Sometimes it’s that one piece that will make an outfit pop.  Luckily, all of the ones I am about to mention are extremely affordable and very bold. I documented my past weekend, sporting a vintage sweater, trouser socks and a scarf.

Friday: Vintage sweater! It is indeed a very bold style, and most likely bound to have people staring, but why hesitate because of that? Fashion is not about blending in with the crowd; it’s about having fun, being yourself, and being able to do so on a budget. Let’s dissect what I wore and how I made it work:

The only complicated thing about this outfit is the sweater. Everything else is a solid color.

What I Wore:
Ms. Russ ’80s Sweater ($5 at GoodWill); GAP Jeans (purchased 5 years ago for $56); magenta stud earrings ($1 at the Punk Rock Flea Market in Philly); purple ring (gift from Charlotte Russe); 2MIA grey pointy flats (purchased 5 years ago, Payless Shoe Source).

The beauty of vintage sweaters is that they are often bold enough to make the whole outfit pop, so all the work you have to do is wear it. It’s fun to accessorize with matching jewelery and shoes, as well!

Saturday: It was snowing, so I decided to match my outfit to one of my pairs of rain boots. Since my rain boots are plain, I needed to make the outfit pop, so I picked a gossamer peacock shirt over a blue tank. Lot of blue going on, yeah? That’s where the beauty of trouser socks can come in. Check out below:

Trouser socks are a cheap and great wear to break up color in an outfit, and also to be used as an accessory. Here, they are playing the role of breaking up color. In the last outfit of the weekend, I’ll show you them as an accessory.

What I Wore:
Missimo peacock shirt (purchased 2 years ago, gift from my mom at Target); Missomo string tank (purchased 4 years ago, gift from my mom at Target); GAP Jeans (purchased 5 years ago for $56); bright blue earrings ($1 at the Punk Rock Flea Market in Philly); green and blue bird ring (around $9 at Charming Charlie); green trouser socks (purchased 10 years ago, gift from my now-deceased great grandmother); Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker rain boots (purchased 5 years ago, $9 at Steve & Barry’s).

Sunday: I make up my own rules with scarves.  In this outfit, as long as one of the colors matches my shirt, it’s a go. Both the shirt and the scarf are very, very bold, but I think they work well with each other. Also, as mentioned before, trouser socks as an accessory. They definitely compliment the browns in the scarf, so it’s acceptable to sport brown, which would have been otherwise a very “black and white” outfit. Let’s take a look:

A bit busy, but super fun, right? With a shirt this bold, I would have otherwise stuck to the black and white theme, but adding the scarf makes en entry way for browns in the wardrobe. Note the trouser socks, too – they’re brown, which tie into the scarf.

What I Wore:
Truly Madly Deeply over-sized peacock tee ($9 at Urban Outfitters); houndstooth black/grey/brown/white scarf (can’t remember where it’s from); GAP Jeans (purchased 5 years ago for $56); detailed brown ring (around $9 at Charming Charlie); brown, ribbed trouser socks (purchased 10 years ago, gift from my now-deceased great grandmother); Wanted authentic leather boots ($75 at Gilly Jeans Western Fashions on South Street in Philly).

So there you have it! Three simple ways (four, including an eye-popping shirt), to make your outfit pop. Most importantly, it’s cheap, which is a big factor in fashion, especially for college students, and people just entering work. Always to remember to have fun with your wardrobe and to be proud of your style!