Dress: Similar | Duster: Similar | Booties: Similar (under $30) | Purse: Similar | Necklace: Charming Charlie

Photography by: Banavenue

Hi friends! Last week I shared with you all a little bit about how the blog started and where the blog name came from. I love sharing fashion on a budget, but unfortunately sometimes that comes at an inconvenience when it comes to blogging because I am not always able to provide links to my exact outfits. I’ve had several people question that I (along with other fashion bloggers) have been linking “similar” options instead of what we are actually wearing. So today I thought would be the perfect time to share a few reasons why this might happen since I was not able to link the exact items for almost my entire outfit.

First and foremost I do want to establish that yes, that this is one of our jobs as fashion bloggers to provide outfit links for those interested in purchasing the outfit. You come check out a blog post, love a certain article of clothing that I am wearing, and want to know right then and there how you can buy it. 9 out of 10 times that exact piece will be linked and you can just click on the link to take you to where you can buy it! Pretty neat-o right?

But that 1 out of 10 chance that you do not see the exact piece of clothing linked but instead see something similar, you might wonder “Now why did she do that?” Before you get your panties in a twist let me give you a few reasons on why this might happen.

1.The item might be old– Just like you, I recycle my clothes and like to get as much use out of them as possible. Unfortunately most clothes are only available online for a certain amount of time before they run their course. Another problem with being a fashionista on a budget is that I haunt sales and discount stores. By the time an item is on sale in the store, there is a good chance that it is no longer available online. Win for me, lose for blogging.

2. The item might be sold out– Online shopping is a wonderful gift but just like stores can sell out of a certain size or item altogether, so do online shops. If we (fashion bloggers) get lucky, the shop will restock the item but this is not always the case. If I ever have an article of clothing that becomes available again, I will always try to let you know!

3. The brand might not be a part of Reward Style (or some other affiliate program)- While a brand does not have to be a part of Reward Style for me to link to them on the blog, they do have to be for Liketoknow.it (this is their Instagram link-up feature). If you are someone that mostly gets your outfit inspiration from my Instagram and receives Liketoknow.it emails, than this is an issue for you. The good news is, is that there is now a feature on the blog that lets you shop my Instagrams without being signed up for Instagram or Liketoknow.it (you can get to it here). If you do not know what Reward Style is, it is a third party that connects bloggers and brands. This is a service that allows me to link up each article of clothing that I am wearing. Brands have to go through a registration process in order to participate. Most large brands are a part of Reward Style but many small brands and boutiques are not. Also outlet or discount stores, such as Marshalls are not a part of Reward Style.

There could be many other reasons why an exact article of clothing is not linked. I just wanted to let you know that there is always a reason behind a “similar” item being linked. It’s annoying for all of us I can assure you. It requires more time for me to search for similar options. Believe me, if the item was available online from the store I bought it at, it would make my life 100 times easier and you a lot less frustrated!

While it can be frustrating to not find the exact piece that you were looking for, providing similar items it is a way to still be able to recreate my look. My hope is that the majority of my outfits that I post spark inspiration for what might already be in your closet or similar pieces that you might already own. On the off chance that you want to recreate the look and do not have the means to do it, than that is where my handy dandy links come in! As a side note- you can always find these links right under the last picture of the blog post as well as the small pictures below my signature at the very end of my post. All of these are clickable links that will take you directly to the item that you are wanting to buy!

Sorry for the long post, but I did want you to know that I am not linking similar items because I am lazy or can’t find them, it’s because that item really isn’t online! Thank you for understanding and following along!