Things I Think My Wife Should Wear

Shoutout to the GOAT fr

(I’m going to start by saying that all that is written is cosigned by my lovely wife who is so beautiful and loving and amazing).

Piggybacking off of Mariano when he wrote about things he thought his brother should wear, who piggybacked off a post made by G F titled "Stuff I Think My Brother Should Wear." Shoutouts, Mariano, for introducing me to Kind of Cool because I love finding more substack nerds to fill my feed.

Before diving into today’s post, let me take a moment to share a little about my wife, Sophie. She is a kind and caring mother to our baby girl, with a heart full of compassion and love for everyone around her. I’ve never met someone as selfless as Sophie—she always puts others first, which, I’ll admit, makes me feel a little guilty because I don’t hold a candle to her generosity. She’s beautiful inside and out, and her smile has a way of lighting up any room.

She has some visual resemblance to Florence Pugh, especially in her role of Dani in Midsommar, but don’t tell her that because she HATED the movie and wishes she never saw it (and like… I would assume she wouldn’t shove me in a bear suit and burn me alive).

Before we go any further, I want to go on record to say that I DO NOT speak for all men or women, and this is purely my opinion on things I think my wife would look good in.

There were some notes I needed to consider when finding garms for this list;

Interest in fashion:
My wife does a good job of dressing stylishly while not caring for fashion and jawnz the same way I do, which means I’ll often recommend a fire garm to her, but she’s like “Nah I’m good.”

Function over form:
Sophie is all about function. She will pick a functional garm over something that is slightly uncomfortable but looks wicked fire. Like if we’re out for a family walk, she’ll rock a pair of runners and tights. She’ll never opt for the jeans and boot combo.

Mall brand enthusiast:
The subtitle is tongue-in-cheek. What I’m really trying to say is she won’t buy anything if she can’t try it on first. Very smart. Definitely not like me. She also can’t justify spending too much on clothing (definitely not like me), So whatever I recommend needs to be long-lasting and cost-efficient.

Effortless:
She has a knack for dressing effortlessly cool—something that true garment enthusiasts often struggle with. Adding pieces that feel too intentional can throw off her entire vibe.

Style consistency:
I don’t want to change her style. I don’t want to put her in cosplay by adding clothes that will change her style completely.

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As a reminder, this post is not about changing the way my wife dresses but adding on to her wardrobe with some things that I think would look stellar on her.

Footwear:

My wife is pretty set for most of her footwear rotation. In her daily rotation she has;

• LX Vans (which I discussed in depth a little while back)

• Grey New Balance 992s

• Arizona Birkies

The classics, If you will.

I think she would look fantastic in a pair of loafers. What’s great about a loafer is that you can wear them in any season and they look good. You can dress them up in slacks, or down in a pair of shorts. Look good in socks, or raw dogged. There’s a lot of versatility available in loafers.

But it’s important we remember that my wife is a functional dresser, so I don’t think we can go with a leather sole. If she’s actually going to wear a pair of loafers, they need to be a lug sole, and because she doesn’t own a pair, we need to stick with the classics.

The classic GH Bass Weejuns in a lug sole would be perfect for her! The lug sole adds extra comfort for a shoe that can be uncomfortable. Unfortunately, all the female’s lugs available are extra tall, which I don’t think she’d be down for, so she’ll be chucking on a men’s pair for the classic vibe.

Working alongside the loafers, I’m throwing in the Plasticana Gardana French Clogs. For the Northern Hemi homies, this might feel a little... late to the party.

When looking at the innovation adoption lifecycle, some could argue the Gardana could be in the late majority. I get it—I remember when General Mohawk Store first stocked them, back when they still had that IYKYK-ness to them. But here in Australia, they’re not even on the radar. I haven’t seen a single pair in the wild, and with only two stockists nationwide, we’re still sitting firmly in the early adopter stage.

What I like about the clogs is that she can switch between them and loafers seamlessly, keeping the same outfits while subtly shifting the tone—clogs for a more relaxed, effortless feel and loafers for a touch of refinement.

Bottoms:

So my wife has two moods: skinny leg or wide leg—no in-between. I love her with all my heart, but it’s time to let the skinny jeans rest. I know she still prefers a slimmer silhouette, and I think a straight-leg jean strikes the perfect balance. Compared to the oversized cuts dominating the algorithm today, a well-fitted straight-leg still feels streamlined while offering a more timeless and effortless look.

She’d absolutely pull them off. With her body type, she has the flexibility to wear a range of silhouettes, but the beauty of a straight-leg jean is that it works for anyone. It’s a classic for a reason.

I know nothing about denim. I don’t know how to determine good denim from bad denim just because it’s not in my spectrum of interest. If I give a bad rec, I would love some other suggestions!

These high-rise straight-leg jeans by Australian label, Country Road would look good on her. Most (if not all) of her pants are high-rise. It’s something that she’s more comfortable in, and if she’s not comfortable, she won’t wear it.

We could offer the classic Levi’s 501s. Another straight cut jean without sacrificing body shape. She’s not interested in paying extortionary vintage store prices for a second-hand pair of jeans, so they would most likely be copped from a Levi’s store. The only problem is that they don’t sit as high as her other jeans would so it may be a no from her.

Honourable mention: I would love my wife in a pair of pleated trousers; however, she has told me on a number of occasions she has no interest in wearing slacks.

Upper:

Legitimately, there isn’t too much that I need to add for the upper. She has a number of flattering knits and shirts. etc. I don’t have any specific recommendations for this one.

I do enjoy seeing more masculine silhouettes on females. Having that slightly oversized shape would add to the effortlessly cool nature of her style.

Same with knits. Wearing a men’s cut knitted sweater continues to add to her relaxed style. These days, many women’s lines offer a ‘boyfriend’ cut options on their garms, so she can comfortably switch to that oversized look without having to sacrifice too much of her figure.

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So I think that covers it for the most part! At the end of the day, this isn’t about reinventing my wife’s style—it’s about celebrating it. Sophie already has an effortless way of putting outfits together, balancing function with a natural coolness that so many people try to manufacture. I’m not here to disrupt that, just to throw in a few pieces that I think would elevate what she already does so well.

More than anything, this was just a fun exercise in appreciation. My wife doesn’t care about fashion the way I do, but she somehow always gets it right without trying. Maybe that’s the real lesson here? Maybe we need to stop caring about looking good to actually look good?

…Nah, who am I kidding? I’ll never stop caring.