How to look 'expensive'

[INeedSomeHelp]

I'm not sure if that's the right word but I was in Sainsbury's today and the woman in the queue in front of me just looked 'expensive'.
She wasn't wearing anything remarkable - a leather jacket with a fur collar, skinny jeans and brown knee length boots but somehow she looked 'done' whereas I looked like a sack of spuds.
How to achieve that expensive look without the budget?

PrizeyPrize, if she was trying to look expensive, she's failed. She looks trashy as anything.

And that story is just tragic!

" David peppered his emails to me with tales of flying business class and expensive champagnes. I knew he had to have serious money. This was the man I had been waiting for "

He sounds like he has great patter!

Aye I thought so too, more WAG than expensive. Tragic is a great way of putting it -the meeting of two very shallow minds....takes all sorts I guess.

That article is five years old. I wonder how her life is now?

What can have induced her to go to the Mail with this story?

I understand when people need the money. But she obviously doesn't (that rather being the point of the story).

They've only known each other 9months too. I have older cheese in my fridge.

Anyway, in the spirit of constructive critique I thought I'd explain why, to me, Mrs Moneybags doesn't look expensive.

Poor fitting top half of the green dress. Too much flesh displayed. Tan is way too deep/dark. Hair too dyed. Actually, that green dress is just awful generally. The off-the-shoulder top is showing too much (tof tanned) flesh. Same with their wedding (?) photo outfit, and matching eye shadow. And the wrap dress in the Guernsey cow colours is too low cut, with daft sleeves.

WAG is a good description, actually.

I wonder what happened to her DD - no mention of her, nice priorities.

The DD is probably 30 and hidden to disguise her real age.

That green frock in the big picture (of the woman who set out to marry a rich American, in the linked article) is very synthetic looking. I hope she didn't pay more than £20 for it.

The things that I think make people look wealthy are impractical, luxurious, show stopping garments. Not many people could wear a fabulous winter white coat, for example; it would get trashed on public transport but you'd be ok if you were driven everywhere.

Ditto fabulous pale suede boots. Stuart Weitzman do some pale beige suede over the knee boots. They are gorgeous but one trip down to the post office in the rain and they'd be destroyed. Wearing something like that says, "I'm too rich to care if they get wrecked, even if they did cost £600" (the Stuart Weitzman boots are called 'lowland' and are £595, if interested!).

I have a pale (not white...I commute on a train!) winter coat from Karen Millen with a deep fur collar and cuffs, which I feel a million dollars in (not real fur, don't tell me off) but it's always in the bl**dy dry cleaner's!

Some people just don't have style which counts for looking great. But if you see a not well put together cloths on person you will be able to tell whether they are are expensive or not. There is a lot of quality in expensive things. The producers want their customers to stick with them and it's also easier to return them when they are damaged. You see the material and detail and you know that it's quality. Cheap fur and faux far. Cheap leather and well made one. Or the material used for a suit.

Op it will boil down to quality not quantity. You should find a style that works for you too.

So if you really are on a budget where can you go to get stuff that looks good then? ( weeps)

And you can see old money from a mile away.

The synonym for expensive is.... deportment.

What budget are you on? £100 pa. £1,000 pa or more?

The examples I can thinking of is the character Naomi from 90210. Or Blair from gossip girl ( mother is meant to designer) they always look expensive. Not a hair out of place.

Practise walking around with a book on your head. When you can manage one, add another, then a third. Then do it in heels, low ones to start. Next, throw away anything tatty or over-detailed, and iron and starch the rest. Take off all the cheap jewellery. Buy a simple leather bag and shoes in the most useful colour for you; red does it for me. It works for everyday life but it won't do on the red carpet.

Interesting thread, thanks!

Many moons ago, I asked the most stylish person I knew (who was a secretary in our office) why she always looked so terrific. She looked at me and said, "Starch and an iron, cresset".

I'm not bothered about looking like i come from money. I live in a small town where everyone has known me since i was a teeny so i'd be fooling no-one (am benefit recipient/lone parent/cleaner) from WC parents) I just want to take control of my clothing/style and shake off the rut of "run ragged mum" that i've been hiding in and the (general) style being discussed appeals to me. I like the look. I have some lovely (cheap cheap cheap) things that from a distance look as if i've forked out but dont stand up to close inspection. I still wear them but the rest of my clothes dont match the look.

It's really not about money; it's about effort, thought and posture. Anyone can look polished. The only place success comes before work... is in the dictionary.

Nettle I used to have a gorgeous knee length white wool coat (from some concession in H of F), felt a million dollars in it. Sadly, having to use public transport it was in constant need of cleaning

Saw a gorgeous off white one the other day with a small fur trim on the collar. Stunning coat and a bargain price but I'd currently look like a block of lard in it

It's really, really, really NOT about buying expensive stuff that needs dry cleaning every time you wear a garment. It's about thinking...........

Would you say it's to do with confidence? You know you look good so ooze confidence and therefore stand out. Iyswim

God I hate this mn obsession with old money. I far more respect people who made it themselves.

And I think a lot of it is about expensive stuff - I spend money on the things I wear a lot, so boots, jeans, jumper, coats and bags.

I also find I look after items that cost me £££ a lot more.

But I also like a bit of bling and I love a designer handbag or three

Donge,
The confidence is less 'I know I look good' and more 'I'm happy with what I'm wearing and I don't really care what anyone else thinks'
Especially in work and social situations - not worrying about what other people think, not worrying about whether your skirt is riding up, bra is showing, bum looks big in this - it speaks volumes when someone is confident in their own skin
And like a PP said up thread, it is also knowing your clothes are suitable for a multitude of occasions that means you don't have social anxiety about being over or under dressed and can just get on with enjoying yourself