How to Look Expensive and Stylish in Cheap Clothes

In the world of fast fashion wear the clothes are cheap and constantly coming in and out of fashion, sometimes our outfits look a little cheap. Okay, fine. Not a little cheap – VERY cheap. Here’s easy ways on how to look expensive without breaking the bank and still wearing your cheap clothes. My clothes aren’t designer, I got them for super cheap and refuse to buy things on full price. But these tips and tricks on how to look expensive without forking up a lot of cash have made my outfits look a lot more put together and elegant without much work.

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Easy Ways to Look Expensive

1. Less is More

How to look more expensive? Know that too much is TOO MUCH.

One of the best ways to look expensive is by toning it down with how much is going on with your outfit. For example, if you have too many visible layers on, take one of them off and trust me it will look so much better and more expensive.

More minimal outfits are sleeker, cooler, and it just looks like you couldn’t be bothered to put on more clothes so rolled out in something simple.

A rule of thumb every woman who wants to look expensive should follow: before you leave the house, take one thing off. Whether it’s an accessory or maybe an extra layer, it will make your outfit look streamlined and classic – you’ll elegant and timeless instead of overdone and like you’re trying too hard.

One of the easiest ways to ‘less is more’ your outfit is by cutting back on the accessories. It’s been really trendy the last few years to layers lots of jewelry, especially necklaces. While this may be trendy, it will make your outfit look a lot more cluttered and busy and will take away from the rest of your outfit. Take a few key jewelry pieces you want to wear every day and then amp it up for nighttime events and special occasions.

My jewelry rule is: one watch and one bracelet, maximum of three necklaces layered (if they’re dainty and thing, if they’re chunkier, then only one), and a pair of timeless stud earrings. I have noticed that this combination is the perfect balance between accessorized and trendy but also simple and elegant – and it will make you look so much more expensive and luxurious.

Here are some jewelry options that would look great with any outfit and make you look really expensive – and they’re affordable!

2. Get a Trench Coat!

There’s something about a good trench coat that makes any outfit look so much more expensive and put together. So if you’re wondering how to look expensive, even in cheap clothes, then just invest in a nice trench coat and your outit will automatically look 10x more expensive and chic!

What’s really great about trench coats is that now there are so many affordable options available that you don’t have to spend a fortune to look expensive and luxe.

Best Colors for Trench Coats

Even though it’s amazing that now there is so much more variety and options in terms of finding affordable trench coats, there are so many different color waves and palettes of them that it can be a little overwhelming on which to choose.

The most expensive looking trench coat colors are:

Beige
Light Brown (but darker than beige!)
Black

These three colors are the most elegant trench coat colors and will elevate your outfit and make you look so much more stylish and chic!

Another very popular color for trench coats is khaki, but if you’re trying to look more expensive, I would not recommend this color because it looks very casual and almost like a military or bomber jacket that was really trendy a couple of years ago. This will make your outfit appear shabbier and more casual instead of expensive.

Where to Buy Trench Coats

3. Wear Monochrome Outfits

This is one of the easiest ways to elevate your outfit and look more elegant without much effort at all!

Monochrome outfits look so chic and stylish and will instantly make you look more expensive and luxurious. And you don’t just have to wear all black or all white which is what most people assume when they hear monochrome. You can literally look expensive and luxe with any color as long as you do it correctly.

My biggest tip for monochrome looks is: don’t be afraid to add different shades and tones of the color! For example, say you want to wear an all green outfit. Green is a really bold color, so wearing a bright grass green for your top and bottom might look a little cartoonish. A better wear to wear monochrome green is why incorporating different shades of green. Try wearing a pastel green bottom with a more muted, matcha colored top. Or you could do a bit more of a contrast and wear a forest green pant with a bright green top. You’re still wearing monochrome which will make you look expensive and elegant but the different tones will add so much depth to your outfit!

Some colors you might want to try monochrome with are:

Red
Pink
Light Blue
Brown
White/Cream

4. STOP WEARING SUEDE

Suede is so overrated, I can’t believe people still wear. Sounds harsh but hey, let’s be honest, when was the last time you saw someone rocking suede and said ‘WOW! That looks expensive’. Yup, thought so.

I read an article where it said that instead of faux leather you should wear suede and I completely disagree. Suede was popular ten years ago, but if you wear it now it will look dated and cheap. When I see suede it reminds me of the jeans that used to come with built-in suede belts with the fringe on the ends, and it’s time to leave that look in 2010.

So if you want to look more expensive, do NOT wear suede. Suede will make your outfit look cheaper and that is the look we want to avoid.

Here’s what you should wear instead of suede.

What to Wear Instead of Suede

Leather

Leather is a great way to make your outfit look more expensive and edgy on a budget. Real leather will be quite expensive, but you can find awesome faux leather alternatives that look great and don’t break the bank.

The biggest thing with leather is that you don’t want faux leather that looks like PVC. That type of faux leather looks very shiny and almost glossy, which will make your outfit look cheaper instead of more expensive.

Instead, opt for faux leather that looks dull almost – this will look closest to real leather and will make your outfit look so much more expensive.

Here are some of my favorite affordable leather options:

5. Silk Scarves

If you want to make your outfit look more luxurious and elegant without breaking the bank, try accessorizing with a silk scarf. Silk scarves look so expensive and chic and you can find really cheap ones online (I link a few in a second).

Plus, the ay you wear a silk scarf is endless. Here are some of my favorite ways to wear a silk scarf with any outfit:

In your hair as a pony – major Audrey Hepburn vibes!
As a belt
Around your neck
Draped on your shoulders
Tied to your purse or bag

Where to Buy Silk Scarves

6. Invest in a Good Leather Belt

A really easy and quick way to make your outfit look more put together and expensive is to just throw on a nice leather belt. Leather belts are timeless and will never go out of style, and make for the perfect understated and lowkey accessory.

The best color for a leather belt to make your outfit look really sleek and elegant is brown, but black works too.

Here are some awesome options:

7. Find What Looks Good on Your Body

I know this sounds vague, but that’s because it’s different for everyone.

It doesn’t matter how cheap or expensive your outfit might be, because if it doesn’t fit you and accentuate all the right parts of your body, it won’t look good and it will end up looking cheap.

Here are my best tips for finding what works for you:

Experiment with jeans: for example, I’m short so sometimes when I wear bell bottoms, it makes me look even smaller and makes my legs look nonexistent. Instead, I like to wear heeled pointed boots with bell bottoms because it gives the illusion my legs are a lot longer and the pointed tip of the boots stretches everything out and makes me look taller. Also, if you have wider hips, instead of skinny jeans try mom jeans, they will help balance your bottom half to your upper half.
If you’re wearing something really tight on the bottom, then try to wear something looser and less tight on the top. The same goes for if you’re wearing something very tight on top. This also helps give your outfit more balance, which will make your outfit look a lot sleeker and more expensive.
Sleeve lengths make all the difference: I have bigger arms compared to the rest of my body, so when I wear sleeveless tops my upper body looks very bulky and wide. Instead, I like to wear quarter length sleeves or full sleeve tops, they make my arms look a lot slimmer and this makes the rest of my body look longer and less wide.

Figuring out what fits your body is the key to a beautiful outfit. This might take a long time and you’ll probably always be finding better combinations, fabrics, and fits that make you feel and look great.

Be patient, you got this!

8. Sunglasses, sunglasses, SUNGLASSES!

I love this hack! Just throw on a pair of sunnies and your outfit will automatically look so much more cooler and edgy.

The best type of sunglasses to wear to make you outfit look more expensive is black ones. Of course it depends on the sunglass and colors other than black can look amazing amazing too (I’ve linked some below!) but black sunnies never fail and always look so elegant.

Here are some sunnies to elevate your next look!

I hope these eight easy tips and tricks on how to look expensive in any outfit make styling your outfits more fun and easy! In the world of fast fashion everyone is buying all these cheap clothes and sometimes the quality shows just how inexpensive they were. These eight ways will elevate any look and make you look so much more luxurious without having to spend a lot of money.

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How to Look Expensive and Stylish in Cheap Clothes