My Picks from Chico’s New Arrivals

Chico's is one of those stores that is a sleeper hit. I know many think of Chico's and think of women “of a certain age,” a quirky art teacher vibe, even a la this SNL skit, the fashion of women with little red glasses. But go through my archives, and you can see that Chico's has some fantastic fashion, high quality, and excellent basics that can work for a range of personal style aesthetics.

My Picks from Chico's New Arrivals

As a style content creator for grown women, I regularly peruse the pages of New Arrivals at your favorite mass retailers. This helps me get a vibe of what is happening in the malls compared to the fashion week shows: what colors seem to be trending, what designer concepts are being replicated, etc. This often gives me inspiration for a new piece for Wardrobe Oxygen.

Today, I want to share what I found in Chico's New Arrivals. Chico's is a personal favorite retailer of mine, and when I tell folks that, they are often surprised. I have a pretty simple, classic aesthetic, not a fan of crafty jewelry or many prints. But Chico's is more than that, and the New Arrivals show just that with many really great wardrobe workhorses I either own or own similar and think they're pretty great.

Chico's So Slimming^® High-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans

Chico's is a favorite place for well-made and well-fitting jeans. They have a great weight of denim, a nice amount of stretch with bounceback, and well-shaped pockets free of wacky stitching. Chico's jeans are also often available in petite and tall options in sizes 0-22, and I find they have a generous cut.

These white wide-leg jeans are a classic fit with high-ish rise (Chico's isn't as high rise as say Levi's or Mother) and no embellishments. Fabric content is 75% Cotton, 10% Polyester, 10% LYCRA^® T400^® Polyester, 4% Lyocell, 1% LYCRA^® Spandex. Regular, Petite, and Tall in at minimum, sizes 2-18 (different inseams have more availability). Petite is 28″, Regular is 31″, Tall inseam not noted at the time of writing this. And less than $100. IMO, these jeans are a great buy if you're looking for this color and silhouette.

Chico's Silver Drop Clip-On Earrings

I have some really freaking badass jewelry in my collection that is Chico's. It is well made, and it's unique. Folks always think it's some super expensive, trendy designer and are shocked when I say it's Chico's. And you know what? I find that Chico's jewelry lasts longer than some of those trendy designers.

These earrings are so badass, they could easily be mistaken for some brand selling similar for hundreds of dollars and they wouldn't even be sterling silver or made of a more precious metal. And clip on is great for earrings like this because they better distribute the size and weight.

These earrings remind me of these gold vintage earrings I have that I wore with everyyyyythinggggg the year I got them on eBay. They too are clip-on and always get compliments from strangers. And come on, you'd buy worse sh*t on Amazon for that low price. These statement earrings IMO are a great buy.

Chico's Zenergy^® Twill Rain Jacket

Dude, I love me some Chico's Zenergy. Zenergy was athleisure before it was a thing, and it's done really well. So much of the clothes I take on travel are Zenergy. Even my husband stole a pair of my Zenergy Neema shorts back in 2021; he still wears them to this day. The fabric is fantastic, and the style is timeless but not basic.

And this jacket is a perfect example of the Chico's Zenergy line. It's a rain jacket, not just a jacket that looks cute but melts in the rain. The hood is detachable. It has this cool swing shape that is both modern and retro. And the color is one of those shades that goes with absolutely everything and feels modern. And how cute is this model and the shoot? IMO, this jacket is a good buy if you need such a jacket.

Chico's Microfiber Tank

If you've read any of my capsule wardrobes or the Starting Style from Scratch series (next part coming soon), you know I love the Chico's Microfiber Tank. It's this perfect synthetic that could go to a cocktail party or be thrown on with a skort for a day of kayaking. I own several, with black being the one most worn and packed.

I always check to see if there is a Microfiber Tank to match whatever else I'm getting that season from Chico's. For example, one year I got Zenergy Neema shorts and a matching windbreaker and scored a tank in the same color. This color is the base of so many of my personal travel capsule wardrobes. I'm 5'3″ tall, busty and wear a 14/16. I wear the Chico's Microfiber Tank in size 2. IMO, this tank is a great buy.

Chico's No Iron^™ Linen Shirt

I have Chico's No Iron^™ Linen Shirts that are several years old and still personal favorites. I've had the chance to try a lot of different brands' linen shirts and I continue to prefer Chico's. My Indigo one is worn the most, but I also have white, Kelly green, and a Barbie pink. I cuff the sleeves twice for a short-sleeve effect.

I 2019, I took a white one on a weeklong road trip. I took the indigo blue on a vacation to Fire Island in 2021, where it was worn as a swim cover-up. Then, in 2023, the same shirt went on a road trip to New England, where it lived many different lives. Last summer, I took it on a trip to Rehoboth Beach, where I styled it with white linen wide-leg trousers. They're durable and tightly woven and truly do not wrinkle like regular linen. IMO the Chico's Linen Shirts are a very good buy.

Chico's Scalloped-Hem Poplin Midi Dress

Be honest, if this dress was being sold at Anthropologie or FARM Rio or Bloomingdale's, would you like it better or think it's cooler? Stop judging clothing by the label, it's holding you back. This embroidered dress is a lightweight cotton poplin with the tan embroidery at the neck, the sleeves, and the hem. It has pockets and comes in misses and petite.

This dress is throw on over a swimsuit when heading to the boardwalk from the beach. It's pair with Birkenstocks and a straw hat for the Sunday farmers market. It's having a cup of coffee on the balcony or back deck of your vacation spot and knowing you may bump into your teenage nephews. I haven't seen this in person, but based on previous seasons of similar items from Chico's, I think this dress could be a very good buy.

Chico's Bridget and Juliet Pants

Chico's has some styles of pants that are offered season after season, year after year. Sometimes the fabric changes, and there are usually a variety of colors, prints, embellishment, length, and even leg opening. However, the fit is pretty consistent which makes Chico's a great place if you find the pants you well.

The Bridgette pant is a trim and fitted pull-on style. The Juliet pant is also a pull-on style, but it has a wider waistband, isn't quite as trim, and has an interior panel that won't suck you in like Spanx but will smooth the belly.

My personal favorite options this season are the Juliet Cropped Flare Pants and the Brigitte Wide Leg Cropped Pants. These may be new silhouettes for you, and that's a good thing. They will still go with trendy sneakers and sandals and flats and loafers like your ankle pants, and they're a comfortable easy pant that is still polished enough for the office. If you're looking for some pants like this, these and these, IMO should be a contender.