Kimberly Taylor is a New York label of sleek silk, satin and sharp tailoring. I like it for clothes that look finished without trying very hard, and this is my edit of the tops, trousers and blazers.
Kimberly Taylor Tops: A Shopper's Guide
The New York line I keep coming back to
I am a sucker for a wardrobe that does the arithmetic for you, and Kimberly Taylor is built on exactly that idea. Kimberly Taylor Gindi is a New York designer who started the label in 2008 as a wholesale business, learned most of it by trial and error, and later relaunched with production in New York and a direct line to her customers. I went deeper on a related idea in Converse Chuck Taylor All Star for Women: High-Tops, Chuck 70s and Lift Soles. I went deeper on a related idea in JBQ Tops, Skirts and Pants: A Shopper's Guide.
The clothes are sleek, mostly silk or satin, and cut to skim rather than cling. Gindi has talked about making pieces that can meet each other over time, so an evening trouser eventually finds its partner in a bustier or a jacket. I find that very persuasive. Start with the thing you reach for, then add something that makes it look planned.
There is a clear New York thread in all of it, from the first little shop in the Meatpacking District to the local production after the relaunch. To me the restrained finish reads as clothes to live in, not a look that needs to shout.
Tops with a tailored point of view
The tops are where the label's taste shows most clearly: shape and surface over decoration. The Ashley Utility Shirt is the workwear angle, and the Adri Knit Top in beige is the calm layer I would grab on a long day. The Juliette Bustier in ivory would sit nicely under a loose jacket for dinner, while the Fleur Bralette Top in black tweed brings the texture. The Lihn Bralette and the Riviera Top stay on the lighter side.
In my fashion dreams she wears the Juliette Bustier to dinner, then swaps to the Adri Knit Top when the plan turns into a whole day. My one practical note: structured pieces want a good fit at the bust, and a little room at the waist if you plan to tuck a shirt in.
Trousers, tweed and a last layer
The bottoms and layers are where things get a little more dramatic. The Ryan Pant in black leather is the sharpest thing here, the Tom Utility Pant in heather brown is its quieter cousin, and the Talia Pant in black and white check makes the pattern the whole point. The Adri Knit Midi Dress keeps a full look calm and simple.
Then the toppers: the Jackie Blazer in ivory, the Cara Cropped Blazer in grey, and the Column Skirt in black tweed, which is the one I would build an outfit around. Picture her crossing the city in the Cara Cropped Blazer and the Talia Pant, then swapping in a plain knit tomorrow. My styling rule is one strong fabric or pattern per outfit, and everything else stays quiet.
A line built to mix and match
The label has changed shape over the years, from wholesale to shops to the direct reset Gindi made after her break. What stayed put is her taste for clean lines, flattering proportions and pieces that talk to each other.
What I would skip: buying for the fantasy calendar. I would buy for the gap I actually have, one top that works under a jacket, one trouser that handles a whole day, and a third piece only if it improves both outfits. Although I suspect that third piece is always the fun one.
