Couture vs. Cheapskate: Orange Coat

Can you guess which coat costs $540 vs. $33?

Coat A

vs.

Coat B

To see results, click here.

If you guessed Coat A costs $33, then you have been studying your CC fashion sets!  Thank you!  I really appreciate your commitment to the CC.

Coat A is from Old Navy and Coat B is Milly.  Obviously there is no substitution for tailoring and quality of fabric but let's be honest, if you have close to $600 laying around is it really going towards an orange coat? 

My guess? Probably not.  In fact, most ladies probably budget less than $600 for their entire Spring wardrobe.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for investing in a well-tailored, stylish coat but I am just being real y'all...$540 is a lot of dough.

Piperlime shows this look for their $540 orange Milly Antonia coat:

Guess how much this outfit can be yours for?  A mere $1000. 

Let's do a CC take on the same look for just over $200:

Couture vs. Cheapskate: Orange Spring Coat by couturecheapskate1 featuring vintage denim jeans

Items included in this set: Old Navy Womens Cowl-Neck Jersey Tops, $20, Old Navy Womens Canvas Peacoats, $33, Gap Vintage flare jeans (light wash), $70, Date Night Leatherette Bag, $25, Moroccan Market Scarf, $7.80, Milly Antonia Coat and Hutton Wide Leg Jeans | Piperlime, $95, Cutout Suedette Wedges, $27, Women's Mixed Media Necklaces | Old Navy, $15, Women's Embellished Drop Earrings Mixed Metal | Old Navy, $8.50

So let's do the math:

1. You probably already own a pair of denim, so that is a $70 deduction from the $207 ($207 $137)
2. I am giving you a scarf and earrings which the $1000 outfit does not include ($137 $121)
3. I like this shirt from Old Navy because of the ruffled hem. It gives a basic white tee more style but if you wanted to save even more $$$ you could work with what you already have ($121 $101)

So if you apply the above deductions, you have reduced your $207 total even further to $101 for a stylish and smart look inspired by a $1000 outfit.

A tailored coat in a bold color is always a smart fashion investment. How much you invest is up to you and your budget. If you want to buy more than one thing this Spring, consider how you can achieve the same fashion forward look for a fraction of the cost.