How to Dress Well on a Budget

If you’ve ever spent a short amount of time on Instagram, or dare I say, get sucked down the Pinterest rabbit hole, I am 100% sure you have come across a fashion blogger or even just a person with really good style. Most people I know think, I would never spend that amount of money on that bag, or those shoes. Which leave them asking the question…

“How can I dress well, without spending a lot of money?”

I have an answer for you, but first let me say those ladies you see on Instagram or Pinterest do in fact dress really well, but I want to ensure you there is a difference between dressing well and have really good style. Here are my tips to dressing well.

  1. Build up your basics if you have a crisp white tee shirt (Target has great ones) and a pair of great fitting jeans (American Eagle has affordable jeans that fit great), that is a great base to a really amazing outfit. The same thing happens if you have that perfect little black dress we all need in our closet (hello Old Navy or H&M), you will be all set for your fancy events as well.
  2. Add accessories now that you have your base outfit, it is time to accessorize. Let’s talk about the white tee shirt. If you put on a scarf or statement jewelry, you have a well put together look! I like to add a jacket because I am always cold, but it also completes your look. You can find fun jewelry from ANYWHERE, Target, Amazon, or even the thrift store.
  3. Focus on fit No. Matter. What. Your clothes have to fit well. There is no way of getting around it. You can have the most expensive pair of jeans but if they don’t fit well, why pay that much for jeans you don’t want to live in? They will be uncomfortable and will make your legs look horrible if the fit is off.
  4. Avoid trends. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good trend, but if you are working on having a great wardrobe add the trends after you have everything you need. Trendy accessories, bags, or shoes will help bring out your personality in your wardrobe. I just have an issue if a person buys a pair of wide-leg fuschia crop pants but you don’t own a pair of dark wash denim jeans or even a pair of black pants. So…. you plan on wearing your fuschia crop pants every day? That’s not going to work in a great wardrobe. So lets hold on the trendy items until we are ready.

I hope these tips help you at least get started in what you need to have a well put together wardrobe. Send me a message if you have any questions or if you need more help creating a wardrobe.

Shop the Look:

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The Last Summer Look

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Looks like this is going to be my very last look for the summer. Guys, you know I love a great deal… I actually found this top from Walmart for $9. Typically, I don’t think about my clothing needs when I go into Walmart. I usually run in grab what I need and run out as fast as I can.

I want to encourage you all to walk through the clothing section of these types of stores, you never know what kind of items you may find there. Granted, you may not find the very best quality, but how many times would I really wear this type of shirt? Not very often, which means there is no need to spend a lot of money on something you may wear only a few times. I actually wore this shirt for the first time on Independence Day. I wore it with a pair a denim shorts just like these but I was going for the red white and blue look.

Shirt: Walmart similar here ~ Shorts: Abercrombie and Fitch ~ Shoes: Target 

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Sophisticated Suiting

Hi Friends,

Sorry there were to post last week. I was so busy and, I was able to take my photos but then didn’t have the time to edit and upload them. Now it is time for the bounce back! I am here and doing what needs to be done to style outfits for you all. J-Crew Purple Dress-1982J-Crew Purple Dress-1897J-Crew Purple Dress-1918J-Crew Purple Dress-1999J-Crew Purple Dress-1919J-Crew Purple Dress-1923J-Crew Purple Dress-2006

Question for you all.. did you watch the bachelor last night? What are your thoughts? Being honest, it was so annoying. I wanted her to pick Eric, I could feel their chemistry through the screen. It was hard to see him go, but there was still Peter, then there was just Brian. Enough of that… here is the outfit.

Dress: J-Crew Factory (thrifted) similar here ~ Pin: Gifted similar here ~ Shoes: Old, similar here

 

 

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An Alternative to Sweats

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Do you ever have those days when you just don’t really feel like doing much? I think I have them way to often. I just want to put clothes on my body and get the day going. Lately, I have been making an effort to avoid wearing sweats on those days, and going for a more put together option. Which is where the inspiration for this look came from. Here I am wearing a comfortable shirt and a pair of black pants (which feel like you are wearing leggings). It’s simple yet comfortable, perfect if you are running out of the door and don’t have that much time to get your life together (this happens to me way more than I would like to admit lol). When it does happen there is no need to run around looking like a hot mess. I know it is hard but, I am honestly say it takes the same amount of energy to wear this outfit as it does to wear sweats.

Outfit details:
Shirt: Gap (old) similar here
Tank: Target (my favorite cami!)
Pants: TJ Maxx similar here ON SALE!!!
Shoes: Ross similar here

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A Pale Pink Blazer

Hi Friends,

Sorry there wasn’t a post yesterday, that was completely a mistake. That aside, I am here today with a new post 🙂  img_8748_fotorimg_8796_fotorimg_8805_fotorimg_8791_fotorimg_8800_fotorimg_8861_fotor

When I planned this outfit, I was going for a simple casual Valentine’s Day look. Once I saw the pictures I noticed that this would be a great outfit to wear to work, if you want to be festive on Valentine’s Day. Do you all do that? Sometimes it brings a little fun to what can be a monotonous work day. I am sure I’ve expressed how much I love leopard, it goes with everything and is hands down my favorite print.

These are my favorite jeans, and I found this blazer at TJ Maxx. This shirt was given to me by my little brother for Christmas, from The Limited which is no longer with us 🙁 I am sad about them going out of business, but glad I got this cute shirt at an amazing price!

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Tips for Thrift Store Shopping

You all know I am a thrift shopper… today I wanted to share with you all a few of the outfits I have put together recently that were from the thrift store. As well as give you all some tips on shopping second hand.

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The Limited Dress $8
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Gap Pants $13
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Gap Pants $13

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Long Lightweight sweater $10
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Utility Vest (consigned) $20
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Black Dress $13

First I love shopping at the thrift store. Often you find clothes that people have purchased and for one reason or another the item was never worn but given away.

Here are tips to make your experience great:

  1. When shopping at the thrift store be sure to look for brands you know last throughout the years. Some of my favorite brands are JCrew, Gap and Banana Republic. I live really close to Washington DC so finding these brands if fairly easy.
  2. Try to find newer pieces. If you find a shirt that is faded there is nothing you can do to bring it back to life.
  3. Shop in well to do areas. Going to the thrift store in more affluent areas you will be acquiring clothes from the people who have gotten rid of them.
  4. If you can find an item but you know you can find a similar item new for a smilier price I think it is better to just buy new. For example, I usually buy my basic shirts from target for about $5 I am not going to buy something like that form a thrift store.
  5. Go early in the morning. If you are looking for great items in good condition for a good price, other people are too. So beat them to the punch and get there when the store opens. You can always go out for breakfast when you are done.

HAPPY SHOPPING

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