The perfect brand, for me, is one that offers a whole lot of style with an equal dose of value. Every once in a while you find a brand that’s offering that up, but hasn’t seem to reach mass appeal quite yet. J. Crew used to be that brand for me, circa 2010, when most people hadn’t yet figured out that they had done a 360-degree style turn and had the BEST accessories in retail, for a steal.
Here’s a look at three lifestyle brands (you may not have heard of) that offer up fantastic values with style to spare…
Happy Chic Jonathan Adler
Launched in 2013, this collaboration between well-known potter turned designer Jonathan Adler and JCPenney has seriously upped the cool factor at the struggling retailer. A scaled down version of Adler’s signature line of pottery, décor, housewares and furniture, Happy Chic’s wares are typically under $100 (save for furniture). It’s got Adler’s famous mid-century modern flair, subtle irony and delightfully unexpected color combinations. The merchandise is so good, I “sale stalk” the brand online and in stores, both. I’m particularly fond of the inventive pottery and lighting.
Lou & Grey
An offshoot of LOFT, Lou and Grey is a line of cool, chic separates that feels more like a cross between Madewell and Eileen Fisher than Ann Taylor’s little sister. The line started online, then had outposts in LOFT stores and is now expanding into six of their own brick and mortar locations. This is a great brand for beautiful basics done with a modern edge. It’s more weekend-wear than for work. I love the high quality, textured fabrics that are extremely affordable (especially if you watch for a 40% sale).
Commodity Fragrance
Created in Southern California and online for all to enjoy, Commodity offers custom-tailored premium fragrances orchestrated by a master perfumer. Why is that important? Well, in our opinion, there are a lot of fragrances out there but only a handful that are really well done. There is a tightrope-like balance between bottom, middle and top notes and these folks seem to have nailed it at a price we can all afford.
Grab an At-Home Fitting Kit to sample all 10 fragrances from their White and Black Collections. Kits start at just $24 and include a 10ml spray or larger of your favorite fragrance. It’s really hard to choose our top picks, but the refreshing Mimosa and complex Tea are both beloved by The Brandettes.
Featured images shown in order of brand mentions, left to right.
-N.C.
