Stop Shopping Amazon And Target. These 3 Budget Brands Are Waaaaaay Better Quality
Kind of obvious. Kind of not.
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by The Candidly Team
The reason we end up hating our cheap clothes is simple. The quality is bad.
It’s why half our Target hauls end up in giveaway piles and why we keep plugging in our sputtering college printer just to eek out another Amazon return label.
It’s disappointing. And wasteful. And it defeats the whole purpose of paying less to enjoy new, exciting clothes.
As we’ve gotten older/ wiser, we’ve been better and better about doing the thing we always said we would do - the thing Marie Kondo and Vivienne Westwood and every single chic, French woman since the dawn of fashion has told us to do: spend more, buy less. Classic, quality pieces set the foundation for timeless and sophisticated style.
But we also want variety and newness and the ability to copy Carolyn Bessette Kennedy because we just binged all 9 episodes of Love Story and can’t get the simple genius of her black tank and kickout ankle jeans out of our minds.
The point is, we can’t always splurge. But we still want quality pieces that will last. We’ve recently spent our own money on large orders from 3 affordable, “budget” brands. And since then, we find ourselves going back for more and more staples, because, to our delight, nothing looks or feels flimsy or cheap. The quality is good. The designs intelligent. The fits, thrilling. We return … nothing. We knew about these brands, but we had no idea that they were this good.
Have we created enough suspense? Ok, here they are … along with everything that’s in our carts (if not closets) from all 3 of them:
1. BANANA REPUBLIC FACTORY
1. This Chic Tank We Copied From Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
WHAT: Timeless Tank*
Why we love it: We wrote about this tank helping us recreate that iconic, aforementioned Carolyn Bessette Kennedy look (seen HERE), and since then it’s been selling like hotcakes. We’d like to think we’re trendsetters in this case, but we know it’s really all due to CBK’s stunning, minimalist style. Also the fact that it’s $12.
Price: $15
2. The Perfect Pleated Pants For Spring
WHAT: Anyday Wide-Leg High-Rise Gauze Pleated Trouser*
Why we love it: This kind of gauzy trouser screams quiet luxury, especially in white, which isn’t scary because they’re spacious. Paired with black on top, it’s the chicest combination of all time. But the best part about these pants is that. while they’re completely smart and polished in the front, the back is elastic so we can breathe and eat bread.
Price: $66
3. The Tote Everyone Will Think Is Designer
WHAT: Canvas Hobo Tote*
Why we love it: The shape and size make this bag so elevated. We can tote it around with the above trousers and tank, or we can be slobs in our joggers and jean jacket and still look so chic.
Price: $72
4. The Single Most Flattering Everyday Dress For BOTH Apple and Pear Shapes
WHAT: Poplin Wrap-Tie Midi Shirtdress*
Why we love it: Waist nipped. Hips skimmed. Arms covered. We’re ready for work, brunch, date nights, and afternoon strolls. Comes in LOTS of solid colors, but stripes make everything look luxe*.
Price: $72
5. These Going-Out-To-Dinner Pants
WHAT: Wide-Leg High-Rise Crinkle Satin Pull-On Pant*
Why we love it: It feels almost sneaky making a satin, wide-leg pant into our go-to, “going out” pant. But the choice is effortless, flattering, and blissfully comfortable. Wear it with any going-out top or a lace cami and your favorite blazer. HERE is ours.
Price: $48
6. Swimwear Swimsuit Beachwear
WHAT: Soft Stretch Tube Top*
Why we love it: Can we at least entertain the possibility that we’ve been wrong about strapless tops being scary? They can actually be more flattering than having a tank or short-sleeve tee, cutting into the fleshiest part of our arms. In black, sculpting our torso and tucking seamlessly into the above pants, no “going-out” outfit is more elegant. Or comfy! As for the bra, we wear THIS* or THESE*.
Price: $15
2. GAP FACTORY
7. The Romantic Top That Gets Mistaken for Dôen
WHAT: Relaxed Voile Puff Sleeve Top*
Why we love it: Detailing is what makes things look styled and, to put it bluntly, expensive. This top has all the detail of the Dôen tops we keep pinning on to Pinterest but at a tenth of the price, literally.
Price: $22 - $38
8. The Cotton Dress For Spring
9. The Crochet Tank Everyone Compliments
WHAT: Crochet Scoopneck Tank Top*
Why we love it: Again, the details are so intentional. Throw this on with jeans and sandals and poof, we’re styled.
Price: $35
10. The Easiest Linen Pants
WHAT: Relaxed Linen-Blend Wide-Leg Pants*
Why we love it: We spend way too much of our time looking for the perfect spring/ summer linen pant. This pair is juuuust wide enough to be skimming and make our legs look inches longer. They’re also affordable enough to buy in multiple colors.
Price: $28
11. The Cutest Rugby Tee We've Found Anywhere
WHAT: Relaxed Rugby Polo Shirt*
Why we love it: We recently realized a rugby tee was the thing missing from our closets that turns our lazy jeans and tee into a look.
Price: $25
3. J.CREW FACTORY
12. Our Favorite Button-Down For The Warm Months Of The Year
WHAT: Double-Gauze Button-Up Shirt*
Why we love it: We actually write about this exact shirt a lot. It’s this soft, light, gauzy material we can wear into the sweltering summer, but it has all the elegance of a classic, white button-down. Tucked into jeans, half tucked into shorts, tied at the waist with a midi skirt, or left open over a swimsuit, it’s probably the most useful item in our closet come spring.
Price: $40
13. These Supremely Flattering, Not-TOO-Wide Ankle Jeans
WHAT: '90s Vintage Baggy Jean*
Why we love it: We were genuinely startled by how incredibly these jeans fit. We find ourselves reaching for them over the designer versions we’ve splurged on, because the fit in the waist , hips, and butt is so flattering.
Price: $74
14. This Swimsuit That Holds You In And Covers Everything But Is Still Sexy
WHAT: Ruched Plunge One-Piece Swimsuit*
Why we love it: A suit for those who don’t love a spaghetti strap. The ruching smooths our waist and the bottoms have just the right amount of coverage to actually cover everything without reading “granny.” It comes in other solid colors, but black is such an easy way to look poolside chic.
Price: $76.50
15. These Not Scary Shorts
WHAT: Linen-Blend Drawstring Short*
Why we love it: We need an elastic waist, a roomy fit, and a not-too-thick or poofy material for our shorts to look nice and neat on all our many curves. This pair is gauzy and lovely and comes in every color we could want.
Price: $29.50
16. The Gorgeous Espadrilles With No Flimsy Ties Or Toe Spillover
WHAT: Crochet Espadrille Wedges*
Why we love it: Espadrilles always look so stunning, lengthening the legs of Old Hollywood starlets in shorts and skirts, but on us, we wobble around, almost snapping ur ankles on every cobblestoned corner because flimsy ties and huge toe gaps just can’t cut it. This pair has both a strap and a closed toe, so we get that same lovely look but with loads of support.
Price: $69.50
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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