How To Dress Expensively When You’re Broke!

Hello there!

Recently, I was having a huge clean-out of my room and saw lots of clothes that I haven’t worn in months, that looked amazing now but I thought looked bad when I was given/bought them. I also realised that I had many cheap pieces from fast-fashion shops that looked like they costed a lot more than they did. So here I present some tips to help your outfit look expensive when it’s really not.

1. How Your Clothing Fits You:

The fit of your clothing is really important as it can make your body look like Kylie Jenner’s or a frumpy grandma’s. Choosing something that doesn’t compliment your body shape or type can be fatal as to how your outfit comes across to others.

If you’re wearing a suit, don’t wear a suit that doesn’t compliment your figure. Whether you’re a man or a woman, boy or girl, if a suit fits you incorrectly, it looks terrible. If you have an ‘inverted triangle’ figure I suggest wearing a jacket that flares out or expands at the end, making your shoulders appear in line with your waist. If you have a ‘square’ or ‘straight’ body shape then I suggest wearing a suit that comes in at the waist and flares or expands at the end, making your waist appear smaller. If you have a ‘regular triangle’ shaped body then I suggest a jacket with wide shoulders and that comes in at the waist, making your shoulders appear wider. These are only a few suggestions as there are many body types. I would suggest trying on many different shaped jackets to see what looks good on you and what compliments your figure.

2. Accessories

Wearing the correct accessories can say a lot about an outfit. If you were to wear the wrong style sunglasses or too many necklaces, or anything like that, it could ruin an outfit. It’s the details that really count.

Sunglasses can add a pop of colour and flair to a look. Wearing the wrong pair can destroy a good outfit. If you’re wearing a ‘trendy’ outfit, wearing some 1980’s glasses would suit it. Similarly, if you’re wearing a smart suit, wearing bright rainbow aviators isn’t going to make your outfit look professional or expensive. Wearing sunglasses that are one colour, and sleek are the best at achieving the ‘luxury’ look. I’ve seen multiple designer brands release sunglasses that look cheap or flimsy, even though they cost hundreds of pounds. I would look at outfits from people such as: Alisha Marie, Kim Kardashian and LaurDIY for some inspiration and guide as to how to wear sunglasses. Now, their sunglasses may be out of your price range but there are many cheaper options and copies available. Fast-fashion retailers keep up with the trends and I’m sure you will be able to find sunglasses that are copies or very similar to the more expensive ones.

Jewellery can improve an outfit greatly. Layering necklaces can make an outfit look chic. Wearing 3 or 4 different lengths of necklaces can really pull an outfit together. But, wearing different colour necklaces can be disgusting. I would suggest to not wear silver & gold together often as they are contrasting colours and will clash and bring too much attention to your neck. If you are deciding to wear silver & gold together, make sure that they are the ‘statement’ pieces of your outfit and the rest of the outfit is simple. Jewellery can also add colour to an outfit. If you’re wearing a minimalistic outfit, wearing bold or thick necklace(s) can help you to stand out and look different in contrast with others.

3. Colours

The colours of your clothes can be the decider between cheap and expensive. If you wear lots of bright colours, that’s not a bad thing, it depends on how you wear them. Wearing a full neon-yellow outfit could look cheap if worn incorrectly. As neon-yellow is such a bold colour, you shouldn’t wear huge jackets or large pieces as it may appear ‘too loud’, unless that is the look you’re going for.

Being minimalistic can make any outfit look very expensive. Here are a few outfits that look very expensive due to their minimalistic colours. (What I mean by ‘minimalistic’ is to have neutral or one/two colours in the outfit)

Rihanna wearing Louis Vuitton for Virgil Abloh’s SS19 Fashion Show

Alisha Marie in her ‘Styling Sweatpants video’

Here’s the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoTQUtk596M

An image from Vogue

Here’s the website link: www.vogue.com

So, as you can see, in these three images the outfits all have neutral and few colours. In Rihanna’s case, her outfit is Louis Vuitton but if you didn’t know that you could still say that it looks expensive. Now, some of you may still be confused as to what I mean by ‘neutral’ tones so here is an image to help you.

Here are all of the colours that classify as ‘neutral’ in the fashion world. These vary in every business, for example, interior design, but most of these classify as ‘neutral’ in most professions.

So, there you are. Those are just a few tips to help your outfit to look expensive and chic. I hope that these help you in your quest to be better dressed!

Petrus