10 Affordable Ways to Upgrade Your Back to School Style

The summer is winding down, and it only means one thing: It's time for back to school. Whether you were the most stylish dude at your respective place of education, or you're looking to step your swagger up a notch or two, holding down the crown of jiggiest dude on campus is a tough one. When you've gotta buy your own textbooks and learn how to budget, saving money is especially key, unless you want to eat ramen all year long.

Good thing dressing your best doesn't always mean spending the most cash. In fact, if you cut back on the right things, buy quality pieces, and focus on what's most important to your personal style, you'll still look dope, but actually have money to party. Think of it as a cheat code to obtaining cool. That's why we're looking out for your pockets as well as your reputation this school year. Since you're already trying to get back in the learning mindset, start studying up on these 10 Affordable Ways to Upgrade Your Style for Back to School.

RELATED: The 25 Most Stylish Items Under $25
RELATED: 10 Ways to Be Broke and Stylish
RELATED: 10 Ways to Be Stylish and Save Money

Accessories are often an after-thought when getting dressed everyday. That's OK. Not everyone wakes up and first thinks, "I'm going to kill it in these socks today." But if you're on a budget, this is one of the easiest ways to make your otherwise low-key wardrobe standout.

A $10 pair of socks, a $2 bandanna, or an $18 speckled tee are all ways to amp-up your stylish ways and ensure that you differentiate yourself from everyone else at your school. Remember though—when it comes to small items that pop, less is always more.

Nothing says you know your fashion and have a good sense of humor like a good flip on a designer's name or brand. Whether it's T-shirt, snapback, or sweatshirt, your favorite pieces that poke fun at the garments people drop stacks on come at prices everyone can afford.

Brands such as LPD and COI have are known for tees that let you rep high fashion designers like sports teams, or humorous flips on name brands to reflect street culture. They show that you know your stuff, even if you're still saving up for a $600 Givenchy tee.

Everyone should have at least one big-ticket item in their closet. But if you spend that money wisely, you'll be saving cash in the long run. However, the priciest thing you own shouldn't be a flashy piece that you've seen all over Tumblr. You won't even want it in a few months.

Your focus should be on getting something like a great jacket can be worn four or five months out of the year, and that you won't get sick of come next year. And when it comes to school style, there's nothing cooler than a varsity jacket. Even if you don't play sports, you can pick up one from a variety of brands. In fact, you can wear a $10 oxford shirt and $12 chinos with your letterman, and no one will even notice. In the long run, that's money saved.

Every school year, people get the tendency to completely re-haul their wardrobes. That's entirely unnecessary. Not only will it run you into debt (unless you've got it like that), but you'll also be neglecting pieces that are just getting ripe.

The oxford shirt and chinos that you bought last year are just starting to get good—same with chambray and pair of cap-toe hard-bottom shoes. Think of the beginning of each school year as a chance to build on your pre-exisiting wardrobe, not the time to completely alter your identity.

The basics are the most important parts of every guy's wardrobe. If the most simple things aren't right, then it's hard to be considered stylish. Luckily, there are plenty of brands that make great T-shirts, oxford shirts, chinos, and more at reasonable prices.

Take Uniqlo for instance—you can buy cool tees and button-down shirts from the retailer, and can put together a complete outfit for under a $100 with some dough to spare. Just remember, any dude worth his salt in the style world can stunt in a T-shirt and jeans, and if they can't—you need to move onto new sartorial heroes.

If you go to a high school or university, no one is going to question you for displaying school spirit by wearing a T-shirt or sweatshirt. Plus, simple collegiate designs are rad. You can grab an array of options at your local campus bookstore, and you can wear the item year-round. Don't go overboard and dress in your school's gear from head-to-toe. But a clean piece of clothing with your school's name across the chest is always a good look.

Better yet, if you're in an incoming freshman, you'll have the piece for four years. Just one piece of advice: Stay away from the overly-branded and technical logos, they won't be cool in two years ever.

Thrift stores are well known as a trove for resonably-priced clothes that are made to the standards of yesteryear's clothing. Unfortunately, everything fit all wacky back then, and a true slim-fit is hard to stumble by. Don't fret, with a quick trip to the tailor, almost any piece of clothing that you purchase for $4 can soon become the most worn item in your closet.

Your strategy should be to find the original inspiration for today's #menswear scene, and have your trustworthy tailor transform them into something that gets mistaken for the latest heritage brand to make a resurgence. You'll make your friends jealous, and they'll never know where you got that hard-to-find Pendleton shirt.

There's plenty of great denim out there, and a lot of it will cost you an arm and a leg, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you're looking to buy a pair of raw denim, you can invest in a pair that will cost you $300-400, and progress beautifully over the years. Which, when you think about it, is a low cost per wear. However, there are great options out there, too, that will easily become your favorite pair of jeans.

When it comes to denim cuts, there's nothing more classic than the Levi's 501: It's straight-legged and just as cool when Marlon Brando or '80s B-boys wore them. You can still buy them this raw and as stiff as ever, and they'll only cost you $52. Wear them everyday, and wash them as much as you want. By the end of the year, you'll have a pair of summer-ready, well-worn jeans.

It's great to have statement sneakers that can be worn once or twice a year; effectively shutting the scene down every time they're broke out. But that's not the best way to spend your back to school funds. Remember, sneakers shouldn't be the main discussion in your 'fit. They should complement everything that you're wearing.

Classic sneakers such as Vans Authentics, Nike Dunks, and New Balance 574s always look better with more wear. You can also purchase all three styles for under $75. Not only will you be saving money, you'll also be bypassing the annoyance and difficulties of purchasing hyped sneakers that everyone else is going to be wearing anyways.