The Fashionista on a Budget: What to Wear

After commuting to work everyday via BART (San Francisco's "subway," if you will), I can't help but notice the drab things that people wear. Why do people only wear black, gray, brown, and white? I am so puzzled as to why people fear color; no one is asking you to wear neon to work, so stop reaching for that black suit and go for the printed top! I yawn every morning on my way to work-I don't know if it's because I'm tired and need caffeine or because I'm thoroughly bored of what people are wearing. I really want to help people out with their wardrobe and hope that they can see that fashion doesn't have to be about wearing the latest trends, or buying the most expensive things. It's about looking and feeling good, and who looks or feels great wearing brown and gray head-to-toe, 7 days a week?

I know the trend of the moment is budget shopping, so this is exactly what I will be doing. This post is about how to put an outfit together, and the catch is, it's all going to be around $100 or less. The main objective is to look fashionable and stylish without looking boring, or breaking the bank.

The outfit that I posted can be worn to work, or to brunch on Sunday. I started off with this navy blue blazer ($22 from Nordstrom), a basic heather gray tee ($8 from Target), a mustard yellow printed skirt ($12.80 from Forever 21) and brown thong sandals ($18 from Target). If you prefer to wear heels like I do, you can also go for huarache styled sandal as well ($75 by Alfani from Macys.com)

Tip: Tuck the gray shirt into the skirt, so it doesn't look messy. The blazer will give you a fitted and polished look. Don't want to wear brown shoes? You can wear turquoise sandals instead, like the ones below.