13 Items Under $50 to Up Your Travel Style Game
Looking for little ways to up your travel style? As someone who travels and takes photos of herself for living, I like to think I can offer some insight!
Now when I sat down to write this post, I was trying to think of how to frame it, and I realized I had a lot of smaller pieces that I wear over and over again. As someone who is not a stranger to spending a lot of money on pieces I will be buried in, I have to say a lot of my hero pieces are extremely inexpensive. And not just because I found them buried in a Goodwill!
Below are some of my tried and true pieces. Besides #2, all items are more suggestions than specific brands/products. This way you can adapt to your travel style not just what I think is stylish!
13 Items Under $50 to Up Your Style Travel Game
1. A classic hair scarf in neutral colors
When it doubt – grab a silky hair scarf and tie it up into your hair! I think they add such a fun dimension to a simple pony tail or half-up, half-down look. And in photos they pop nicely when you’re trying to get that from-behind shot.
I have them in many colors but if you only buy one, get one in more neutral colors like black or white. This way it’ll go with more outfits. My go-to is one I picked up in a rush at UNIQLO in Vietnam, and it’s come with me on almost every trip.
As an added bonus – a black hair scarf can also double as a bib without looking totally ridiculous. I spill easily, and this scarf has saved me more times than I can count.
SHOP SIMILAR BELOW
2. Innisfree blur primer
You know what’s not stylish? That sheen of sweat when you’ve been walking around or outside for a few hours. You know the one. You take a photo or video, and it looks like your forehead’s reflection could blind a pilot from above midflight.
I’ve always been self-conscious of this, and let me tell you summers in Korea are brutal. It doesn’t help that Koreans don’t really sweat, so it’s just you who looks like a withering mess. The one product I have found to be absolutely perfect in combatting this is the Innisfree blur primer. If there are other, similar products I haven’t tried them because I just stock up on this every chance I get.
You know you’ve used a product for a long time when you’ve seen it go through at least two different branding changes! Not only does this primer work in smoothing out my forehead and preventing shine, it’s light as a feather. I hate wearing foundation for longer than a few hours, and I forget I have it on most of the time.
3. A pair of hoop earrings
There is nothing more that I love than a classic pair of gold hoop earrings (or silver if you prefer silver!). I wear mine for pretty much everything including running. They just add a little extra oomf when I feel like a bit blah.
Now, if you know you like gold hoops and want to wear them as often I as do – I highly recommend investing in a solid gold pair. The ones I currently wear are a gift from my mom, and I’ll probably die in them decades from now.
However, before she gifted me those hoops, I wore pretty inexpensive hoops from my friend’s sister’s brand, Unsalted Honey. Mine are an older pair and they still look pretty great. Her newer iterations are designed to be tarnish free, so they’ll have even better longevity than mine.
For those of you on a really low budget, you can even get sets of gold-ish hoops at Target for like under $10. That’s what I did when I first started wearing earrings again. Are those the best quality? Not at all. But if you’re careful with them, they’ll last quite a while before beginning to tarnish. (The ones in the photo to the left are definitely my Target pair!)
4. A classic pair of black sunglasses
Here’s the thing with sunglasses. Nothing will date your photos faster than wearing trendy styles. Just think of what everyone was wearing in the nineties, early 2000s, and even the wayfarer craze of the 2010s. Even those tiny, useless sunglasses are dated, and it’s been like two years!
However, if you get a pair of simple sunglasses that suit your face, they really won’t ever go out of style. The key is “suit your face” and “simple.” AKA just a basic black pair. And yes, there are tons of fancy sunglass brands that go for hundreds of dollars, but at the end of the day, the pair that suits me the most is $9.99 on Amazon. (Seriously, I’ve tried so many, and I come back to these). The only reason I have to re-order them is if I’ve broken them. And they’ve only broken because I tossed them into a bag with a bunch of crap or I sat on them.
I try as hard as possible NOT to buy from Amazon, so you know I really love these if I’m recommending them! If you have a big head and bigger face, these are my go-to sunnies. However, don’t just buy these because I like them – try on different styles and figure out your face shape!
5. A really good lipstick
Never underestimate the power of a really good lipstick – especially a red one. Every time I don’t wear some kind of lipstick or stain, I regret it later looking at photos! Even if you’re just sightseeing around Europe and wearing sneakers and jeans, I think a red lip can go a long way. And if not a red lip, something neutral that’ll help make your lips pop a little more than their natural color. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. I sometimes have corpse lips in photos!
There are a lot of tricks and recommendations that go into finding the perfect red lip, and I feel like I’m slowly trying every brand under the sun. Right now I would say my favorite brand is Lisa Eldridge, specifically her Velvet Dragon (more orangey red) or Velvet Ribbon (a true classic red).
I prefer her lipsticks because they’re not drying and they come off easily when I start eating, so I’m not sitting there with patchy color. I find that liquid lipsticks are drier. Plus they can still get all crumbly while eating and are impossible to scrub off in the moment. (However I do go to Maybelline in Pioneer or Chanel in Daring Red when I want something to last and I know I’m not eating!)
6. A Simple Statement necklace
Even older than my love for gold hoops is my love for a simple, gold pendant necklace. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always loved having one staple necklace that I just wear with everything whether it be with a silk dress at a wedding, a cute outfit walking around sightseeing, or even with a crewneck sweatshirt at a sports game. Back in the day it was a pearl necklace and then a peace sign necklace!
Since at least 2019, I’ve loved wearing a solid gold coin necklace. Admittedly, it first came onto my radar because everyone kept saying it was the “must-have French girl necklace.” And while we know that’s silly, all the example images stuck with me, so I knew I had to give it a go. And now I’m going on five years and still grabbing for the same style of necklace, so it’s definitely considered a classic for me.
I’ve personally been wearing a coin style from 31 Bits, and I only had to replace it once because it is gold plated and eventually tarnished pretty bad. Keep in mind, though, mine only looked bad enough to replace after 2 years and most of that time it was on bare, sweaty, sun screened skin thanks to the Vietnamese sun. My current one still looks great and it’s been about 18 months.
I say pick some sort of style that stands out just enough it adds a little pop in photos but will still go with 99% of what you want to wear.
7. A gorgeous red nail polish
Or any color that you think matches your style the most. For me that’s red! (Can you tell red is my favorite color?) I just like the little pop of color versus something super neutral or even bare nails. And yes, I do travel with red nail polish to do touch-ups. I prefer painting my own nails because they grow so quickly. If I pay to for gel nails, I’ll get them with the half moon style so it’s less noticeable when they begin to grow out.
As far as recommendations, I would say either OPI Big Apple Red or Revlon Red. The key to them lasting longer, though, is to use Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri Top Coat. My college roommate was a polish fiend who couldn’t stand a single chip in her nails, and she swore by this stuff.
8. A Well-Fitted, Wired Bra
A few winters ago I got really into wearing more fitted tops and subsequently started noticing how truly terrible my bras were. I personally hate wearing bras, so in warmer months I wear tops and dresses that don’t require bra support but in the winter that’s a lot harder to do. My cheap, wireless bras were both slightly too small for my boobs but they had no shape whatsoever. I can’t remember what photo of myself I saw but as soon as I did, I went right over to the mall to get fitted.
My friend with bigger boobs than me swore by her strapless WaCoal bra, so I figured not only did they have good strapless options, they probably had nice regular, wired bra options too! And they do. And they’ve made all the difference. I still don’t love wearing bras but they’re definitely the most comfortable wired bras I’ve worn in my life.
Now they can go up more to $68-80, so it really depends on what color and style you buy for the bra to come in under $50. I will say, if you can be patient, keep an eye on their sales and you’re almost guaranteed to get a really great deal.
Whether you do Wacoal or not, do get fitted somewhere, anywhere before you buy. Even more than the brand, this will be a game changer. And, unfortunately for us with bigger bossoms, a wired bra really does look a lot better under fitted clothing than a wireless one.
9. A stiff, oversized button down shirt
While you could easily spend a pretty penny on a 100% poplin cotton button down, I will say you can also get a quality one for under $50 easily. The blue and white one above is from H&M and while I don’t love recommending them, they were one of my only options while living in Korea and Vietnam.
Wherever you buy, make sure you feel the fabric and know it’s 100% cotton. Think dress shirt material that a guy would wear under his suit at a wedding. Honestly, check out the men’s section if you’re not having luck! Either get it oversized or go up a size so it sits oversized because you want it to feel breezy, not fitted.
There are so many ways to style a button down, I don’t need to go into it all here. Whether you tuck it in to some jeans, throw it over a dress or swim suit, or do a little tie like I did above – it’s so easy to make them stylish. Plus – sometimes you might just get away with not needing a bra!
10. A really good tote bag
Listen, you know what bag is going to help you “blend in”? A tote bag. While I have my fair share of nice bags, unless I plan on going somewhere fancy, I’m inevitably reaching for a nice, simple tote bag. Not only are they durable and practical, they’ll fly under the radar for any potential pick pocketer, and they’re cute! Really, no matter what “aesthetic,” you’re drawn to, there’s at least ten million inexpensive tote bags that’ll match.
I have an embarrassingly large collection from various bookstores and boutiques, so I go between a bunch of them. The ultimate classic, though, is the LL Bean boat tote! Get the medium zip top for extra protection and get something fun monogrammed instead of just your name or initials. I got dreamer on mine lol.
And bonus? Not only does the medium zip come under $50, it’s made in Maine and the maker’s name is on a little card that comes with your tote. Of all canvas totes, it’s the most durable and was originally designed to help people carry ice from their car to an ice chest!
11. A simple black skirt
The little black dress is one thing but the little black skirt is even more versatile. Or, you know, the long black skirt! Whatever floats your boat, a simple black skirt can be styled a million ways and last forever – especially in the face of potential stains. Most stylish, quality black dresses are definitely going to be over $50, but you can very easily find quality black skirts for under $50.
Mine is old from Mango, and I just don’t see it falling apart for years if ever. (This can absolutely NOT be said for most Mang products, so shop with caution). Depending on what kind of skirt you’re looking for, look at the material. Like my skirt is polyester but it’s thick, so it holds its shape well and won’t show all the fabric bumps if I want to tuck a shirt or thin sweater into it.
12. A good black belt
This is another buy that will really work well and last forever. Get any simple black belt and use to change up the shape of dresses or give a pants outfit a little extra oomf. For example – those pants on the left are made of sweatpants material. While the belt that comes with is nice, I feel like a black leather(ish) belt helps dress them up even more.
Honestly, you don’t need to splurge on an expensive belt either. I bought mine at H&M when I was in Vietnam and losing weight and all my shorts kept falling. It’s a belt – how often in your life have you heard of a belt breaking? You could even probably walk into any thrift store right now and get one that fits for less than $15!
13. A good pair of insoles
From the top of your head to the very bottom of your feet – the final thing I want to recommend to up your travel style game is a good pair of insoles. My favorite for every day are the Fulton insoles. They come in under $50 and have made all my sneakers significantly more comfortable. (If you have Converse – these will be game changers).
Literally nothing is worse than hobbling around with blisters or sore feet half way through a day of sightseeing, and these will go so, so far in protecting your foot health as well as your overall body’s health and posture.
And if you really want to upgrade, look into custom insoles through a podiatrist or even a running store. It gets a lot pricer though!
And there you have it – simple items that’ll help up your travel style game. Honestly, you probably have most of these in your closet already! Any you’d add? Let me know below!
For more travel style posts, read these next:
- 9 Stylish White Sneakers for Women
- 68 Travel Essentials for Women
- The Airplane Skincare Tips I Swear By
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