If You Dream Of Dressing Minimalist And Chic, You Need To Start Shopping These 4 Brands
…and all of them are affordable.
by The Candidly Team
We can all think of that one woman whose style is simplicity itself. And yet, she always comes off crisp and classic and incontestibly chic.
Whether she’s in a sweater and jeans or a literal tank top, the stars somehow align, and she just looks incredible.
If it were up to us, every piece we pulled from our closet would help us pull off this timeless, minimalist look.
But who has time to find such clothes? Where would we even go?
We recently unearthed 6 brands that aren’t talked about nearly enough help us achieve our chicest, most minimalist goals. We promise we’ll get right to what they are, but first real quick, here’s why they work:
Fit: Their cuts are made to complement every kind of curve and look 5x more expensive.
Fabric: Doesn’t have to be cashmere and silk - just has to fall and fold and smooth in all the ways that make it flattering.
An Alluring Twist: One small, almost missable feature has to make each piece shine. Maybe it’s a wisp of ruching or an elegant neckline, but one little detail should make it sing.
If any of these elements are missing, then dressing clean and classic just winds up looking bad and boring.
And so, here are those 4 savior brands that are helping even the laziest among us realize our understated dreams.
ASOS: for ELEVATED YET COMFY pieces
It’s not that we’d never heard of ASOS, but up until recently we thought it was for more specific pieces that were, frankly, for the kids. It wasn’t until recently that we realized how brimming the site is with staples that are just as good and distinctive as brands that cost 3x as much.
505 Icon heavyweight cotton cropped t-shirt
This is is our favorite tee right now. The reason? The shape! It covers our upper arms completely and makes every outfit a little cooler and better proportioned. We KNOW a lot of you get spooked by cropped things (we get your DMs), but we swear, when worn with all the high-waisted pants and skirts we own, our waists look smaller, and our legs look like they start higher and are therefore, longer. It’s all trickery, and this top is excellent at it.
Price: $28
structured cargo barrel midi skirt
A barrel skirt? Who knew such a thing existed. But how brilliant it is for those of us who prefer more coverage round our bottom halves but also love that long, lithe look of a pencil skirt. It’s the perfect in-between shape we can wear with any top, and therefore, it’s become our go-to, everyday skirt.
Price: $60
tailored cotton sateen barrel pants in taupe
Nine days out of 10, we reach for a spacious pant. Our bodies fluctuate too much since we turned 39 to not, but a barrel shape makes our outfit look intentional and fashiony. Get this pair in taupe to complete all your effortless “cool girl” looks. With a fitted tank or tee and a jean jack, perfection.
Price: $60
2. QUINCE: For Affordable YET LUXURIOUS BASICS
Quince is making stunning cashmere pieces that we want to live in all fall/ winter, but they’re doing it at a price we can actually afford. And while their cashmere has taken up a huge chunk of our closet, the brand also makes lovely leather bags, perfect-fitting denim and beautiful bedding we highly recommend checking out.
Mongolian Cashmere Fisherman Cropped Cardigan Sweater
Swaddled in cashmere, and yet, we look our absolute chicest. It comes in too many colors we want. We own 3 and have 3 more in our carts.
* Gifted
Price: $120
Mongolian Cashmere Dolman Sleeve Henley Sweater
A cashmere henley is the instant noodles of chicness. We can tuck it into jeans or leave it out over long maxi skirts, and no matter what, we look luxe and put together.
Price: $90
100% Organic Cotton Oversized Denim Jacket
The absolute best denim jacket to layer over our cozy sweaters and sweatshirts. And the price!
Price: $60
Quince Stretch High Rise Kick Flare Jeans
The softness of these jeans makes them as comfortable as leggings, and yet, they always keep their perfect flattering shape on our hips, waists, and legs.
Price: $50
14K Gold Diamond Pave U Huggie Hoops
Did you know Quince has a huge selection of solid gold, minimalist, lifetime jewelry for far, far less? We find that all the pieces we wear daily, we got from Quince, including these perfect huggie hoops.
Price: $298
3. Z SUPPLY: FOR EFFORTLESSLY COOL GO-TOS
When we want to look effortless - like we just casually slipped into something striking on us, we go to Z Supply. Their clothes show a very comprehensive understanding of what looks (and feels) good on our bodies. Below are a few of their most casual-chic treasures.
Elevated Poplin Relaxed Button Up Top
How did we come this far without speaking of a white button-down as the most versatile staple in our minimalist closet? This one is light and relaxed and 100% cotton poplin. Truly, zero notes. Get this one and be done.
Price: $88
Europa Plaid Maxi Skirt
Is plaid not the most timeless print? We can’t wait to wear this skirt with all our chunky sweaters and fitted tees to every autumnal thing we attend. The shape is also fantastic on the hips, thighs, and butt.
Price: $98
Valor Short Sleeve Cardigan
That sleeve makes it as cute a top as it is a cardi. Plus the length keeps it from looking frumpy (like many a loose sweater can). It comes in two other colors, and they all sell out constantly, so be swift.
Price: $78
Modern Slub Tee
Our dream white t-shirt. Dream softness. Dream length. Dream fit. Dream price.
Price: $39
4. NATURALIZER: FOR SEXY SHOES THAT DON’T KILL OUR FEET
They have things like “REZORB™ responsive cushioning for shock absorption™” and “Contour+ Comfort technology,” which so you’d would only exist in a shoe your great-gran would wear to the post office. But no, these shoes are alluring and sleek and stunning, and they have made us wear heels again, which is huge. HUGE!
27 Edit Elaine Slingback Dress Shoe
To be fair we own these in leopard, which is arguably not minimalist, but they are just as blissfully comfy in black or any other color to your liking.
Price: $155
Brandy Sandals
We wrote an entire article about how these became the walking sandals we wear every warm day and on every vacation. The arch support is heaven, and they look so strappy and elevated with every length of pant.
Price: $130
Golden Knee High Boot
We didn’t know a high boot could feel like this. They even come in wide calf*!
Price: $170
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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