• COS is having a major moment. Lyst just named it one of the "hottest brands" of Q1.
• The London-based fashion label, owned by H&M, is known for its high-quality basics.
• Its menswear pieces and new fragrance line are boosting its appeal with shoppers.

I promise it's OK to be basic. In fact, it might even be cool.

A few months ago, I started hearing friends and colleagues regularly talk about the London-based fashion label COS, which is owned by H&M. Admittedly, I tuned them out. Its clothes looked a little too simple for me.

But I couldn't escape the brand.

Fashion influencers started raving about COS in interviews when I asked about their wardrobe staples. Then, I saw Lyst, a fashion search and shopping platform, name COS one of the "hottest brands" of Q1 this year, jumping 11 spots since its Q4 listing in 2024.

That's partially because COS is ideal for shoppers "seeking the 'quiet luxury' aesthetic without the luxury price tag," Turner Allen, a 32-year-old personal stylist, told Business Insider.

It's also because COS has done something many other brands haven't: created basic clothes that people actually want to wear.

Men and perfume: two ingredients to success

Women have long been touting COS as the ultimate aspirational luxury line. BI reporter Sam Grindell Pettyjohn described the store as "H&M's more sophisticated, socially conscious, and luxurious older sister."

Men are now coming to the same conclusion. Alex Nicoll, 29, a former Fortune 500 employee turned fashion influencer, swears by COS.

"It's really slept on for men's fashion," he told BI. "It's a good place to play around with classic silhouettes, and pieces that are a little bit more playful and different."

COS has put in the effort to attract shoppers like Nicoll.

While it's long offered classic styles like trousers and blazers, the brand is now also selling utility bags, cropped polos, and tinted sunglasses specifically for men. This appeals to current trends while remaining timeless.

Allen said that mix of "clean, approachable, and still fashion-forward" styles is key.

"It's a winning formula for men who want to elevate their style without stepping too far outside their comfort zone," he added.

The brand also reflects those styles in its marketing, from prominently displaying men on its Instagram page to making menswear a huge part of its Spring/Summer 2025 runway collection.

All the while, COS is still equally catering to the rest of its customers.

The brand's $99 barrel-leg trousers for women became an instant success this year, and most sizes are now sold out. Lyst has cited the pants as the sixth most-popular garment of Q1.

In mid-April, the brand also launched COS Perfumery, a unisex line of fragrances and candles retailing between $49 and $99.

Lyst said the scents are another factor in the brand's 44% increase in demand this year.

After all, COS shoppers no longer have to turn to brands like Byredo and Le Labo for luxury fragrances. They can buy their favorite clothes and perfume in the same online order.

Luxury clothes without high price tags

New tariffs and a potential recession are changing how people shop, and luxury lifestyle brands are already being affected.

COS, however, holds a unique spot.

It's technically a runway brand that sells luxury-adjacent garments, many of which lean into the old-money aesthetic. Its products retail between $15 for small items like socks and $1,390 for shearling-lined coats.

However, they aren't as expensive as those from retailers like The Row, Bottega Veneta, and Loewe.

COS also boasts brand ambassadors like Adrien Brody and celebrity fans like Jodie Turner-Smith. If the brand is good enough for Hollywood actors, it's golden for fashion fans.

COS clothes look and feel good, plain and simple

Nicoll said he loves COS because the brand "keeps up with trends like a fast-fashion brand would" without compromising on "materials or construction." Fashion fans on social media have said the same.

"This is like Skims but for men," TikToker @stefffanos wrote about COS T-shirts after trying them in April. Skims does sell menswear, including T-shirts.

Andrea Cheong, a fashion writer and influencer, also applauded the brand's stitching, fabric reinforcements, and thick materials in a video.

The clothing is made with a variety of classic materials like linen, denim, and wool, many of which are said to be sustainably sourced. COS also publicly shares a list of its current suppliers on its website.

That craftsmanship completes the COS fashion puzzle. With its reputation for high-quality pieces — as well as reasonable prices, coveted menswear, and timeless styles — there's nothing the brand doesn't have.

COS is trendy, unisex, and feels rich, though you don't need to be to shop the brand.

"It's a great option for shoppers who want to step off the fast-fashion hamster wheel, but still look current and put-together," Allen said.

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TotalEnergies is acting now so it can thrive through the transition

Reuben Gregg Brewer (TotalEnergies): For most investors, the best way to invest in the energy sector will be to buy an integrated energy company. That's because these businesses have exposure to the entire industry, from the upstream (drilling) through the midstream (pipelines) and into the downstream (chemical and refining). This diversification helps to soften the peaks and valleys of an industry that is known for being volatile. But all of the major integrated energy companies are a little different, with TotalEnergies standing out in a very important way.

In 2020, European peers BP and Shell cut their dividends as they announced plans to increase investment in clean energy assets. TotalEnergies made the same commitment but maintained its dividend. Since that point, both BP and Shell have walked back their clean energy plans. TotalEnergies has increased the pace of its investment in electricity and even created a new division so investors could more easily monitor its progress. The new integrated power division grew operating income 17% in 2024.

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Stress-tested to thrive on lower oil prices

Matt DiLallo (Chevron): Chevron's dividend yield is approaching 5%. That's due to a nearly 20% decline in the oil company's stock price from its recent peak. Shares of the oil giant have sold off because of lower crude prices this year. The price of Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, has fallen more than 10% to around $65 a barrel because of fears that tariffs could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

While lower oil prices will have an impact on Chevron's cash flow, they won't affect its ability to continue increasing its high-yielding dividend. The oil giant has stress-tested its business for a downside scenario where Brent averages just $50 a barrel from 2025 through 2027. Under that scenario, Chevron would produce enough cash to cover its investment program and pay a growing dividend with room to spare. Meanwhile, it would have the capacity to buy back shares at the low end of its $10 billion to $20 billion annual target range thanks to its strong balance sheet.

Chevron is on pace to add $9 billion to $10 billion to its annual free cash flow by 2026 in an environment where Brent is in the $60- to $70-a-barrel range. That would enable the company to buy back shares toward the upper end of its target range at the current price point. On top of that, there's additional upside if the company closes its needle-moving acquisition of Hess, which would more than double its free cash flow by 2027 at $70 oil.

Chevron's low-cost production, visible upside catalysts, and strong balance sheet put it in an excellent position to continue increasing its dividend, which it has done for 38 straight years. The oil company has grown its payout faster than the S&P 500 and its closest peer over the past five years. These factors suggest that an investment in Chevron will create a lot of passive income over the years to come.

Riding the renewable energy boom to reward investors

Neha Chamaria (Brookfield Renewable): Brookfield Renewable is one of the largest publicly traded renewable energy companies in the world with a massive portfolio spanning hydropower, wind, solar, and distributed energy and storage. The company also has a large global footprint and is embarking on a big growth journey that should drive its cash flows and dividends higher in the coming years.

To put some numbers to that, Brookfield Renewable is planning to invest $8 billion to $9 billion over the next five years and expects to grow its funds from operations (FFO) per unit by over 10% annually in the long term. That's not an overly ambitious goal if you think it is, simply because almost 6% growth could already be embedded in the company's development pipeline and inflation escalation clauses in its long-term contracts. For those in the know, Brookfield Renewable sells electricity under long-term contracts, and almost 90% of its cash flows are contracted for an average of 14 years.

That also makes Brookfield Renewable's cash flows highly stable and predictable, which is why management has been able to set a goal of increasing its dividend annually by 5% to 9% in the long term. Even a 5% annual dividend growth could create years of passive income for investors if they reinvest the dividends. Investors who own the corporate shares of Brookfield Renewable also get to enjoy a high 5%-plus dividend yield now.

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Matt DiLallo has positions in Brookfield Renewable, Brookfield Renewable Partners, and Chevron. Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in Brookfield Renewable Partners and TotalEnergies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool recommends BP, Brookfield Renewable, and Brookfield Renewable Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.