Rachel Bilson has an enviable sense of style. Despite her diminutive height, she managed to outshine the taller and more well-known Mischa Barton at every turn during The OC days. Rachel’s made dressing for her body into a work of art–nearly every photo of her belies the fact that she barely caps 5′1”-and-a-half. Proportion, style and a bit of quirkiness thrown in for good measure seem to be her trademarks, and those are definitely admirable trademarks for any amateur fashionista to follow.

I’ve taken three of Rachel’s distinctive looks and come up with affordable, look-a-like pieces you can buy and wear without maxing out multiple credit cards.

The LBD (”little black dress”) is something that every woman—no matter what she tells you—has at her disposal, awaiting a chubby day, a bad day, a rainy day or the ever-popular, “I’ve got nothing to wear day,” which is exceedingly common in my own home.

A LBD can be elegant, but can also translate just as fast to plain-old boring. How many times have you put on a black dress and added accessories or sweaters or switched up your handbag to try (try so hard!) to look different?

The best mode of action, as Rachel displays effortlessly here, is to pair your LBD with flowing hair, minimal jewelry and standout shoes. Yellow, red, purple or perhaps a color-blocked pair of pumps, but whatever you do, don’t wear black shoes with a black dress to any sort of fun party, because really, it’s not a funeral. It’s not.

Copy Rachel’s LBD look with the following (inexpensive) items:

Or, if you want to add a shoe that’s a bit more expensive:

If a LBD really isn’t your thing, nothing will do but a shocking color. Although Vogue and all the rest suggest adding bits of neon to your everyday wardrobe this season, I say to be a bit more cautious and try a color that stops just short of highlighter-esque.

The great thing about a colored dress is that, one, you won’t need to wear much jewelry, and two, your shoes don’t need to be spectacularly amazing, because really, who will be looking at your feet in a dress like Rachel’s? Color also works great because it’s nearly seasonless: pink looks just as great in the winter as it does in the spring, because whereas the former promises of spring-like colors to come, the latter seems a reflection of the current seasonal change. Genius!

Copy Rachel’s look this way:

Or, for the more daring:

And, don’t forget shoes!

Rachel demonstrates below how fashionable, sexy and party-ready does not always have to equal a dress. On the contrary, I believe that there are many party occasions where trousers should be worn in lieu of dresses. In a post-ice/snow storm world, perhaps. Or during the longest and most rainy downpour of the year.

In cases such as that, pants are a fantastic solution. I love how Rachel has mixed up casual pieces with more dressy ones, making this outfit suitable for a date, visit to a museum, art gallery, theatre, restaurant…this outfit could, quite literally, go anywhere. It’s youthful, but not too young, and still elegant enough to get you into the most snobbish of restaurants (provided you flash a lovely smile at the door).

Here are some inexpensive ways to get this outfit right:

The hat is a crucial element:

As are the shoes (please make sure they are at least complimentary to the hat in some fashion):

And to finish it off, wide-leg trousers and a little cashmere cardigan:

Happy shopping!