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. 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 falls basics that are, as always, under $100. 

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. Amazon has affordable flannels with insanely good reviews, and, of course, you can’t go wrong with the cozy jawn from Carhartt, Patagonia, and L.L. Bean.

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 a nearly 40% off Levi’s jacket for denim; The North Face has some of the sickest retro windbreakers in the game; Everlane is our trusty steed of all things basic, and doesn’t disappoint on the light jacket front; and this Nike jacket that will help your stoned friend find you at the bar.

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.

A classic Carhartt beanie still reigns supreme on the streets of Bushwick, Echo Park, and other neighborhoods in metropolitan areas that are full of people that can’t wait to tell you about their latest short film, but we also love these picks Urban Outfitters, Stüssy, and the retro-futuristic Russian brand Rassvet.

Now that you have taken care of your lobes, swaddle your neck in a subtly striped, lambswool scarf by the British brand PS by Paul Smith, or this high-rated plaid scarf from Amazon with over 1,700 (mostly glowing) reviews. As one fan writes about the latter, “It is a scarf. It protects from the cold but it doesn’t restrict the flow of air. It does what it is intended to do.”

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 Amazon's wildly affordable, tinted 1970s himbo aviators, and Ray-Ban's iconic Wayfarers, which are on 49% off right now at Amazon.

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. 

The brand 32 Degrees is another affordable option for staying toasty on those crisp, autumn walks to remember, and everything from its thermal men’s T-shirts to women’s turtlenecks has earned a standing ovation on Amazon. As one reviewer writes about the men’s performance thermal crewneck, “I was hoping to receive a non-scratchy, silky smooth, warm thermal that did not ride up, and didn't collect body odor… this thermal is all of that.”

It’s nearly time to transition from our summer Birkenstocks to these closed toe slip-ons by the one and only king of crunchy sandal brands, which are perfect for our bodega runs and casual errands. When it’s time to go on an actual hike, in actual dirt, we’ll be slipping into these best-selling hiking shoes by Merrell, which have a 4.6-star average rating on Amazon from over 35,600 reviews praising their tread, breathability, and the fact that “they took no time to break in,” as one reviewer writes.

The matte suede material of Clarks’ Bushacre boot also makes it perfect for pre-snow, post-heatwave weather. The shoe is also beloved by folks with wider feet, and as one Amazon fan writes about the classic, “I even had my wife put her feet in these […] and her response was: ‘WOW!’” That being said, the coziest shoe in our closet this fall will is, uncontestedly, The North Face’s ThermoBall puffer mule, which has a treaded rubber sole and faux fur lining. It’s like a sleeping bag for your feet.

Now we just have to wait for the Halloween candy to hit the aisles of CVS.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.