My Favorite Swimsuit and Other Unexpected Wardrobe MVPs

Or as I like to call them, "sleeper hots."

Every high school has their own idiosyncratic lexicon of invented terminology. At mine, “sleeper hot” was used in reference to anyone whose full hotness potential wasn’t apparent at first glance, but rather manifested over time, like a fine aging wine. For example, the person you’ve been friends with since the beginning of freshman year but were never interested in romantically until you run into them in the hallway at the beginning of senior year after summer break and bam! Hotness awoken. Is it just because they got their braces off, or were they this good-looking the whole time?? Rhetorical question, it doesn’t matter. You want to make out with them in Mr. Maguire’s classroom during recess regardless.

A “sleeper hot” wardrobe item starts off with a similarly uneventful origin story, in classic rom com style. You got it because you needed something like it and it looked like it would do the trick. Or you bought it in a panic at a sample sale because it was 90% off, or because you packed poorly on a trip. Maybe you received it as a gift, or as a hand-me-down. No matter how you first encountered it, you had yet to discover its extreme hotness, a.k.a. destiny to become one of the most delightful things you own.

It’s impossible to predict when this will happen, which is why it’s such a fun surprise when it does. There’s a reason we’re drawn to tales of unlikely heroes. Below are three of mine.

My COS rain jacket

I bought this jacket a few years ago when I was in London for a couple of days and underestimated the city’s potential for continuous rain. It was drastically on sale at a COS near my hotel. I tried it on over my clothing, determined that it fit, and wore it out of the store — unaware that it would go on to revolutionize my rainy day style. I’m not exaggerating! It’s a quintessential “sleeper hot” item in that its sex appeal was nowhere near obvious at first sight. I never would have known, had I not started wearing this jacket regularly, that the ideal shape for a raincoat is oversized, almost trapezoidal, and a bit swingy. I love that I can layer my warmest and thickest sweaters underneath it on cold days, or a simple tank top during a balmy summer thunderstorm. Getting dressed when it’s dreary out has always been a challenge for me, so it feels nothing short of miraculous to finally own a waterproof garment that makes any outfit cool. I have irrational anxiety about losing it because I know it would be relatively impossible to replace, a liability I’m risking further by divulging that I just found the exact same jacket on Poshmark for $55.

^^If someone else nabs that before you do, though, here’s a jacket with a similar vibe (very satisfyingly trapezoidal) on Grailed for $75, and another on Etsy for $99.

Keywords used: COS green rain jacket; COS green rain poncho; cropped swing rain jacket; cropped fishtail rain jacket; cropped drawstring rain parka

My HUE crew socks

I bought two packs of these HUE socks last spring after typing “white cotton ribbed crew socks” into the search box on Amazon, briefly clocking the thousands of glowing reviews on these, and adding them to cart without further fanfare. (NB: while mostly comprised of cotton, these have a bit of nylon in them, as do most athletic socks, in order to help them retain their shape.) It had been a while since I’d stocked up on socks, and I’d lost too many to the mysterious sock goblins that live inside washer/dryer units to let that continue much longer. Unexpectedly, these turned out to some of the best I’ve ever put on my feet. They’re cushy without being too thick, they never slouch around the ankle, they’re the perfect height, and they’re just as well-suited to true athletic endeavors as they are to aesthetically complementing everyday outfits. I live in fear that they’ll be discontinued or sell out indefinitely. I even bought another pack *just in case* before publishing this newsletter.

My Galamaar bikini

Years ago when I was still working full-time as a fashion editor, the founder of Galamaar — a small swimwear brand based in Los Angeles — reached out to share the line sheet from her debut collection. I loved what I saw, and she generously offered to send me one of their styles. I expected to like the High Kick Brief and Simone Retro Top I picked out a lot. I didn’t expect it to be the best two-piece swimsuit I’ve ever owned. The briefs in particular are revelatory — with a high waist that isn’t too high (critical) and a soft, wide, elastic-free upper band that sits flatly and comfortably against my stomach (I hateeeee when there’s hard or thin elastic there that digs in). The fabric is also notably superior to that of other swimsuits I’ve worn. I don’t have enough technical knowledge of swim fabrics to know why, but the quality is amazing. It’s thick in a way that feels both luxurious and supportive, and holds up remarkably well against the corrosive influences of salt and chlorine. According to the brand’s website, it’s “engineered for exceptional fit retention, offers UPF 50+ protection, and is OEKO-TEX certified.” And it shows!

I love the suit so much I ended up buying another more recently (the exact same bikini, but in black). Totaling $281, it was definitely a splurge, but one I felt confident making after owning and obsessively wearing the one I already had. Galamaar produces all of their suits locally in L.A. at a small family-owned and operated fair-wage manufacturer, so it felt good from that perspective as well.

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What about you? Any “sleeper hot” items in your closet?

Please share in the comments, I’m nosy.

xo Harling