Bloggers Who Budget: Dresses For Less

We had our first wedding of the season this past weekend, & it was such a beautiful & totally "Nashville" shin-dig! I wore this dress, & I've gotta say, it was very nice to receive many compliments on it, and ever nicer to be able to brag about how affordable it is!

This month, the Bloggers Who Budget are showing off the budget friendly dresses that we have been loving lately! Check out these babes below & their warm weather looks:

Pearls & Twirls | Living in Color | Here&Now | Stylin in St. Louis | Sharing My Sole

dress: pink satin dress ℅ Chicwish

When I first tried on this dress, I was admittedly underwhelmed & shared my "blah" feelings on Snapchat. While the dress did have some fit issues, I loved so much about this dress (the open back, perfect blush color, length, thick satin fabric) that I was dedicated to find a way to make it work. I considered getting it tailored, but the open back straps made that route more complicated than I wanted to deal with. Then I remembered my favorite armadillo belt (leave it to Kate Spade to make a chic armadillo belt!) - and as it cinches to any size, it did the perfect trick for making it fit along my waist, & made the back ruffle detail look much, much better.

The wedding involved lots of dancing, and I felt secure and confident in this dress all night. Sometimes just playing around in your closet leads to the best outcomes!

*Backless/open-back dresses do come with their own underwear issues, but I have a low back bra (similar to this one) that I wore on my own wedding day, that I still wear with any open back dresses - I love that the bustier style stays up so much better than most strapless bras do on me!

belt: similar skinny gold belt here & here (both under $40!)

shirt: Suburban Riot graphic tee

shoes: Steve Madden heels

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Have you had any recent triumphs in solving a clothing fit issue?

Any one else super excited for wedding season?? I love getting to party with my friends & see their love cemented into something so special!

Bloggers Who Budget: Blush for Less

I purchased this J.Crew Factory skirt a few months ago & really liked how I styled it for the blog back in February (post here), but then I saw a Kate Spade shop girl wearing a similar pleated skirt with flat motorcycle boots & she just looked so gosh darn COOL that I knew I had to recreate what she had going on! This is my best attempt - while I usually trend more preppy in my style, I like this extra bit of edge added to the sweet pink skirt!

Looking for an extra does of blush in your life (one half of the dynamic duo that Pantone named as the colors of the year), be sure to check out my fellow Bloggers Who Budget to see how they are styling their budget friendly blush pieces this month!

Pearls & Twirls | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Living in Color Style | Stylin in St. Louis

skirt: J.Crew Factory pleated blush skirt (no longer available in the blush color, but I found this near identical style for only $49 & linked several similar skirts below)

tank: J.Crew Factory layering tank

jacket: H&M faux leather jacket (several years old, but they have a similar style available now)

shoes: Rockport Chelsea boots {now under $100} (similar + budget friendly options here & here)

necklace: Sheer Addiction jewelry 

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

I have a yellow pleated midi skirt that is similar to this skirt, & I have found myself re-creating some of the outfits I originally styled with the yellow skirt including this look & these outfits too! When you find what works… buy it in every color…? That is a saying, right?!

What pieces have you been wearing & re-wearing already this Spring?

Get the look - shop blush midi skirts:

Bloggers Who Budget: Florals for Less

jacket: Elle collection floral trench, purchased via Kohl's gift card (now in limited sizes, but I've found many other fun Spring trenches at all price points below!)

tank: J.Crew Factory layering tank (it's my favorite & currently under $30!)

pants: J.Crew Factory "Winnie" pants

shoes: Steve Madden (similar style with a slightly lower heel)

purse: "Bowled over Satchel" c/o Vera Bradley (now available in new fun prints!)

sunglasses: Carrera sunglasses c/o Sunglasses Shop

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

Living in Color Style | Pearls & Twirls | Here&Now | Stylin in St. Louis

This month's Bloggers Who Budget is featuring our favorite floral pieces - for less! Make sure you check out their looks above!

We are a little lean on our blogger round-up this month - many congratulations are due to the mammas &  new babies in our group! - so I am excited to also be featuring a local Nashville Blogger, XO Beverly. Beverly is also a super stylish lady who looks savvy within budget & is rocking a new floral dress she found for a steal! I love how Bev finds quality for less & consistently re-wears items from her closet in a brand new way! She is a must follow for your blog roll!

It doesn't get any more Audrey Hepburn chic than this trenched paired with skinny black pants!

Shop these exact pieces + 4 of my other fav floral trenches for Spring:

Bloggers Who Budget: Neutrals for Less

Sharing My Sole | Lou What Wear | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis

sweater: Nordstrom long open cardigan

jeans: ASOS Ridley jeans (I have the petite version)

tank: leather tank via Nordstrom Rack

scarf: J.Crew (solid version)

heels: Steve Madden "Stecy" heels

purse: "Carly" convertible purse c/o Gigi New York

hat: J.Crew Factory felt hat (also loving this similar style at Nordstrom)

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! Tyler & I tried out a new Nashville brewery - Smith & Lentz - on Saturday, & then continued our V-day dive bar tradition with burgers & pool at Gold Rush (super smoky, but with cheap beer + $1 pool games, we were willing to give it a try!)

Today the Bloggers Who Budget are back showing off our neutrals for less. I have been living in these ripped black jeans ever since I brought them home at the end of the Summer. In fact, they have already appeared on the blog 7 times (8 now with this post!), which is wild because if I photographed my outfits every single day, I'm sure the number would be closer to 70! The base of this outfit (black jeans + black top + black shoes) is also what I refer to as my "cat suit" because I can add accessories to it a million different ways, making a new outfit each time.

This leopard scarf was one of those J.Crew purchases that I paid way too freaking much for at the time, but now it's cost per wear is down to pennies & I wish they still sold this exact piece! I think it's best feature is that it is oversized & looks great worn looped around or just hanging straight. Plus it will always be my airplane wrap because it is the perfect size + weight for wrapping around my self during an on board nap (one of my super human skills is being able to settle in for a nap even before the plane takes off!). This print is currently sold out, but this is the exact J.Crew scarf (only available in solid colors) & I am loving the print on this scarf for Spring. 

I am also super excited that I tried out this long sweater look & it actually worked. As someone who technically qualifies for petite status (5'3" over here), I was worried that the longer length cardi would overwhelm my frame, but I am quite happy with the end result.  Unfortunately it looks like this exact sweater is now in limited sizes, but I've rounded up similar styles below: 

What have you tried out lately? Anyone else living in neutrals lately? 

Although, everything I've purchased in the past month is either baby blue or blush pink - I blame Pantone!

Shop these exact pieces:

Bloggers Who Budget: Work Wear for Less

vest: J.Crew Factory puffer vest

shirt: J.Crew Factory striped shirt

pants: J.Crew Factory skimmer pants

shoes: Johnston & Murphy loafers

All Photos | Catherine Truman Photography 

Sharing My Sole | Lou What Wear | The Style Letters | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style

Ah, the exciting topic of work wear! I have talked before about my aversion to work pants - mostly because they seem to be incredibly hard to find! Rather than deal with figuring out what length to hem my pants, I just go for cropped trousers. These are the wool skimmer pants from J.Crew Factory & I wish I had ordered them in every size!

To keep my work wear wardrobe fresh without breaking the bank, I make sure to stick to what I like - no one likes to be uncomfortable at work - and collect very mixable pieces!

Make sure to check out how all the other Bloggers Who Budget rocked budget friendly work wear pieces this month!

Bloggers Who Budget: Holiday Layers for Less

hat: J.Crew Factory felt fedora

coat: J.Crew lady day coat  (currently 30% off)

sweater: Old Navy cable knit turtleneck (no longer available, but this similar style from J.Crew Factory is under $50)

jeans: Citizens of Humanity flare leg jeans (loving the wash on this pair, and this similar pair is now on sale!)

shoes: Sole Society leopard wedges

purse: Pour La Victoire (several years old, but I found this similar style for $44)

lipstick: Nars "Heatwave" (one of my all time favorites!)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo 

Sharing My Sole| Lou What Wear | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style | The Pumpkin Spot | The Style Letters

Coats can be a major investment in your closet & is a difficult piece to find within the budget. My only tip for finding your dream coat, at a price that doesn't crush said dreams, is to buy your jackets in February/March. Many retailers slash prices on coats at the end of the season, and graduate school Jessica managed to snag this J.Crew jacket (usually $300+) for close to $100 by stalking it until it was reduced + additional discounts.

I am going to be doing a round up post of my must have coats in the coming weeks, the ones that are worth the splurge and the ones that probably aren't. If you are in the market for a nice new coat you should totally put your dream coat on your radar now so that you can stalk it for the next couple of months!

Make sure to check out the other Bloggers Who Budget, because this month we are dishing on our must have layers, all at budget friendly prices!

What is the most expensive coat in your closet?

Any tips for score deals on pricey outerwear?

Bloggers Who Budget: Holiday Style for Less

jacket: oversized wool blend coat ℅ Chicwish (LOVE this coat - see how I wore it last year)

shirt: striped J.Crew Factory turtleneck (very oversized, order a size down for a more true to size fit)

jeans: Citizens of Humanity (super old from college, find similar styles on my Lyst below)

heels: leopard pumps ℅ Sole Society

accessories: hat, scarf, gloves, purse all ℅ Vera Bradley (love the chic studs!)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Sharing My Sole| Lou What Wear | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style | The Pumpkin Spot | The Style Letters

The Bloggers Who Budget are back, showing off some of our holiday style! This month we've also teamed up with Lyst for some holiday style inspiration, which is perfect for this time of year because Lyst will send you sale alerts for your favorite items - when they go on sale, or get re-stocked!

Never used Lyst before? Let me fill you in on what you have been missing!

From their website: Lyst is a shopping experience unique to every user.  The more you use the platform, the more it learns about you and your shopping habits so you start to only see things you love! In addition to making a tailored shopping experience, users can also 'lyst' items to plan their wardrobes, create "wish lists", and also be alerted when anything they lyst goes on sale or comes back in stock. 

I think of Lyst as my most helpful shopping buddy! Showing me similar items, allowing you to create new outfits, and the sale/restock alerts are so clutch! For example, some of the pieces in my outfit are way old, so I took to Lyst to find budget friendly similar items that are available now. Shop my look (+ some items on my wish list) on my Bloggers Who Budget Lyst.

Be sure to check out all of the other budgeting bloggers' Lysts (links to all of their posts above). And stay tuned for another fun Bloggers Who Budget post coming on 12/14! 

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