I often like to joke that I’ve got champagne taste on a beer budget. Where I can, I love to invest a bit more in my wardrobe; timeless, quality staples are the backbone of my style. But when I can’t make my budget stretch to afford the luxe option, I look to the high street in search for quality staples that won’t break the bank. So today I thought I would share some tips on how to look expensive on a budget, and how I tackle the high street to come away with items that I’ll cherish for years.
Wearing Madewell white shirt (also here), Princess Polly shorts (similar here), Sometimes bucket bag (luxe alternative here), Jane Debster slides, Pandora bracelet, au|rate earrings, Mejuri necklace
Great style comes at every price, but before I dive into things, I do want to note that I think it’s always worth saving up a little extra to invest in a more sustainable brand where you can. Every budget is different so this might not be feasible for some, and the great news is that it’s easy enough to find luxe-looking pieces on the high street, made from natural fibres, too.
More expensive isn’t always better quality
I learnt this one the hard way, and it’s the one shopping rule that has really stuck with me over the years. It was eight years ago, when I was first starting to really downsize my wardrobe, that I decided to make a point of saving up and getting a little spendy on wardrobe classics. From t-shirts to blazers, I was after the perfect one, and the more expensive, the better the quality, right? Wrong. I ended up spending more than $100 on a simple pocket tee, only to have it stretch out and bobble in the wash within a month of purchasing it.
Quality comes at every price, you just have to be conscious of how to find it. Pay attention to fabric composition, the hand feel of the material, the way the seams are stitched and the actual cut of the item. These simple observations can be just the trick to finding a high quality item that is a fraction of the cost of it’s designer ‘peers’.
Neutral tones
My next tip is to build your outfits around neutrals. This is such a classic and timeless way of dressing, and it can make your outfit look a lot more luxurious than it actually was. The best part is, neutrals seem to be a huge trend for the season ahead, so you won’t be short of options on the high street.
Invest in a good tailor
Regardless of whether I buy something that is from the high street or high end, I always consider the option of getting it tailored if it doesn’t fit me quite right. An item with a high price tag that is ill fitting is going to look cheap on you despite the cost, whereas an affordable piece that has been altered to fit you perfectly will elevate your outfit and make it look more expensive.
Replace buttons
Perhaps the simplest fix that will make a high street piece look more expensive than it really was is an easy button switch. Plastic buttons can really cheapen the appearance of a piece, so switching these out for a style that is sturdier or has some detail to it will instantly upgrade it and have a more luxe feel.
Stick to simple patterns
One thing that I generally find tends to look a lot more expensive on the high street than it actually is are simple patterns. I like to look for prints that aren’t too busy and that are often spotted on higher end items, like stripes, polka dots, or checks. The logic around this is that bold prints can look dated quite quickly, and only serve to highlight how cheap a piece may look, especially if it has been printed onto a polyester piece. Timeless prints like those I mentioned never go out of style, so they’re a much safer bet in terms of shopping for pieces that will not only look luxe, but also have serious longevity in your closet.
Shop around for expensive fabrics
Whether I’m shopping on the high street or browsing my favourite contemporary designers, I have one common goal: to purchase items that are primarily made from natural fibres. Heavyweight cotton, linen, silk, wool or boucle fabrics look luxurious, and often you can find those materials on the high street for a fraction of the price of their designer counterparts.
Classic tailoring
One of the things that I think the high street does really well is classic tailoring and coincidentally, some of my favourite tailored pieces have fallen on the more affordable end of the spectrum. Again, I like to use a lot of the tips I’ve mentioned above. Fit is everything, so I’ll get trousers tailored so they cut off at the perfect length, and I pay close attention to how something drapes or falls when worn.
In terms of colour palette, you generally can’t go wrong with dark colours, and by their very nature I find that they tend to look more expensive than a bright colourful option – especially if it’s made from a synthetic material. One of my favourite high street finds has to be these trousers from Uniqlo. Not only are they incredibly comfortable, but the cut is simple and despite being made from synthetic materials, they have the same appearance as a wool trouser.
Look to the runway
My final tip to make your outfit look more expensive is to look to the runway. You can get some great ideas about how to style your outfit, what silhouettes are going to be big for the season ahead, plus what colours or fabrics you might like to invest in. Some simple styling tricks can seriously make all the difference, and make it look like your affordable outfit is something stepped right off the runway.
This can also be a way to get a sense of which designer styles might be big for the season ahead, so that you look for affordable dupes that will give you the look for less. Case in point? My Jane Debster slide sandals that I’m wearing above which are a dead ringer for the Saint Laurent Nu Pieds slides which have been everywhere for the last 6-12 months.
