cashmere socks until I got a pair of these from Guest in Residence, Gigi Hadid’s new line of knitwear. A little luxury and great quality. —Tchesmeni Leonard, senior fashion editor
Bubble clogs
I’ve had my eye on a pair Simon Miller’s gloriously curvaceous bubble clogs for what feels like forever, but at around $500, I was never quite prepared to take the plunge. In a stroke of luck (and genius) the luxury brand partnered with MELISSA—an affordable footwear label known for using sustainable plastics—and the result was a colorful array of clogs that resembled Miller’s leather version but are made from fruit-scented (!!) PVC. I bought the matte chartreuse first and ended up also snagging the shiny orange color. To say I adore these is an understatement. I wore them all summer and fall with everything from skirts to jeans and continue to wear them in the winter with socks. —Perrie Samotin, digital director
Statement earrings
I appreciate jewelry with a sense of humor and have been a fan of Éliou’s designs for that reason. These “gummy bear” earrings are meant to be worn as a single, but I purchased two to wear s a set. The chunky acrylic bear and small 14-karat gold huggie look remarkably cool no matter what I’m wearing and—a cute added benefit—my four-year-son is delighted every time I put them on. —PS
A designer bag from Paris
I visited Paris for the first time this year and wanted to bring home a souvenir to memorialize my dream trip. The light up Eiffel Tower statues they sell at tourist shops were tempting, but I decided to go big and purchase a luxury bag—after all, I was in Paris! It’s a bit corny, but I wanted to have my big fashion moment in one of the most storied and stylish cities in the world. I walked into a boutique in Le Marais and this Alaïa shoulder bag instantly spoke to me. The shape is whimsical, but I love the classic black lambskin and the silver studs that toughen it up. Despite my instant connection with the bag, I set it down and continued on with my shopping. Two or three more stores later, I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about it and dragged my best friend all the way back to the boutique to purchase it. —Ariana Yaptangco, senior beauty editor
A low-lift cooking kit
Now that I’m going back into the office more regularly, I don’t have the time, energy, or interest in meal planning. I’ve done other subscription boxes in the past and found them to be too time-intensive, but Hello Fresh has several low-lift recipes available each week that are delicious and easy. —Anna Moeslein, Deputy Editor
Classic penny loafers
Not a new discovery considering they’ve been around forever, but the Weejuns are the best shoes I bought this year. Loafers can be stiff and hard to break in, but these are so comfortable I was literally able to put them on and go without doing the usual thick-socks-around-the-house trick. They’re classy options for work, but can just as easily be taken into the weekend with the right pair of jeans. —AM
Cozy clogs
These slides are the best winter shoes because they are beyond cozy and warm but I still feel stylish and put together. The ultimate elevated slipper. —Kat Thomas, associate fashion editor
Luxe sheets
On Black Friday I splurged on bedsheets from Brooklinen. I honestly don’t know what’s taken me so long, but they’re my most regularly enjoyed buy of the year. One con on work days: it’s much, much harder to get out of bed in the mornings. —Natasha Pearlman, executive editor
A portable dryer
I’ve always been very particular about my laundry. I need to know that all of my clothing—and especially my pricier pieces—will return from the wash in the exact same condition I bought them in. I have never met a “delicate” cycle I trust. So for the last few years, I’ve been handwashing about a third of my laundry at home, and hanging it out to dry. The only problem: Some items take a really long time to air dry—we’re talking days—no matter how much water I attempt to gently squeeze out with a towel. (Wring your clothes at your own risk! It’s the easiest way to end up with a misshapen tee.)
Enter: This spin dryer, which I describe to my friends as a salad spinner, but for your clothes. It cut my dry time down from overnight to 1-2 hours, all without damaging the integrity of my favorite pieces. It can be a little finicky at first, but overall it’s compact enough for my one-bedroom apartment and makes doing laundry a hell of a lot less annoying than it could be. —Sam Reed, senior entertainment editor
The perfect white jeans…
White, straight-leg jeans have been my sartorial white whale for the better half of 2022. I’ve tried on more than a dozen pairs over the summer—some were too expensive, others too long, too stretchy, too tight (or too loose) in all the wrong places. Agolde’s ’90s Crop ended up being the one I took home. The denim itself is rigid so it gets softer with wear; the inseam length for my 5’1 frame is just right, and it’s also the perfect shade of white—not creamy nor see-through. The cut itself is so good I own this exact pair in a faded grey. Petite girls reading this…you know what to do. —Talia Abbas, senior commerce editor
…And perfect white tank
My coworkers can probably attest to me being in my all-white era since the summer and this thin tank has been the foundation of many outfits. The cut, the weight, the ribbing—everything about it is perfect. No wonder Hailey Bieber and Emily Ratajkowski wear it all the time too. —TA
Cool coasters
I love these customizable album cover coasters. A friend gave me the idea because she would get new ones each year that we were in college, and by graduation, she had almost 20. They can be used as intended but I decided to put them on my wall as art. It’s so worth it and I like supporting a small business. —Monique Wilson, editorial assistant
An effortless jumpsuit
The hardest thing about getting an Alex Mill jumpsuit is that it feels almost impossible to stop with just one. Comfortable, flattering, and chic—the perfect trifecta—and I have yet to find an occasion for when it’s not a good time for an Alex Mill jumpsuit. Work, brunch, museums, date nights, dinners, and they’re so good for travel. My gateway was with the classic Expedition-style in olive, with its game-changing belt, then I found myself getting the standard short-sleeve in navy. Next up, I’m eyeing the cashmere jumpsuit (how luxe!) and I can’t help but swoon over the watermelon color for the warmer months. —Caitlin Brody, entertainment director
A use-it-every-night cookbook
I’ve always loved cooking—it’s how I unwind from the day and is one of my favorite ways to practice self-care. But just like the rest of us, the pandemic did a number on home cooks to the point where it became triggering to even look at the stove again. Ali Slagle’s cookbook changed all of that for me. I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To) features 150 recipes, and each takes less than 45 minutes, with no more than eight ingredients. Odds are you’ll likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry already, and it makes cooking after a long day of work still feel fun. I’ve yet to make a recipe that I didn’t love, and my friends and I regularly text each other to recommend the recipes we’ve made from it. Mushroom orzotto! Harissa chickpeas with feta! Ginger-scallion soba and shrimp! Sesame chicken meatballs! I could go on and on. —CB
Smart lighting
My partner and I bought two of these rechargeable LED cordless lights when we moved into our new apartment this summer. We live in a brownstone with sockets that aren’t in the most convenient of places, so plug-in bedside lamps or sconces weren’t really an option. After scouring the internet, we found these little pucks, which stay charged for a surprisingly long time, are dimmable, have three different color temperatures, and can attach to either a stand or be mounted directly to the wall. —Allie Folino, art director
An affordable home gym
I used my company benefits to purchase a Tempo Move, which is essentially a Peloton for people who don’t want to do spin. During the pandemic, I started to focus on doing light weights and easy circuits in my home. It eases the barriers of entry to workout and stay active, without the daunting task of picking an outfit, getting to the gym or being in a class with a bunch of people way better than me. For only 20 minutes a day, I can lift light weights, do cardio or yoga at any given time. The tempo tracks my reps and gives feedback on my form. It also takes up very little space, which makes it easy to hide when I need to clean up. All around I was happy I invested in the gift of physical movement this year. —Gabriella Iannetta, associate director of audience development
Nail accessories
I’m a sticker person: my laptop is covered in stickers, my water bottle is covered in stickers, so why shouldn’t my nails be too? Having tried quite a few nail stickers in my many years of at-home zmanicures, none have had the quality, ease of use, and sheer variety as Deco Miami’s nail sticker sheets. From the elegant gold and white astrology-themed “Zodiac” sheet to the rainbow Lisa Frank vibes of the “Lucky Charm” sheet, they have nail stickers for every mood, holiday, and occasion. And they really are easy to apply – I can even do it with my left hand! —Anastasia Sanger, social producer
The best stretching wheel
At some point in 2021, my back started to feel as though I was carrying the actual weight of the world on my shoulders. Blame my age, my work-from-home set-up, or, you know, 2021, but I was waking up with big Snow-White’s-Evil-Queen-in-disguise energy—or lack of energy—and spending the rest of the day trying to stretch my neck in whatever direction would get me back to upright. But no matter which way I stretched, nothing touched the knot between my shoulder blades until I bought this yoga wheel last January. Rolling it down my spine with my arms spread wide (this visual helps) causes some kind of release that I just can’t achieve without the wheel. I’m not sure why it works when plain old stretching doesn’t, but at less than $100, the price of relief has been well worth it. —Kim Fusaro, executive director of brand marketing
Designer denim—on sale
I got so lucky and found the Eckhaus Latta jeans that I had my eye on for sometime on sale at Nordstrom! I nearly fell over, I was so happy. They hug in all the right places and I’m always getting compliments. —Lauren Brown, senior visuals editor
A do-it-all hot tool
I used to be a Drybar-once-a-week girlie, but no longer: I finally gave in and bought myself a Dyson Airwrap. Yes, it’s pricey for just one tool, but it’s single-handedly replaced my previous blow dryer and hair straightener (and more often than that, curling iron), takes less than half the time to dry and style my hair than it did before, and most importantly, actually gave me confidence when it came to styling my hair. I haven’t And a major bonus? It’s so easy to pack.
—Danielle Sinay, associate beauty editor
An iconic anthology
Shotgun Seamstress was one of the earliest zines/DIY publications I’d ever been exposed to and it completely blew my mind away to see other Black punks sharing their stories, music & art in this sort of self-determined way. It has a real special place in my heart and to have them all in one, big beautiful anthology is thrilling. —Soleil Summer, associate visuals editor
