Are you new to my Frugal Fashionista series? Find out how I dress in designer clothes for less. Yes,  for mere pennies on the dollar, all outfits are less than $15, and did I mention…second hand?)

As  I was looking through my photo card for some daily fashion pictures that I had taken, but not posted, I started seeing a theme with these Frugal Fashionista pictures – layering. Layering pieces is one of the most cost effective ways to maximize ones frugal wardrobe. A plethora of plain shirts and tanks can be found at yard sales and thrift stores, but without layering them they would be just that… cheap, but plain.
Honestly, the reason I didn’t post them initially was that I determined they just weren’t cute enough, yet I realize that is in direct opposition to the goal of my Frugal Fashionista posts. I never want anyone to think that my daily wardrobe outfits walk off the pages of magazines, because that’s not reality. I typically dress nicely, but not at the height of trendy fashion. This post is a prime example of that reality: every day outfits.
My desire is to empower women that for literally a few dollars and some creative mixing and matching, we can dress incredibly well on a tiny fashion budget. It may not be Vogue on a regular basis, but outfits that we don’t have to be embarrassed about, even though we know how much we paid.
The first picture above shows a very simple outfit, but it’s accented with a fun chunky necklace which spices it up tremendously.
All the pieces in these pictures were from yard sales. My top price point at a yard sale for simple shirts and tanks is $1. The coral shirt, white tank and Eddie Bauer jeans were each just $1/piece.
Yes, a $3 outfit!
For the outfit below, all I did was swap out the coral shirt for a white shirt and added a blue belt on the left, and a wide, black belt on the right. The details didn’t show up in the pictures, but the side of the white shirt is pleated and has some really unique details. I love finding shirts with just a slightly different twist and for the summer, there’s nothing better than a white shirt to mix and match with a tank and jeans. Both of these belts were just $1, so my $3 outfit soared to a whopping $4 with the addition of the belt.

In NC, dressing can be a bit tricky based on the combination of warm outdoor weather and freezing cold inside air conditioning.
I tend to layer a lot with tanks and shirts, so that I can take the shirt off leaving just the tank or short sleeved shirt for when I go outside.
Below is another example (from last summer) of using the same core pieces, but just mixing and matching the layers. The base pieces were a $1 pink tank top and $0.50 comfy, cotton skirt. I love cotton skirts in the summer and wear them a lot. To the left, I layer my soft, white cotton $1 Anne Taylor yard sale shirt over my tank, and on the left,  I just swapped that out for a white sleeveless shirt. I really think it gives two very different looks with just that one switch in layers.
Again, two more outfits for less than the price of a Big Mac.
This last outfit carries the same theme – layering basic pieces for a fun, sporty look.
My Steve Madden red shoes were one of my favorite finds last year, and I first showed them in my “Should you seriously wear second hand shoes” post. Fifty of you chimed in with your opinions on that topic, which I always love to read. Now these awesome shoes have nothing to do with layering, but they sure do make this outfit pop. Red shoes with pink, believe it or not is FUN! (And they are a bit more red than this pictures shows.) Try it, you’ll enjoy living on the wild side. 😉
Back to the outfit. If you don’t mind worrying just a bit about dripping ketchup on your white pants, white is a perfect choice this time of year. When you only pay $1, the fear factor definitely diminishes, and I figure that if I pair it with a hot, pink shirt, then even if I do get a few stains, no one will notice because they will just enjoy the colors in the shirt and shoes.
There you have it. Five varying outfits that took plain, potentially boring pieces, yet layered and accessorized with the right jewelry and shoes, turned them into something I no longer view as “not cute enough.”
No one has to dress boring. With one or two yard sale additions, you will be set to go every single day.