ageless style link up,  budget,  fashion,  summer

Fashion on a Budget with the Ageless Style Link Up

August 18, 2022 /

There is nothing like realizing the day before a post is supposed to be published that you wrote and took pictures for a theme one month down the road. Thankfully, my boys always welcome the opportunity to take blog pictures and earn money and I was able to come up with an idea quickly! Fashion on a budget is my motto and while I probably spend more money than I should on clothes, I pride myself on shopping 2nd hand when I can and on making smart buying decisions. Lately I have enjoyed consigment stores more than thrift stores in my area as they are smaller and often small business owned.

I am sharing a pretty white dress I bought last year at a consigment store where my mom lives. I usually come out with one or two things and often times they are pieces that I wear over and over. This dress isn’t really a dress I would wear on a regular day but more on a beach day or a date with my husband. It is made by Crown and Ivy and was probably around $10-12. After wearing it for these pictures though, I decided I should just wear it whenever as I really love it and feel pretty in it.

I saw Ashley (Le Stylo Rouge) share here white dress with bright colors and I know I would like to copy that look with my dress.

White Puff Sleeve Dress and Neon Pumps. | LSR

I took my pictures in front of our local Coca Cola sign at my teen’s suggestion and I was glad he suggested it. It had been a while since we took pictures there and it’s on the way back from school.

Here are some suggestions for shopping on a budget:

  • if you are looking for something specific, try your local consigment and thrift stores first before shopping retail
  • be open to trying something different: sometimes the best way to try a new trend is to buy 2nd hand in case you decide you do not like the trend after all
  • think of several ways you can wear the pieces you are purchasing and how often you would wear them
  • don’t buy something just because it’s cheap. Make sure it fits well and is your style
  • check out the clearance racks at TJMaxx or Marshalls: I have found some really pretty things that way
  • accept hand me downs from friends that fit you and fit your style

The pink Michael Kors purse was a hand me down from a friend who received it as a gift from her boss. She knew I like fun bags and she would not wear it. I was very grateful to take it off her hands! I only buy shoes from Target if they are comfortable and try to buy them on sale unless I absolutely want them right then and there and am not willing to wait till mid or end of season to get them. Be aware that if Target has a better sale within the 30 days you purchased something, they will give you back the difference. I just did that with a pair of heeled sandals I bought for my brother’s wedding. They went from 20 to 30% off so I went in: it might have been only 2 dollars but sometimes something might be from no discount to 30% off which makes a big difference.

I do buy certain things full retail price but it is not very often. I love when I realize that a nice portion of my closet is thrifted or a clearance purchase that has stayed with me throughout several years. It reminds me that it was a good purchase and saved some clothes from the landfill.

Now stop by the other ladies from the Ageless style link up to see how they shop on a budget!

Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |

Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog

Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’

Joanna ~ My Slice of Life

Blog

Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style

Blog | Instagram | Facebook |

Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |

Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle

Blog /Instagram

Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom

Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |

Rosemary ~ Distinctly Southern Style

Blog / Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook

Link up your latest family friendly posts!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


A bientôt!

Please take a minute to subscribe to the blog to receive an email letting you know when a new post goes live. I usually post Monday, Wednesday and Friday but sometimes have a bonus post during the week. You can also follow me on instagram @chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

I link up with these fabulous blog link ups!

 

 

37 Comments

  • Shelbee on the Edge

    August 18, 2022 at 7:56 am

    Mireille, this dress is so pretty and it looks fabulous on you! You should definitely wear it whenever you please! Plus every day is a reason to celebrate by wearing a pretty dress. I really like your budgeting tips, too. What a great theme this month. Coincidentally, I just shared some thrifting benefits on my blog today for Your Own Twist! I love that you wore brightly colored accessories and the Coca Cola wall is a super fun background!

    Shelbee

  • Nancy

    August 18, 2022 at 8:02 am

    Gosh, that is a beautiful dress! We are doing eyelet next month for The Good Buy/Good-Bye Book. I hope you like to join us with this one!

    • mimifce

      August 18, 2022 at 11:09 am

      That’s a perfect way to wear it! I will! I definitely think adding sneakers will dress it down for every day! And I can always add a tee over it. It really helped that it fits me better now so I am itching to wear it.

  • Ellie

    August 18, 2022 at 11:33 am

    Your boys are so good at photography and at helping you out quickly when needed!
    Love the way you paired the dress with colorful shoes and bag! My sister sent me her white dress that no longer fits her and she totally loved it. Sadly it’s a size too big on me and too long, I need to see if I can get it altered because it’s such a good quality lined linen dress.
    Great tips on how to save money when it comes to fashion. I have learned to leave things at the store if there is even the slightest things wrong with them and only buy things if I absolutely 100% love them and they fit comfortably 100%. Really helps me save $$ because being petite I rarely find things that fit in stores, would you believe I have more luck shopping at thrift stores and poshmark!! Poshmark can get expensive though when you add shipping but definitely much cheaper than retail!

    • mimifce

      August 18, 2022 at 4:29 pm

      It has to be pretty special if I buy it from Poshmark, usually something name brand that I wouldn’t want to buy retail for.

  • Joanne

    August 18, 2022 at 3:57 pm

    Your boys had a great suggestion with the background; your beautiful white dress really pops against the red. I used to work in a consignment store and found so many great pieces there. Sadly, we don’t really have any near us anymore!

    • mimifce

      August 18, 2022 at 4:27 pm

      They opened one recently here which is nice and then there is one I like near the dentist and eye doctor.

  • Nipa | Fashionipa

    August 18, 2022 at 5:10 pm

    What a great find! I love a good bargain, and often start shopping at the back of a store where the sales are. Reently, I’ve also been shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale which gives me a chance to shop for the season ahead and stick to my budget. xo Nipa

    • mimifce

      August 19, 2022 at 7:19 am

      I typically do that too especially in larger stores: I don’t have the patience to go through the whole store but the clearance and sales racks can hold some gems.

  • Di

    August 18, 2022 at 5:39 pm

    This is such a pretty dress on you, eyelet is the perfect summer fabric!! You definately have a knack for making great thrift and consignment finds, and your boys are great helpers with inspired ideas for picture taking opportunities! (The self timer can really be a struggle, sometimes) Thanks for the thoughtful shopping tips, too. Enjoy your weekend ans thanks for the link up!

    • mimifce

      August 19, 2022 at 7:17 am

      Thank you! I have found some pretty cool things the last couple of years. Hoping to shoot a blog post with a kimono I found this week on the way back from the dentist. Stopped 10 minutes in a consigment store and 2 prints caught my eye.

  • Amy

    August 18, 2022 at 7:23 pm

    Oh my goodness, that is the prettiest white dress and it looks great on you! It looks so cool and comfy too. And your friend gifted you a Michael Kors bag? Wow! What a friend. I’d love a Michael Kors bag. And what a great idea of your son’t to take photos in front of a coca cola mural.

    • mimifce

      August 19, 2022 at 7:16 am

      Thank you! It was so funny when she brought me the bag at church. She told me she didn’t like pink and would I like it! It’s a really nice purse and a great pop of color.

  • Jill+James

    August 21, 2022 at 3:18 am

    The white dress is just lovely on you and deserves to be worn on many occassions be it dressed up or down. Good tips on being budget conscious with your fashion choices. I too find recycle shops better than thrift as the stock may be more expensive but it is usually better quality.
    Your boys do such a great job with your photos .

    • mimifce

      August 21, 2022 at 4:06 pm

      Thank you! I do agree! I have been able to find more as the those consigment shops are usually also smaller.

  • Lucy Bertoldi

    August 21, 2022 at 4:30 pm

    Mireille this dress is so perfect! I love evrything about it- and yes you should wear it often and everywhere- you look gorgeous in it. Love the eyelet pattern, the length, that it’s white and also how it ties around the neck – perfect! xx

    • mimifce

      August 21, 2022 at 4:53 pm

      Thanks, Lucy! I think I didn’t realize how pretty it was since I hadn’t tried it on since last summer. Planning to wear it to church with a little jacket and also dressed down with sneakers.

  • Mica Away From The Blue

    August 27, 2022 at 11:19 pm

    This is a beautiful little white summer dress on you and I really like the bright pink and yellow accessories with it, it’s so fun! Good tips for thrifting too – I’ve been guilty in the past of pikcing up a few things because it’s cheap and never really wearing them – I’m a lot stricter now with what I buy!

    Thank you for joining the #WeekdayWearLinkup! Hope you are having a good weekend.

    • mimifce

      August 28, 2022 at 9:20 pm

      Thank you Mica! Hope your weekend was good! Ours went by too fast! And this week is going to be busy!