Trust Me—These Under-£50 Pieces Look So Much More Expensive
Summer is in full swing and our wardrobes have fully adjusted. You'll still see some people out and about in tights and coats (download the Met Office app, please!) but our daily go-to outfits have included sandals, dresses and very few layers for quite some time. So we're fully clued up at this stage on the key summer trends, but there's always room for a little newness to last out the season.
Sometimes you don't want to drop a huge amount of cash in order to buy something worthwhile, but we also try to advocate shopping the high street sensibly. So each and every season, we'll always try to hunt down pieces that feel of the moment but that also show signs of longevity. You know the kind—those affordable pieces that aren't too adjoined to a passing fad and still feel classic enough to wear in the future.
We've scoured not only the best of the best (Mango, H&M, Topshop, Arket and more) but have also turned to some niche brands to see what you can actually get for under £50, and we believe you'll be pleasantly surprised (erm, hello, Teva sandals).
Our regular columnist Monikh is someone who we follow for sophisticated affordable finds as well as more expensive ones and often proves that the high-street offering has classics in addition to the big trendhitters, but there are plenty of other girls who lead us to greatness: Madeleine Bugge Karlsen, Emma Hill and Katrina of The Style Idealist are just a couple of the many we stalk.
Keep scrolling for my top 29 under-£50 shopping picks this month.
These look all kinds of expensive when they're on. Just add an anklet.
The kind of slightly off-beat item that you could totally tell people was vintage and very rare.
At least three members of the Who What Wear team now own Teva sandals and can attest to their versatility and comfort. An all-rounder if we ever saw one.
Wear in precisely this way: With your hair up for maximum showing-off time.
This colour is a favourite of mine right now. You should really give Weekday a try for basics.
If there's one thing you buy from this list, it should definitely be these. A key summer accessory that could pass for vintage designer.
Butter yellow is the new beige, don't you know?
Everyone's going a little crazy about this ASOS dress, which could so easily pass for a designer buy. One to bring out when the weather warms.
Initial pendants are going nowhere. We're obsessed with this one and its affordable price tag.
You'll always thank yourself for buying a clever summer jacket when the British weather is so unpredictable.
The Scandi brand everyone is talking about is actually super affordable.
Everyone I know seems to be buying breezy white dresses from H&M right now.
Neon Rose is becoming a bit of a secret source for some of our most unusual high-street dresses.
Related: Every Item on My H&M Wish List Just So Happens to Be Under £30
Don't mind if I do!
Look after this in the wash and it will serve you for a long, long time.
I promise you this: Simple tan sandals will never fail.
It's called the It Girl Top for a reason, people. It's all kinds of perfect.
The colour, texture and cut make this look far more expensive than it is.
These kinds of rope bags are being made by designer brands too and will normally cost you a lot more.
Our deputy editor has just bought this, and we're all in agreement that it was a great choice.
Wearing this to the next party/wedding/event I'm invited to.
See more of what to buy now with our weekly shopping picks.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits. Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.