Affordable Elegance for the Belmont Stakes

Belmont Stakes day is a not only a day of high-stakes horse racing, but it’s also a chance for fans of the sport to flaunt their very finest New York fashion sense.
If you’re like me, you want to look your best but stick to a budget. After all, we all want a little extra money in our handbags that we can use to play the ponies! So I decided to put together five affordable looks to play with for the biggest day of racing on New York’s spring calendar.

14Belmont01 by penelopemiller featuring a blue hat
Our first outfit is a total Blair Waldorf-goes-to-the-races look: it’s the Upper East Side goes to Belmont, and it looks much more expensive than it actually is. The little black dress at the center of the look is $30 from Top Shop. I paired it with a fabulous two-tone hat from Amazon at $30 and then accessorized the ensemble with a $45 GUESS? necklace, a $20 Style & Co. watch and a really cool sea urchin bag for $20 from Target. Throw on a comfortable yet stylish pair of espadrille wedges for $27 from Daily Look, a killer pair of oversize black sunglasses from Body Central for $4.98 plus the perfect Big Apple red nail polish from Crabtree and Evelyn for $6 and you have a complete sophisticated look for just $152.98. Not bad!

14Belmont02 by penelopemiller featuring a red knee length skirt
I’m really in love with the look above (as in, I need that skirt and those shoes in my life. Desperately, I need them.) The focal point of the outfit is the eye-catching graphic pencil skirt, which is $44 from Miss Selfridge. I opted to have the shoes mimic the subtle tomato-colored detail at the bottom of the skirt (mostly because I choose to leave pink pumps to Barbie) and the ones I found ($41, Arden B.) have a rad zipper detail that’s in line with the skirt’s modern feel. The shawl-necked blazer is $20 from Body Central, and I opted to pair it with a simple black tank from Uniqlo for $13. Add a wonderful pair of drop earrings from Kate Spade for $48, a $23 scalloped clutch from ASOS and a black fascinator ($45, Amazon) and you’re Belmont Stakes ready for $234 for the complete look.

14Belmont03 by penelopemiller featuring a chain crossbody purse
If your look is more East Village and less East Hampton, you can still bring edge to the track while looking totally race-day appropriate. When I found these $42 Steve Madden oxfords, I knew I had to work them into a look. How perfect are they with this $47 John Zack dress? I added some stacked silver rings ($11) from Nasty Gal that kind of look like knuckle dusters, plus a black-and-silver cross-body bag for $15 from Payless. Add some hoop earrings for $30 from Overstock and a SCALA fedora for $32 and you’re off to the races for  $177.

14Belmont04 by penelopemiller featuring gold jewelry
If you’re read my other affordable fashion blogs, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of maxi dresses; if you’ve read my Triple Crown Diaries, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of California Chrome. So I decided to combine my two obsessions and incorporate the colors of California Chrome’s silks into a wearable look for the Belmont. The royal purple maxi dress is $30 from Target, and $6.59 will get you the green fascinator from Amazon. I love to wear flats at the track since I wander all over the place, and I love these gladiator sandals for $35 from Express. Add to the boho look with lots of layered jewelry: I picked a set of bangles from Wet Seal for $8.50 and some necklaces from Forever21 for $8.80. (LOVE the coins.) Finish it all off with a cute green $20 cross-body bag from Forever21 and you have the complete look for just $108.89.

14Belmont05 by penelopemiller featuring ASOS
Our final look is a flirty but sophisticated take on florals. I love the 6KS dress because it incorporates an unusual but still delicate color scheme (plus, it’s only $25!) Add a bright pair of espadrilles from Mod Deals for $10, a $40 indigo bag from DSW, a chunky gold-tone watch from ASOS for $42, a $38 fascinator from Nordstrom, plus a great pair of button studs at $20 from Express. The finishing touch is a $16 pair of gold aviators from Aerie and you have a complete look for $191! Now take all of that money you saved on clothes and buy yourself a cocktail and make a bet. You’ve earned it!