This year’s wardrobe saw more baggy sweatpants and grungy T-shirts than in years past...that’s for sure. But it’s now officially spring, and even though we’re video conferencing most of our meetings these days, we’re still big fans of putting on real clothes and getting all dolled up (at the very least, brushing our hair), with or without a place to show it off. We’ve learned that while dressing up to go out—“to see, and be seen”—is fun, dressing up just for ourselves is just as exciting. (TBH, that’s basically what we were doing the whole time anyway: wearing things we love for the sake of feeling good in them.) One thing we definitely should not be doing right now, though, is spending a bunch of money on unnecessary purchases. That’s why we tapped our very own associate fashion editor, Abby Hepworth, to pinpoint the four most exciting (and affordable) warm-weather staples, all from Walmart. Here, her favorite looks, with everything under $50.
I’m a Fashion Editor and I Can’t Wait to Wear These (Under $50!) Pieces
1. Rainbow Brite
Wearing Creamsicle orange or neon yellow is our own sartorial way of shouting from the rooftops—or like getting a hug from a giant color wheel—and what better time than when the weather heats up to do just that? “I love mixing and matching prints and patterns, and the idea of pairing electric yellow with cherry red and royal purple is equally bold and fun—just with much less effort,” Abby says. “Now, instead of working out all the intricacies of which prints work with others, I can just toss on all the brightest, cheeriest clothes in my closet and I’m good to go. Better yet, I’ll definitely wear these pieces even after the rainbow trend fades.”
2. Americana
It may not be summer yet, but we're ready to bust out our favorite white denim and linen dresses (as soon as we get around to applying that self-tanner). Think classic paisley handkerchiefs, acid-wash denim and pops of cherry red. “My favorite way to rock the iconic red, white and blue trio is to go big with two shades and add hints of the third,” says Abby. “Unless it’s the Fourth of July, I’m not sure how much use I’ll get out of a flag-adorned T-shirt. But a tie-dye slip dress and navy bandana? I’ll definitely wear those over and over and over again.”
3. Pastels
We’ve never idolized Easter eggs much, but all the drab winter grays and blacks have us craving colors that are a bit softer and sweeter. “It just doesn’t feel like spring without a few pops of robin’s-egg blue or rose pink,” Abby notes. “As someone who likes to pick up something new with each change of the seasons (What can I say? I’m a bit of a shopaholic), I’m really pumped that I can get a touch of both hues for $12 and $15 apiece. Let my love affair with pretty pastels continue on, with money left over to spend on a few other trends too.”
4. Princess Diana Chic
Break out the pussy-bow blouses and gold-buttoned blazers, because this spring we are going all in on the Sloane Ranger fashions of Diana Spencer circa 1980. From our fashion editor: “Oh, Princess Di. I’ve loved her style for as long as I can remember, but until now it wasn’t exactly posh to sport Peter Pan collars, Laura Ashley prints or modest tea dresses. I may not have a royal-size budget, but you can bet I’ll be stocking up on puff-sleeve blouses, oversize pearl earrings and sensible heels until we find ourselves a new royal fashion icon to obsess over.”
