These 5 Under $50 Pieces Made Us The Best-Dressed Versions Of Ourselves In Spring
All absolute staples!
by The Candidly Team
We’re the first to admit that certain items of clothing should be more of an investment. Our best shoes for example. The coat that hides all our slobby sins and makes us look chic. The handbag that hangs by our side for life.
So if you feel like we’re making too big a claim in this title, just know it’s only because the things we’re writing about today simply did not have to cost hundreds of dollars to be good. Not just good but exceedingly useful to the daily act of getting dressed.
Each of these 5 pieces have made it so, the minute the weather starts warming, we can put ourselves together better than we ever had before. Full disclosure, we also ended with two bonus pieces jussssst over the $50 mark that are wildly affordable for how lovely … and flattering … and helpful they are.
Ok, let’s get to the good stuff … before it all sells out.
1. This Light And Gauzy Button-Down
J.Crew Factory Gauze Button-up Shirt
This is such a lazy thing we can sub in for our t-shirts to be low-key transformed. What we mean by that is we still get all the softness and loose coverage of a baggy tee, but with all the sophistication of a button-down. We love that this one’s material is airy and breathable yet almost spongily soft. It comes in a vast color and size selection. Obviously, white fills an enormous hole in your closet, but the dusty peri is a lot like a chambray shirt in that it matches every bottom we own, only making it look better and avoiding the denim on denim look if that’s not your thing.
The quality and comfort are both *chef’s kiss,* so why spend twice as much on what’s essentially this same shirt anywhere else.
Price: $45
2. The $15 Tank That Gets 5 Gold Stars
It might seem silly for us to be dedicating a whole section of this article to a tank, but it is a staple style piece that’s actually very easy to get wrong. Bad tanks can sort of squeeze and widen us at the same time, whereas good ones can make us look longer, more nipped. They balance all our drapey pants, floaty skirts, and wide-leg jeans. They’re the just right base under a light linen blazer or an open button-down (like the one above.) We have a few favorites but this tank is one of the greats. The straps are narrow enough not to wide our shoulders but still cover a bra, and the ribbing keeps everything in its right place … chest and belly-pooch wise. It’s our favorite thing to wear with our spring skirts.
Price: $15
3. The Best Jeans We’ve Bought This Year
Quince Bella Stretch Relaxed Straight Jeans
A perfect-fitting, relaxed pair of jeans that stretch and move with you like leggings are a dream in spring when the weather is still in-between and we want to feel as good as we look. Now, admittedly, do we write about these jeans a lot, regardless of season, because where else can you get $50 jeans that are this perfectly cut, this comfortable, and this complementary to every curve we shimmy into them. You can’t. They don’t exist elsewhere. Quince also a bunch of other denim styles - all $50 - our other two faves being the kick-flare and wide-leg. But we do warn, sizes and styles sell out all the time, so be swift.
Price: $50
4. The Entirely Cashmere Sweater To Have On Hand
Quince Mongolian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater
Fall gets all the attention for this, but spring is the real season of mood swings with its constant turns from tank weather to sweater weather. This light cashmere pullover can be tossed into our tote or tied around our necks. We learned a hack for how to do this HERE, and it Iends up looking something like this:
It’s game-changing because it always looks chic and certainly more expensive than it is. It comes in too many solid colors we want but stripes have a real French lady chicness to them that made us add this one to cart immediately
Price: $50
5. The Otherworldly Bra That Feels Like Nothing And Makes Chests Look Their Very Best
Neiwai Barely Zero Spaghetti Strap Bra
We cannot do anything restrictive or stiff or pinchy at all anymore. In fact, it feels like the moment our chests got more aggressive about going south was the exact same moment we stopped being able to stand ALL of our bras. Wires were like tiny torture chambers. Wireless wasn’t giving us great shape. And anything light enough for us to stand wearing wasn’t doing enough in the lift department. We’ve been on a hunt for the perfect bra but this one actually fell into our laps. We tried multiple styles that are now all we wear, but we included the spaghetti strap for spring so it can hide under sleeveless things. It feels like nothing - NOTHING. And yet, it’s changed our lives for the better. We realize the one size is very unnerving. But all we cab say is more than one of with more than one size of chest has tried. And it fits perfectly, a phenomena the brand says has to do with the gentle stretch of this particular fabric.
Price: $39
Bonus: 2 Things That Jussssst Missed The $50 Cut But Are So Incredible we Had To include
This skirt fits like a dream with its elastic int the back and smooth waist band up front to make us look smart. It’s pocketed and floaty but doesn’t add volume to our hips like so, so many flare skirts.
We bought it in white and black immediately but every year Free People adds a new color we feel we need. This year it’s sunlit allium and dusted cocoa.
Price: $60
Quince Baby Alpaca-Wool Cropped Cardigan
A little cardi that’s heavenly soft and doesn’t add bulk or frumpiness is an ongoing godsend. The shaoe is amazing as the sleeve just barely drops and has the slightest bubble to flatter arms. The neckline in front is low enough to be elongating, and the waist nips in just the right spot above our high-waist jeans. We’ve bought this sweater in almost every color it comes in to match and layer over everything we ever wear. We also just style it as its own top.
Price: $60
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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