Do you like your dresses big, your accessories minimal and your colour palette offbeat? Then you’re probably a COS girl like quite a few of our fashion friends in the industry. It’s where you can pick up directional, simplistic designs that you’d normally find at much higher price points or from very niche Scandi labels. The fabrics are always top-quality, and we still own COS items from the very first season when the brand debuted in the UK. Yep—its wares have stood the test of time and still look mint today.
Our love is a forever one, clearly. With an aesthetic of smock dresses, sensible shoes and neutral hues coming through right now, it’s no surprise that a few more brands of a similar ilk are surfacing. We looked to the minimalist experts we follow on Instagram (like Marisa Martins and Brittany Bathgate) to delve into a world of labels that will complement your COS pieces and give you a chance to try out something entirely new. Keep scrolling to see the brands like COS that we rate the most.
If top-quality wardrobe staples are what you’re after, then COS’s sister brand, Arket, will fulfil your fashion dreams. It makes the best tees, tanks, jeans, trousers, jackets… Basically, every single pillar of a modern wardrobe can be found here. You can also pick up more adventurous items there like printed dresses or utility jumpsuits. We’re also big fans of its small but mighty shoe edit.
With stores in New York and Paris, The Frankie Shop has become the go-to basics brand for the fashion-savvy shopper. But these are no ordinary staples:Â We’ve lost count of the number of items from this brand that have gone viral on Insta: from dramatic jumpsuits to humble loungewear co-ords. Not one to miss.
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Weekday is yet another part of the H&M group (the company that owns COS), so it’s no surprise there’s a thread that links many of these Swedish brands together. Weekday, however, is aimed at a younger, more streetwear-appreciative audience. That means amongst the breezy dresses, flat sandals and wide-leg trousers, you’ll find some urban staples like hoodies, motif tees and cycling shorts too. We often shop the brand for jeans—its organic-cotton denim is more environmentally friendly but also a notoriously great fit when it comes to buying jeans on the high street.
These days, it seems that if I spot a simple sundress on Instagram that I really want to buy, it’s from Mr. Larkin—a brand and store founded by Casey Blond and shipping out of Copenhagen. The range’s understated cotton styles are timeless and perhaps a bit more fitted and feminine than what you’ll find at COS.
COS’s leather goods are really quite spectacular—have you ever checked them out? We like them because they’re ultra plain but always a bit strange (like sandals with a sculptural mini heel or a bag rendered in an odd tubular shape). Following this kind of formula for arm candy is the Italian label Neous. My current favourite style is the pleated Neptune bag.
Baserange aims to create comfortable wardrobe pieces that don’t follow seasonal trends, using considered materials and natural fibers, such as bamboo and organic cotton. (It’s committed to eliminating synthetic fabrics from it collections.) Expect minimalist separates with a sporty twist, such as the brand’s knitted dress, which spiked last year after it was spotted on Monikh Dale.
Founded in 2017 by Hannah Cawley, Cawley Studio is a London-born brand that creates two collections a year using all-natural materials. From checked smock dresses to clean-lined coats, this is for the minimalist who enjoys the odd hit of colour and print.
Next up:Â The five trends we’ll be avoiding for 2022
