Although the big-name high-street brands like Zara and H&M will always have a special place in my heart, there’s something exciting about coming across a lesser-known label. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with buying into the latest trending item. However, as all true fashion lovers will know, it can be easy to become disillusioned by the identikit ensembles that can come from sticking to the well-trodden path.
My solution? Take some time every few months to dig around online and discover some new brands. This will ensure that your wardrobe is kept fresh, diverse and individual, and it helps you avoid the awkward outfit-clash moment. To save you time, I’ve scoured the internet and interrogated the Who What Wear team to find our top under-the-radar affordable brands and their best new-in pieces. Prepare to smugly name-drop these labels next time you WhatsApp your fashion-loving friends.
Having caught the attention of editors, influencers and celebrities alike, Nobody’s Child is an affordable brand you definitely want on your radar if it isn’t there already. Specialising in throw-on, easy-to-style dresses, this brand is also sustainably minded in its sourcing and design.
I can always justify a beige linen dress.
Such a cute collar.
This would make for a beautiful (and budget-friendly) wedding-guest dress.
Aligne is a sustainably minded fashion brand that makes its designs out of quality fabrics with low environmental impact. The brand’s aesthetic is clean-lined and packed full of versatile staples such as shirt dresses, jeans and blazers.
A sleek take on a denim shirt.
It’s the year of the tank top, and this knitted style is perfect for tackling the trend year-round.
Aligne consistently creates dresses with beautiful back details.
For on-trend, small-scale design that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, head over to NA-KD. This lesser-known fashion brand delivers a chic edit of wardrobe staples that you’ll wear for many seasons to come. Minimalists, this one’s for you.
Chocolate brown is the perfect update to black for your classic tailoring.
Such a simple but show-stopping silhouette.
The ultimate pair of trousers.
Acting as an antidote to the prevailing minimalist aesthetic, Never Fully Dressed is all about the print. The brand’s feel-good pieces focus primarily on floral motifs, bold colours and flowy dresses—perfect for dressing up or down and layering up throughout the year.
Never Fully Dressed also offer inclusive size ranges up to a size 24.
This skirt looks so different to anything else you can find on the high street.
This shade of yellow always looks so premium.
Launched in 2010 in a converted glassworks factory in Shoreditch, Glassworks London started out as a pop-up but now has three locations across the capital. You might’ve spotted the brand’s whimsical cloud-print jumper on Instagram recently, but it also offers plenty of premium-feeling staples and year-round basics.
From the khaki hue to the gathered cuffs, this coat is making me fall in love with trenches all over again.
Wear this with denim shorts, too.
Everyone needs a versatile cardigan they can throw on over lighter layers and dresses.
Newly launched sustainable womenswear brand Omnes works with a small, carefully selected set of fabric producers and mills, all individually approved by top environmental authorities to create wardrobe staples with a trend-led twist. At the top of my wish list is the silken Lila Cami Top.
The brand has become known for its slip dresses.
An LBD is always a wise investment.
The cut of this dress is gorgeous.
If you’re hunting for directional wardrobe heroes, look no further than Damson Madder, the brand that aims to use eco-friendlier materials, including 100% recycled polyester, natural dyes and cotton from organic farms. I’ll be wearing the brand’s cotton maxi with chunky boots all season long.
This blouse went straight into my basket.
A beautiful colour fade.
Towelling textures are having a moment right now.
Set apart by its tightly edited collection of premium-feeling, affordable pieces, Kitri is a Who What Wear fave. It only stocks limited quantities of each style, so you can guarantee that you won’t see the same item on every other person on social media. The Gabriella Dress was an instant sell-out when papped on Charlotte Groeneveld in 2019, so keep your eyes peeled for the next big thing.
I’m obsessed with this dress. Obsessed.
I have a thing for slip skirts.
Get in on the pink trend with this ’50s-inspired number.
Founded on home soil in Manchester, Neon Rose’s designs are fun and trendy but distinctive in their own aesthetic. These joyful pieces come in a diverse size range, so more people can get in on the bright and bold sartorial action. Our columnist, Sara Brown, is a firm fan.
Sara’s cool set is still in stock!
This dress is so easy to throw on.
Patchwork denim is trending, after all.
Describing its wares as “supersized basics with a clean, flawless aesthetic and silhouettes cut precisely for everyday success,” House of Sunny has become cool girls’ go-to affordable fashion brand. The brand offers up plenty of new-season trends, including artistic silhouettes and psychedelic prints.
The printed cardigan is a House of Sunny signature.
A great special occasion dress.
They know how to do a knitted dress.
If you’re looking for key pieces with a cool Scandi twist to add to your wardrobe, then Gestuz is the brand for you. Launched in 2008, the Danish label has remained relatively unknown, but it is now available on ASOS, so it’s easily accessible for all. Expect great denim pieces, chic trousers and the odd print.
I’m into the dress and the styling.
I didn’t know I needed orange leather shorts until I saw this standout pair.
A jean shape that will absolutely never date.
Sister Jane is the London-based brand here for all your vintage-inspired fashion needs. Its eclectic selection of personality-packed pieces stand out from the high street’s identikit offering—think frou-frou blouses, printed maxi dresses and retro accessories.
The Sister Jane mantra? The bigger the sleeve, the better.
A very cool bridal outfit option.
A silhouette you wouldn’t expect to see on the high street.
This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
