Can we have a new how to look expensive thread?

[honeylou42]

For me it's Eyebrows well groomed, and ironed clothing. Tidy shoes and a beautiful handbag 👜

Look up Sophie Stanbury, Adela King, Julie Montagu and Caroline Fleming on YouTube and instagram for ideas. Aka Ladies of London .

crochita
To be honest, his is the opposite of chic, groomed, expensive, however you want to call it.

Oh i forgot to say - for exempel, i once worked with a Syrian (Assyrian he'd say) who said that a real tip-off where he came from was hands and nails. Clean well-kept nails on a man really told you his social status, whereas in Sweden you wouldn't necessarily notice that the same way (especially not on a man).

If people have read the first two or three how to look expensive threads they'll know what they're about surely? :)

I think that looking expensive is a subtle composite of many things- which is why it can be hard to 'learn'. As has been said previously, it essentially hinges on being dressed and accessorised appropriately for the occasion, and on looking at ease. Not too much artifice- or, at least, artifice that is discreetly executed!
'Expensive', to me, is comprised of

• dressing appropriately for the weather; cool and comfortable when it is hot; warm and cosy when it is cold

• hair- of whatever length- that is not overly styled
• make- up that is appropriate for the occasion ( usually understated)

-wearing clothes that fit well and that are made of natural fabrics

• jewellery may fine or chunky, but I think the latter only works if the rest of the outfit is fairly pared-back.

If l was shopping to look expensive, I'd probably spend most of my money on coats and shoes/ boots. And knitwear. That said, I think a person can look more 'expensive' by not spending any money at all, but simply by steering away from false nails /being heavily tanned/ lots of pieces of jewellery 'fighting' with each other/ logos etc

Good, white teeth (never uber bleached, though).

Soft, smooth skin.

Clean hair that frames.

Good perfume.

Stylish shoes that allow you to walk confidently.

Butter soft leather and natural fibres.

No plastic. No polyester.

I don't know the things that say "Expensive/Groomed" but I see people wearing very simple classic clean lines and think "Oh they look polished"

I'm not a 'label' person, I could tell a Mulberry or a Radley bag (not if they were real or not though).

But I see loads of examples of dire cheap looking (though I'm sure they cost £££ in some cases).

Those fur sliders
Obvious branding (the huge 'names' on clothes)
Too tight, too short. Showing a wedge of belly bulge
Over fake hair/nails/eyelashes/brows
Chipped nails
Roots
Visible underwear

I suppose stay away from those is a step in the right direction

It's probably been said already but it's all about the hair. I'm slim, ok looking, nice skin and can afford reasonably expensive clothes (not designer) and do try. But I have awful hair; it's thick, dry and frizzy and needs straightened to be tamed. It'll never be glossy or swishy and I can't do 'casual bun'; it's rigid and severe looking. For that reason I never look expensive or glamorous and beautiful hair is the one common factor my expensive looking friends have.

Heather have you tried a Brazillian blow dry on your hair? It can be life changing.

When my hair was longer, I had it done and it was fantastic. My hair is thick, with quite a wave to it and a tendency to go a bit frizzy if it's humid.

I had the Brazillian blow dry, and OMG I had perfectly glossy, swishy hair that lasted 3 months. All I had to do was wash it, blast with a hair dryer and then maybe 25 seconds of running my GHDs through the ends. If that.

Every day, it looked like it had been professionally blow dryed and straightened.

My Mum used to say that wearing very light coloured coats made you look expensive, it meant that you could afford the dry cleaning bills!

Also well kept nails and shoes for me.

Today I was out in dark black skinny jeans (not faded by many washes, that is not a good look), a rose pink shirt, black flat ankle boots, with subtle make up, manicure and jewellery. Hair is in a short bob, cut and coloured every six weeks.

The main thing about my look was that my clothes fitted well and I felt comfortable and confident. High lycra content in the jeans and shirt hanging loose to hide a muffin top. And no single item cost more than £25. Looking expensive doesn't have to cost if you choose carefully.

And if I may comment on the retailer point above, some friends went to NYC on holiday and popped into Tiffany. The assistant directed them to the more inexpensive silver jewellery section, she had sussed them out (as mere 'plebs') as soon as they walked through the doors

You know that 0 hours student on question time last friday?

He looked expensive

MaQueen yes I've had quite a few but not in recent years since having my two kids. Some worked better than others for me. As my hair is so thick and not porous, the ones that need kept on for a few days were best but they're harder to find as the products are all moving towards ones that can be rinsed off in the salon. Plus it's hard for me to maintain my blonde hair when I need to use sulphate free shampoo (I need a purple shampoo)! Can't win!

Surely you mean classy, not expensive?

Good shoes - heels, although not stripper height, are fine if you van walk in them properly. Nothing scuffed
A good handbag - not LV and certainly not a fake.
A decent haircut and the right colour for you
Skip the OTT HD brows
A simple manicure. Painted is fine but not inch long acrylics
Clothes always cleaned and pressed
A relaxed smile and friendly manner go a long way
Sorry but the way you speak is judged by many. Regional accents can be okay but not squeaky and don't witter
Very short skirts and plunging necklines are not classy, especially during the day

It's not about expensive clothes but avoiding cheap, nasty ones and making sure items fit properly.

Jemima Khan has that look goes with fantastic posture and natural manicured nails

Meowmeow i think your post is judgemental.

So this look is a no then?

The above post --It's daytime she's wearing "stripper heels", a mini skirt and a louis vuitton handbag..

How about this? "Stripper heels" in the daytime and a louis vuitton bag 😒

Softkitty2

The person in your pics does not look stylish because she appears to lack class. As others have said, looking "expensive" is not about brands and silly amounts of money thrown at your look: it's about so much more.

Michael Kors anything is wrong.

Softkitty - personally I think the woman in your pictures looks a bit uncomfortable and as though she is trying too hard. She would look fine for the evening, but I don't think either look overall is particularly good for the daytime. Of course she can wear what she likes, but it's not a look that I would want to emulate or that I think represents the naturally "expensive" look that people seem to be discussing on this thread. It's so much about natural confidence and the woman in your pictures just looks as though she has made so much of an effort to look "sexy" and clad in designer pieces that I don't think it quite works.

Those outfits are too try hard and too much going on

To me the effortlessly classy isn't too tight, appropriate to the occasion, if something is dressed up then something else dressed down

To me someone like Emanuelle Alt wears sky high heels in a way that looks classy and effortlessly stylish

Bit relaxed, dresses the outfit down when she dresses the heels up for daytime, everything fits and is cut beautifully in a way that's flattering

bananafish - I agree. She looks comfortable in herself and in what she is wearing. High heels can definitely work for daytime but not if everything else is also too try hard.

Some women can wear a bin bag and look elegant/poised. If I say so myself, I have good posture and poise. I'm NOT pretty. Never was, even as a young woman. At school (same ballet school as Darcey B) I was described as "very plain, but there's something about her" 😳 I'm not interested in clothes or fashion and live in wellies, most of the day and yet when DH met me he commented that I couldn't walk into a room/down a street without people having a good look. As I say, not a "looker".

Some people have something money can't buy.

What I do have is good, shiney hair, good teeth, short neat clean nails and cheekbones/bone structure! 😉

And modesty in bucketloads too... EleanorRigby