8 Simple Tips on How to Dress Expensive for Less

1. Accessories

First up, we're going to look at accessories because I think this is an area where many people go wrong. If you want to look classy and elegant, less is definitely more. I would say go minimal on accessories. Don't overload it and wear a whole ton of jewelry at the same time. 

Instead, just choose a few delicate pieces. For example, I'm wearing a timeless, elegant watch in rose gold. Keeping it simple and classic will, in turn, make your outfit look more expensive and elegant.

2. White

The easiest and perhaps most well-known way to look classy and elegant is to wear white. It's the oldest trick in the book, but it still works. I love white, particularly through summer. It makes me feel crisp and clean, and it instantly makes me look more elegant. 

Here, I'm wearing a gorgeous midi dress; it's got embroidery on top of chiffon and then gorgeous satin trims with the belt.

3. Tailoring

Adding a beautifully tailored coat into any outfit suddenly elevates the look so much. I think that it's worth investing in the higher end of the high street when you're thinking about coats. 

The thing to look out for is the cut. You want something quite tailored - then it's going to be timeless, and it's going to be in your wardrobe for years. 

Here, I went for 100% wool, and then we've got lovely, subtle buttons. Always keep an eye out for buttons because that's often where an item can let itself down. If they put cheap buttons on something, it will look cheap. 

4. Dresses

This gorgeous tone of blue instantly looks very elegant and very chic. I often wear this dress by adding a little skinny belt to nip in that waist a tiny bit more. 

The key to dresses is to find the perfect fit for your shape. This dress nips in all the right places and skims over the bits I don't want to highlight.

5. Details

Another trick is to look at the seams of any item you're buying. You can tell an item's quality by its seams. So if they've done a French seam, you know that a little bit more time and effort has gone into it.

 Try to keep your eye out for things that have got a bit more detail. Maybe a bit of embroidery or fabric that happens to drape really beautifully. 

Or maybe they've used a couple of different fabrics, which adds texture, and if you've got a few different textures, it looks more expensive than it actually is.

6. Blazers

I love this blazer in the gorgeous soft pink tone. The fabric has a lovely texture to it and it is beautifully made. It's a simple piece to throw on top of whatever you're wearing and instantly feel like you've elevated your look. 

I would invest in a blazer and spend a little bit more on them than I would on the top underneath because I think that's where it makes a huge difference to the overall look.

7. Handbags

The trick to looking more elegant and classy is to go for a structured handbag rather than anything too slouchy or bohemian. 

You have to be conscious of the material that it's made from: is it going to last, will it keep that shape, or is it going to go slouchy after a year of using it? You want a slightly stiffer kind of fabric or leather so that it's not all going to crease and end up looking like a boho bag when it was once a structured bag.

8. Vintage

Another trick to making your outfit look more expensive is by going vintage. My favorite dress in my whole closet cost me $40 from a vintage store. It’s cream with gold embroidery, and it must have taken forever to sew the pleats around the waistband, but it so paid off. 

I think the details on this are gorgeous. So do keep an eye on your local vintage store; you can sometimes find stunning pieces for a very reasonable price.

How to dress expensive for less

Those are some ways that you can look elegant and classy every day without spending a ton of money. Hopefully, I’ve given you a bit of inspiration for how you can make your wardrobe look more expensive.