In the fall, you'll find me wearing sweaters nine times out of ten. Why, because they serve as the backbone of my quietly upscale wardrobe. I wear them more often than not, and it's time to invest in something higher quality. However, I can't afford to jump up my credit card bill in the process. Instead, I decided to budget $250 for a rich sweater on sale.

There are a few retailers I've always relied on for high quality, stylish knits at affordable prices. J.Crew, for example, designs classic cable-knit sweaters that I covet every season but never spend more than $200. Nordstrom's fall sale is in full swing, and there are many cashmere sweaters on sale that are too good to pass up. If you're in the market for a designer sweater, head to the sale sections of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, or Bergdorf Goodman, and you're sure to find something luxe.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of sweaters on sale. In fact, you could probably spend an entire day searching for options. Or you could keep scrolling to see the selection I've assembled.