4 Brands You Thought Were Too Young For You Are Making Some Of Our Favorite Clothes As 40ish Gals
Plus 2 wildcards that might surprise you.
by The Candidly Team
Has this happened to you too? You spot something online that looks chic and perfect and exactly like what you’ve been looking for for months. So you click on it, and two seconds later you’re staring at a screen full of 22-year-olds wearing flower crowns at Stagecoach and you think surely, this brand is not for me. Then you click out, leaving that perfect thing that brought you there in the dust.
And that, my friends, is the big, old firewall between us and brands that target themselves to Gen Z.
We just do not see ourselves in their product shots. Not on the grounds of Stagecoach. Or in the decked-out dormrooms with bunk beds and fairy lights.
But there are certain brands out there that we believe are deeply worth looking past all this. And that is because they’re making some of our favorite clothes that we wear every single day. Truly. Especially #2 on this very list.
Many of these brands have brick and mortar stores with limited inventory, so if you think you know them from breezing through their racks while waiting for takeout at the mall, think again. Their online selection and app experiences are willlllldly different from what you see in store. Yet, their prices tend to be more affordable than what typically gets targeted to 40-something women when the quality is the same.
Ok, enough making our case. Let’s let the brands and some of our favorite pieces from them do the rest of the talking.
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH
We start with Abercrombie for 2 reasons. 1) It’s the mall brand we can all still practically smell from when we were in high school. And 2) It’s the brand that has come the furthest since we were in high school. They are making things that fit our non-18-year-old bodies extremely well. Many, many of their clothes are made for smoothly accommodating butts and belly pooches and bra straps. And it all starts with one of the best pairs of jeans we’ve found for women with real curves in the past decade.
For Jeans That Are Made For Curves
Curve Love Ultra High Rise Ankle Straight Jean
We have written article after article about these jeans. Trying them on was so pain-relieving after years of bad jean-shopping experiences that it made our Editor-in-Chief emotional. They glide over hips and thighs, framing everything beautifully, yet they never ever gap at the waist. You should see this before and after bootie shot for proof of their wizardry. The only downside is they’re so exceptional (and often on sale) that they sell out ALL the time. If they have your size, you might want to make a move quickly.
Price: $90
For Clever Everyday Dresses
Bra-Free Open-Back Knit Midi Dress
At some point, Abercrombie started making gorgeously cut dresses, and it took us a minute to process this. Each one did a really smart thing, like add ruching to flatter your waist or a poplin skirt to skim your hips. And now, they found a way to allow us to go backless with a bra-free line that really just means they added their own smooth, comfy built-in bra. We thought our days of low-backed things were over, and we are so happy we were wrong.
Price: $85
For Going Out Tops That look Luxe
Abercrombie has become our go-to “going out top” brand because the quality and fit are shockingly good, while the price is shockingly low. Every single “nice” top we’ve bought from them has been amazing, starting with THIS one which we stole right off Kristen Bell in Nobody Wants This. But our latest obsession is this linen tube top. The ruching is a thrill over your stomach, and you can’t see it in the picture but there’s smocking on the back, which means we can actually breath and feel totally comfortable in it. And it absolutely snatttttches the waist (as the kids say).
Price: $60
2. FREE PEOPLE
This is one of those brands we mentioned that you can’t get the full picture of by visiting their boutiquey storefronts, which definitely attract a more boho 20-something crowd. However, they have the best collection of comfortable, yet flattering, interesting yet wearable pieces out there, particularly for women over 35. The sizing is spacious, so you often need to size down, but it’s all in the vein of complementing and accommodating curves, which we like very much. The colorways and fits are incredible, and nothing we buy from them ever seems to fall apart.
Also the FP app has the same interface as Anthropologie, both of which are the most luxurious app/shopping experiences on the internet today. Nothing comes close.
For Cozy-Chic Sets
This is just one of a deep SEA of sets on FP that we could live in. The kinds of sets we could sleep in but could also wear out of the house and get more compliments than when we wear our best dresses. We have too many colors in our cart as we speak.
Price: $128
For Very, Very Flattering Tanks
It sounds so simple and silly to mention but damn if a good-fitting tank isn’t the most flatteringly understated thing in our closet. It just gives us those perfect proportions we die for under our fav jean jacket or blazer. This particular one is like bra-strap concealing magic. Again, too many colors in our cart. Help.
Price: $38
For The Comfiest Pants On Earth
High Road Solid Pull-On Barrel Pants
See that flat strip in front at the waist that makes them look like smart, tailored pants you can wear to work? Well, there’s elastic in the back so you can feel like you’re in pajamas. And this, my friend, is the incredible formula of Free People pants. If you haven’t tried them, we implore you to give them a chance. You might never go back.
Price: $78
For The Most Interesting Knits
Cozy overthings that feel like blankets is among our favorite things. But the lines of this kimono jacket mean it can dress up real nice.
Price: $98
3. ASTR THE LABEL
At first, we only knew this as a dress brand. And granted, they do make the kind of dresses that we HUNT for when we have 27 upcoming weddings to attend. But we didn’t even realize that because at first we were blinded by the skinny shoulders and laced-up dress backs and thought “good on model, bad on us.” But that is far from the case. Not only do they have so many dress styles that are easy and wearable and stunning, but they also have a little treasure trove of staples we can turn to daily that we know will help us look our best.
For Smart Skirts
People underestimate the quiet luxury power of a column skirt. This skirt with any top, from tee to turtleneck, any beloved sweater, any shoe or black boot, it is all just instant chicness.
Price: $124
For Some Of Your Loveliest Sweaters
This sweater has a waist-nipping shape, gorj neckline, and pocket placement that makes all our jeans outfits suddenly look like put-together, sophisticated “looks.”
Price: $124
For Extremely Pretty dresses
Enola Satin Smocked Midi Dress
And here you have one of our favorite little black dresses from ASTR. The way the top hugs and frames and the skirt skims without being too tight. Let’s just say they know what they’re doing.
Price: $138
4. REFORMATION
You have heard of Reformation and mayyyybe you never made the mistake of thinking it was more for younger ladies who aren’t afraid of spaghetti straps and cut-out backs. But in case you’ve maybe missed it, they are making beautiful, tailored pieces in every category that could be your best version of that thing. Their pieces are classic and original at the same time and aren’t all just pretty prints as some people assume. Here’s a bit of proof.
For Gorgeous Trousers
We are fiends for finding the best trousers. These are a bit on the more expensive side than what we typically spend but if you want an extremely quality, lasting trouser that looks like it was tailored just for you in some expensive shop, these will make you deeply happy for years to come.
Price: $178
For Your Very Best Occasion Dress
No words. Just whimsy. If you invite us to a party, we will be wearing this.
Price: $328
For Perfect Suit Sets
Again, this is not an H&M fast fashion suit. This is the one you will turn to time and time again because few things in your closet make you feel this chic and nipped and comfortable and like yourself … all at the same time.
Price: $298
BONUS: TOWER 28
We’ve been focusing on style, but so many beauty brands also market toward a highly Gen Z audience when, in truth, they make exceptional stuff for lines and crows feet and all the things we have now that we’re 40. This is incredibly true of Tower28. They’re making magical products for mature skin. Nothing crepes or sinks. It’s the kind of makeup that makes you feel like you’re glowing from the beach. Which is, in essence, youthful … but in the right way.
For Incredible Makeup On Mature Skin
BeachPlease Cream Blush: We have written A LOT about this cream blush. It is unbelievably emollient and it gives you a glow that isn’t sticky.
Swipe Serum Concealer: Their concealer is actually a serum so it’s amazing for crepey under eyes.
Shine On Lip Jelly: We’ve called this the best gloss out there, and that is still the truth.
MakeWaves® Mascara: It does not move my friends.Plus, it is a beloved choice for sensitive eyes. We did, in fact, write a whole thing about it HERE.
BONUS: URBAN OUTFITTERS
We are not talking about clothes here. We are talking about home goods. Are you skeptical about this one? Alarmed? Well please do us a favor and just peruse their HOME section. It is brimming with all the fun/weird/interesting pieces we use to be sure our houses aren’t just bland, taupe boxes. Think Anthropologie but a little more modern and all on a dormroom budget.
For Genuinely Special Home Decor
Isobel Flush Mount Light: I mean, would anyone believe you didn’t spend $350 on this?
Seed & Sprout Patterned Shower Curtain: It’s weirdly hard to find pretty, unique shower curtains. This is one of many.
Printed Pattern Ruffle Edge Tablecloth: Ditto tablecloths.
Tomato Can 10.5 oz Scented Candle: Why is this soooo us?
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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