I love name brands as much as the next gal, but I love affordable fashion finds even more! There’s something super exciting about feeling as though you’ve scored an awesome deal and it’s so fun to share those finds with all of your friends! I’ve always been the type of shopper that buys a lot of items at a lower price point than buying one or two high price point items. Sure, sometimes you get what you pay for, but I really feel that stores like Target, Amazon, and Walmart are seriously leveling the playing field when it comes to value, quality, and style. To put this to the test, I decided to review wardrobe basics at Amazon, Target, and Walmart and what is more essential than jeans, white t-shirts, and flip flops? Keep reading to find out which brand really shined when it came to fit, feel, style, and price on affordable wardrobe basics.
I’m going to go in alphabetical order to avoid any spoilers… but if you just can’t wait then skip to the end! 😊
Amazon Wardrobe Basics
Jeans: 0/5 Stars, Love the wash, but the fabric is quite stretchy and loses shape.
It was a little bit difficult to find cute enough looking skinny jeans that were the Amazon Essentials brand, but I finally did! Fair warning, the sizes go in and out of stock quite quickly so don’t get discouraged if you have your sights set on these. Truth be told these jeans are going straight back because they just didn’t fit my body quite right. I purchased a size 12 and probably could have tried either a 12S or a 10. They are quite stretchy and this led to weird bunchiness on my calves (and I have huge calves). They felt and looked cheap and so I do not recommend these at all.
T-Shirt: 3/5 Stars A forgiving fit, good for lounging.
I am of the opinion that you can never have too many plain white or black t-shirts. Even when they all look similar, they aren’t all the same. I love when things come in packs of two! Sure, I know I’m paying for both, but I feel like I’m not! I bought the Amazon Essentials t-shirts (which came in a pack of one black and one white) in a size large without realizing how stretchy they were. I could have gone with a medium, but the oversized fit is super cute tied in a knot to add a little shape. They would also make great lounging shirts. I gave them 3/5 star rating because they are not outstanding, but for the price, quality, and feel I thought they were worth keeping.
Sandals: 5/5 Stars, SO cute and SO comfortable, buy these right now!
There are not enough words to describe my love for these sandals!!! They are so stinkin cute, so comfortable, and so affordable (~$30). I will be wearing these all summer long. I went with the white pair, but without a doubt will be buying at least one more pair. I am just now deciding between the brown and the black or maybe both! These would be great for walking around the beach, a festival, a walk around the neighborhood, or even dressed up. They’re a must-have wardrobe essential.
Target Wardrobe Basics
Jeans: 5/5 the perfect fit, feel, price – I bought two pairs!
I’ve always been quite pleased by Target’s Universal Thread denim line and this pair was no exception. This particular pair is the curvy midrise style, which has a little extra room in the thigh and booty area and so they really complement my figure. I loved this distressed pair so much that I got the same style in a regular, non-distressed wash. They were only $25, which blows my mind. They feel like they will last for multiple seasons, were extremely affordable, and are quite stylish.
T-Shirt: 5/5 great fit, not too stretchy, quality fabric
I have two words for you: eight dollars. EIGHT DOLLARS for this adorable, simple white t-shirt. I love the fit and feel of the fabric. It’s not too stretchy, but not too structured so you could easily dress it up or down. The only negative about this t-shirt is that it shrunk ever so slightly in the dryer, so I’d recommend letting it air dry. If you like to have multiple, great quality white t-shirts on hand then I’d highly recommend stocking up on this piece.
Sandals: 2/5 very cute style, but not great for wide feet, very odd fit
I love the style of these sandals. I so badly wish I could love them, but they are a terrible fit. I have to pull the crisscross straps to slide down the wide part of my foot, but even then they still slide around and aren’t quite secure. They are seriously so cute though and I can tell they are great quality as well. They look much more premium than just $20! I do recommend these summer sandals, but only if you do not have wide feet.
Walmart Basics
Jeans: 5/5 absolutely love the fit, wash, distressing, fabric, and price!
This is the first time that I have ever tried the Sofia Jeans by Sofia Vergara at Walmart and I am completely in love. The fit, the wash, the feel, the style, the price – there is nothing not to love about these jeans. They are literally my new favorite pair. I think they would be particularly flattering on anyone with a little extra hip or booty, much like the Queen Sofia Vergara herself. I ordered this pair of jeans on Walmart.com and they arrived in two days – so quite comparable to Amazon Prime!
T-Shirt: 1/5 fabric is a bit see-through, more of what you’d expect from an under shirt
Like I said before, love a good two-pack, but these plain white t-shirts were disappointing. This was one of those moments when you do, in fact, get what you pay for. They were 2 for $10, but are a lot less like a basic white t-shirt and more like a men’s undershirt. I’m giving them 1 star because they aren’t bad enough to return, especially for the cost vs. hassle, but I wouldn’t recommend and I won’t be buying again.
Sandals: 4/5 super cute, very comfortable, don’t stay on very well
I love the look of these sandals! I love that you can get a super trendy summer sandal for only $14. These WOULD have been my top sandal choice, but I wore them to walk up the hill to a neighborhood restaurant and they were a bit hard to keep on my foot. I think they’d be perfect to wear out for a date or a picnic, anything that doesn’t involve a lot of walking. They’re seriously so cute and affordable, but just not the most practical.
the final results
So if you skipped ahead, want the Reader’s Digest Version, or just a brief summary – here is my review of wardrobe basics at Amazon, Target, and Walmart:
The best skinny jeans: The Sofia Jeans by Sofia Vergara at Walmart were such a pleasant surprise. I cannot believe that these jeans are only $24. They are so stylish, the fabric feels so nice, and I really think they will hold up. I ordered these online and they only took two days to arrive – so quite comparable to Amazon Prime! An added bonus is that as a girl with curves, jeans shopping can be quite brutal, but these felt like they were made for me. They make me feel sexy and I love them. I highly recommend.
I’ll also say that the Target pair were an extremely close second and I gave them 5/5 stars, but I just preferred the Walmart pair as far as fit and style. The Amazon Essentials jeans are going to be returned – enough said.
T-Shirt: The plain white t-shirt from Target was hands down the top choice. Each brand was comparable in price, but Target by far had the better quality and shape. The Amazon and Walmart white t-shirts were a bit more like undershirts rather than an everyday shirt to wear.
Neither of the plain white t-shirts that I got from Amazon or Walmart were very impressive. Or at least the particular ones that I selected were not meant to be a casual t-shirt, but rather more of an undershirt.
Sandals: No question, the Amazon Essentials sandals were my top choice hitting high marks for quality, comfort, price, and style. I can’t say enough about these sandals – I am smitten. I’ll definitely be purchasing in other colors! They were slightly more expensive than the Target and Walmart sandals but only by about $10-$15.
I really loved both the style, quality, and price of the Target and Walmart sandals, but they were not very comfortable or practical. They’d be great for a date or anywhere that you don’t need to do a lot of walking, but definitely not strolling down the beach or up to the pool.
I believe that when a brand puts effort into the basics then you know that you can trust everything else that you get from them. The only big miss out of everything that I tried were the Amazon Essentials jeans, but overall I was quite impressed by these three big retailers. The sandals were by far the most impressive pieces from style to price at all three retailers, I’d honestly recommend all of them. And I absolutely can’t wait to try more of the Sofia Vergara collection from Walmart.
I hope you enjoyed this review because I really enjoyed pulling it together for you! Is there anything you’ve been wanting to try, but not sure if you should complete the purchase? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to be your resource.
Xx, Ashley
