8 Secretly and Shockingly Affordable Finds Our Editors Wear Nearly Every Day

As fashion editors, we have everything from the best $15 T-shirt to the most coveted $4k bag on our radar. But today we're here to talk about the former. Affordable fashion items that are also amazing are what get us the most excited in life—so much so that we want to tell everyone we know about them. So we're here to divulge some of those affordable items we wear constantly. 

I asked our editors what their go-to surprisingly affordable wardrobe staples are, and now I have a long shopping list of things I need to buy, based on their epic recommendations. From an epic pair of jeans to the perfect tank top from Nordstrom, these fully-vetted finds are sure to become staples in your wardrobe as well—if you choose to snag them.

Keep scrolling for all of the tea on the affordable finds we wear over and over.

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Yusra Siddiqui, Associate Fashion Editor
(Image credit: @thatgirlyusra)

"I instantly fell in love with these Free People jeans when they were shared in our editor Slack channel, but when someone asked if my jeans were Toteme, I was still shocked. After a full day of wear, I have no complaints. They were comfy, fit perfectly, and brought in a few compliments, which is a mood booster when you're having a hectic workday!"

Shop Yusra's pick:

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Judith Jones, Senior Shopping Editor
(Image credit: @joiedejude)

"I find myself wearing this effortless, casual white tank top on repeat—especially during spring. It has an easy, relaxed silhouette, and the neckline is super flattering. It's easy to style alone with jeans, or perfect for layering with knits. The best part? It costs just $16. I plan on buying the gray one next."

Shop Judith's pick:

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Nicole Akhtarzad Eshaghpour, Editor-at-Large
(Image credit: @nicoleakhtarzad)

"Whether it's for pilates class, school drop-off, or travel days, I live in these flattering, $26 leggings from Amazon!"

Shop Nicole's pick:

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Kristen Nichols, Associate Director, Special Projects
(Image credit: @kristenmarienichols)

"I practically live in Uniqlo's U-Neck tees—a design from Christophe Lemaire that combines a soft medium-weight fabric with a perfect silhouette."

Shop Kristen's pick:

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Copelyn Bengel, Associate Shopping Editor
(Image credit: @copelynshaw)

"I find myself wearing these wide-leg jeans at least once a week. They're super comfortable and versatile, plus I sized up to make them slightly baggier and low-slung."

Shop Copelyn's pick:

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Anna LaPlaca, Editor
(Image credit: @anna_laplaca)

"I'm not sure what kind of magic is woven into the fabric of this tank, but it's the most smoothing and sculpting thing while still being soft and comfortable."

Shop Anna's pick:

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Sierra Mayhew, Associate Fashion Editor
(Image credit: @_sierramayhew)

"I got black wide-leg pants from Zara 2 years ago and nothing else that has come into my closet since has managed to replace them. They're that good. When it comes to wardrobe staples you certainly don't have to splurge and I love an under $50 find."

Shop Sierra's pick:

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Allyson Payer, Senior Fashion Editor
(Image credit: @allypayer)

"This Box-Cut Tee was one of the first items Everlane designed back when it launched in 2010, and it was the very first item I ordered. I'm still ordering them, and now you can choose from an array of neutrals and stripes, and with a pocket or without (I always go for without). The fit is just perfect, the length is perfect, the weight is perfect, the price is perfect—you get it, I'm obsessed."

Shop Allyson's pick:

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Next up, my best Amazon finds of 2023 so far.

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Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.