The Best Fall Basics Under $100, From Flannels to Beanies

Welcome to Under a Hundo, where your faithful VICE editors find the best versions of anything and everything you’re desperately seeking—all for under $100. Whether it’s fancy knives, instant-vacation-vibes patio furniture, or suspiciously underpriced ghost-hunting equipment, we’ve got your thrifty needs covered.

Summer is a huge drag. That may sound like blasphemy to most people, but we said it. Hot take: The best part of the year is Light Jacket Season. 

Colloquially known as fall or autumn, Light Jacket Season is, as the name implies, the time of year where the temperatures outside are perfect for a light jacket. There’s no need to break out the ski coat that’s been hanging in your closet for years or throw on your long leather duster; a lightweight bomber or jean jacket over a flannel will do the job perfectly. And we love the whole roster of autumnal basics: We’re talking flannels, sweats, beanies, bottoms, and—of course—light jackets. 

If you live in a part of the world that has easily distinguishable seasons, you might already have some go-to fall basics, and that’s great—but just like refrigerator space, toilet paper, and friends with weed-growing parents, you can never have enough autumn closet staples. Plus, last fall didn’t really happen (if you were being responsible), which means your fall wardrobe hasn’t been updated since… 2019. That’s why now is the time to fill your shelves (or black contractor bag full of clothes that’s been sitting in the corner of your room since you moved) with the best basics for fall for, as always, under $100. 

The Best Flannels for Fall 

If you crammed a bushel of apples, a bale of hay, and a football into a juicer, then turned the result into an article of clothing, it would be a flannel shirt. It’s the universal emblem of fall, and you really can’t go wrong with your choice here. No matter the flannel, it’ll be practical, affordable, and—most importantly—lumbersexual AF. Also, not all flannel shirts have to be plaid, so even if you’re not in the mood to look like a massive kilt, you can still attend the flannel soiree. Everlane has a couple non-plaid ones we love (this one is half off right now), Amazon has affordable flannels with insanely good reviews, and, of course, you can’t go wrong with workwear giants Carhartt, autumnal vibes experts L.L. Bean, and mall-staple-that-turned-out-to-be-pretty-cool American Eagle. 

Everlane

The Brushed Flannel Shirt

American Eagle

AE Oversized Hooded Flannel Shirt

Carhartt

Rugged Flex Relaxed Fit Flannel

L.L. Bean

Women’s Scotch Plaid Flannel Shirt, Relaxed

Legendary Whitetails

Legendary Whitetails Women’s Cottage Escape Flannel Shirt

The Best Light Jackets for Fall

Now we’re talkin’. Even if you don’t consider yourself a light jacket aficionado now, once you cop these bad boys, you’ll wonder why and how you ever doubted the fact that god put you on the earth to sport bombers, jean jackets, windbreakers, and quilted zip-ups.

When it comes to the best deals on jacket right now, you can’t go wrong with Levi’s for denim; The North Face has some of the sickest windbreakers in the game; Everlane is our trusty steed of all things basic, and doesn’t disappoint on the light jacket front; and this New Balance jacket says, “I’m a cold weather athlete, but I’ve also smoked several cigarettes in my life.” 

The North Face

Himalayan Wind Shell Jacket in White

Everlane

The Bomber Jacket | Uniform

New Balance

Black Packable Light Impact Run Jacket

Levi’s

Stock Trucker Jacket

The Best Fall Accessories 

First of all, if we see any of you wearing an infinity scarf this season… [Balls fist Arthur-style.] Just kidding, of course, we love our horse girls, and scarves are definitely a good winter accessory, infinity or not, but they aren’t a necessity. What is, however, ultimately necessary for fall is a sturdy beanie.

We love these versatile picks from Urban Outfitters and Supreme—but the classic Carhartt beanie still reigns supreme on the streets of Bushwick, Echo Park, and other “artsy” neighborhoods in metropolitan areas that are full of people that can’t wait to tell you about their latest film project. 

Supreme

Overdyed Beanie Hat

Urban Outfitters

Knit Block Beanie

Carhartt

Carhartt Knit Cuffed Beanie

The other must-have fall accessory is a good pair of shades—preferably polarized, unless you want to permanently damage your retinas when you’re lying in the park, enjoying the crisp fall weather. We love Goodr’s basic $25 torties that look good on everyone, Amazon’s $17 aviators that have a whopping 14,000 killer reviews, and Ray-Ban’s iconic Wayfarers are on big-time sale right now and can be picked up for under a hundred bucks at Nordstrom Rack. 

Ray-Ban

54mm Wayfarer Sunglasses

LUENX

LUENX Aviator Sunglasses

Goodr

Goodr OGs Sunglasses

And, for people who get a little chilly on hayrides but want to appear tough, Uniqlo’s Heattech gear is considered the standard for cozy gear basics when temperatures drop. (If you read our guide to moving-to-New-York essentials, you already know we’re pro-thermal.) These are primarily for later in the fall, when things really start to cool down, though in most parts of the country, you probably won’t need to wear them under your ‘fits for a couple of months. 

Uniqlo

WOMEN HEATTECH EXTRA WARM CREW NECK T-SHIRT

Uniqlo

MEN HEATTECH LONG JOHNS

We can’t wait till Halloween candy is on sale. Catch you at the pumpkin patch. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.