Hip, hot, young casual style is what you’ll find at Urban Outfitters, whether you’re going to an actual store location or shopping online. This brand is known for its cool streetwear looks and for being affordable fashion with a huge selection of stuff. Urban Outfitters has a definite look to it but it’s not one-of-a-kind. There are many brands similar to Urban Outfitters that carry fashion with plenty of stuff in common with all the stuff you like about Urban Outfitters. Explore them, wear them, and fill your closet with all the cool streetwear you want.
FYI, thanks to AI imagery software, we’re able to create very specific fashion and hairstyle examples to illustrate the points being made. In some cases, imagery is exaggerated to hammer home the point.
History of Urban Outfitters
If you took a wild guess at how Urban Outfitters began, based on what the fashion here looks like, you’d probably come sort of close to the truth. It all began in 1970, when two college roommates decided to open a store for other college kids. You know, a place that would sell affordable but stylish clothing, along with stuff for their dorm rooms and apartments.
They began with $5,000 and opened a store in Philadelphia called the Free People Store. The store opened right near the University of Pennsylvania campus, where its target audience lived. They decorated with packing crates and used furniture. On the shelves were secondhand clothes, scented candles, cool T-shirts and funky, hip jewelry.
The nearby college kids, of course, loved it. The store was a huge hit and the two roommates had a massive success on their hands. About five years later, the store was renamed to Urban Outfitters and the product line had expanded greatly.
A second store was opened in 1980 near several campuses in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Growth continued from there, exponentially so. In fact, you probably noticed. Urban Outfitters is now a well-known and much-loved brand that still caters to the young, hip and trendy, as well as anyone who likes young, hip and trendy looks. Urban Outfitters still sells home goods, along with fashion, and the catalog of items here is absolutely huge.
You can find just about anything to wear at Urban Outfitters and plenty of stuff for your home (or dorm room), too. Urban Outfitters has certainly risen to the top of its market and it is definitely loved by its target audience. But there are brands similar to Urban Outfitters that have plenty of great items to offer as well. See what these similar brands have in common with Urban Outfitters and you might find lots of other labels you like. That means you can fill your closet with even more hip and trendy looks.
Finding Brands Similar to Urban Outfitters
There are many brands that specialize in cool streetwear styles, like Urban Outfitters. Get to know these other brands and start wearing different labels to expand your fashion and experiment with your looks. After all, you don’t know what your style is unless you play around with your style and try some stuff out!
American Apparel (Less Expensive)
If you like casual T-shirts, jeans and everyday style that really looks like your everyday style, try American Apparel. This brand is known for casual, comfortable streetwear that’s pretty simple and straightforward, which means it’s just pure, unadorned everyday style. Classic.
That’s what American Apparel does: makes classic casual fashion. This is where you look if you need an everyday pair of jeans and a T-shirt that’s going to feel great and fit well and look good for whatever casual thing you’re doing or for hanging around the house.
These are clothes that look good enough to wear wherever you’re going but feel good enough to wear when you’re at the house and can wear whatever you want. If that sounds like you, then American Apparel gets you.
The clothing here is more affordable than similar items you can find at Urban Outfitters. Mix and match American Apparel items with your cool, hip fashion from Urban Outfitters and infuse all your outfits with some casual, comfortable style that knows it’s cool without being fussy about it.
Amour Vert (More Expensive)
Armour Vert is full of everyday, casual and smart casual styles that look good everywhere, whether you’re hanging around the house or running errands or going to the office. Armour Vert makes only clothing for women but they make a ton of it, offering a huge catalog of different items.
Many items here are available in multiple colors, so you can always find something to suit your personal style. You can find all sorts of stuff here, including seaters, loungewear, jeans, T-shirts, whatever you might want to wear. Armour Vert, like Urban Outfitters, also carries jewelry, shoes, handbags and accessories.
The pricing here is slightly more expensive, on average, than like items you can find at Urban Outfitters. Armour Vert uses a lot of high-end and premium materials in clothing, including silk, which makes clothing more expensive than items made with less expensive fabrics.
Cider (Less Expensive)
If you go searching for form-fitting turtlenecks, cute crop tops, great cargo pants and anything else that’s trendy, sexy and hot on the style scene, you’re going to discover clothing from Cider. This brand makes clothing for people who follow the style trends and aren’t afraid to wear young, sexy, stylish looks that look like they’re straight off the runways.
Many items here come in multiple color options. Cider, like Urban Outfitters, has a huge catalog of items that includes dresses, jumpsuits, knitwear, tops and whatever you want to wear. There’s also a winter shop, so you can stay warm and still stay stylish. Cider also offers curve and plus clothing because fashionable people come in every shape and size.
Cider makes highly affordable everyday fashion in casual to semi-casual styles that reflect the current style trends. Because the styles are subject to change when the seasons change, the clothing here is highly affordable and even less expensive than similar items you can find at Urban Outfitters. This way, you won’t spend a lot of money even if you shop all the time to keep your wardrobe up-to-date with all the latest styles.
French Connection (More Expensive)
Urban Outfitters makes American-style streetwear, the type of fashion you see everyday people wearing while they’re going about their business. The kind of stuff you might see in New York, Chicago, LA or Houston. French Connection makes European-style streetwear, the stuff you might see on the avenues in Paris or London or Venice.
This is streetwear with a chic style and distinct European flair to it. There’s a lot of vegan leather and faux fur, pretty lace and soft knits. There’s a lot of stuff to like here. French Connection carries a huge product line that includes clothing for men, women and children. This is clothing for people of any age who have a strong sense of style.
If your style is chic and sophisticated and trendy, your label is French Connection. The clothes here are slightly more expensive than similar items you will find at Urban Outfitters due to materials like vegan leather and faux fur, which can be a bit pricier than your standard cottons or synthetics.
Lisa Says Gah (More Expensive)
If you say yes to cool, trendy, boho-inspired fashion items in beautiful colors, it’s Lisa Says Gah to you. The catalog is full of beautiful knits, gorgeous pants, great patterns and classic silhouettes in hip and trendy styles.
Find dresses, sweaters, outfit sets, swimwear, jewelry, accessories and shoes here. Like Urban Outfitters, Lisa Says Gah makes just about every type of fashion item you might want to wear…and all of it is a little bit funky and a whole lot stylish.
Lisa Says Gah is more expensive, in general, than similar items from Urban Outfitters. This brand uses eco-friendly fabrics, recyclable packaging and other elements designed to promote sustainability and environmental health. This extra care and attention costs a little more, which adds on to the price of clothing items.
Lulus (Similar Pricing)
When you need something smart and maybe sexy and eye-catching that’s perfect for a day at the office or a night out on the town, you need to shop at Lulus. Get accessories, beautiful items, jewelry, dresses, jumpsuits, outerwear, lots of different fashion options. Lulus makes clothing and fashion items for women and the products here come in a big range of sizes and colors.
Lulus carries shoes, accessories, handbags, belts, beauty products and all the fashion you want, including holiday-themed items and wedding clothing. All the clothing here has a stylish, trendy look that’s a bit more on the semi-formal or professional side of style, as opposed to the more casual style you can find at Urban Outfitters.
When you need to be a little bit dressier and a whole lot stylish, turn to Lulus. The pricing here is similar to Urban Outfitters, so you can mix up your style whenever you want and not spend more.
ModCloth (Similar Pricing)
ModCloth truly makes every single type of clothing item you want to wear. That includes sleepwear, tank tops, hoodies, sweaters, skirts, jeans, plus a ton of shoes and accessories. Bags, jewelry, scarves, hair accessories, ModCloth has it all. And here, it’s all super stylish, colorful and on-trend. If you like fun patterns, eye-catching graphics and super trendy style, you like ModCloth already.
Shop for all the fashion you want here. ModCloth has an enormous selection and a changing catalog that reflects the latest cool styles. The look here is mostly casual, comfortable everyday wear. ModCloth pieces mix and match well with Urban Outitftters fashion. Even the pricing between the two brands is similar.
Reformation (More Expensive)
You know how people say a particular clothing brand makes everything and then you try to find a certain thing from that brand and they don’t have it? That’s not going to happen with Reformation. This brand makes everything from activewear to wedding wear. You can even find petite sizes here, something that sets Reformation apart from other brands.
The label carries vintage styles and classic silhouettes that have trendy, modern flair. Luxurious materials sometimes make an appearance. You can buy a velvet dress here, an organic cotton blouse, an actual silk dress. This is stylish professional and semi-formal clothing with a touch of designer flair in beautiful, trendy designs. The catalog at Reformation is full of beautiful colors and jaw-dropping styles that look totally chic.
Because of the high-end materials that are used in the clothing, Reformation is priced somewhat higher than similar items you can buy at Urban Outfitters.
Salty Crush (Similar Pricing)
If your everyday style means looking beach-ready every day, you should be shopping at Salty Crush. This brand carries many of the same items as Urban Outfitters. That means maxi dresses, jumpsuits, pants, knits, blouses and everything else you wear. But here, all of it has a beachy, boho sort of vibe.
Soft colors, abstract patterns, modern design and loose, flowing styles come together to create the pretty clothing from Salty Crush. This brand also carries accessories to match all the outfits. That includes bags, shoes and jewelry, all the stuff you need to dress up all your looks.
Salty Crush has similar pricing to Urban Outfitters, so you won’t spend more when you choose to shop here. Mix and match items from Salty Crush with your Urban Outiffers pieces to infuse a little beachy, boho style into your wardrobe.
Storets (Similar Pricing)
If you like the everyday streetwear and trendy style at Urban Oufiits, you’re going to like a lot of the clothing you find at Storets. This brand makes it all: shorts, skirts, shorts, dresses, sweaters, blouses, crop tops, outerwear, swimwear, accessories to set it all off. Like Urban Outfitters, Storets has a big collection of highly trendy looks.
Storets also makes bags, jewelry and shoes. All the items here showcase the newest trends and all the hottest looks in fashion. Pricing for items at Storets is similar to like items you can buy at Urban Outfitters. If you like hip and trendy looks that are targeted toward youth culture, or at least youth fashion, you’re going to love Storets.
Whimsy + Row (More Expensive)
When your streetwear is smart casual, professional and stylish, your brand is Whimsy + Row. The clothes here are stunning, trendy and totally chic. There are many items here made with color-blocked designs in flattering silhouettes in basic neutral colors, like black and beige, shades that look great in any office environment.
From cute, casual corduroy rompers to glamorous satiny blouses, Whimsy + Row carries a huge selection of fashion for women. The brand is full of office-ready styles and beautiful professional designs. You can find plenty of pieces for date night here, too.
Whimsy + Row is somewhat more expensive, on average, than Urban Outfitters. However, the brand offers sales and special deals all the time to make shopping more affordable, so there are ways to reduce the price on items you buy here.
Wildfox (More Expensive)
Like Urban Outfitters, Wildfox sells streetwear styles in trendy, casual looks. Wildfox focuses more on looks built around activewear styles. You’ll find lots of hoodies, sweats and other active styles at Wildfox, which is definitely a hot trend in streetwear. Wildfox also makes sunglasses, because isn’t that the best accessory for activewear fashion?
Wildfox definitely has fun with fashion so you can have fun wearing the clothes from here. You’ll find lots of graphic designs, funny sayings and cool additions to the clothing here. This is a laid-back, casual style that’s also totally on trend, so naturally, this brand appeals to all young fashionistas and those who know young style.
The clothing here is slightly more expensive, on average, than similar items you can find at Urban Outfitters. If super trendy and totally casual, comfortable style is your thing, you should definitely be shopping at Wildfox.
Wearing Brands Similar to Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitters has definitely risen to the top of its market. The store found a niche and found an under-served market and gave it a place to shop. The formula worked and Urban Outfitters is one of the best-known brands in the world today.
But now that Urban Outfitters has proven there is a huge market for cool streetwear that appeals to youth culture and all trendsetters at every age, many other brands have found a way to provide similar style. Explore brands similar to Urban Outfitters and explore all your fashion options. Expand your wardrobe and expand your looks using brands similar to a brand you already like.
FAQs
You’ve seen the Urban Outfitters brand lots of times, maybe passed by a store or seen an ad online. But even if you shop there all the time, there are things you might not know about this world-famous brand. We searched for the most commonly asked questions about Urban Outfitters and found the answers, so you can find out everything you’ve wanted to know about this brand.
Where are Urban Outfitters products manufactured?
Urban Outfitters offers a huge range of many different types of products and sells fashion and home goods in great quantities as a highly successful brand. Because of the diversity in the product catalog and the sheer value of items Urban Outfitters sells around the world, the company works with many different factories to have items and clothing manufactured.
Urban Outfitters uses factories in Cambodia, Vietnam and China, as well as other locations around the world. If you want to know where your Urban Outfitters item came from, check the tag or look for the “made in” stamp somewhere on the item, in the case of non-clothing items.
Is Urban Outfitters the same as Juicy Couture?
You might be familiar with Juicy Couture and not even know it. This is the fashion label behind the great-looking velour jumpsuits that every hot young celebrity has worn at some point, from Jennifer Lopez to Tinashe. With the signature tracksuit and other styles created under the label, Juicy Couture tapped directly into the urban streetwear market and shot to the top of fashion fame.
Juicy and Urban Outfitters was simply a natural fit. The two brands collaborated to bring some of Juicy’s signature items to Urban Outfitters’ physical and online retail locations. Urban Outfitters sells Juicy accessories, along with the signature tracksuits, crop tops, T-shirts and sweatpants. The two brands are not the same and they are not owned by the same parent company.
Is Urban Outfitters jewelry hypoallergenic?
Urban Outfitters makes jewelry because this brand makes all things fashion. Like the clothes, the jewelry at Urban Outfitters has a trendy, cool look to it. These are not fancy pieces but everyday pieces, items you can wear with your casual clothes to show off a little of your style. These are not pieces you have to be nervous about wearing, however, because you don’t have to worry about precious gems or metals that could be damaged.
Many pieces from Urban Outfitters are made with hard-wearing materials, such as iron, zinc, glass beads and plastic. A lot of the jewelry here comes with the warning that it should not get wet, as iron will rust when exposed to moisture. Iron is an incredibly strong material, however, so this jewelry is definitely durable. But is it hypoallergenic?
Iron is considered to be naturally hypoallergenic, as is zinc. Other metals, however, such as nickel, can cause an allergic reaction that creates a rash on skin. Check the composition of jewelry pieces from Urban Outfitters if the pieces are going to be worn by people with sensitive skin. Every jewelry item will have clear information about what it’s made from.
Sources:
Fashion Network – Urban Outfitters has tapped Juicy Couture for collaboration
References for Business – Urban Outfitters, Inc.