wear what you have – Budget & Brunch

Thanksgiving Outfit Ideas (Maternity Friendly)

November 24, 2020by Budget&BrunchLeave a Comment

Casual & Comfy

Top | Leggings | Coat | Sneakers | Earrings

Pairing a button down with faux leather leggings both keeps you warm and feels like a little extra oomph for any outfit! I paired it with this amazing coat from Madewell, but you could easily pair it with a plain camel colored coat and it would look just as amazing. I thought sneakers looked the best with this outfit, but you could easily do boots or even mules for a more dressed up look. Throw on some accessories and you’re ready for Thanksgiving…even if it’s just in your house!

Elevated & Comfy

It may seem pointless to some, but dressing up (even at home) can make you just feel better sometimes. I decided to go for a classic Thanksgiving look by pairing some ruby red plaid pants with a black turtle neck. I chose white mules to help brighten up the darker tones (not to mention these particular mules are SO comfy) and threw on a long vest for layering. Visually this outfit is toned down and to me it just screams holidays. Throw on a dark red lip and “ta-da” you are all dressed up, with possibly no place to go haha.

“Dressy” & Comfy

Dress | Petite Dress | Body Suit | Shoes | Socks

When I want to “dress up” but I’m not in the mood for jeans or pants, a dress is my go-to outfit idea. Wearing a dress can instantly make you feel like you are more dressed up when all you really did was throw on one article of clothing 😉 . I of course jazzed this dress up a bit with some layers. I am not quote sure why the 90’s gal in me came out for this outfit, but I love it. This look feels super chic and says “I’m the cool one” in the family. You can even add a fun pop pf color like I did with the red socks!

Sophisticated & Comfy

Jumpsuit | Shoes | Coat | Hair Accessories

When I think “sophisticated”, I think jumpsuits…just me? That’s ok, you might change your mind when you take a look at this black on black polka dot jumpsuit from Madewell. This piece is so chic and I love that you don’t have to really add much to the outfit. Of course I added a few accessories, but truly, throw your hair up or let it down and you are ready to go (virtually) anywhere!

20 x 20 Challenge–What does it even mean?

January 13, 2020January 15, 2020by Budget&BrunchLeave a Comment

Ok, so I have done a lot of research on this. I first saw it when I was in the Instagram rabbit hole. Intrigued, I clicked on the # and began scanning. Essentially, the idea is to select 20 pieces from your closet and make 20 days worth of outfits.

I decided to do this, because I have entirely too many clothing items and I really want to hone in and figure out what pieces I need. This sounds simple, but in reality I had a hard time deciding what I did and didn’t want in my wardrobe for this challenge.

I decided to use Conni Jespersen’s (from @artinthefind) advice and ask myself some essential questions:

*FYI She is an amazing person to follow along with especially if you want style/organization tips!

Look at the piece in question: how does it make you feel?
Do you love the the cut, color, and style?
Is it a piece you are “iffy” about?
How much wear do you get out of the piece? (versatile pieces are key)
How often do you wear it?

For me, I try to select neutral pieces that can be worn repeatedly.

I consider the pieces I typically buy as investment pieces.

What I mean by this, is that I wear them for years–if you didn’t know, I am a recovering fast fashion addict and I have tried hard to get back to repeating outfits/pieces. The cool thing about the 20×20 challenge is that the goal is to create 20 different outfits with 20 pieces!

So, I decided to hone in on a color scheme for this challenge which wasn’t hard, because I typically buy neutral clothes.

Below are the pieces I selected. I have linked each piece based on the number listed beside it (or similar options).

Brown Sweater
Chunky Sweater (size down)
Striped Turte Neck
Black Turtle Neck
Blazer (size down)
Cardigan (size down)
Stripe Sweater
Graphic Tee | Similar Graphic Tee
Vintage Jeans | Petite Option
Cali Demi Boot Jeans (size down)
Skinny Button Fly Jeans | Petite Option
Black Skinny Button Fly Jeans | Petite Option
Everlane Loafers | Madewell Loafers
Mules
Similar Boots
Sneakers
Bag
Bar Necklace
Horn Necklace
Bandana Scarf

Below are the 20 outfits I put together.

Keep in mind these are outfit combinations that you can probably go in your closet and create. The pieces do not have to be exactly like mine, but rather use the formula. For example:

Cadigan + Graphic Tee + Straight Jeans + Sneakers = My outfit number 13

Hope this helps! Be sure to leave a comment for any questions and catch me on the gram trying to sport these outfits!

Click below to see how I maximized my suitcase this past summer!

How to Maximize Your Suitcase this Summer

Dressing for the Holidays

November 19, 2019November 20, 2019by Budget&BrunchLeave a Comment

The holidays can be stressful, from spending money to dealing with the absence of loved ones…it’s hard. I try not to worry to much about my outfits and whether or not they “look” holiday enough. Sometimes I think we get too caught up on this type of thing and forget to just be! That’s not to say I don’t buy anything or put effort in to my looks, but I don’t buy specifically “holiday” looks.

So, I teamed up with Lindsae Metz and Adriana Kincaid to bring you some Holiday inspired looks without the hassel!

P.S. Both of these ladies are amazing! I strongly suggest following them on the ‘gram and their beautiful blogs!

*Everything mentioned is TTS unless otherwise noted!

I try to shop my closet!

Monochromatic with a Dash of Holiday Cheer

If you’ve followed along with me for a while, you know I LOVE a monochromatic look, especially a white on white/cream on white situation. I feel like white on white/cream on white can certainly pass for a holiday look (think winter wonderland). Thus, I paired my cream mock neck with white denim, a brown bag, and leopard shoes (because lets face it, leopard is a neutral too).

To pull the look together I added a simple “holiday” scarf! This scarf is so soft and cozy. Not only is it super stylish, but it keeps me nice and warm in the cool temps and is easy to take off when you get into a warm place!

Just add Plaid

Another similar pair of shoes*

Plaid always reminds me of winter/holiday cheer! I am so happy I purchased this Loft top years ago! The neutral colors in it always remind me of Thanksgiving for some reason! I also adore the ruffled shoulders!

I paired this top with white denim to, again, go for that winter wonderland vibe! The sparkly mules remind me of New Year’s so I always try to wear them around the Holiday season! The great thing about this outfit is that most people own some sort of plaid in their wardrobe, so it’s super easy to duplicate!

For the Warmer Holidays

Top | Similar Jeans | Boots | Bag

I decided to throw in an outfit that could be warn in your warmer geographical areas! An easy “go -to” option for Holiday looks are jeans and a green or red top. I went with an olive green, because I don’t own a lot of “Holiday green” and since this is all about using what you have instead of breaking the bank, I went with it. I paired this top with slim-wide leg cropped pants to keep it cooler.

I added my booties since it is November/December! This is a simple outfit and can easily transition to a warmer outfit with long sleeves, a coat, and/or a scarf!

Jeans + a Scarf

Nothing screams fall/winter quite like a turtle neck! That’s why I decided to pair this black turtle neck with a plaid scarf and jeans to create a simple, no fuss outfit. Just add booties and you have a chic holiday inspired look!

Subtle Holiday Colors

Another similar pair of shoes*

If you celebrate Christmas, you know that red and green are “Christmas” colors and I don’t know about you, but anytime I pair those two colors together I always think of Christmas even if it’s July!

So, for this outfit I decided to take my green paper bag pants, black turtle neck, and red bandana scarf to create subtle Christmas colors! Just add sparkly mules and you have a true holiday look!

Slightly Dressy Vibes

Top | Bottoms | Similar Mules | Bag

Another similar pair of shoes*

I bought this dark green mock neck as part of my birthday present to myself from Madewell. I LOVE it, it fits just like my red and navy ones from last year! The color is a beautiful deep green and I decided to pair it with some black pin checkered pants and sparkly shoes to go for a slightly elevated look.

This would be perfect for a holiday office party! Not to mention these pants feel like PJs!

I hope this helps. I tried to use staple pieces that a lot of people have in their closets! Let me know if you replicate any of these looks by tagging me or using the hashtag #budgetandbrunch