We’re kicking off budget-friendly week! All week we’ll be featuring outfits made up of pieces under $100….and the entire outfit has to ring in at under $200 (or $250 with accessories).
So. Longtime readers prob know that budget shopping isn’t usually my thing. Except….for when it is. (Oooo the intrigue – just go with me for a sec.)
While I was racking my brain on how to keep this article authentic (and still meet the Under $100 criteria) I started by pulling out everything in my closet that was under $100 and, sure enough, a patterned emerged. I mean…graphic tees, obviously. But in addition, there were a couple of pairs of jeans (Levis, and a side-striped pair from LOFT), a few trendy sweaters and patterned tops as well as some….finishing pieces that don’t really fit my lifestyle (they only get trotted out once in a while), but they’re fun, and are nice to have in my closet, even if they weren’t worth spending a ton of money on. My cost-per-wear calculations sometimes dictates keeping it under $100.
So. In general, here are the types of pieces that I typically don’t spend money on….
The Pieces I Save On
- Patterned or colorful jeans – I am, admittedly, a denim snob, but every now and then I like to play around with budget denim to try out different trends.
- Colorful sweaters or tops – I have such a color aversion…so I like to test out a color to make sure I won’t hate it days later.
- Trendy tops – Bell sleeves, off-the-shoulder, peasant blouses – anything I’ll likely get sick of in a few months is a save rather than a splurge item.
- Interesting Coats or Jackets – A good topper totally changes an outfit, but because I’m always cold, even a stylish wool topcoat is something I rarely wear. It just doesn’t fit my current lifestyle, no matter how classic the silhouette. So. I try to find budget pieces until I’m realllly sure it’s something I’ll wear on the regular. Or, I look for interesting toppers that change things up just for fun. My LOFT puffer coat is a great example: it’s not the warmest, but it is ‘good enough’, and the color makes it different.
Outfit Under $200, Attempt 1: A Fancy (looking) Coat + Statement Booties
I love this outfit. It’s rarely warm enough for me to be comfortable wearing this combo (which is why it was put together with budget-friendly finds), but I’m realllllly happy with the result.
The graphic tee is no surprise ($20), the jeans are Levi’s 711s ($44 on sale) – a solid choice for skinny jeans – the booties were an old Nine West pair I bought on major clearance years ago ($40), and the bag is a vintage find from an Old City boutique ($30). The coat is from ASOS, and the tailoring is shockingly good, making it a steal at $79.
Outfit total: $213 (I’m calling it close enough.)
Outfit Details
coat: ASOS New Look Format Peacoat With Gold Buttons (wearing a size 2) – I love that this coat isn’t overly long. On my 5’2″ self, it’s the perfect length. (It’s the first one in the shopping widget, for ease of clickin’)
tee: Mine is an old one benefitting FosterLA, but this one is identical. Also because graphic tees are kiiiinda my fav thing, here are a few for funsies.
jeans: Levi 711’s (also at Zappos) – additionally, I’ve been trying on AE jeans and have been really impressed. I’ve yet to figure out the exact pair I want to keep (wash/size/length decisions) but I’ve included the pairs I’m eyeing below.
boots: Mine are years old (and don’t come up quite as high on my ankle as I’d like), so here are a few additional options….
bag: This was a fun vintage find from an old city boutique in Philly….but I rounded up a few other fun vintage bags from Etsy that I’d happily carry.
Outfit Under $200, Attempt 2: Sporty Vibes and Brights
Trendy sweaters, patterned jeans, and another interesting topper – this outfit has all of my go-to budget finds. And chic windbreakers never get enough love, as far as I’m concerned. They’re almost always affordable, super practical for my lifestyle, yet can seriously make an outfit.
I paired this ASOS windbreaker ($35 on sale) with a bright statement sweater ($45), and LOFT’s side-stripe jeans ($50 on sale). Sneakers are always a solid choice, and my New Balance’s are the priciest part of the outfit ($80 but worth every penny).
Outfit Total: $210
Outfit Details
sweater: ASOS Sweater With Ripple Stripe Sleeves (xs for reference) – fun, right? It’s kinda fun have something so out of my comfort zone. Here are a few other options that I played around with….
windbreaker: ASOS Rain Anorak With Contrast Drawstring (xs for reference)
jeans: LOFT side-stripe jeans (size 25 for reference) – I was also eyeing up LOFT’s dot jeans just for quirky fun, and their sailor-style pants are always a solid choice.
sneakers: My New Balance’s are a few years old (remember when I called them the most-worn sneaker in Europe?), but I rounded up a bunch that I can see my self wearing on the daily. (Especially that all-maroon pair…hmmmm….)
Which pieces do you guys typically save vs splurge on? And do you have any go-to retailers for budget shopping, or do you prefer shopping sales? Normally I just go for the sales, but I was pretty impressed with ASOS (I also came home with this tux blazer – it’s fantastic), and I’m excited to check out Cable Stitch (on Amazon). Specifically, this sweater arrives Wednesday, so we’ll see. (I’ve also promised to check out Hale jeans, also on Amazon.) I’ll throw my thoughts up on my IG stories (@shanachristine) later this week.
Lastly, talk to me about the shopping widgets. Usually I do bigger ones, at the end, with lots of comments associated – are those still your favorites, or do you prefer when they’re broken up like this?
xo,
S
photo credits: the uber-talented (and fun to work with) Redfield Photography
, as well as a discussion of which pieces are worth saving on (vs. splurging).){kind=link}
Great article shana! Love the outfit formulas in your articles. I love shopping sales / sample sales / Nordstrom rack / lastcall / poshmark. Especially for novelty items / shapes I want to experiment with. I’ve bought current Elliott / madewell jeans on poshmark for $20! Anthro / madewell / jcrew for their end of season sales.
As for the widget, I like it broken down the way you have here. Easier to see alongside the relevant part of the article.
Thank you!
Looking forward to a wallet friendly week! Though I’ve certainly moved in the direction of trying to buy fewer, nicer pieces (seeing as I’m in my 30s and officially a grown-up and all), the paycheck doesn’t always keep up with the aspirations. 🙂
Word.
Thank you for the budget friendly posts, much appreciated. I have a different idea of budget (I don’t make a lot and daycare is expensive) I finally found the Madewell “Roadtripper” jeans and $75 was a big splurge for me for a pair of jeans but I love them ? I’ve found the jeans at AE to ne super comfy and well fitting, I’ve also found a lot of good work clothes at JC Penney recently. As far as the shopping widgets, I like them at the end. Keep up the great work ladies!
Thanks Amanda!! And I appreciate the reminder about JC Penny – they started carrying Mango and just seem to be getting better and better….
Love this budget friendly post! Although I can probably afford a lot of the items you suggest, I have two little babies and just can’t bring myself to buy a $200 dollar sweater when I invariably get baby barf, sticky food, and sometimes poop on me by the end of the day, not to mention all the other dirt that comes with littles… chalk dust, paint, markers, etc.
I appreciate the shipping widgets broken out, a la this article, so I’m not continuously scrolling up and down to match description to links.
I have those all burgundy Brooks tennis shoes. Love love love them. I wear them all the time… they might even put in an appearance at work every once in a blue moon.
I actually prefer the larger size shopping widgets with the author’s additional comments to highlight an item in the category that you like but wasn’t the main piece in the article/post.
I appreciate this budget post so much!! I have a hard time spending $100 or more on any one piece.
I like the way you have the widgets broken up in this post.
Thanks for the budget week – definitely looking forward to it. I don’t care too much either way about the widgets except for one thing – tell me early in the post what the plan is. I hate expecting the big one at the bottom only to find it’s not actually there. Thanks!
The larger shopping widgets are better and I like when you add comments to them.
I’ve never purchased from ASOS – reliable?
Hi Lin,
I’ve purchased a couple of things from ASOS (sweaters) and was pleasantly surprised with the quality. Many items are ASOS brand, but then just as many are more random brands. Note that the shipping takes a while (up to a couple of weeks). I’ve not had to return anything so can’t comment on that process.
I recommend Asos to everyone! Huge selection including tall, plus, & maternity sizing. Free shipping & returns. Love the app which shows little videos of models walking in the clothes so you can see how they drape & move. I keep a wishlist on the app & check back periodically for sales.
I’ve been happy with everything I’ve ever ordered from ASOS. They always have cute, on trend pieces at a great price! And, I read another comment here about shipping, but I haven’t experienced that problem at all! I’ve found that they ship pretty quickly and are definitely reliable!
The only maternity pants that I didn’t want to throw into a fire by the time I had the baby were from ASOS. They never sagged and were so flattering. The quality was excellent.
Yes. I’ve bought a couple things from them and both were of good quality for the price and arrived promptly.
Hi! I appreciate this thoughtful budget friendly post! I really like the jacket! Broken up images are fine, I agree with the other commenter, hard to scroll up and down looking for links. This is if you have more than one oufit. Otherwise all at the bottom is fine.
I like it broken up here, the instant gratification of ooohh I want to see those jeans, click. Sometimes when I get to the bottom, I’ve forgotten how you guys styled it and have to scroll up to remind myself. You guys turned me into a jeans snob but I usually try to find high end brands on sale. I’ve also been dabbling in AE and for $25-30 on sale, short length options, not bad!
I like it broken up – mostly because I find it easier to digest.
Also, hooray for a sweater NOT half-tucked. Really over it 🙂
I did the under-$100 exercise with my wardrobe spreadsheet and the results were interesting. I have very few toppers/coats left, none of them wearable under 40F, so I’d freeze in the winter (although in CA I can get away with layering under a sweatercoat most of the year). Still have almost all of my skirts and sweaters, though. $100 is my mental price point for balking at a sweater, because I’ve lost so many to moths in the past… but I’ve finally figured out a good solution for that (storing in airtight bins) so maybe it’s time to invest more. I expected to lose a lot of shoe choices, and while dressy shoes are quite sparse, I’ve still got 2 pairs of well-worn booties and even a pair of tall boots in the mix.
Love Asos for trendy items, Loft sales for work clothes, Nordstrom Rack for discount shoes/boots. AE & Express for affordable jeans, sometimes Gap Outlet or BR Factory for casual clothes. With the exception of Asos, all of these stores are within 3 blocks from my office – awesome but also dangerous!
Love this post! I’ve been eyeing Levi’s for awhile! Maybe it’s time to just get a pair. I rarely spend over $100 on jeans. There just always seems like there’s a more practical use for that money. Ugh. I’m loving all of these suggestions, but especially those Steve Madden booties! Thanks for this one! And I like the bigger widgets with comments for shopping!
This was great!! you crack me up…”close enough”…Yes I would love to hear what you think about those two amazon brands…and I also like the shopping info at the end…love the commentaries…:)
Can I be a pain in the *ss and say I like the widgets broken up but don’t like to swipe side to side so a broken up list would ideal. Thanks!
another vote for the separate shopping widgets. and super excited to see you featuring more from ASOS!
Oooh, would love a review of the various AE options! I’ve been looking for an affordable, somewhat distressed pair of blue skinnies with a rise that’s 9″ or so.
another vote for the separate shopping widgets. and super excited to see you featuring more from ASOS!
Amazing post.Thanks for sharing.
I like the bigger shopping widgets, whether broken up or not, the bigger pictures are better.
I’ve been spending more money on sweaters lately, however, do you have a solution to repairing small holes in cashmere?
I actually really like the shopping at the end, but I guess i’m in the minority…
I vote for at the end with comments!
Help!! Just need some sizing help on the pink sweater awesomeness!! I was totally set to order but thrown because you have listed as an xs but it has number sizes?? Thanks!!
I’m excited to hear your review of Hale jeans! I just heard about them and am considering trying them but jeans are so tricky.
I like the smaller widgets when you are linking to exact pieces in a picture but for the general suggestions for similar pieces, I like the larger widgets with your comments at the bottom.
I scrapped the Hale jeans review because I couldn’t get the right fit. It was a huge bummer. But that was a year ago now…maybe it’s worth trying again? Anyway, thank you for the feedback!!!