I Played Stylist for My Friend and Pulled These Zara, H&M, and Madewell Items

As the fashion editor in my friend group, I'm typically the go-to source for shopping and style recommendations. One of my friends recently asked me for my advice on a few affordable finds she could add to her offering to upgrade her wardrobe. I played personal stylist and ended up going through three go-to stores for many—Zara, H&M, and Madewell. There were five front-runners I sent her (the first in the grouping coming your way below).
In addition, I thought you might be interested in some more shopping inspiration, so I went through the trio of stores and pulled out a smattering of other fresh finds that piqued my interest. Included in the mix? There are strong tailoring items like oversize blazers and loose trousers, chic accessories that ring in under $50, and trend-forward basics that could easily become essentials in a wardrobe. Keep scrolling for more.
Next, check out more chic summer items.

Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent 10 years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises.
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