Easy Beach Maxi

Somehow dressing for the beach demands bright colors and easy combinations. When the weather started getting warmer I knew I needed a colorful maxi dress. If you follow me on Pinterest, you know it's been on my must list. As I've told you, back in the spring, I scored this amazing caftan at the Goodwill spring trunk show for less than $6! Designer caftans can cost $100 or more. The colors are just perfect for the beach and pairing it with some sandals and great shades made for an easy outfit.



Caftan - Goodwill, Sunglasses - Ray-Ban via Amazon (great price), Sandals - Circus by Sam Edelman via Amazon (discounted price), Bracelet - gift



I decided that I didn't even need earrings or extra jewelry for this look. I never take off this bracelet (that {msL} gave me) and my wedding ring. They are always with me. I didn't bring lots of accessories with me to the beach this year. I wanted simplicity to be my mantra.

What's your favorite beach look?

Frugal Fashion Friday - Moment of Lust E & J Bootie

Chilly weather always makes me look for warmer footwear. I pull out my closed toe shoes and boots. Lately fun booties have been on my radar.  I love their versatility. They can be worn with pants, dresses or skirt. You can dress them down or up. The Peri Ankle-Strap wedge booties by Elizabeth and James are fantastic. They have a simple line but the cut our and decorative ankle strap give them visual interest. I think they are the perfect fall/winter bootie.  However, the price tag is a bit more than I usually like to pay for shoes. I went in search of alternatives.

Elizabeth & James Peri Leather Ankle-Strap Bootie

Sam Edelman Dalton Platform Wedge Bootie

2 Lips Too Too Coupe Wedge Bootie

The Sam Edelman booties are good option but I'm not a huge fan of platforms.  My wobbly arthritic (I have RA.) ankles don't love platforms.  The 2 Lips wedge bootie is a frugal alternative to the Elizabeth & James wedge. The only drawback is the red buckle.  For $59 I could do a little fixer and dye the buckle black.  I could also spend a little money and take it to the shoe repair shop and swap the red buckle for a silver one.  This might up my cost to about  $100.  That is still much less than the $375 price tag of the E&J booties. Which ones do you like best?

I'll be doing some wedding planning this weekend.  Wish me luck, we are in search of economical bridesmaid dresses and we're looking at rentals as well.

HAPPY FRIDAY REAL GIRLS!