I Found the Jackpot of Trendy Basics, and I'm Telling Everyone Who'll Listen

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

Even after seven years of observing and writing about fashion, I still relish the thrill of discovery. It's partly why I've taken up the mantle of highlighting emerging designers and brands in my own work—it's kind of satisfying to be onto something the general masses aren't. But admittedly, I feel a little late about discovering Na-kd. If you're tapped into the hauls and try-on worlds on TikTok and Instagram, perhaps you already know about its affordable separates that magically look expensive despite being less than $100.

Founded in 2015, and launched online in 2016, the Swedish brand has become a hit for its influencer-led collaborations featuring internet-famous fashion it-girls like Cass Dimicco and Josefine H.J. Na-kd pieces generally fall under $200 (with most just below $100), and thus it's been able to gain favor among the Zara set, aka those who love an affordable approach to trends. And although its vast selection might rival Zara, Na-kd feels like a different ballgame: the pieces feel a bit more wearable and less directly lifted off the runways. The international crowd seems to be already privy to Na-kd's world of trend-forward basics (if Instagram is any indication Scandi girls have Na-kd's blazers especially on rotation), but across the globe, it seems like the U.S. is just catching on. At one point it felt like every blazer or pair of trousers tagged by some of my favorite fashion people came from Na-kd—a clear sign that trying out the brand in real life was necessary. So, in the interest of fashion research, I ordered and tried 14 pieces from the Swedish brand's collection of new arrivals. Keep scrolling to hear my thoughts.

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

Quite frankly, these pants are nothing short of incredible. A linen pant in the summer is the equivalent of a great puffer in the winter—an essential that you're much happier to have than to be without. There's an annoying little caveat with linen though—its proclivity to wrinkle. A little wrinkling is acceptable and inevitable, a lot just looks sloppy. These pants are the answer for those who can't be bothered to schlep around a steamer: they're a linen blend that's more weighty than traditional linen, so wrinkling isn't really an issue. The thicker fabric also means no see-through underwear situations will happen (another con I can't stand about linen pants). During the course of my 3-week trip to Europe, I wore these about half the time, which tells you how much I love them.

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

Tube dresses and all their iterations are a major theme this season. Never one to turn down the opportunity to look like a model from the 90s, I've been looking for the perfect minimal tube dress for months now. I can definitively say this is one of the best. Even after walking hours around the streets of Paris, it didn't hike up, and the substantial fabric meant I could forgo a bra altogether. 

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

Maxi-skirt mania is still in effect, so it felt right to add this piece to my summer lineup. And it's everything I could want in a skirt when it's sticky hot during the day and cool at night: breezy, light and extremely versatile.

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

Not to be outshined by its tailored separates, Na-kd's denim selection is also equally impressive. I chose this sunbleached set to wear in early summer as L.A. is still very much in the 60-degree-need-a-light-layer- range. Both pieces fall into the rigid denim category so the jeans took a few wears to thoroughly break in. After softening up though I found myself constantly wearing them as with my dressier casual tops.

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

The Miu Miu effect has touched us all atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing and my desire for a cargo skirt has never been greater. Unlike the designer micro mini version, this skirt is a much more approachable midi length, which makes it prime for anything from tall boots to sandals. The fit is slightly more narrow in the hips, so I'd advise sizing up here. 

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

The best type of summer dress is easy and effortless, and this striped number checks both boxes. It would make sense to think about avoiding knits for the hot season, but it's surprisingly lightweight—even on a boat in the middle of the day I didn't break a sweat. An elegant open back provides ventilation, so if hot days and cool nights will be a factor during your vacation, you'll want to pack this. There's also an ocean blue ombre version of this dress that I'm already plotting on.

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(Image credit: @indyabrown)

Shorts and I have never been the best of friends. But this year I've resolved to stray outside of my sartorial comfort zone, hence why I went for these shorts. On the flip side, blazers are my comfort staple ( I own more than I'd like to admit), so it occurred to me to pair the two for a combination that sits comfortably in the middle. These shorts are longer and more tailored than your typical (just imagine trousers cut into shorts), so wearing them wasn't as scary as I initially envisioned. The structured cut also made them ideal to coordinate with this oversized blazer (a staple Na-kd does exceptionally well). 

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Next up: I Stopped By Gap, J.Crew, and Banana Republic—19 Finds That Genuinely Shocked Me

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.