Top 10 Reader Purchases of 2023
This is my third year rounding up the best sellers that you—CCCH readers—love the most! Like the past two years, by far the most popular retailer was Etsy, thanks to my blog post about the best Etsy and other online shops with fan-made Taylor Swift merch! I love that you all love that post so much, and those small businesses appreciate your support.
One way that bloggers like me earn an income is when readers shop through affiliate links, including those you’ll see from Collective Voice (formerly known as Shopstyle), LTK (formerly known as RewardStyle), and Howl, among a few others. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, the blogger earns a small percentage (usually 2-15%) of the sale at no additional cost to you; this is paid out by the retailer via the affiliate platform. Affiliate links still make up the largest portion of my blog income, and every little bit is SO appreciated to help me offset the costs of running CCCH!
There were a number of items that I blogged this year (or in recent years) that made the list. Below are the top 10 reader purchases of 2023! Is there anything you love that I influenced you to buy that didn’t make the cut? Please drop a comment!
READ NEXT: Top 10 Reader Purchases of 2022
Top Reader Purchases of 2023
1. Quince Luxe Baby Cashmere Sweater
Just like last year, one of your favorite blog posts of the year was my affordable cashmere sweater review roundup! I originally published the post fall 2021 and updated it in fall 2022. Not surprisingly, most of the sweaters I reviewed in that post made this list!
At the top is the Quince luxe baby cashmere crewneck sweater. It was one of the most expensive options I reviewed at $100, but it really is so luxe. It’s way softer than the $50 cashmere Quince also offers (more on that one below). If you’re going to spend $100 on a simple cashmere sweater, might as well make it this one! (It does run slim compared to the other styles.)
Shop all of Quince’s cashmere sweaters!
How I’ve worn my Quince Luxe Baby Cashmere Crewneck Sweater:
- with a black blazer and paperbag pants for a work travel outfit idea
2. Naadam The Original Cashmere Sweater
I also reviewed the Naadam original cashmere sweater in my affordable cashmere sweater roundup. Unfortunately, Naadam raised the price of this sweater a few months ago from $75 to $98.
It’s still one of my favorite basic sweaters (it feels soft and high quality), but the Quince luxe baby cashmere sweater above is nicer overall for the same price. I do prefer how the Nadaam fits me; it’s looser through the body and not so long. Plus, Naadam made their sweater in way more colors and in a wider range of sizes.
Naadam also offers the original cashmere sweater for men!
How I’ve worn my Naadam The Original Cashmere Sweater:
- with a camel topcoat and paperbag pants
- with dark wash denim and gold flats for work
- with a faux fur coat and lace-up winter boots
3. Quince Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater
This Quince cashmere sweater was also featured in my affordable cashmere sweater review roundup. At the extremely reasonable $50 price point, it’s no wonder this sweater was a reader favorite! Mine is the crewneck style, but Quince also offers a $50 v-neck sweater.
If you want a cashmere sweater or two in your life and are looking for the nicest, most budget-friendly option possible, I definitely recommend this sweater by Quince. The longer length is perfect if you have a longer torso (or prefer long sweaters in general).
Shop all of Quince’s cashmere sweaters!
How I’ve worn my Quince Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater:
- with a navy packable puffer and brown boots
4. Knee-High Leather Boots
I think this is the most surprising item that made the top 10 this year! I’m pretty sure it was my 5 Years Later: Cold Weather Classics blog post from last fall that led to a few readers purchasing a pair of Frye knee-high leather boots that look similar to my Cole Haan tall boots. I still love my brown tall boots so much. They’re one of the best winter shoes for the office!
I purchased these boots years and years ago; I originally received a different pair as a gift and ended up exchanging those boots for these and paying the difference. I just adore these boots. I don’t wear them as much anymore, but I can’t bring myself to part with them.
How I’ve worn my knee-high leather boots from Cole Haan:
- with a topcoat, cable knit sweater, and skinny jeans
- with a caramel sweater and skinny jeans
- with a chunky knit cardigan
- with gingham layered under cable knit and pearls
5. Faux Fur Coat
Y’all love reading about what to wear to the Nutcracker ballet, and my faux fur coat is featured heavily in that post. Out of everything linked in that post, a random faux fur coat from Nordstrom (that is no longer available) made the top 10 list this year!
There are few garments more luxe than a cozy faux fur coat. Mine is sadly old from & Other Stories, but there are so many great options available every year. The styles and silhouettes change every few years, but for the most part you can’t go wrong with a faux fur coat. It’s the perfect finishing touch for your fancy ballet outfit!
How I’ve worn my faux fur coat from & Other Stories:
- with green cashmere and lace-up boots
- with black and demi-boot jeans
- with a black dress and tights
- with a cable knit sweater and winter boots
- with a red sweater and velvet boots
- with an ivory sweater and black denim
6. Everlane The Silky Cotton Way-Short Shirt
Yet another surprise reader favorite: the Everlane silky cotton way-short shirt! I’ve worn this shirt a handful of times, most notably in my how to style cargo pants if you’re petite blog post. You can’t go wrong with a cropped striped menswear-inspired shirt.
While I love styling this shirt with a pair of skinny jeans—and that’s my default outfit combo with a cropped boxy shirt like this—I had fun pairing this shirt with loose cargo pants and with a flirty midi skirt. Those combos are both a bit out of my comfort zone. Part of the fun of having a blog is documenting outfits like that and sharing what I learned when putting those outfits together to help you also step outside your comfort zone a little bit!
How I’ve worn my Everlane The Silky Cotton Way-Short Shirt:
- with cargo pants and clog sandals
- with a black midi skirt and sandals
- with dark grey skinny jeans and loafers
7. Madewell Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg Crop Jean
You all embraced wide leg jeans this year! It took quite a lot of convincing myself when I first saw them trending. My foray into the trend was with the pair of Madewell perfect vintage wide-leg jeans I’m wearing here (the perfect vintage wide-leg crop jean in Catlin wash). I wish this style was still available; it’s the best!
Since I purchased this pair, I’ve added a couple more wide leg styles to my closet—jeans and pants alike. They’re so comfy! I’m getting more and more comfortable seeing myself in a wider silhouette. It just takes a lot of practice and balancing out your proportions. If you’re not yet convinced, put together a bunch of outfits until you find a few options you love! Below are a few outfit ideas.
How I wore my Madewell perfect vintage wide-leg crop jean:
- with ribbed cropped bra tops
- with cashmere and red ankle boots
- with a cropped tee, belt bag, and sandals
8. Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Backpack
I’m a little surprised to see that out of all of the Dagne Dover items I reviewed, the Indi diaper backpack ended up being your favorite! Even though I don’t use it as a diaper bag (no kiddos here), I do love this backpack for short trips when I don’t bring my laptop (since mine doesn’t fit in the sleeve with its padded cover).
It’s really a great lightweight backpack that can hold all the essentials. There are so many pockets and spaces to corral your things. While I love the dark blue color (storm), the dark color does make it a little difficult to find things swimming down at the bottom of the bag.
I own the Indi diaper backpack in size large. It’s also available in sizes small and medium and it comes in an air mesh option as well.
When I carry my Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Backpack:
- on weekend/short trips when I don’t bring my laptop
9. Quince Baby Alpaca-wool Oversized Cardigan
After trying and loving Quince’s cashmere, I was intrigued by their baby alpaca-wool sweaters since they also got excellent reviews. Turns out I love the sweaters I got, including the baby alpaca-wool oversized cardigan, and you loved it, too!
I already owned a similar cardigan but was looking for an upgrade, and this one was perfect. All alpaca garments sort of already have that “lived-in” look that looks like pilling, and I notice it more now that I’ve worn it a few times but it’s not too bad. The oversized fit is exactly what I was looking for! (Read my Quince alpaca sweater reviews.)
Shop all of Quince’s alpaca sweaters!
How I’ve worn my Quince Baby Alpaca-wool Oversized Cardigan:
- with wide leg pants and lugsole boots
10. Dagne Dover Landon Carryall
Rounding out the top 10 is another bag from my Dagne Dover reviews: the Landon carryall! It’s my go-to personal item; it fits perfect on top of my hardshell suitcase and features a luggage strap to attach it to the handle.
This bag holds so much stuff! I used to carry my Longchamp bag as my personal item, but I knew I could maximize space more with a bigger bag, and the Landon is perfect. My laptop fits great with its padded case, and there are a few other pockets to keep things sorted.
I own the Landon carryall in size large, which is the biggest size I recommend if you want it to fit under the seat in front of you (mine typically fits on its side). It’s also available in sizes extra small, small, medium, and extra large, and it comes in an air mesh option as well.
When I carry my Dagne Dover Landon Carryall:
- on longer trips when I bring my laptop (Caribbean cruise, two week trip to Europe)