Can I buy a Summer outfit for £20 or less including footwear and an accessory?

I set myself a blogging challenge for the start of this summer, get an outfit or a few for a set price, including footwear and an accessory too! What I mean is buying items that can be paired in different ways to create multiple outfits. This post will explain what I bought and why, and I will also review score the items individually as well.

Why I Set Myself A Shopping Challenge

So I had my first ever trip to the Horse Racing for a Hen Weekend in June… I had a great time! I came home with £47 profit and I decided to treat myself with it. As a mum I don’t get to go out much and I certainly don’t spend very much on myself anymore. Until I went on this shopping trip that I’m about to describe to you it had been almost two years since I had been shopping for clothes that weren’t for a special occasion, or Maternity clothes or Breastfeeding Essentials. It was time to browse and get something that I liked or loved and to try something and not feel guilty about it.
Everyone needs a treat once in a while don’t they?!

So I was talking to my best friend about setting myself a challenge that I could explain here on the blog. I concluded that if I popped another £3 on to my winnings I then had £50 to spend. With her opinions on items I picked out I decided to do this challenge, I allocated the money to my two favourite high street stores. I gave £20 for Dorothy Perkins and £30 for Primark.

My Challenge… Could I get an outfit for £20? Yes I could! In fact I got the equivalent of 3 outfits from Primark & 1 from DP! All for £50! Here is how!
By mixing and matching the various items that I bought I was able to make several outfits from them.

While shopping in Primark what I found was a mixture of full price (FP) items and sale items (S). My Dorothy Perkins outfit was complied of all sale items and then I would simply include jeans that I already owned from DP to finish the look, I did not include these in the final price because I already had them.

1. The Summer Shirt Outfit – A Garden BBQ or Day at the Beach – Primark – Worth £20 Total

Wear this shirt with either leggings on a cool day or a pair of shorts. Leave it untucked and long in length or tucked in for two entirely different looks. Pair with Dolly Shoes, Flip Flops or even Boots. You can wear something beneath the shirt if you want to, like this vest.

Blue Striped Summer Shirt £10.00 FP
Black Leggings £4.50 FP
Dolly Shoes in Yellow £3.50 FP
Hair Scunchie Tie £2.00 FP

2. The Practical Outfit – Day Out With Family – Dorothy Perkins – Worth £20 Total

Pair this gorgeous Rust coloured duo with black jeans or black jeggings and some dark accessories for a great transition to Autumn look. If you want to wear this shirt in summer it works great in an evening with jeans and heels too. The pretty buttons and pocket details really make the shirt stand out.

Rust Coloured Shirt S £12.00
Rust Ankle Boots S £8.00

3. Every Day Summer Outfit For Home Or Casual Outings – Primark – Worth £21 Total

Who doesn’t love a practical pair of shorts that go well with almost everything? Well this dark green pair look great with a vest, t-shirt or even a short shirt. Pair with various shoes depending on the weather and also where you plan on going to.

Cargo Shorts £12.00 FP
T-Shirt or Vest £3.00 FP
Dolly Shoes £3.50 FP
Hair Scrunchie Tie £2.50 FP

4. Hot Weather Day Out or At Home Having Fun In The Garden – Primark – Worth £21.50 Total

Using the shorts once again for this combination but based more casually, dolly shoes for walking about and a vest with a shirt for casual but comfortable wearing.

Cargo Shorts £12.00 FP
Vest £3.00 FP
White Shirt £3.00 S
Dolly Shoes £3.50 FP

Final Primark Purchases, Prices & Scores – Total Spend of £44.00

Striped Blue Shirt £10.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5
Green Cargo Shorts £12.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5
Green Vest £3.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5
Blue Dolly Shoes £3.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5
White Arrows Shirt £3.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 3/5
Blue Striped Vest £3.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5
Yellow Dolly Shoes £3.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5
Hair Band and Scrunchie £2.50 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5
T-Shirt £3.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 4/5

Final Dorothy Perkins Purchases, Prices & Scores – Total Spend £20.00

Rust Shirt with Linen £12.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 LINK
Rust Wide Fit ‘Mayfair’ Ankle Boots £8.00 – ✩ – ✩ – Score 5/5 LINK

So I went over my budget very slightly, however the combinations that I have achieved with the clothing and accessories that I bought make it justifiable. Overall the items that I decided to purchase have had added uses because they were either useful, like the shirts I use for breastfeeding during the warmer months, or that the pieces were investments for the next few years (hopefully!) such as all of the shoes.

The previous Dolly Shoes that I bought in Primark were from 2016 and 2017 and they are only just beginning to wear out. I hope these new ones last me just as long! It’s also nice to grab the colours in season when you see them available. A few years ago I had metallic colours from Primark and I never saw them again! I still have a Rose Gold pair I keep for special occasions.

The Boots I got from Dorothy Perkins were an investment for many Autumnal days to come, because at £8 in the sale you cannot beat that kind of a bargain! Especially ones that fit well and are comfortable.

Primark vests are items I wear every single day as a breastfeeding mama bear. So grabbing a couple of these was essential to my shopping trip. (Now that we are currently having a heatwave in the UK I’m even more grateful to have gotten them!).

Primark Items:

Quality of Fabrics 4/5 – The fabric quality was mixed, the vests in Primark are always good, the shorts were thick and strong. The shirts were relatively thin and creased easily. The Shirt is 86% Cotton and 14% Linen.

Designs 4/5 – I thought the items that I chose all had design merits. The shirts were nicely designed with their patterns. The shoes were simply designed by great colours for Summer. I loved the shorts with multiple pockets and the scrunchie hair tie was such a pretty mix of both pattern and colours.

Cost Price 4/5 – Overall I felt most items were affordable for their price and function, the shorts were great quality for their price and the dolly shoes I find are always good quality but very affordable.

Value for Money – 4/5 – I think that Primark items are usually good value for money, some more than others but generally you get what you pay for. I have washed and worn the vests multiple times and they still look good.

Dorothy Perkins Items:

Quality of Items – 5/5 – I was very impressed with the quality of the shirt and the boot that I have purchased. The shirt isn’t thin and is well made, and the shoes look well stitched and are well presented with no marks.

Designs – 5/5 – I love the Rust shade that DP has chosen for some items this Season. Additionally the shirt has a lovely shape to it and is rather flattering when worn. The Boots are comfortable and were available in Wide Fit which is a design bonus. The heels aren’t too high and are wedged to allow comfortable wearing.

Cost Price – 5/5 – I wouldn’t have considered purchasing either of these items unless they had been in the sale already. Their original prices were Boots £35.00 and the Shirt £22. I am very lucky to have gotten them so cheap with a saving of £37.00!

Value for Money – 5/5 – For the amount of money that I have paid for these things I am more than happy to give the value for money spent a 5/5.

Overall I’m very happy with my shopping purchases. It’s also been a couple of weeks now and I have worn the shirts several times, I’ve also worn the vests multiple times and they have been washed and worn repeatedly in this lovely warm weather. I haven’t needed to wear the Dolly Shoes yet but they are an investment for when my current two pairs give up the ghost so to speak! I’m still happy with every piece that I bought, I guess you could say it’s been money well spent! I look forward to wearing the rest of the items over the warm summer weeks…

Here are a couple of images of me wearing some of the new items…

Thank you for reading this blog post today, I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Have you gotten any retail bargains lately? Have a great time if you’re off out for some retail therapy!

✩ Sabrina ✩