For today’s trip to the mall, I felt like it would be great to show you how to put a trendy outfit together on a budget.  I saw these mannequins and took it as my inspiration.  Animal print is everywhere… so, why not try to incorporate that as the starting point for this budget friendly look I wanted to put together.

Now, I am generally the type that does not shop for an entire outfit at once. I like to pick up a piece here and there and match it with something I own.  But for today, I decided to go for the ENTIRE outfit.  This basically means for me, not just ONE store… but at least a few.

So, what better place to start than Forever 21?  They always have the hottest trends but at great prices.  Which I think can be great, especially when it is for a trend and maybe not something you will be wearing in a couple of years. Ideally, you are always buying pieces that will stand the test of time, but let’s face it. Eventually some pieces just don’t work after a couple of years. Plus, if you are easing into a trend, you may not want to invest a lot of money into it unless you decide you truly love it….

Here is the shirt I chose to build this outfit around! At $25.80, it was a decent price! Plus, I liked that it wasn’t too crazy for animal print and figured I could belt it or tuck it in.

I decided to move on from Forever 21 and head over to Zara! They always have great fashion and you can often get some great deals! I was psyched when I saw this table of skinny jeans!  For $35?! What a deal….

However, choosing the color was what would be the challenge! Now, you can definitely go with a colored denim to pair with the animal print top, but I decided I wanted to ease into it… So, I would prefer a black, a dark wash denim, or perhaps the neutral bone color… You can choose for yourself!  (Or at $35 a pop, buy a couple!! hee, hee!!)

I decided now that I had the top and the bottoms that it was time to head on out.  I wandered into the mall and knew where I was going next.  Love Culture….

I saw this jacket and scarf on the table when I walked in and thought perfect!  Both pieces would work great, but perhaps just the scarf for a little pop of color on a Fall day….

At $8.90 I wasn’t leaving the store without it!

Now, if scarves just aren’t your thing, you can easily just add a simple necklace or even a statement necklace!  For example, substitute the scarf for this statement necklace I found at Forever 21! It was under $10…

Since the Fall is all about layers, I thought finding a blazer was a must…  Here is a look at that scarf!

Here is a blazer I found there as well!  I threw it on with scarf to give you an idea of what I was going for… Plus, a black blazer is just classic and you can wear it with almost anything!! Even over a dress!

This blazer is a steal at $21.90… There isn’t a soul out there that would think this blazer was that cheap!

Now, while I was at Forever 21, I found a gold belt that I bought for myself…. It was one of my favorite finds that I have been so pumped about…. I had it with me and thought this belt would go perfect with this look…. If you remember, I bought it for $3.90!!

So, here is the blazer, the scarf, the belt… and a similar animal print shirt underneath… pair it with some skinny jeans, and you have quite the trendy outfit! I would probably pair this look with a dark blue wash denim like what I was wearing above… SO, those Zara jeans at $35 would be perfect!

I found this bracelet and thought it would also look great…. I actually saw this bracelet at Forever 21!

At $8.80 it would be a great bracelet to own!

I ended up seeing a cute cross body bag that was on sale and thought wow, I could totally see this with this outfit… Marked down to $13.99

The strap on this cross body bag had gold chain at the bottom….

Here is a better look…

I loved the nude color… Perfect hue to be able to use with almost anything!

Now when it comes to footwear… it is personal! You could do a bootie, a boot, a platform heel… or even a cute flat. While I was still at Love Culture, I priced out the evening shoe…

These are a pretty good find at $25.90!

But because I want to be practical, I decided I would hit up Payless and see what they might offer as well for a day shoe…

These were a little pricier at $39.99, but I also have a 15% off coupon, so they would actually be $34…. (Always check my coupon Round-ups!)

Here is that coupon: 15% off through 10/31 at Payless 

So… there you have it! An affordable head-to-toe look that you can accomplish yourself just by shopping at Natick Mall and hitting up all the great stores they have to offer!

This whole look totals around $150.  However, keep in mind that I provided a lot of options for substitutions! PLUS, you don’t have to buy every piece! You may already own the perfect shoes, jeans or belt… and you may have the perfect bag already!  Or a great bangle… So, perhaps all you need to buy is the top and blazer! As an added bonus, all of these pieces can be mixed and matched into multiple outfits!

Let me know what you think!!

Tags: animal print, budget, forever 21, gold belt, head-to-toe look, love culture, outfit, payless, payless coupon, scarf, zara