It’s easy to assume that to dress expensive, you have to buy expensive things. Truth is, to look chic and elevated on the daily doesn’t necessarily mean you have to break the bank. Whether you’re shopping secondhand and vintage or shopping on a budget, you can make any outfit look extra luxe with a few easy styling tips. From shopping for certain fabrics to dressing all monochrome, keep on reading for tips on easy ways to make your outfit look “expensive”.

Above wearing: Strathberry Bag, Boyish Jeans, Reformation Top , Birdies shoes

CHECK THE FABRIC

One of the most important things to consider when shopping to “look expensive” is the fabric. You want to avoid fabrics that won’t hold up after one wash or that don’t make you look and feel your best. Ideally, you want the item to be made mostly from natural fibers (ie. cotton, linen) rather than synthetic fibers (ie. polyester, viscose). Always check the label or read the online description! The fabric can 100% make or break any piece.

DITCH THE WRINKLES

Nothing ruins an outfit like wearing it wrinkled. It’s always so frustrating to see photos of people wearing their clothes wrinkled. Wrinkles can easily make an outfit look cheap and worse– like you were too lazy to do anything about it. A good steamer is an absolute must for looking polished and put together. This is one of my favorites from Amazon and is great for traveling.

GET IT TAILORED

You know that feeling when you buy something expensive and you justify it because the “fit is perfect” or “they’re so comfortable?” Well, when you buy affordable fashion, chances are your item isn’t going to fit perfectly. Take those so-so fitting pieces to the tailor and have them fitted to your body. When the fit is right, your whole look will be elevated.

 GO MONOCHROME

Ah, the power of monochrome. Dressing head to toe in one color is always chic, always in style and always feels luxe. Dressing monochrome takes a little bit of extra effort and trust me, people will definitely notice. Stick to tones in the same color family and your whole look will feel more deliberate and thought out. Right now I’m loving all white and all neutral!

ADD A BELT

There’s something about throwing on a belt that makes an outfit look way more put together. Whether you’re adding a gold chain to a silky dress or cinching an oversized blazer, a belt instantly adds sophistication and feels expensive. What I love about belts is that you can find amazing vintage ones or secondhand designer ones at vintage stores or on sites like The Real Real.

INVEST IN STATEMENT PIECES

The easiest way to make a basic outfit look instantly more high end and elevated? An investment statement piece. Whether it’s the cloud bag from Bottega or a trending pair of designer heels, you can literally make any outfit look expensive with a statement accessory. Bags are probably my favorite accessory to invest in because they last forever. Some designers that are always great to invest in are Chanel, Saint Laurent, Dior, and Gucci. For more affordable designer brands that look super expensive, I like Staud, Rebecca Minkoff, Polene Paris, and Strathberry. Linked some cute ones below!

OTHER STYLING TIPS

I could probably list 10 more tips I swear by for making an outfit look expensive, but I’ll spare you guys and just share a few more key ones.

Add gold jewelry: Jewelry is one of the easiest ways to elevate your outfit. You can find tons of great quality gold jewelry without spending a ton at Jewelry marts, farmer’s markets, vintage stores and online (check out @child_of_wild, and @jessicamrocks). See all my favorite everyday jewelry in this post here.

Add a blazer: There’s a reason there’s always a blazer on every runway. It’s classic, sophisticated and always versatile.  You can pretty much add a blazer to any outfit and your look will be that much cooler.

Tuck it: Full tuck, french tuck, half front tuck– it’s a little something extra to make any collared shirt, t-shirt or chunky sweater look chicer!

Hope you use these tips! Thanks for stopping by and reading!

xx Francesca