I Bought 15 Affordable Items Last Month—Here's How I'm Styling Them IRL

Like most people, I've been more mindful than ever about my shopping habits and what items I really want to add to my wardrobe. After buying almost no fashion-related items in early spring (and wearing sweat outfits every single day), I decided to give myself an under-$100-an-item budget for May shopping. Things like basics, easy summer dresses, and sandals that I'll wear over and over (and over!) again made the cut in addition to a few other fun pieces. See the full list of items I purchased last month and how I'm styling them all below. Did I mention these outfits all require less than five minutes to put together? Because that's true, too.

Puff-Sleeve Dress + Structured Bag

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(Image credit: @michaela_bee)

Technically, this dress is on sale for $109, but I used a 10% off deal, so it makes the cut fair and square. This is my ideal summer dress with its puff sleeves and micro-print, and it’s only made better when paired with my little JW Pei bag (an editor favorite I finally caved on).

White Jeans + Ribbed Tank + Sandals

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(Image credit: @michaela_bee)

I'm a big fan of the ribbed-tank trend because it's so easy to pull off. I've stocked up on several lately, especially ones like this one-shoulder option, and not just because they're only $29. Here, I paired the tank with my new white Levi's—which aren't too rigid (read: work-from-home friendly)—and light gray sandals. Unfortunately, the gray color sold out fast, but I'm equally as in love with the blue pair below.

LBD + Oval Sunnies + Strappy Sandals

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(Image credit: @michaela_bee)

All black looks are not just for fall and winter. In fact in the summertime, I love pairing a lightweight LBD with strappy sandals and, of course, my new favorite sunnies. (The tortoise color keeps selling out, but the black ones are still available.

Leopard Dress + Mock-Croc Sandals

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(Image credit: @michaela_bee)

Alright, so this is the part when I tell you I regularly buy items I love in multiple colorways. This particular decision was not hard because of the dress's $35 price tag and because of my general fondness for animal print. I love how effortless it looks paired with these white mock-croc toe-strap sandals I just purchased (and plan to wear every day until the end of summer) and simple gold chain necklace. I think I spent five minutes putting this outfit together but received lots of compliments from my quarantine partners (aka mom, dad, and sister).

Sports Bra + Biker Shorts + High Socks 

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(Image credit: @michaela_bee)

I somehow snagged this pink workout set before it sold out, but don’t worry: There are still some pieces from Year of Ours’s summer collection available (below!). As for my actual at-home workout routine? I’m hooked on mat pilates so no sneakers required—just these cute high-socks the Instagram world is currently obsessing over.

Tank + Overalls + Sneakers

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(Image credit: @michaela_bee)

This is what I call my lazy girl outfit. It almost looks like I put in some effort, when in fact I’m not even wearing a bra and my sneakers don’t even have laces. I’ve already worn this Reformation tank at least five times since I bought it a few weeks ago (I have the black one, too!) because it looks great with nearly every bottom I own. By the way, these linen overalls and velcro sneakers are not new purchases (hence their over-$100 price tags), but I’m sharing them with you below anyway.

Up next, discover 15 more easy outfit ideas for summer.

Fashion Director, Branded Content

Michaela Bushkin is the fashion director on the branded content team, leading the strategy for our fashion and luxury partners. She specializes in content creation and styling for photo and video shoots, specifically acrossBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing and Marie Claire. She spends her free time online shopping (or "researching" as she likes to call it), reading at the beach, and trying as many new restaurants in L.A. as possible.