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

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. 

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.

If you watch celebs walk down the red carpet they are typically dripping in jewelry. Sparkling diamonds and ulta-blinged out accessories are the norm when it comes to celebrity red carpet fashion. You can accomplish the same looks at a fraction of the price if you know where to look. Instead of spending thousands on diamonds you can get the same look with CZ (Cubic Zirconia) for a lot less and still have that sparkle. Some popular looks are chandelier, drop and dangle silver earrings. A really popular trend is light colored metals like silver, white gold and platinum. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Carrie Underwood and Penelope Cruz all favor the drop silver earrings. All of these celebs are wearing earrings covered in diamonds but a less expensive alternative is to look into wearing CZ, especially for a glamourous event like a Prom, black-tie dinner, formal ball, etc. Not only will the earrings look great and sparkle like a real diamond, you'll feel like a glamourous movie- star without dropping some serious scrilla.

Here are three styles of celebrity silver earrings that are very close to what the celebrities are wearing and will give you a similar look when you are on a budget.

 The first style is a CZ Chandelier similar to what Kim Kardashian is wearing.

 Tear drop CZ earrings.

This next style is similar to what Carrie Underwood is wearing.

 Drop CZ Earrings

Last we have a style that is similar to what Penelope Cruz is wearing.

 Cubic Zirconia Chandelier Earrings.

In the midst of the hectic chaos I call "life" I had a mini epiphany last night that shocked me: Its already the end of April and May is around the corner, meaning->

1. Its almost Mother's Day! (Sunday May 9th)
2. Wedding season is in full throttle and
3. Summer is here! Beach weather!

I honestly feel like Easter weekend was just a few days ago, not weeks. Time just passes by too quickly!

After my realization I went into a small frenzy to find the perfect gift for my mom. She can be picky and already has most of everything she wants. Plus at my age flowers don't exactly suffice unless I get those huge $85-$100+ bouquets. I love my mom but I'm strapped for cash!

She's a huge jewelry fanatic- she's the source of my fashion sense and love of jewelry, well some of it at least. So in honor of our shared love of jewelry I'm going to get her a cubic zirconia ring, once I can decide which one. She doesn't come online often so I'm not worried about divulging too much information. I'm going to pick between these three:

These cubic zirconia (or CZ) rings are fabulous (I'm tempted to get one for myself too!) and not expensive at all. They'll last her (and me) years! Beats buying flowers or chocolates that last a week, maybe. Gotta' love cubic zirconia, you get the look and shine of a diamond for less than half the price!

While on the topic, does everyone else know what they are doing or getting for Mom? If you're still looking, maybe this collection of CZ jewelry will help get the gift juices flowing. The jewelry is by Zulu Moon and they have an online coupon till May 1st (listed below)! I'll be taking full advantage of that! With their huge selection, you'll find plenty of things to Mom's liking.

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!

Just in: submit a picture and/or story of your charm bracelet to Zulu Moon's facebook page for a chance to win weekly prizes! Zulu Moon is one of the largest sterling silver jewely retailers online.

EDIT: ZuluMoon is also offering a 20% off Mother's Day coupon for their Facebook fans! Coupon expires May 1st.

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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In our books, Jessica Alba just can't go wrong with her impeccable sense of style and fashion. Here she is at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival during late March in California. Shes wearing a modern abstract printed mini by Proenza Schouler with a pair of almost matching gray and neon wedges and chunky bracelets. 

Make her look your own with a fabulous printed mini and wedges for the perfect summer evening look:

Calvin Klein printed mini in red and black

Pair the printed CK dress with these daring wedges for an evening out on the town