Easy, simple style tips on how to look expensive.
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Dressing well as if you look expensive isn’t about being materialistic but about giving yourself a boost of confidence. If you look like a million dollars (well, pound Sterling for us) then you’re bound to feel good within yourself. Look good, feel good, and all that!
But what if you don’t have the budget to spend money on big brands – I mean, I sure don’t – but you may often find yourself in situations where you need to look presentable and, well, expensive. Lottoland have provided some simple style tips on how to look expensive and dressing like a millionaire, but I have adapted this for us gals too.
The perfect fit:
I’m petite (like, 5ft1) so I struggle to find dresses, skirts, trousers and jeans that actually fit. If I was to turn up to a job interview with ill-fitting jeans and looking like the end-scene in Big where Tom Hanks’ adult character turns back in to a small child, I think I’d tank the interview from the moment I step foot into the building.
Perfect fit is the basis of dressing well and all in its trickery of looking expensive. Topshop and Miss Selfridge made the best petite range for us short gals, but since their absence on the high street, I’ve had to get nifty with my sewing machine again, a skill I first learned in GCSE textiles… then again in A-Levels textiles, fashion BTEC at college and Fashion Marketing at University. Thankfully, I’m not too bad on the sewing machine, but there’s lots of other easy, quick solutions to alter the hem such as iron-on hemline tape, a quick trip to the tailors, or the traditional needle and thread!
Crisp and clean:
I’m guilty for this but I very rarely iron my clothes. My boyfriend, on the other hand, uses the iron every day… but I’ll try to avoid it if I can! I seem to think that my shirt will “un-crease” as the day goes on, but ask my colleague (Hi Jen!) and Jen will tell you how many times I’ve taken my jacket off after arriving in the office after my 1 hour and 20 minute commute, looked at my reflection in the mirror, made an “uggghh” sound, only to put my jacket back on to hide a very creased, just-out-of-the-dryer shirt. So, moral of this story is; use the iron so you don’t look scruffy like what I (sometimes) do! Oops!
Got it? Flaunt it!
We all have insecurities. Unless you’re one of those annoyingly perfect people then I hate you but also I wish I was you! My insecurity is my arms which I feel are longer than your average. They resemble a French fry from McDonalds. Long and spangly. I try not to wear anything that exposes my arms, but when I do, I try to find a balance that I’m comfortable with. Like when I wore a sleeveless dress at a wedding in October that was maxi length (breaking all the fashion rules for a 5ft1 girl with long arms!), I actually felt really comfortable with something I’d normally feel uncomfortable with. It’s all about balance and, again, feeling confident.
Dress for your shape:
Hourglass, pear, apple, athletic, rectangle – what even am I talking about here? The many types of body shapes, of course. If you ask a stylist to dress you, one of the first things they’re going to try and determine is what shape your body is so that they can find the right fit of garment for you. Not only does a certain shape of clothes fit you better but it will give you a flattering silhouette to help accentuate your best features. Once you understand what body shape you are, you’ll feel like a brand new you.
Accessories:
As someone who used to own a jewellery and accessories shop, I will always find a way to incorporate this into any outfit. I fall in and out of phases when it comes to jewellery, but really it depends on what I’m wearing and what event I’m going to. If it’s a night out, I’ll try to go for statement – all the rings, layered necklaces, big dangly earrings, the lot. If it’s an event like a wedding, I’ll opt for something dainty and delicate. If it’s in a professional environment, then I’ll go for minimal and classic. But no matter what, I’ll try to wear some form of jewellery to complete my outfit and make myself look and feel a little bit more special than usual.
THE bag:
A bag can totally change your whole mood and how you hold yourself. No, really. Like when I wear a backpack, I feel mentally transported back to my Year 7 days where I shuffled around awkwardly around “big school” wearing a backpack half the size of me.
THE ultimate bag doesn’t have to be expensive & can obviously be as affordable as you like but I really like my bags. Whilst I don’t make a habit of spending huge amounts on a bag now as much as I did when I was in my 20s, I have been known to save money to buy a designer handbag which I’d see as an investment piece (or… I just really really liked it, couldn’t stop thinking about it, and worked hard to save up to treat myself!).
In my younger years, I regretfully went for style over substance. But now that I’m older and wiser, I’ll always choose a “sensible” and timeless style, to sway towards a more casual, every-day design that I can make use of daily.
There are, of course, a lot of dupes on the high street that look just as nice or a heavily-discounted bag from a designer outlet (where I got my most recent lipstick red Gucci crossover bag that goes with EVERYTHING… even if it is a tad on the small side!) – either way, when you find THE bag (I reiterate that it doesn’t have to be from a designer brand!), it’s a piece you’ll want to use everyday. Get this right and it really does make a world of difference to your overall look & can change your whole mood and the way you hold yourself.
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