We are ready up here for spring (had a few mid 60s sunny days in February which is always such a tease). I’m mostly just fantasizing about spring break (sun! warmth! very little wifi!). So as I went shopping I found a decent amount of stuff that I LOVED, mostly on the affordable side (which is all relative I know). And per usual I try on a LOT more that I don’t love or wouldn’t bother to show you, so these are my favorites 🙂
Shirt (size small) | Bandana (similar) | Pants (size 25) | Belt | Shoes
Solid long sleeve shirt with a raglan sleeve that looks so casual and still fun. 10/10 love that shirt. The pants are the famous Madewell darted barrel jeans in a cream (not bright white which always makes me nervous!) and this time I sized down to make them fit a bit more flattering. The Milano Birks I’ve had for years and I was pretty proud of myself for putting on a belt, which makes me feel VERY pulled together (bandana is old Clare V. but they sell something similar).
Ruffled Top (size extra small) | Shorts (size 27) | Skirt (size 27) | Belt | Sandals
A great thin white top (very Doen-esque) that is easy to tuck and perfect for humidity or high heat. I paired it with Gap’s new Bermuda short (which are long and not too tight but not too wide). They are GREAT (see them below in cream). But for those of you who like the skirt route, we LOVED this denim prairie style skirt – medium-weight, but has a nice thick hem at the bottom to keep some sort of structure. Would also just be cute with a sweatshirt or a tank top (this look was a bit too “church” for me, but admittedly pretty cute).
Sweatshirt Shirt (size small) | Shorts (size 27) | Tote | Sandals
HUGE fan of this short sleeved sweatshirt (it’s coming with me on spring break for mornings). It 1/2 tucks really nicely, looks cute with shorts, jeans, skirts, athleisure – just a real win for when you want to be casual but still look fun. These are the white versions of the longer Gap shorts – BIG FAN.
Dress (size small) | Jacket (size small) | Shoes
Clocking in at $24.99 this is my summer “play dress” – tie anything around its waist, throw on sneakers (with socks if you want to be cool, I do not) and go have fun. I could even play pickle ball in it, perfect for long walks to the village for a beer – just so easy and affordable.
Shirt (size small) | Shorts (size 28) | Bag (unavailable) | Shoes
This shirt was a splurge, but my goodness it’s so pretty. It’s coming with me for spring break because it’s cotton so it’s still really breathable (so good for dinners with bugs but still warm at night). While this is Farm Rio (which typically is very resort wear) I think this is a solid spring and summer top that I will wear ALL THE TIME.
Shirt (size small) | Shorts (size 28) | Sandals | Necklace (similar)
A solid denim short and breezy white top with cute stitching (so great for hotter climates). And I even paired with more of a statement necklace which is pretty dang cute.
Shirt (size 1 which encompasses sizes 25 – 30, v stretchy, like HOT PANTS!) | Pants | Bag | Shoes
While the leopard pants are certainly not “affordable spring basics” (I love them BTW) the shirt sure is. It’s from The Gap and is so flattering and looks very high end, IMHO. Here I’m wearing a small (which I returned for an XS) so it runs pretty big. It’s rather long (which I stuffed into my leopard stretch pants, as you do) and the buttons on the sleeve are so pretty. I LOVE this shirt (dark denim is a thing right now) and it comes in white and black as well. But yeah, the leopard hot pants are giving RHONJ in a way that I’m actually into (but dressing them down with a sweatshirt might be the better move).
Shirt (size s/xs) | Skirt (size 4) | Fanny Pack | Boots
I was so intrigued with this convertible Gap top – very architectural and cool. The buttons unsnap, going from a longer shirt with a tail to more of a cropped boxy shape. I’m wearing an xs and it’s still pretty oversized. I really liked it but ended up returning it just because I didn’t think I’d wear it that often (since I don’t go into an office). The skirt is a new mini from H&M that is pretty dang cute (and I bought the top to match – denim post coming soon!).
Shirt (size s/xs) | Bandana (similar) | Jeans | Boots (unavailable)
Here’s the top in action!
Denim Shirt (size small) | T-Shirt (size small) | Skirt (size small) | Fanny Pack | Sandals
Another great lightweight peasant skirt with such a cute ruffle. For me, the winner is the H&M denim shirt – it’s stiff, more like a shacket in a good way, and has the cutest Western-style buttons. Feels FAR more expensive than it is.
Shirt (size xs) | Jeans (size 26) | Tote | Shoes
Of all the white blouses that I tried, this is the one I know I’ll wear the most this spring. It has a lot of structure to it, feels more like canvas or denim than cotton. But such a flattering fit and the stitching and ruffles are so cute. The jeans are CRAZY COMFY, so much stretch and drape and yet still flattering. I tried on the famous sweatpant jeans (which I LOVED, TBH) but these are 1/2 the price for almost the same level of comfort (and without printed pockets).
T-Shirt | Jacket (size small) | Shorts (size 2) | Shoes
This outfit was a bit controversial because those are bona fide culottes. Half of us thought it was a cool, more androgynous look, the other half wasn’t sure. While I typically would wear smaller shorts, admittedly this looks cool and stylish. And yes, those clogs are still my current favorites for when I want some height (but with comfort). The jacket is a perfect spring half trench coat (not sure that’s a thing) that has a cute collar, pockets and buttons (and H&M so very affordable).
Lots of good things, now just if the Oregon weather will behave 🙂
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
