How to look 'expensive'

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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?

Sunday I'm seconding the GAP recommendations for trousers. Those ones Energy suggests look great (thanks - im going to check them out too!)

My faves are the GAP Skinny Ultra pants, i wear them a lot (work & out) and they are extremely flattering. (I got the recommendation here on MN S&B, i think it was Brenda who said how amazing they are).

www.gap.co.uk/browse/product.do?pid=000349597000&vid=1&preferredLocale=en_GB&kwid=1&sem=false&sdkw=ultra-skinny-pants-P000349597&sdReferer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F

and

www.gap.co.uk/browse/product.do?pid=000110057001&vid=1&preferredLocale=en_GB&kwid=1&sem=false&sdkw=ultra-skinny-zip-pants-P000110057&sdReferer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F

Sundayrose, try something like this Gabor pair in navy or black with opaque navy blue or black tights that have a slight sheen, or nude or navy/black pop socks/ankle high tights if you are wearing trousers with them. I am onto my third pair of these and they are just fabulous (although they do set off the security thing at airports so you will need to slip them off when going through the arch).

Classic bow trim ballet pumps

petal02 a zillion years ago I went to finishing school, not that it ever really showed but I do remember a clothes advisor type person saying that uncomfortable feet made women frown and move gracelessly and undid all other effort. I think she might also have mentioned Rayne's made to measure service so wasn't suggesting an ecco/hotter special type of look.

I also think that battered feet (bunions, corns, hard skin, etc) cheapen any look. Summer feet need winter care x

MamaheSan

1. How to get my hair in better condition. I have loads of flyaway ends and wispy post-partum regrowth. I blowdry my long-ish hair every other day and I leave the house with it looking fab, then one gust of wind or drop or rain and I end up looking like that James May clip that someone posted earlier. I need to be sleeker!

Get it trimmed ever so slightly at the end much more regularly than you would normally, say once a month. Literally only just taking the ends off or it will never grow. Use a conditioner for light/fine hair. Wear a hat in the rain.

1. Finding clothes that fit! I'm tall and long-limbed. I try on lots of clothes but immediately have to discount them because the arms are three inches too short, the legs are half-mast or the fit is just wrong. It's very limiting...

Realistically you need to either get things made for you (many tailors will make things for women if asked) or go to posh shops where there is a lot more materials used in the seams/hem that can be let out. A city break in a European country with tall people might be a wackier approach (Finland, Germany, etc). Also some designers are better at short patterns, some at long, so you could ask a personal shopper in John Lewis to look a few things out for you as they are good on all this stuff.

1. The big one: CRUMPLES! None of the expensive-looking people shown in the thread ever have a crease in their clothing! How is this possible? I put together nice outfits (of highstreet clothes) and as I do my leaving-the-house-mirror-check they are neat and crease-free. By the time I've driven to work (20 mins) they look like dishrags, with creases across the top of the thighs, back of knees, waist, etc... HOW DO YOU STAY CREASE-FREE??? (Sorry to shout, but it frustrates the living daylights out of me

You always rumple fabric from clothes in your hand before you buy it to test what will happen in practice, and reject anything that gets too messy. Wool creases very little, linen a lot. Wool gaberdine is excellent for non-crease characteristics. Viscose creases a lot, polyester less so. Sometimes it is good to have an 80% natural fibre / 20% artificial fibre mix to prevent creasing in summer clothes. Also if your clothes fit properly they crease less. And if things are lined they tend to crease less. It is nigh on impossible to buy a pair of lined wool trousers on the high street these days so you have to really look (M and S did a heritage range of British clothes that were 100% wool and lined, but I don't know if they still do them). There are also other little touches such as sewing in curtain weighting to the hems of floppy skirts so they blow up less, and wearing lighter clothes but with decent thermals underneath in order to look less flustered generally. Incidentally the creases will show more in some mirrors than others so if it is a brightly lit fitting shining onto you from above, for example in a lift, you will look a mess 90% of the time as it highlights everything bad.

Expensive dress shops sometimes use hint of pink/peach light bulbs in fitting rooms to give customers a "glow" so take purchased home and try on in natural light before deciding. This is especially a trick in bridal departments.

Fab shoes Bof. I'd love a pair. Please can we all write to Gabor requesting they start making their fabulous shoes with removable insoles so those of us who need orthotics can buy them. This is a very big gripe of mine as I'm part of their target demographic and would buy a lot of their shoes. Grrrrrrrrr

Try being a UK size 2 (IT 34)

Thank you, hollieberrie - will nip into GAP tomorrow (although I suspect I'll be better off after the sales, to be honest). I see she's wearing slip-ons in a couple of the pics, and although they don't look expensive, they do go, so all is not lost in my more casual moments!

Boffin, those are lovely, and actually look a good sight more sturdy than my ballet flats. I will look into them - thanks! I did wonder about penny loafers as well, but wasn't sure what I'd do about socks.

I was hit by some inspiration this morning - my hair can often be spruced up or tamed by spritzing it with water. Nipped into Superdrug and got one of those travel spray bottle things. Going to keep it in my handbag filled with water, so if necessary I can just spruce myself up to look a bit more presentable...!

Mama, on the crumpling front, somebody once told me that if you pinch the fabric and twist slightly in a shop, and then hold it there for a few seconds, then let go, you can see how easily it'll crease. If it comes away scrumpled, you'll be a crumply mess quite quickly, but if there is barely a mark, you should be ok. No idea if it actually works - or whether fabrics like cotton just crease easily anyway, so it might only be for synthetic fabrics - but worth a shot?

Try being a UK size 2 - I had to look up the measurements I was that size at 13yo. Now, ALL of my too, too solid flesh would have to be removed to get a size 2 round my dead carcass! It must be tricky. Do you have to buy from teen ranges?

Crumpling - Yes, I always do it before buying anything! I have no intention of taking up ironing at this late stage.

Lycra's always a winner. Minimum 2% for resilience. And any jersey - knitted silk shouldn't crumple, for instance, but woven will. Bias cuts crumple less.

I managed to get one of those TESCO cashmere jumpers (in Oatmeal) in the sale for £30-thank you Delphiniumblue !

I have started a list of items I need to buy. sundayrose, you have inspired me and I plan to buy only black, white, cream, grey, camel with some splashes of colour.

My shopping habits have always been haphazard before and I would end up with items in my wardrobe that had nothing to go with them. I can see buying everything from the same palette is going to be the way forward!

I always thought Carolyn Bessette Kennedy looked very elegant & "expensive"-I always feel very sorry for her parents-it was shocking how they died....

Garlic, a shoe size 2 . It's not too bad now that the expensive shoe brands are catering to the Asian market but in my teens and early twenties I was condemned to wearing children's shoes.

Here is a pic of Carolyn B-K looking expensive. So simple, and yet so chic.

The fact that CBK's wardrobe has not aged at all ratifies her sense of style. I remember her being photographed in a black cashmere turtleneck and knee-length wool camel skirt - I replicated it within about 48 hours and wore it to death for many years!

Or here. This photo could have been taken today.

they would have had such beautiful little Kennedy babies.

Oh, silly me, Python

Come to think of it, Asian imports must mean more size 2 clothing options as well as footwear for the dainty!

Those Gabor shors are lovely but slightly too low for me. I tried them on yesterday.
For Irish people on this thread Boylans Shoes in the Royal Hibernian Way, Dublin have them.

I'm looking forward to checking these out www.uniqlo.com/uk/store/goods/154149 - they get really good reviews for generally flattering nature and quality of material - and ahem - slight elasticated back...

NoMore 314 Alan Ardiff jewellery is lovely. The tiny pieces featured insude the piece actually move when you move,or, in the case of a pendant , when you breathe.
Genius.

Sundayrose, can I recommend schuh or Jones patent loafers for winter shoe wear? They are amazingly comfortable and look fab with opaque tights, skirts and dresses. I have them in black and pale grey and wear them most days to work at the moment. I also treated myself to a tan Russell and Bromley pair (via eBay) which I love and definitely help the expensive look. Am considering a black pair..

I often get told I look "posh" (it happened just today, even though I'm not) and attribute this to wearing lots of cashmere jumpers, nice simple jewellery - chunky silver watch, subtle make up and sticking to a muted colour palette, usually wearing 2 key colours with maybe a contrasting scarf or bag. I invest in decent coats and go for quality over quantity - no acrylic, nothing too fussy.

I also steer clear of any styles which don't suit me, no matter how trendy they are or how much I like them, I'm always going to look like a barrel in a polo neck or chunky knit. And my jeans always fit me. That's essential.

Phew! Just finished a huge wardrobe sort and trying on my Jaegar delivery. The delivery first...

Quality was gorgeous, there was nothing that didn't impress. However I have been really irritated by the flattery sizing; I paid attention to the notes and sized down where advised but most of the items were hanging off me! I thought sizing would be similar to Hobbs (who I think are already V. generous in sizing) but they are even more so. It wouldn't bother me if I'd tried in store but as online I now have to decide if I want to return or risk exchanging for smaller sizing. I would say their 'small' is a very generous 12, so not sure if I should revise the site and see what they have available in XS? Or will that be tiny? I also found that several tops I purchased had quite fussy shoulders which I hadn't noticed on photos as not shown on a model, this really doesn't suit me as I have really broad shoulders and no bust. What a shame.

As for wardrobe sort, was actually pretty pleased. I tried sorting in colour rather than sleeveless tops to short sleeves etc etc and was pleased that I already have a palette I love (black, white, navy, khaki, dusty pink and tan). Made me realise what I needed (mainly accessories/ few basics). I also went through and looked at material of clothes I already own to help me understand fabrics a bit more. What I realised is some of the more expensive things I've bought, aren't necessarily great material so I've learnt to always check. Also, 100% silk tops I have make damp sweat patches really obvious where cheaper imitation fabric doesn't -is that normal? It's put me off the idea of silk blouses a bit but maybe it's just because ones I have are light colours/ fitted rather than flowing?

whirlybird can you link to the loafers please?

plumstone Do the Jack Wills trousers fit true to size?