As we step into the heart of 2023, it’s time to talk about our 2023 favorites. Whether you’re a fashion aficionado, a bookworm, or a binge-watcher with a penchant for the latest shows, this year’s offerings are bound to cater to your discerning tastes.

In a world buzzing with choices, finding the perfect lifestyle items can be as thrilling as discovering a hidden gem. Join me on this journey as we unravel the must-haves that will define our 2023—a year that promises to be as bold and vibrant as the women it caters to.

From fashion trends that effortlessly blend comfort and style to literary escapes that transport us to new worlds, and TV shows that become our weekend companions, this compilation is your ticket to the best in lifestyle, fashion, books, and shows tailored exclusively for the dynamic and unstoppable women navigating their twenties.

So, grab your favorite beverage, settle into your cozy spot, and let’s dive into the curated world of 2023’s standout lifestyle treasures. Get ready to elevate your wardrobe, broaden your literary horizons, and embark on thrilling on-screen adventures—all handpicked with you in mind. Let’s make this year our most stylish and fulfilling yet!

The European Closet’s 2023 Favorites

Lifestyle

Kindle

I got the kindle 11th Generation 2022 edition back in July on Prime Day and I can honestly say it was one of the best purchases I’ve made this year.

I love physical books and have a bunch of them, but I feel a lot more resistance to read a physical book than to read a book on my Kindle, so this device was a great way for me to get back into reading after falling off of it for months and months. Even though I didn’t reach my 2023 goal of reading 24 books this year, I’m still super happy with the fact that I managed to get excited about reading again because of my Kindle.

Hobonichi Weeks

I don’t know if you can consider this a 2023 favorite since I bought the Hobonichi Weeks Mega Planner for 2024. However, the planner starts in December 2023, so I’m counting it as a 2023 favorite.

I freaking love planners and notebooks! I have a ton of them at home (28 to be exact, I have a problem, I know…) and just love to write stuff down. This year I tried to go digital with my notetaking and planning, but there’s nothing like the feeling of writing pen to paper.

I still love digital tools to organize my life (Notion is my baby) but I’ve come to the conclusion that I get more done and remember things more when I write them down instead of typing them down. I still use Notion everyday, especially for my content planning and content creation.

With the Hobonichi Weeks, I think I’ve finally found the perfect layout for me that will help me see everything I need to do within any given week without having to flip back and forth between pages like I did with my daily planner.

Bed Tray

I like to work in bed, but a lot of times wouldn’t do it because I couldn’t find comfortable position in bed with my laptop on my lap. So I got one of those breakfast trays and use it when I want to work from bed. I think I paid like 8€ for a bamboo tray from a home decor store here in Portugal called Espaço Casa. I also use it when I’m reading a physical book that I want to underline and just to prop up my tablet and watch videos on Youtube or random shows on Netflix and Disney+.

Iphone 15

I caved in and decided to update from my Iphone XS Max into the Iphone 15 in black. I mainly wanted to change because of the camera, because my old Iphone was working amazingly and had a heap ton of storage. The camera quality is amazing and has motivated my to create more videos for Instagram and Tiktok and just to record random moments of my life to look at in the future.

Fashion

Zara Crop Flared Jeans

If I had to keep just a handful of jeans in my closet, I’d choose all the jeans I have of this model. I absolutely love them and wear them to death! They are super comfortable and super flexible to! You can easily dress them up and down depending on what you’re doing or where you’re going.

Just for you to see how much I love these jeans, I have them in a light wash, medium wash, dark wash, black and white!

Adidas Astir in Cloud White / Core White / Dark Green

I bought these sneakers because my sister was buying the same model in black and white, and I’m so glad I did. They are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own and they look really good on my feet. At fist I was a bit skeptical about the green details as well as the zebra print in green at the back, but those details are what make the sneakers so cute. I always get compliments when I wear them (and I wear them a lot).

Books

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Emily Henry is one of my favorite authors and “Happy Place” is probably my favorite book of hers! It’s a tough match with “Beach Read” but I think this one wins.

I bought the physical copy of this book to read for two reasons: the first is that I have all of her books in a physical format (except “Beach Read”) and I see it as a collector’s item and secondly because the Portuguese version of the book has the edges of the pages painted pink to match with the cover! How could I resist?

Loathe To Love You by Ali Hazelwood

Ali is another favorite author of mine. I bought this book on a local book fair thinking is was just a regular book. However this is a combination of three stories written by the author: “Under One Roof”, “Stuck With You” and “Below Zero”. The stories were around 100 pages each, which made them super quick to read. My favorite of the three was “Under One Roof”.

Building a Second Brain & The P.A.R.A Method by Tiago Forte

I had been waiting for both these books to come out for months, so when they came out (not at the same time but in different months) I immediately bought them. “Building a Second Brain” came out if 2022 but I only read it in 2023 so that’s why I’m including it here. Like I said before, I was in a digital organization phase this year and these books seemed to be jus the things I needed to finally organize my digital life.

The books are super easy to read and have amazing insights about productivity, note-taking and planning. I highly recommend them if you want to build your second brain digitally.

Shows

Disney + in general

Throughout 2023 I’ve binge-watched some old favorites of mine from when I was a kid like “That’s so Raven” as well as other shows I’ve loved for years and years like “F.R.I.E.N.D.S”, “Criminal Minds” and “911”. As for movies, I really haven’t watched any movies, but I plan to take full advantage of all the Pixar/ Disney classics.

King The Land on Netflix

I’ve got to be honest, this was the only k-drama I watched in 2023. I used to be the kind of person that just had to be actively watching a k-drama at all times but in the past year I’ve been slacking. This is not because I can’t find a good k-drama to watch (trust me, I have a list of like 20 k-dramas to watch), but I just can’t be bothered. I want to change that in 2024 though and get back into it.