Designer Pieces Under $100: The Finds Worth Knowing About

There's a quiet satisfaction in finding a piece from a brand you love — one that's well-made, thoughtfully designed, and doesn't require a mental accounting exercise to justify. The Lola Dré under-$100 edit isn't a compromise. It's a category of its own: resort-ready cover-ups in hand-crocheted knit, sheer maxi skirts in fluid chiffon, and sarong wraps in sun-faded stripe prints that look like they were sourced on a trip to the Amalfi Coast.

What unites these pieces is the same attention to detail you'd expect at a higher price point — because the brands behind them don't change their design standards based on the ticket. Melissa Odabash, L*Space, BAOBAB, Montce Swim, and Solid & Striped all bring their full signatures to these offerings. Here's where to start.

Melissa Odabash has been dressing women poolside and on superyachts since the late 1990s, and the Ambra Mini is a distillation of everything she does well: clean lines, a length that flatters without fuss, and fabrication light enough to transition seamlessly from the water's edge to a terrace lunch. The white version is as versatile as it gets — pair it with tan leather sandals and a woven bag and it earns its keep well beyond resort season.

Crochet, Knit & the Case for Considered Cover-Ups

L*Space has built a loyal following on the strength of its knitwear — specifically the open-weave crochet and textured knit pieces that bridge swimwear and ready-to-wear. The Sunchaser top is crocheted in a shell-yeah texture that catches the light and layers over a bikini or a bandeau with equal ease. The Sander range — a matching cropped tank and mini skirt — works as separates or as a two-piece set, which is increasingly the smarter way to dress for warm-weather travel.

The Sarong, Reconsidered

The sarong has had a full editorial rehabilitation. No longer a poolside afterthought, it's now styled over wide-leg trousers, wrapped as a skirt over a bodysuit, or knotted at the hip over a swimsuit for dinner at the beach club. Melissa Odabash's white tassel-trim pareo is woven from sheer fabric with fringe detailing at the hem — it's the kind of piece that photographs beautifully and travels in a clutch. Montce Swim's classic stripe version takes a more structured approach with a proper waistband, making it genuinely wearable as a day skirt. L*Space's Portela brings a botanical print into the mix for those who want something more vivid.

Skirts That Go Further Than the Beach

BAOBAB is a South African label that works in soft, draping fabrics with a resort sensibility that extends well into everyday dressing. The Zur maxi in ivory is cut from a fluid material that moves beautifully and pairs back to everything from a fitted ribbed top to an oversized linen shirt. The Nia in marine blue uses a sheer layered construction — worn over a slip or swimsuit, it reads as entirely intentional. These aren't beachwear in any restrictive sense; they're warm-weather wardrobe staples at a fraction of the cost of the brand's main-line separates.

The under-$100 edit at Lola Dré is updated regularly across more than 200 pieces — from swimwear accessories and cover-ups to ready-to-wear separates from brands that don't compromise on fabric or finish. It's the kind of edit worth revisiting often.

Explore the full Under $100 collection →