My Take On Budget-Friendly: Black on Black

It it just me, or does anyone else rock an all black ensemble 5 days out of 7? Maybe it’s not quite that often but ya know what? It’s up there. And frankly – I don’t even care. The color (or non-color, I guess) has been deemed universally flattering since, uh, FOREVER. When I found out we’d be taking on this no-piece-under-$100 outfit challenge on TME, I wanted to keep things VERY authentic.

So I put together an all black outfit.

If you think I’m lacking some creativity on this one, I’m just following the founding rules of fashion: Black. always. looks. good. So whether you like it head-to-toe like me, or could just use a new black go-to sweater, check out what I found…(and answer me this: does black always look good?)

I was going for street style chic – how’d I do? Sneakers are always a good idea, especially as I’m bopping around the city. My faux leather leggings look a little fancy, and I’ll totally dress them up at some point, but for everyday they just feel a little..more. Ya know? And as for my turtleneck: I know the words “chic” and “turtleneck” aren’t usually synonymous but when you’re around Shana as much as I am (a lot) you begin to catch some serious turtleneck envy.

Though Shana’s love of all things good quality has also rubbed off on me, these are pieces I genuinely like and would wear on repeat. Especially to work, where I never know if I’ll have to go on an impromptu IKEA trip, lug some boxes to USPS or join S and fam for dinner in the city after we’re all done. My outfit may be all black but it’s allllll sorts of versatile, too.

With the coat, everything is $270. Without the coat (which I’m guessing many of you already have) everything else adds up to $170.

Outfit Details

Sweater ($38): Cable Knit Turtleneck Sweater (size S). Soft, long enough to pair with leggings (you know what I mean), and just an easy piece. This comes in 3 other colors and is Prime-able on Amazon! If you end up going with a longer sweater like mine, try pairing it with a longer puffer so the proportions aren’t all wacky.

 Leggings ($50): Express Faux Leather Leggings (size XS). Also available in petite for my ‘lil friends (Shana). Express is a great store if you’re going budget-friendly and you can always Google a coupon code. These are true to size in my opinion. When you first put them on, they’ll feel a little tight because they’re nice and thick but trust me, these are super moveable.

 

Shoes ($60): Steve Madden ‘Breeze’ Sneaker – A fun pair of sneaks can even make an all black outfit interesting. Agreed? These are true to size (if anything, size up) and work with a no-show sock. (you guessed it – Prime.)

 

Coat ($99.90 – ha, close one): Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Stretch Hooded Coat (size XS). Linzi turned me on to Uniqlo puffers. This one is dangerously close in style to pricier brands, and packable. I was outside in this bad boy and definitely warm enough..and that’s coming from a HUGE baby about the cold.

 

Bag ($22): SCENTW Crossbody/Backpack/Purse – I’ll tell you right now this is a serious Chloé knock-off. I know this because I’ve been eyeing up the real thing forever now. In the meantime, I’ll rock this. Since this bag is just $22,  the quality kind of reflects that. If you’re looking for something trendy and fun at an amazing price – this is it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it holds, too.  Also – Prime!

 

For those of you who also live in all black (like, all day everyday) I hope this brought some spice into your life. And for those of you who don’t, c’mon over to the dark side.

…I had to use that one before this article wrapped up.

 

p.s. You can also find me over on The Mom Edit Instagram stories with the occasional #OOTD mixed in (spoiler alert: I’m probably wearing black.)

Xo,
Gwen