Shopping for clothes in your closet is a wonderful thing because you do not have to spend a lot of money to get “new” stuff. In this economy, many Americans are now trying to save some money –from trying to lessen their utility bills to lessening night outs with friends or family to trying to curb their urges to shop.

 Much like other first ladies before her, Michelle Obama is now one of America’s fashion icons. No one can deny that the current First Lady is fashionable but how can one dress like Michelle Obama without spending a lot of money?

From time to time –think Jacqueline Kennedy. Michelle Obama loves to wear dresses in solid colors –be it in yellow or red or black. Solid colors add class to simple dresses. Take a look at these photos to have an idea.

Michelle Obama Wears Pearls

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding was seen live on television by millions if not billions of people around the globe. Much like the late Princess Diana, Ms. Middleton got a lot of attention from the media. Today the Duchess of Cambridge, she still gets lots of attention not only because of her being a princess but because of her fashion sense. It is not surprising that everything the Duchess wears goes off the shelf as if they are hotcakes –they are after all very chic. If you want to get that regal look, pay close attention to what you will be reading below.

Sterling silver jewelry is a way to look great without spending a fortune on jewelry. When you are searching for jewelry pieces you will find that instead of spending money on one piece you can put together several looks for the same piece. This means you can have versatility in your wardrobe and mix and match different looks, keeping your style fresh. If you are feeling stagnant with your style give these three celebrity comparisons a try.

Get this look: Glee's Lea Michele at the 2010 Golden Globes, you can achieve this same look with these silver earrings from Zulu Moon for around $20. Drop earrings always make a great addition to a strapless dress.

Get this look: Rhianna wears these silver bamboo hoop earrings that can be found on Amazon.com for $34. Rhianna is known for her edgier style and wiliness to take risks when it comes to fashion.

Get this look: Black Swan star Natalie Portman wears a dangle earrings with a string of jewels. You can achieve the same look with an amber dangle earring with similar shapes. This earring is also from Zulu Moon for $25.

Celebrity style cues don't have to cost you an arm and a leg. You can find great deals out there, it just takes a little searching. You can save money and be fashion forward at the same time, it's all about making your dollar go further.

Does someone have the key to your heart? A new jewelry trend is skeleton key jewlery. If you are doing your back to school shopping, these key pendents are a must have for the fall. Trendsetters and young celebrites have found this style to be a unique piece of jewelry that can be worn as a charm, necklace or even earrings. Celebrities like Leighton Meester, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift are wearing similar key necklaces. The fleur-de-lis pendent, gothic designs or more traditional key designs are also a common trait found in one or more of the pieces.The inspiration behind the key jewelry is thought to have been started by the famous, Tiffany and Co. but here at the Budget Fashion Report, we are always seeking out ways to get celebrity style on a budget. One option is to actually find old keys and turn them into necklaces. Searching antique shops or even stores like Anthropologie, you may stumble across a unique looking key. Another way to achieve the same look as these celeberites is to opt for sterling silver and CZ key pendents. Going this route will still give you the great look but without the high cost.

The leighton Meester look:

Leighton is wearinga classic skeleton key design. The skeleton key design is characterized with the three loops at the top of the key. A comparable and more reasonably priced pendent would be something like this.

the Selena Gomez look:

Selena is wearing what I would classify is a more gothic design key.  This piece is a little more intricate compared to the previous pendent. Something similar to this design would be something like this charm here. The design has a fleur-de-lis in the handle and gives you that intricate patterned look. 

the Taylor Swift look:

 Taylor is wearing a pendent that looks more like a real key than the two previous. I would recommend trying to find an actual old antique key but if you can't, a piece that is similar to this would be this key design. 

Its the middle of Prom Season! Girls, are you ready? The guys have it easy, they just have to pay for the prom tickets, dinner and rent a tux. No big deal. How hard can it be to rent a tux anyways...

The Dress:

If you haven't found that ideal dress yet check out our blog post from February. Maybe you'll find something you didn't notice earlier. This is my personal favorite – its to die for in purple and looks expensive, though it only costs $25.

The Shoes:

These shoes from Overstock have the look for less at under $40! You'll be able to find a ton of great buys there.

This beautiful cloth shoe has a pleated color ribbon that flows over a simple yet elegant black bow. I promise, this picture doesn't do the shoe any justice:
  

These formal pumps are gorgeous and perfect for prom! With 4 or 5 different colors they'll match almost any dress. The uppers are covered in rhinestones, making them glamorous and a steal!

The Jewelry

This season if you check out the celebs you'll be seeing a lot of hoop earrings. And anyone been following Kristen Stewart's style? Her red carpet appearances have all been in a strapless dress without a necklace. It makes her - and her dress pop even more.

Keep your neckline empty or simple, instead wear a pair of "wow" earrings for prom - like chandelier earrings. For prom, you want the attention to center first on your dress and THEN on your jewelry. Try Zulumoon.com, they have some great earrings (and a huge sale).

I went a bit overboard with the earrings but what can I say? I love to look. The first 3 earrings are made with Marcasite (a type of gem/crystal) set in sterling silver and each is less than $30! The next 3 are made with Cubic Zirconia, also set in sterling silver.

If you click on these earrings, it will take you to their product page.
                         

The End

Hope that helps! You've got plenty to think about when it comes to prom, this should make all that accessorizing a bit simpler.

We don't know about you, but aside from Karl Lagerfeld's Spring 2010 collection for Chanel, the last time we thought about clogs was during our time abroad in Amsterdam our junior year of college. Before that, it was when we saw the Dutch section of the "It's a Small World After All" ride at Disney World. In short, we don't exactly think of clogs as fashionable - but leave it to Karl to make them so. Lagerfeld sent these golden studded babies down his farm-themed runway for Spring 2010, and of course, there's already a look for less. We know, we know - clogs just aren't au courant - but, ma souers, that's where you're wrong. Once Karl says they're in, they're in. Hence, clogs are going to be all the rage for Spring. Get a great look for less with Jeffrey Campbell's Charli Platform Clog. JC's clogs retail for $178 at Free People, which we're betting is a fraction of the price of the real thing. 

Rodarte is famous for their knitwear, and when the collection below hit the runway, stars and editors alike went nuts. Of course, the real thing isn't exactly affordable, so it was knocked off by Topshop, who did a pretty good job (see below). However, the Topshop version is long gone, and per usual, Forever21 has attempted (poorly) to knock it off themselves. Check out their effort here. It's not loosely knit, nor does it have the same color scheme, but it's definitely influenced by Rodarte. At only $30, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than the real thing. A quick EBay search reveals you can still find a few of the Topshop sweaters - type in "Topshop Rodarte" in the search field and they'll come up. However, if you prefer something influenced by the original and not a direct copy, the Forever21 version is for you!

We have to admit, we've got a pair of these TOMS shoes in gold glitter, and we've worn them to death. They're the most comfortable things in the world, and we've been dying to share our obsession with the world. 

Imagine our surprise when we come across these Newbark Love Lame Leather Shoes in Gold. They retail for a staggering $350, and they're pretty much a high-priced knockoff of the TOMS version. The Newbark's are great, but there's no need to spend the money. Save it for a bag! A nicer pair of shoes - but there's no need to drop almost $400 on something you can get for $48. Truth be told, the TOMS are probably more comfortable anyway!