10 Summer Wardrobe Basics $34 or Less

A few weeks ago Gwyneth Paltrow shared her spring wardrobe picks on her lifestyle website Goop.com. She chose some great pieces if you’re a mom who’s also a Hollywood star on a macrobiotic diet with the budget to purchase $18,000 worth of clothes for one season.

I’m a SAHM on a Whatever-I-Can-Get-The-Kids-To-Eat diet with a budget that shrinks a little more every time gas prices go up.

I like clothes, and I probably spend more time than I should thinking about what’s hanging in my closet. I believe the foundation of a good wardrobe is built on a few basic, classic pieces in neutral colors. (I guess you can call that my Stupid Mom Fashion Trick.) Once you have those, you can add in some color and a few trendy pieces to stay looking up-to-date.

Below are my top affordable summer wardrobe essentials. I actually own these same pieces or something very similar from the same brand.  If you look hard enough, you can find some great clothes at discount stores, and not just Target. One of my favorite pieces for this summer is a knit maxi dress I found at Walmart — yes Walmart — for just $16.00.

Now remember, I’m a 36 year-old mom who spends her days pulling little boys out of trees and mud puddles. If you want hot pants, well, you’re in the wrong place. These are my must have shorts and capris:

1. Old Navy Women’s Button Trouser Capris $26.94

2. Old Navy Women’s Cuffed Denim Bermudas $24.94

3. Merona Denim Crops at Target $21.99

4. Old Navy Women’s Welt Pocket Bermudas $25.04 (Have these exact shorts. Love them.)

My skirts and dresses picks are all knits. I like knits for summer. They’re cool, comfortable, easy to wash and wrinkle free.

5. Basic Editions Knit Maxi Skirt at Kmart $19.99 (Have it. Love it. Yeah, Kmart.)

6. Old Navy Women’s Fold Over Jersey Skirt $19.94

7. Maurices Rosette Dolman Sleeve Dress $34.00 (I have this, and I adore the contrast of the fancy rosettes with the heather gray knit. So easy to just throw on in a hurry. Every summer wardrobe needs at least one pretty, feminine dress.)

8. Faded Glory Twist Strap Maxi Dress at Walmart $16.00 (This is that fav maxi dress from Walmart. The photo from the website doesn’t really do it justice.)

Sometimes in the summer it’s still chilly in the evening here in Michigan, and you need something to throw on over sleeveless tops.

9. Old Navy Women’s White Denim Jacket $34.94

10. Mosssimo Women’s Textured Stitched Bolero Cardigan $17.99

Now, if you want to keep things really basic and inexpensive, but still throw in some color, pick up a few laying tanks and tees like these from Old Navy, just $8.50 each.

All of this comes to a grand total of $309.77 before taxes. As long as they don’t get schmeared with kid schmutz, you’ll get a few seasons out of these pieces. And you’ll look very minimalist chic too.

You can find links to all these items on my Summer Wardrobe Basics Pinterest Board.

In the next post we’ll find some more interesting pieces to add in to spice up the wardrobe a bit.