How to Get a Head to Toe Outfit for Under $100

I love getting new clothing, but I freakin’ hate shopping. Daniel gets consistently annoyed by how I walk through a store picking up items, then I get excited by them, try them on, get excited again, look at the price tag, head over to the cash register, look at the tag one more time, stop for a minute and then turn right back around and return them to the rack. Like clockwork, every single time. I can literally feel his eyes rolling back as I write this.

Listen, I remember the days when buying clothing was actually affordable (says the little old lady that lives inside of me, apparently). I feel like my brain is stuck on the idea that I can get a whole outfit for a reasonable price. And then, when I walk into a store or a mall, I leave spending at least double or triple what I thought I would… if not more. So, when Dixie Outlet Mall tasked me and Daniel with the challenge of finding head to outfits for under $100, we immediately accepted. Mostly because it sounded like a ridiculous challenge.

Catherine – “Head to toe?”

Dixie – “Yep.”

Daniel – “Like even shoes?”

Dixie – “Heck, yes.”

Cue hysterical laughter from both Daniel and Catherine.

Dixie – “Oh you’re laughing now. But you just wait and see.”

For the record, this whole dialogue 100% happened in my head. Malls don’t talk, but you knew that already, smarty pants. So, where am I going with this? If you can’t tell yet, Daniel and I were clearly proven wrong. Within minutes of arriving at the Dixie Outlet Mall, Daniel had already purchased two shirts from Bluenotes at 2 for $30 and a pair of Puma shoes (originally $200 on sale for $40) without spending the whole amount. Minutes, folks. Oh, but how did I do? Well, my journey was a little more complicated, as expected.

You see, within an hour, I had already done my typical routine several times (see first paragraph), but not because of the price. This was all due to my inherent and seemingly never ending indecisiveness. So, we took a break because I was starting to get hungry. But, then again, I’m always hungry. We made our way to the food court, where we were spoiled with selection.

After some much needed fuel, we decided to explore and clear our heads so we could get ready to truly tackle this challenge, head on. Now, what you may not realize is that this mall is a bit different from many others out there. For one, it’s Canada’s largest enclosed outlet mall. A quick 20 minutes from downtown Toronto, you can find a large selection of different stores at fantastic prices. 

Another reason why it’s so unique is something called The Living Room. With the motto, “Free to play. Free to teach. Free to use.”, this multipurpose space lends itself to many different functions including meetings, workshops, photoshoots and so much more! But the best part is detailed in the motto above – it’s available at no cost whatsoever. Equipped with wifi, chairs, tables and moveable wall dividers, this is a creative person’s dream come true. And it’s available 7 days a week! 

After feeling refreshed, fed and distracted, we got right back into the swing of things in order to find me an outfit. With so many choices and such great prices, it was just a matter of narrowing down exactly what I wanted to get for under $100. I ended up spending a long time in likely the largest Urban Planet that I have ever seen in my life, where I was able to find two tops, one originally priced at $20, on sale for $5 and the other originally priced at $40 on sale for $15! I also found a pair of jeans, which were priced at $60 on sale for $30.

After a bit more exploring at the many different types of stores, we finished off at Boathouse, where Daniel and I completed our outfits. Daniel scored a pair of shorts for under $30 and I scooped up a pair of wedge sandals originally priced at $100 on sale for $30. Neither of us spent more than our $100 and we left with head to toe outfits, including shoes. We were absolutely floored by the crazy sales in this mall! You win this time, Dixie Outlet Mall, you win.