COS Is Really Not Messing Around With These Designer-Vibe Winter Buys

I was at an event in Nolita on Tuesday, and for the first time in a long time, I was compelled to actually stop and ask someone where their sweater was from. I braced myself to hear Khaite, Toteme, or another spendy brand, but instead, I was *delighted* to be told that she'd picked it up on a whim at COS that very afternoon. The vibe was that it had happened completely unexpectedly, almost against her will. "But it's just so weighty and soft!" she said and insisted I touch her arm. It had the hallmarks of a much more expensive knit, we solemnly agreed as immediate friends.
If the question is whether I could bop into COS on any given day and find a truly solid purchase to wear on repeat all season long, it's never a no. I live dangerously close to the COS store in Williamsburg, which makes walking home down the south side of North 6th Street risky business. You can imagine how it went when I popped by yesterday in the name of research. I'm proud to report that I fulfilled my editorial duties and have identified all the best winter fashion the brand has in stock right now for you to enjoy scrolling and shopping at your leisure. Did I also arrive home with a new knit? Again, not no. In my defense, she was right—it is very soft.

Natalie Cantell is an NYC-based style director, creative consultant, and fashion editor, who regularly contributes from Paris. She was the executive director of Who What Wear and Marie Claire’s brand studio until 2023, and now freelances globally on shoots, stories, and special projects.
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