I Just Found the Chicest Affordable Alts to These Investment Pieces

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Annabel Rosendahl wearing The Row.
(Image credit: @annabelrosendahl)

Working in fashion, it's second nature for editors to find (and share) affordable alternatives to investment pieces whenever we come across them. Often, retailers including Banana Republic, COS, Gap, and J.Crew are editor favorites for these types of timeless items. For example, associate fashion editor Nikki Chwatt covered how a pair of $98 J.Crew pants closely resemble Leset's Kyoto pants. She's talked about how Nordstrom's $50 kitten-heel sandals mimic Hailey Bieber's Toteme ones as well.

I've also written about how Tony Bianco Gatsby loafers remind me of The Row's Soft Loafers. There are also other widely loved options, such as Madewell Greta flat for The Row Ballet Flat, and Gap's 100% Cotton Oversized Sweater as a budget-friendly option for the Ophelia Sweater.

Most recently, when I was eyeing a pair of sold-out Manolo Blahnik Callamu 50 mules, I naturally started looking for something similar. I ended up getting the now also sold-out Stuart Weitzman Minimalist 50 sandal, but have since also come across Aeyde's Black Vero Leather Mules, too.

Below, shop these and more lower-cost options inspired by popular capsule wardrobe staples.

Audry Hiaoui
Associate Shopping Editor

Audry Hiaoui is a writer based in New York. For Who What Wear, she specializes in emerging designers, independent labels, and brand discovery, as well as interviews both on and off camera. Her writing has appeared in AnOther, Wonderland, Office, Interview, Love, and i-D, among others, with multiple cover stories and features in print, and she has worked as an editorial producer for Vogue during fashion months. She holds a master's degree in journalism and documentary filmmaking from City, University of London, and has an extensive background in film, having worked for Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, and Vice UK as well as on various projects including documentaries and music videos and most recently as a writer's assistant on an upcoming HBO/A24 series.