Cheryl Shops

I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon—vitamins, home gadgets, French beauty products—but I am late to the fashion game. Which is probably because like everything else on Amazon, it helps to know exactly what you're searching for, and in the case of clothing, I don't always know. I'm more of browser than a searcher, and while I am not one to get easily overwhelmed by choice while shopping, I almost always do while looking for clothes on Amazon. So when Amazon recently asked me to join their influencer program, I seized the opportunity to sharpen my search skills, wade through the thousands and thousands of products out there, and find the best ones. Here are my 5 favorite tops that I've found (so far) on Amazon. Bonus: they're all under $40. 

Mafulus oversized batwing sweater

First, let's get one thing out of the way: most of the clothing sold on Amazon is made in China of synthetic fabric, and is sold by brands with bizarre non-names like Ekouaer or Meerokeety. (For the record, there are also a lot of designer and even luxury brands that manufacture in China and use synthetic fabrics.) If you are looking for more sustainable, responsibly manufactured clothes, you might want to skip to the last two tops. But if you love a cheap thrill as much as I do, keep reading. This sweater is so soft and cozy, it's like wearing a hug, and I completely understand why many of the reviews mention owning it in several of the 22 colors it comes in—I am wearing the Apricot, and I have two other colors in my cart as we speak. What makes this sweater different is that it has horizontal ribbing versus the more slimming vertical ribbing that you usually see; because of the slouchy shape, the ribs end up creating a really flattering effect—not what you'd expect in an oversized cut such as this one. My favorite thing about this sweater is that you can bunch it up with higher-waisted pants, as I'm wearing here, or you can stretch it out to cover your butt when you're wearing leggings. It's like two sweaters in one! I am wearing a size medium because I chose to err on the side of caution, and while I think I would have been ok in my usual size small, I like the roominess of the medium. 

Farysays black crochet bell-sleeve top

I already own one top by this brand—the white lace blouse I'm wearing in this post—and I had intended to buy the same one in a different color until I discovered there are actually three slightly different tops in a bunch of colors on this one page, which is confusing, but such is the Amazon fashion experience. I decided to try the bell-sleeve version, which has a very sheer crocheted lace yoke, and I went for black because I figured it would be the easiest to figure out, bra-wise (as you can see, I'm wearing a black bra underneath). I am personally not big on showing a lot of skin or wearing sheer things, but I think this top is really pretty, and I feel sexy wearing it, in a tasteful, Stevie Nicks kind of way. The neckline hits me in just the right place (it's low, but not booby), and, amazingly, the buttons don't gape at the bust. The fabric is very light and fluid (it feels like rayon), and I love how flowy the sleeves are. Definitely err on the side of sizing up, especially if you have bigger arms like I do. I am wearing a medium and it fits perfectly. 

Farysays pink crochet bell-sleeve top

Since there are three different tops on this single page, I decided to be a completist and order one of each. You know, in the name of investigative journalism. I will say, this is my least favorite of the three, although I still really like it; I went with pink for a little variety, but think it would be even better in a more classic black or white. This is a very similar top to the black crocheted version above, however the lace is more of a tighter pattern and the yoke isn't so low in the back, so it's a little more bra-friendly. The solid part of the top has a little texture to it, and like the black version, it feels like rayon to me (there is no fabric tag, which I don't think is actually legal, but you do you, Amazon). This one is also a bit more full in the body; it's what my mom friends call "mom tops," e.g. kind of flowy and forgiving through the midsection, which is why I have mine tucked for a little definition. The fit feels slightly more relaxed than the black version; I'm in a medium again, which I think works for me. 

Amazon Aware utility shirt 

Perhaps in response to the gazillion not-so-planet-friendly items it sells, Amazon recently launched a collection of clothing, beauty, and home products called Amazon Aware; everything is carbon-neutral and made of recycled or low-impact materials. Now, a lot of that is marketing—the most sustainable solution is to buy less clothing—but wouldn't be nice if all (or most of) the clothing Amazon sold adhered to those guidelines? That said, I am blown away by the quality of everything I've tried so far. This plaid shirt is an incredibly soft modal/elastane blend, and it's knit, versus woven, which makes it extra comfy. The buttons do gape a bit at the bust, but that happens with most button-down shirts I own (maybe that's why they only show it open, not buttoned, on the model photos). I'm wearing a medium in this one as well; it's slightly more fitted than I was expecting, but thanks to the knit fabric, there's a lot of stretch to it. 

Amazon Aware rib crewneck sweater 

This is a very good classic ribbed crewneck sweater. Does it push the boundaries of fashion design? No. Is it going to win any awards? Probably not. But is it the kind of sweater that goes with pretty much anything and always looks good on? Yes. It is really soft and really well made—the sweater feels thick but doesn't look thick, which is the mark of a good knit, if you ask me. The yarn is a viscose/nylon/modal blend, and it holds its shape without getting stretched out. It's longer than you'd expect in a sweater this fitted, but because it's thinner than it appears, it's easily tuckable. Two things to note: one, I'm in the rose shade, which is definitely more peach than pink IRL; two, this is a pretty fitted silhouette. I'm in a medium, which fits like a glove, so I'd recommend going up a size if you want it slouchier. 

All clothing featured in this post was generously gifted to me by Amazon. Remember, you can find these and all of my favorite Amazon products in my Amazon Shop!