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I’m heading to Arizona in just a few days, and I’m super excited about it. It will be the first time that I (and Edison) will get to meet some of Stephen’s extended family members so it’s bound to be a good time.
Arizona is going to be HOT, so I want to make sure that I pack clothing that’s going to keep me feeling cool all week long. Normally, that would mean hot pants and graphic tees for me (no shame in my fit game here!), but now that I’m a mom, and 2 years away from 30, I wanted to elevate a style game just a bit.
Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I can be notoriously cheap as well when it comes to clothes. I live for a great fashion steal and discount stores are life! Pretty much every outfit I’m sharing on this blog was less that $30 bucks 🙌🏾
Now, I know some people are weary of shopping at discount stores, and I totally get why. There’s never a great flow to them , things are all over the place and their are a lot of fashion duds to be found.
However, it is possible to find solid, on trend and staple pieces from these stores with a little digging.
Just for full discourse here, I have in the past, worked for Ross and am very familiar with how they source their items. However, I’m no longer associated with their company and this post is in no way sponsored or partnered with them. I just rally enjoy shopping discounts lol.
Anyways, without furthers todo…
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Off -The-Shoulders Flora Sweetheart Maxi Dress
I wanted to share this pick for 3 main reasons. Firstly, it’s a dress, which generally means one garment make the entire out, so it saves you a TON of packing space.
Secondly, This dress with it’s mid thigh slit, slight sweetheart neckline and off the shoulders cuffs, wears well for day time activities (day at the park or beach for instance) and is also great for evening events as well, such as weddings, dinners, etc. So if you really need to pack light, mixing this dress with accessories can give you many appropriate looks. I personally decided to pair this dress with my Pochette Metis, as this bag is equally as versatile.
Lastly, I found this dress at Ross for $15 bucks at Ross, making it EXTREMELY wallet friendly! I have found several dresses like this online stating at $30 and easily toping $100+. Being the type of person who would rather spend my money on designer bags or food instead, I feel like getting this from Ross was the better option.
Aside from the points made above, I seriously love everything about this dress. I’ve been really into florals lately and reds look great on my skin tone. I’m living for the slits up the leg as well. They are just high enough to give some sex appeal and allow for a cool breeze to circulate around my legs, but still fairly age and mom appropriate
The slight sweetheart with the off the should cuffs also adds a lot to this piece. If this dress was just straight across for example, I feel like it would come across much more matronly and way less carefree.
For me, this is probably the best over all outfit for a vacation, with just how easily effortless it is and how easy it would be to switch it u from day to night. It’s a great over all piece and I also can see this style working for many different shapes and sizes.
I couldn’t find the exact dress with a quick search online for you guys, however, I have found some pretty good dupes online for decent prices! Check out this link here.
2. Paisley Print Crop with High Waisted Slit Pants
Something about long flow-y outfits screams luxe comfort, which is probably why these two pieces are vacation staples for me.
The top was a miracle find from the Pac Sun clearance rack and I picked it up for only $6. (Only dupe I could find is here)
The pants were part of a set that I found on shoesdazzle.com on sale for $20.
What I really love about this look is how bold it is, without being crazy loud. I was worried at first because these are two clashing prints, with lines going in opposite directions, which generally is a no-no for me.
However, they share the same shade of white, which really helps ties them together. and are both cool toned. Also the paisley print is very bold, while the stripes of the pants are fairly subdued. To me, this ends up looking like a great colorblock.
The crop top itself sport off the shoulder cuffs again (something I’m really feeling at the moment) and has a cute slit in the back, adding a cute edge to it.
And the pants, as mentioned before are high waisted, with a bit more structure in the belly area. I love that, because as someone who has always struggled with my lower abdomen, it kinda just pulls things in a bit.
All in all, these pieces just flow so well together and create a super comfy and relaxed look. And the cool tone of it all is giving me major nautical vibes. I paired this outfit with my Chanel Vintage Flap bag and I think it really classes it up. I feel like this outfit would be great for that day date with your buddy, hanging out at the cocktail lounge or for that yacht party we all get invite to. (btw’s please resend my invite 😂 )
Anyway’s find similar pieces here!
3. Basics Tank & Jeans 
I thought I would end this blog with some good ol’ basics, because at my core I’m a simple person. Basics make up a good portion of my wardrobe and I feel like they are great for travel. They are easily interchangeable, can be dressed up or dressed down, so they make coming up with outfits and packing easy.
And best of all, they’re pretty cheap too. This tank is from Target and was only $4. While this tank is technically a basic, it spots gold foil dots, which adds a nice amount of flash to this outfit (and also matches my hardware and jewelry). I also love that I was able to wear this tank backwards in this picture and it didn’t look too bad (it was a total mom moment and I feel like it happens to the best of us lol).
These jeans shorts came from Rue 21 and I got them during a two for $20 deal. I’ve been wearing these jeans for years (since I started college) and even though they are pretty extremely short, I still feel like these are mother appropriate when paired with a tank like this.
To be 100% honest, an outfit like this is what you’ll most likely see me in during the majority of my vacation (and the majority of summer time). Outfits like this are super versatile and can be worn for most vacation-y things such as going to the beach, an amusement park, a BBQ or for just walking around town with a little one in tow.
You can also class it up a bit with a nice blazer and skinny jeans and the look becomes appropriate for a night out on the town.
I paired this outfit with my Pochette Accessories in the white multicolor because it’s a super laid back piece that can also transition from day to night quite well.
Of course, I’ll be bring more clothes with me then just these 3 outfits, but I really wanted to show ya’ll that it’s totally possible to create fun, vacation and ‘mom’ friendly clothing without breaking the bank.
These 3 outfits, including jewelry and my jelly sandals all cost under $100. It’s true that sometimes you do find crappy quality things at discount stores and clearance sections, but with a little digging, you can find great pieces as well. The quality of these clothes have definitely held up, as some of them I’ve had for years!
Do you enjoy shopping discount stores, or do they overwhelm you? Which outfit did you like best? And what are some of your outfit ideas for vacations? Let me know!!
