For centuries mankind has used body adornments and clothes to indicate what kind of people they are. Tribal women for example wear a lot of trinkets to show how wealthy they are while those in India wear certain types of adornments to indicate that they are single.

Fashion is not just about clothes or accessories or shoes or whatever we buy at our favorite boutiques. We wear clothes not only because we need to be clothed but because our clothes are a signal to other people about who we are –our identity. It is a language of symbols and signs so to speak that is why it is never far fetched to say that the clothes make the man or woman for that matter.

 Call it stereotyping but hipsters for example wear knit hats just about anywhere just to show that they are cool even if the weather is not cool. Apart from a good way to judge people and what they like, fashion is also deemed as a good barometer for cultural changes.

There are those cute dresses women would love to get their hands on but do you need all of the cute outfits that the media deem as something you should have? Definitely not. So here goes ladies, the top 8 items every woman should own.

The Suit. Whether you are talking about a Chanel suit or a suit from another designer, nothing makes a woman look more professional, classy and chic all at the same time like a suit. Now suiting up seems like a good idea eh?

Summer is winding down and fall is almost here. The best part about fall is the crisp air, layering clothing and wearing your newest fall fashions. But with colder months ahead, closed toe footwear is neccessary, I'm talking boots! Boots have been a staple for fall fashions since way back in the day...and are one of the most important part of your fall wardrobe. Boots can come in several different styles and looks. From suede to distressed leather to thick, rugged heels or leather soles, boots are the way to go for fall.

 Our first boot is from J.Crew:

The Sutton tall leather flat boot in brownstone is a classic over-the-calf boot that can be worn with a dark skinny denim. This boot is perfect for the fall to winter transition and can go great for a casual evening or dressed up for work.  $298.00 from Jcrew.com

Photo credit: JCrew.com

The next boot is from REPORT:

The Ariella bootie in slate is perfect for a night on the town and can give any outfit a boost. $149.95 from Nordstrom.com

Photo credit: Nordstrom.com

The next boot is from Corral

 The Deer Tan boot is a little different than the previous two but makes a great boot that can be worn in every season and is a neccessary component to everyone's closet. Everyone needs a pair of cowboy boots. $199.99 from bootcity.com 

Photo credit: Bootcity.com

The last boot is from Steve Madden

This boot is one of the hottest trends for the fall season. The over the knee boot is everywhere and perfect for the colder fall and winter months. The Sabra boot from Steve Madden gives you the over the knee look and a bossy fashion queen attitude. This boot is part motorcycle part riding. $299.99 from Stevemadden.com

Photo credit: Stevemadden.com

Are you searching for an accessory that will unlock your style? A new jewelry trend is skeleton key jewlery, and 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 key jewelry to be a unique piece 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 but probably paid hundreds for a style that is simple to recreate.

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. Reinvent this look with a shorter chain. 

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. Recreate this look with a silver chain and loop the key onto the chain.

We're back and with more trendy finds! Thought we forgot about our fabulous readers? Last time we covered finding the latest trends and left off with the nude toned heels. Today we'll finish the list and show you where you can find all of those summer trends for great prices!

4. Rompers and jumpsuits. All you Budgetistas out there already know that Target is a one-stop shop with some amazing pieces and now, more designers than ever. Rompers can be difficult to find at times but Target has a sizable collection. Here's my favorite:

Turquoise is a great summer color and looks fantastic against any skin tone. Plus, this romper has a nice floral embellishment at the top.

5. Sheer. Overstock.com has a great selection of blouses and we found plenty of sheer ones to share, particularly ruffled with sheer. Alas, the one I wanted to share with you was sold out. I liked it so much that I'm sharing it anyways! You can backorder it here and when Overstock restocks, they'll let you know! You can definitely tell that coral is in style. Otherwise, this trio of ruffle sheer shirts is a great second choice especially with the colored tips on the ruffles. For less than $30, its a steal.

6. "Spicy" Leggings. That means not no black, gray or even denim leggings but leggings with bold prints and colorful designs. Now, some "spicy" leggings out there will run you $200 each (yes, $200 for leggings- and I found it hard to spend $20) but the first pair from Pac Sun is only $10, a nice markdown from the original price of $50. It comes in purple and pink. For those who want something a bit tamer - try this pair of zebra leggings.

7. Boyfriend Blazer. Now the blazer prices ran a bit high, if you can, try sneaking one from the boyfriend's closet! Kidding, seriously. I did find one for $20 from JCPenny, featured first, but this one from Nordstorms, with the cinched sleeves made my day. It comes in black and the cream seen below but is a bit pricer at around $50.

 8. Fringed Bag. You have the bag from the original post last week and then you have these fabulous bags. The first one adds its own take on fringe - it's by Jessica McClintock so it's expected but maybe not for $30! The clutch is made with satin and the fringe is in metal but it has a very sophisticated evening look. I agree, $30 isn't the best bargain price for a clutch but what about $40 for a white fringe bag? This Marc Eko hobo fringe bag is available in black and white on Amazon.com. I personally am not the biggest fan of fringe but this bag makes me melt!

9. Military. Like we discussed in the earlier post, military influence doesn't have to mean the big buttons and a rough & tough look- it can be more subtle. Like a military green color and few brass studs found in this Volcom tank on 6pm.com.

10. Bold Accessories. I feel like the bold accessories deserve their own post. There are so many different things to chose from to accent your look, you can't fit it all into one short mention so look out for a post on Summer 2010 Accessories soon!

1 & 2. Prints & Vibrant Colors: Trend #2 goes hand in hand with most of the other trends for this season, particularly our prints. Last post, we featured a pretty American Eagle printed summer dress in a vibrant orange and the post before there was a cute Old Navy white floral. Here we have some more:

The Old Navy dress from 2 posts ago and two looks from Kohls. Dress 1, a fun scroll kimono dress and Dress 2, a floral sleeveless.    

This top from Target features peacock esk design and colors. Fun and very pretty~ 

3. Nude Heels: With heels, there is only so much you can reduce your price range before you get to the very quality shoes that you'll only be able to wear a handful of times before they break.

Our suggestions: 

This absolutely perfect pair of peep toe heels is by designer Christian Siriano (remember him for Project Runway?). He has a line of shoes for Payless and these are both beautiful and cost effective! Both nude and metallic, they combine the latest trends of the season into one very fierce shoe.

If you're going for a more ethereal and classic look, try these sequined pumps from DSW. By Caparros these satin shoes are a bit pricer but look lovely.

Its mid-April and summer is just around the corner! For the glorious summer weather, dress to impress with these latest trends:

1. Prints. It'll be anything from floral to tribal (African tribal to be exact) or to a lesser degree, animal. These prints are bound to plaster your pants, your lovely summer dress or your summer blouses. American Eagle has a great piece with this summer pattern in orange (and purple).

2. Vibrant Colors. Turquoise has always been a great summer-ish color. Along with the turquoise blues, there'll be a lot of more neutral colors to pick from including oranges, yellows and most popular – coral.

3. Nude Heels. If you've checked any red carpet styles recently, you surely will have noticed all the nude heels floating around. Nude heels and their opposite, metallic heels are the newest in shoe fashion this summer. For a great look, pair nude heels with your favorite printed dress.

4. Rompers and Jumpsuits. 'nough said. Jumpsuits might be a harder trend to pull off if you aren't a supermodel but for those willing, its worth a try. Rompers are an easier trend to follow and can look great in the summer, especially paired with a statement necklace.

5. Sheer. Be on the look out for a lot of sheer materials and tops for the summer. For a more elegant and wearable look, try sheer straps or a light chiffon top, they're all the rage this summer.

6. Leggings-spiced up. Yes, they've been in fashion for a while but not like this! Printed leggings, the denim leggings or those other wild designs will be hit in summer 2010.

7. Boyfriend Blazer. The boyfriend shirt and jeans are a trend of the past with the boyfriend blazer making the summer top 10. Try oversized and rolled up sleeves to perfect this look.

8. Fringe. The fringe, tassels and other accents will be reserved primarily for your handbags in the summer, giving them a more interesting hobo/western look. They'll look great with a causal summer dress or denim. Try this fringed bag from OverStock.

9. Military Influence. You may be thinking “wasn't this a trend last season?” The military inspired look is here to stay (for a while at least) though the designs are not as obvious. Instead, the influence is centered in the material, color and buttons. Try colors like khaki, navy, olive or army green.

10. Bold Accessories. Last but certainly not least, our accessories. Be they statement necklaces, statement shoes or other bold add on, whichever accessory you choose, have it be bright.

Look for an update soon on where to get these trends for cheap!

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We've really fallen hard for patterned tights - they now come in every color of the rainbow, but as we attempt to transition our closet to spring, we can't help but be drawn to the blues, lilacs and blacks. Our favorites come from trendy budget retailers Forever21 and Urban Outfitters, who offer a wide variety of florals, laces and fashionable fishnets amongst other options. Check out a few of our favorites below.

It's time to start shopping for Spring - and denim on denim is a trend to watch out for. Demonstrated at its best on the Chloe Spring/Summer 2010 runaway, denim is back in a  big way, so pull out those old Levis, and don't be afraid to layer them with your dad's old chambray shirt. Jean shorts and a denim shirt? All right. In a world where denim was previously only allowed to be one part of your outfit (usually, the bottom), the beloved American material has now been reintroduced in the fashion world as the perfect layering piece - in any form of garment.

Check out some favorite affordable finds below (all from Charlotte Russe, Forever21 and Old Navy).  

When the weather gets chilly, most of us have a tendency to gravitate towards darker, warmer colors - abandoning our white pieces completely. However, with all the celebrities taking to sporting their winter whites on the red carpet, it only seems fair that we do the same. Most of us might not have red carpets to walk, but that doesn't mean we can't put together some fabulosity using only light pieces. We hunted down the following outfit, comprised only of pieces from Forever21 (all of which are currently available on the F21 website for $30 and under), which we think is a perfect winter white getup (with some bits of pastels thrown in for good measure).