American Eagle is known the world around for its precision craftsmanship and luxury design. They are also known for being pretty pricey too. Brands like American Eagle may not be as expensive as some, but they are still on the higher end of the spectrum and highly sought after by fashion enthusiasts.
These are our top picks for brands like American Eagle. There are a lot of details to cover here, so we put together this article on the top brands like American Eagle. We will cover expensive and affordable consumer brands.
Here is a quick breakdown of our favorite brands like American Eagle and their defining features.
Brands Like American Eagle
1.Urban Outfitters– Best Overall Brand
Urban Outfitters has a lot in common with American Eagle. They have a lot of styles for young millennial or Gen Z generations. They also offer dorm and apartment decor and lifestyle accessories.
They sell bohemian-inspired dresses, chunky sneakers, and jeans that are vintage-inspired. They even sell polaroid cameras and record players! They have frequent sales that you can catch to get a good deal.
Pros
- Excellent craftsmanship
- Wide selection
- Sleek and stylish
Cons
- Pricey
- Few athletic or military-inspired selections
2.Forever 21 – Best Affordable Brand
If you like American Eagle for its size-inclusive grunge styles, you’ll like Forever 21. Forever 21 is cheaper than American Eagle and runs sales quite often. They have a wider range of styles as well. You can get vintage band tees to body con dresses at Forever 21.
Pros
- High-quality design
- Affordable
Cons
- Stores only in malls
3.American Apparel – Best Selection
Pieces are priced from $15 to $70 so you can definitely find something affordable at American Apparel. They have high-quality basic items for your wardrobe. They also have cool prints and skin-tight items. Their sizes vary from XS to XXL so you’ll be sure to find your size.
Pros
- Affordable
- Large size range
- Durable
Cons
- Relatively limited selection
4.ASOS – Best Variety
ASOS carries a vast variety of items. They have a wide size range and they have just as affordable pricing as American Eagle does. The American Eagle shopper will love ASOS.
Pros
- Affordable
- Varied styles
Cons
- Limited materials selection
- Can take a while to ship
5.Wildfox – Best Vintage Inspired Brand
Wildfox is a “California cool” brand that should be added to any list of stores like American Eagle. They have a niche of retro and vintage-inspired basic pieces for your wardrobe. Wildfox can be expensive and their size range is limited. If you have the budget though there are some cute items.
Pros
- High-quality
Cons
- Few sizes
- Price
6.Gap – Best High-End Brand
Gap has over 3,000 stores. They are an American-based retailer of accessories and clothing. They began in 1969. They own brands like Old Navy and the Banana Republic. They target a younger generation and now make their own denim jeans. Their styles are cute and fun as well as well-made.
Pros
- Classic-inspired
- Wide selection of materials
- Handmade precision
Cons
- Price
7.J.Crew – Best Work Attire Brand
They are popular for business casual, sweaters, blazers, and cardigans. They are affordable or expensive depending on the item. Their designs include color blocks and mixing patterns so you can mix and match and wear items multiple ways. Each piece is crafted from a studio in New York City. They believe that timeless items are underrated. You can buy in-store or online.
Pros
- Wide price range
- Excellent color selections
- Handcrafted pieces
Cons
- Limited styles
Tips for Buying Brands Like American Eagle
- Pick materials carefully. High-end luxury clothes are made with different materials than cheaper clothes.
- Check style. You’ll want to stay on top of the latest trends.
- Price. Don’t overpay for high-quality clothing when you don’t have to.
- Sizing. You’ll want to make sure the brand you choose carries your size.
- Variety. You’ll want a lot of styles to choose from.
How do you dress for your figure?
You’ll need to think about what things about yourself you like best and what you want to emphasize. Things about your outfits can make things look more or less obvious as well as bigger or smaller.
Patterns can change the way your look. Clothes with lines going vertically will usually make you look thinner while horizontal lines will make you look wider. A bright pattern will emphasize an area while dark solid colors will deemphasize it.
Waist styles can also have an effect. Low waist pants can look curvier and define the waist while empire waists emphasize your bust instead.
The fit of your clothes can also have an impact. Baggy clothing will hide definition while tighter clothes will make it accentuated.
It is important to know your measurements, especially when shopping online. You should use a tape measure and record the following.
- Your head’s circumference for hat sizing.
- Your upper arm for sleeves.
- The fullest part of your bust
- Your natural waist.
- Your hips.
- Your Inseam, which is from your groin to your ankle.
Your clothing should fit correctly. The right fit is important to choose the right outfit. If it fits right but is an unflattering style, that will look better than a flattering style that doesn’t fit correctly.
- Clothing that fits should be comfy and not hinder movement.
- If you’re dieting don’t buy clothes till you’ve actually lost the weight.
- Hem your pants if you are on the shorter side.
Shop for your current figure, not the one you hope to have. You don’t want to waste money on clothes you’ll never wear.
Check how clothing looks from the back as well. This step is important to find great clothes and many people skip it.
Don’t always follow the trends. You may want to stay fashionable but if a trend looks bad on you then you should skip it.
Find out what colors look best on you. These can either look good on your skin tone, match well together, or simply be colors you like.
Find clothes that match your undertones. These are warm colors for people with warm undertones and cool colors for people with cool undertones. Use complementary colors in your pairings. Try to build a wardrobe that has staples of one or two neutral colors that you can add other colors too.
Stay true to a brand you like. If you find something that looks really good on you check out other sizes from that same brand.
Buy multiple versions of clothing you like in different colors. This will let you spice things up while keeping what works for you. You might want some identical pairs of pants. This is a good idea if you have a lot of trouble finding comfy clothes.
Pay attention to how much something costs. If you can afford to purchase well-made quality items then you should because it will save you money. You’ll save the money you would have spent on ten pairs of cheap shoes for instance.
- While expensive doesn’t mean well-made, well-made clothes usually cost more.
- Look for lined clothes it’s a good sign of quality.
- Check seams. Make sure they are even. Poorly stitched seams are a bad sign.
- It’s better to have a small wardrobe of well-made clothes than a lot of cheap clothes.
- Check online for good sales before you buy.
How do you build a wardrobe?
Make sure you cover the basics when putting together a wardrobe. You want solid pieces that you can wear on frequent different occasions. You’ll want to go from work to dinner easily. You don’t want too many pieces that can only be worn for one thing. As an example, a nice pair of pants can be professional with a nice blouse and jacket. If you want to be less dressy, lose the jacket and add a scarf instead.
Use one or two neutral colors as a base for your wardrobe. This would include, tan, gray, brown, navy blue, and black. Sticking to one or two of these can create many outfits with fewer pieces. But things like coats, belts, pants, and skirts in these colors as a base. You can add white as something to pair with them that is technically also neutral. Shop with what you own in mind.
Even if you love a clothing item if it doesn’t fit into your wardrobe don’t buy it because you won’t wear it. Skipping thinking about this can lead to a bunch of clothes in your closet you never wear.
You’ll want to part with everything you don’t wear and streamline your wardrobe. It will make choosing clothes much easier. You can sell your old clothes online. You can donate them to charity. Your friends might want them if you post on social media.
Conclusions
Brands like American Eagle are among the best in the world and are highly sought after by fashion enthusiasts. If you are thinking of buying a brand like American Eagle, then any of these 7 brands would be a good choice for a starter watch. We ranked Urban Outfitters as the best overall brand, but the other brands are good for different purposes.
Whatever your decisions, just make sure you do your research before buying a brand like American Eagle. Take your time when deciding and choose carefully.