I’ve slowly becoming convinced that having a smaller closet, filled with clothing that fits well and is absolutely beautiful is far better than a large closet crammed with solid color knit tops from Old Navy that fit poorly (and purchased because they were on clearance). I owe a big part of my recent transformation to Stitch Fix (you can read my detailed Stitch Fix review here) — I’m actually waiting on my second “fix” right now.
I’ve always shunned tops priced at more than $20 because I knew I could always find something acceptable for under $10 if I hunted through the racks at Target or Old Navy. But I am now realizing that shirts priced at $20-$50 have something that the bargain store options typically don’t — excellent fit, well-made fabrics, and beautiful colors and patterns. Would I rather have six knit tops for $30 that hug my waist and accentuate my ever-present muffin top or one top for $30 that makes me look skinny and is interesting to look at and can be worn for years because it won’t shrink or warp in the wash?
I’m going with the one top option.
If going the Stitch Fix road isn’t your style (or it doesn’t fit your budget right now), you can still find some adorable, and affordable, tops on the internet. In fact, ModCloth sells tons of fantastic tops for under $30 that can be worn alone during the summer and with a cardigan or jacket during the cooler months. Shipping is free on orders of $50+ and they often release coupon codes. They also carry plus sizes in some styles (1X – 4X). If you sign up for their email list here, they will email you a $20 off $100 coupon code.
SIZING UPDATE: I received my first ModCloth order and I loved all my selections (5 tops in all), but I was way too optimistic about my sizing. I ordered smalls because I am kind of between a small and a medium (so… a bigger small or a smaller medium). I should have ordered mediums. I would say ModCloth has TTS sizing (true to size). If you tend to fluctuate between sizes, go big.
Here are 12 summer tops for under $30 each that you might find in a Stitch Fix box:
Lattice Come With You Top — $14.99
Rhapsody in Brew Top — $16.99
The Artist Formerly Known as Prints Top — $16.99
Art You Ready? Top — $19.99
Always be My Paisley Top — $19.99 (includes plus sizes)
Subtle Shine Top — $20.99
This Sway Up Top — $23.99
Boardroom For One More Top — $21.99 (includes plus sizes)
Always the Fun One Top in Tile — $23.99
Contour of the World Top in Scrapbook — $23.99
Science of Chic Top in Magenta — $29.99 (includes plus sizes)
Photo Op-Ed Top — $29.99
All of these tops would look great with skinny jeans, shorts, or a pencil skirt.
Find more adorable tops on Modcloth here! And while you’re at it, you really should check Stitch Fix out and see if it might work for you!
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I love the turquoise/white striped one!
🙂
me? I got a pair of free shorts from schoola today. They are not ultra flattering, but at this point, no shorts would be ultraflattering and that is when I wear a skirt, lol.
anyway, I appreciate your input about stichfx and modcloth.
Have you ordered from ModCloth? Do you know if their sizing is more like juniors sizing or regular women’s clothes? I always see such cute stuff online, but I hesitate to buy because sizing varies so much from company to company!
I am fairly confident that the sizing is women’s. I have heard that many Stitch Fix items end up in the ModCloth sale pages, and SF’s sizing is definitely women’s. For reference, I typically wear a medium top at Old Navy and somewhere between a small and medium Merona at Target. I’m going to order smalls on ModCloth and see how it goes. I ordered mediums with my first SF and the shirts were a bit big.
I hope this helps!