Good Taste Is Still Available for Under $350

From Emily Dawn Long to Dôen and Almada Label, the names worth knowing come with surprisingly reasonable price tags.

Cortne Bonilla-Oliva's avatar
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Published In Buying Guides
Mango, Boden, Black Suede Studio affordable fashion
(Image credit: Mango, Boden, Cos)

Welcome back to my affordable fashion guide! Fashion doesn’t have to break the bank to feel directional. The new season arrives with pieces that can shift an entire wardrobe: tactile knits, great outerwear, sleek leather skirts and trousers, and funky accessories that add a little eccentricity to everyday looks. The edit spans familiar favorites and cooler names worth knowing, including Dôen, Emily Dawn Long, and Almada Label, proving that thoughtful design and strong styling potential can exist at a range of price points.

I’m most drawn to the mix of practicality and personality. A soft sweater or crisp blouse becomes far more interesting alongside a leather skirt; a simple coat gets a jolt from an unexpected pendant, sculptural bag, or slightly offbeat loafer. These are things you can shuffle into what you already own rather than use as an excuse for a wardrobe overhaul.

Consider this your shortcut to making your fall closet feel new again without the financial hangover. A few clever (and funky!) additions are really all it takes. For under $350, of course.

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Tops, Blouses & Tees

Almada label

(Image credit: Almada Label)

The best affordable tops of now are less about basics and more about subtle points of interest. Think sculptural sleeves, tactile knits, fluid satin, and scarf-like silhouettes from brands like By Malene Birger, Emily Dawn Long, and Almada Label.

Trousers, Denim & Skirts

H&m animal print skirt

(Image credit: H&M)

Bottoms are where proportion gets a bit playful this season, from exaggerated horseshoe jeans and fluid wide-leg trousers to pleated and belted midi skirts—one and done! Consider them an easy way to introduce a little runway-minded shape into the everyday wardrobe.

Dresses

zara draped red dress

(Image credit: Zara)

Fall dresses are embracing contrast: romantic florals sit alongside clean column shapes, draping, and rich autumnal shades. Dôen's printed dress brings softness to the mix, while sleeker options from Zara, Staud, and Favorite Daughter lend themselves to office days, dinners, and everything in between.

Bits, Bobs & Baubles

Black Suede Studio fur trimmed loafers

(Image credit: Black Suede Studio)

Accessories are the place to get a little weird—in the best possible way. An elongated bag, cord pendant, slim loafer, beaded necklace, or oversized floral brooch can completely route an otherwise restrained outfit—just take a look at NYFW street style for inspiration.

Outerwear

Boden wool cream coat

(Image credit: Boden)

Good outerwear earns its closet space by doing more than keeping you warm, and this lineup is full of shape, texture, and personality. Cropped jackets, poppy swing coats, belted trenches, and wool layers from Mango, Zara, Cos, Boden, and H&M offer plenty of variety without relying on a singular silhouette.

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Cortne Bonilla-Oliva
Cortne Bonilla-Oliva
Senior Shopping Editor

Cortne Bonilla is Marie Claire’s Senior Shopping Editor, where she decodes the fashion landscape in real time—defining sartorial moments, identifying trends before they reach ubiquity, and distilling an increasingly oversaturated market into the pieces, designers, and ideas genuinely worth knowing. (She’s currently into the Interesting Minimalism aesthetic of contemporary brands.) She has over a decade of experience covering the fashion market, and over the course of her career, which spans previous roles as Senior Shopping Writer at Vogue, Fashion Market Editor at The Cut, and Fashion and Branded Content Editor at Editorialist, she has cultivated an editorial perspective rooted in both rigorous market intelligence and an instinctive understanding of fashion’s cultural vernacular.