Prep for Less: Dressing on a Budget

 

 

Preppy to me means dressing in a clean, classy, sophisticated manner. A huge misconception about dressing preppy is that it has to be expensive, and that's actually not true. Yes, you can shop at Lilly, J.Crew, and Vineyard Vines, but a lot of people just can't do that or don't want to spend $250 on one dress, and I completely understand. The trick to dressing preppy + saving your wallet is knowing where to look!
A great way to get those preppy trends in your closet for less is to buy all you basic must have pieces at cheaper stores and then splurge on the accessories or statement pieces. For example buy all your basic striped tee's at Old Navy and then splurge on a statement necklace at J.Crew. You still achieve that preppy look but for less and you can get more for your money.

J.Crew & J.Crew Factory- I love J.Crew, they have great quality clothes but it is are a ridiculously expensive store. Instead of buying all your clothes there just get those splurge items such as jewelry or a Chambray top. A great alternative is J.Crew Factory, they have the current products but for less.

Old Navy- This is a great store to find your basic preppy basics. It's also an ideal place to experiment with preppy trends without spending a ton of money.

H&M- I LOVE this place! I got my very well loved and used black pencil skirt here + they have the cutest tops. This is also a great place to score some awesome deals on a more professional attire.

Rue La La- This is similar to Hautelook. Everyday they pick a different designer and display a bunch of their items for some pretty great deals. They sometimes have a lot of  discounted Lilly products which is awesome because a regular Lilly shift dress is like $200 which is crazy. So you can pretty much find some great deals on Rue La La!

Forever 21- I love shopping for dresses and accessories at F21. They are a reasonable price and you can find some great trendy styles here.

Target- You can always find a lot of classic items here for a pretty reasonable price. Oh anddd speaking of Target, starting April 19th they will be opening up a Lilly Pulitzer line! Ahh! Imagine getting a $250 Lilly shift dress for $30! Um YES please!

Thrift stores- Yes I am bringing up thrift stores. A lot of people detest the idea of buying clothes that someone else has worn, but really all you have to do is wash it when you get home and it's as good as new. This is an AWESOME option for finding flannels, button-ups, and cable knit sweaters. You can also find a lot of high end brands for like $5, which again means you can get more for your money. 

via

The most important tip to dressing preppy for less is to invest in key pieces.  For instance instead of buying a pair of rain boots that might only last one winter go invest in a pair of Hunter boots that will last pretty much your entire life.

"S t y l e isn't just about what you wear,

it's about how you l i v e." 

-Lilly Pulitzer 

If you have any tips for me, please leave them in the comments!