The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

3 Ways to Wear: Distressed Straight Leg Jeans

Here are 3 ways to wear distressed straight leg jeans.
My favorite trend for 2016 is minimalism and the way that street-style stars like Kendall Jenner are rocking the look in monochromatic styles with a hint of grunge. One must-have for achieving this new minimalist look is a great pair of distressed or destroyed denim. Boyfriend jeans were hot for the summer but as we segue into fall, one up and coming trend is distressed straight-leg denim. These jeans from With Chic ($54.59) are perfect for this time of year as we wrap up summer and start to think about fall. From a sporty daytime look to a sultry party-girl ensemble, read on to see how I styled these rockin’ jeans in 3 ways, featuring pieces under $60.

Off the Rack: End of Summer Finds at Old Navy

Here's what's in store at Old Navy right now.
I've reached that point in the summer where I don't really feel like buying new summer clothes, but I'm kinda sick of what I've been wearing every day (t-shirts and cut-offs, exciting stuff). I popped into Old Navy yesterday hoping to pick up a new boho blouse or sundress to spice things up but discovered employees were beginning to put out new fall merchandise (lots of red, like peacoats and blazers). I wasn't able to see much but it was enough to make me want to wait before spending. But that doesn't mean you should - Old Navy has tons of summer clearance, plus new-this-month tops, shorts and dresses!

Some highlights include these lace-up flats, this saddle bag (which I think I like even more than the Sole Society bag I bought during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale), these peplum camis and these lace-inset tops.

I did not hesitate to buy an army green cargo shirt on "clearance" for $26.99 - I've been wanting one for a while now and the one I found (above) is perfect (couldn't find it online but you can see the "jegging" model wearing it here). I also saw some really good looking olive skinnies, and I think I'll be returning the pair by Madewell I bought during the Nordstrom sale because they're too gray and not green enough, and getting the Old Navy pair instead. Check oldnavy.com for lots of deals going on right now, including 30% off clearance with code JACKPOT and 40% off $75 with code SMART.

See anything you love?

8 Secrets To Make Your Outfits Look Expensive

Here are 8 secret styling tips to make your outfits look more expensive.
It's no secret that here on The Budget Babe, we're all about finding ways to look stylish on a budget. But what are the secrets that make an outfit look expensive? Here are 8 secrets to make your outfits look expensive, from the one accessory you should be wearing to the most expensive looking color to look for at fast fashion chains.



Olivia Munn's Shorts and Over-the-Knee Boots Look for Less, Plus Reed x Kohl's Sale

Get Olivia Munn's summer outfit for less.
If you can't wait to wear those fall boots right now, let Olivia Munn be your summer transitional outfit muse. The actress went for an unexpected pairing with a sleeveless button-front striped top, denim cut-offs and gray suede over-the-knee boots. She finished her Downtown cool look with a colorblock satchel and retro sunglasses. While recreating her look for less, I made sure to include two great sales worth noting: The Halogen 'Noble' Over-the-Knee Boots I found are part of the Nordstorm Anniversary Sale, and they are an amazing find. It's rare to find stylish and classy-looking OTK boots at this price - get these before they're gone! Prices go back up August 8. Then, her colorblock bag lookalike is from the Reed Krakoff for Kohl's collab...remember that one? Oh yeah, it's on sale now. Bags are BOGO, clothing is on clearance. It's a good day for retail therapy!

Get Olivia Munn's summer outfit for less.

Shop the Look for Less:


H&M Sleeveless Cotton Tunic, $24.99 (also love this Merona stripe tunic, $22.99) // Simply Vera Vera Wang Front-Back Earrings, $7 // BP Sunglasses, $12 // H&M Denim Shorts, $19.99 // Halogen 'Noble' Over-the-Knee Boot, $109.90 (after sale: $189.95) // REED for Kohl's Satchel, $119 (buy one, get one half off)


Sale Scoop: All Reed x Kohl's handbags are now buy one, get one half off. Plus shop Reed x Kohl's apparel on clearance - this jumpsuit as seen on Chanel Iman is just $39.20 (down from $98)!

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is going strong! See what I bought here.