Pieces that trick people into thinking you're rich

[PaintingOwls]

Sorry about the wanky title, I don't quite know how to put this!

I have a friend who always looks very expensive and put together but whenever I ask where her clothes are from she will say Zara, Primark, etc. She says she gives off the vibe that her clothes are expensive because she has a few statement pieces that set the tone, so Ted Baker coat, Longchamp bag, Kate Spade purse. People see those and assume everything else is of the same caliber.

The only expensive thing I own is a Hobbs trench coat which I only bought because it was the perfect shade of beige. I have a black Harrods bag that I bought on sale to have a smart interview bag. I've been trying to use it more but it is a bit incongruous with the rest of what I wear.

I have noticed that when I wear the Hobbs coat people are more polite towards me, hold doors open, smile, move out of the way for me, men help me with luggage on trains... When I wear my denim or leather Primark jacket I get ignored and people barge past me.

Has anyone noticed anything similar?

I realize this isn't an exact science but if I was to buy a thing or two to help set the tone, as my friend says, what would that be?

😂

There's nothing that makes you more invisible than wearing the same thin gold chain and gold stud earrings for 30 years. I don't care if its Cartier, nobody can tell anyway. For all I know it's from Argos.

On the other hand, I do have a friend who used a work bonus to buy herself a silver Cartier Tank Francaise watch. Cost a bomb but I have to say it looks ridiculously expensive. You can clock it a mile away. She could be wearing head to toe F+F but still looks loaded if she's wearing that thing.

I don't think though that the op was asking how to look rich for its own sake. To my mind the question was more about whether clothes can make you feel so good that you walk an inch taller, which then rubs off on everyone else.
I think they can, but different things will do it for different people. For some it might be a camel coat and swishy hair; for someone else it might be a massive great Cartier watch; for me it might be a bespoke jacket from Savile Row.
I've not seen the op on here for a couple of days but I think we could do with knowing what sort of stuff would set off her internal swagger.

DH and I went into a high-end shop, neither of us looked particularly smart or rich, and straightaway had a snooty assistant looking us up and down, sneering, didn't want to help us, basically real 'Pretty Woman' scenario.

Another assistant came over, exactly the opposite, so helpful and friendly. I knew he'd seen the other assistant's attitude towards us and made a joke about it. The nice assistant told me he used to work for an expensive jewellery retailer and that now as soon as a customer walks in the first thing he notices is their watch. DH and I were both wearing decent watches but also both had long sleeves on so I was stunned he could actually see them and know they were genuine with just a quick glance.

I am the sort of person who could wear Chanel and make it look like Primark. I was brought up in a poor household but my mother drilled it into us that we were no worse (or better) than anyone else.

Posture and figure & understated - look at pics of James Middleton’s girlfriend wearing a 70 quid H&M dress at a royal wedding. She looks stunning. No heavy accessories or make up.

I had a gynae appointment last week and the female consultant was all over my watch. She bloody loved it. I was a bit with my legs akimbo as it is only a Skagen gold tone mesh that cost about £100. It is v slim and plain so that's probably why she liked it.
If your budget is small, plainer things do tend to look more expensive. I suit v plain uniform dressing best but long to be an eccentric dresser.

You have to play to your strengths. I'm tubby but have great skin, so I play up the " my make up and hair look sooo expensive" side of things. So streaky ash blond highlights, light base, dramatic eyes, nude mouth. Lots of glow and swish. If I had killer cheekbones my whole face hung from I would just go with a slash of red lipstick and mascara, but my love of cheese genetics have not been kind in that department.

I have few bags but they are all good quality leather ( bought in sale/outlets/ second hand) so Chanel, Mulberry, Coach, Liberty, LV etc. Some are knocking on 10 years old and still look lovely.

Same with shoes and jewellery/watch. Splash a bit here and you can wear Sainsbury's jeans till the cows come home.

Manicure. Even if it's DIY, neat and short to mid length nails in a nice colour look expensive in a way that trendy pointed or glittery talons just don't. ( They look great, but trendy rather than expensive iykwim).

Underpinning all of this unfortunately is a routine of cleanse and moisturise, regular facials, eyebrow and lash tint, mani/pedis, haircut and colour, washing and ironing and mending of clothes in a cycle that I just can't maintain 24/7/52. I go through periods of looking great and then it all goes to shit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Floisme I’ve just googled “protective species” & their coats look really nice. I like the look of the Commuter one. What one do you have? My coats are always functional but never stylish

It's this mac happy. I wanted something that was smart, like a trenchcoat but also waterproof and with a hood (I can't stand umbrellas) and it's been great. They've done a big discount deal with MN for the last couple of years - last summer it was 50% off.

Floisme

I'm still here, just been reading the replies but not, err, replying. I went shopping this weekend and hated everything, felt fat and frumpy and the floaty natural fibers that were recommended made me look even larger. To make things worse, my last pair of jeans ripped, so I'm going to make this opportunity to invest in a good pair. Any recommendations?

I'm quite limited in what I can wear (no short sleeves, no heels) so I feel like I need a bit more effort to pick up the slack.

Casual flats: www.bobbies.com. Originally from Paris.

Oh that’s lovely @Floisme

OhTheRoses great link. Thank you - there are lots of lovely shoes I could wear with my knackered feet there. Prices are good too.

I was looking at a woman today whilst walking my dog and comparing the two of us.

Both wearing skinny jeans, training shoes and a hoodie but whilst I look like a bag lady she looked low key glamorous.

I wouldn't say there was much difference between our jeans and trainers (exercise trainers). Her hoodie was obviously more expensive than mine, ironed and fit her properly but the big differences were that she was slim and toned, had really good posture and a well-cut shiny grey bob (I'm 50's so she was my age or a bit older)

I like the idea suggested of upscaling your current style but think it does need underpinning by good grooming and posture.

Ohtheroses I love some of the loafers/ moccasins on that site. Do you know if they are any good for wide feet?

My feet are fairly average, neither wide nor narrow. Gabor standard fit are perfect on me.

They are v soft so may have some give.

ohtheroses those shoes are lovely. I struggle to find good shoes, and I'm tempted to give them a try. Gorgeous colours.

I don't know about looking rich, but I think I look moderately classy ( on a good day). I'm increasingly finding not buying my clothes in the UK helps. Or at least not from most UK brands. There are a few good brands about still, but high street shops now really seem to cut corners with fabric and detail and it shows. I think Hobbs is still good value and classic, also Jaegar and and Jigsaw. All probably considered 'frumpy' on Mumsnet.

Interesting that lots of people suggest designer watches. I don't know any rich people who wear a new, expensive watch day to day. There's nothing wrong with a simple, classic, understated watch they does the job. And from what I understand, most popular expensive brands that you get in high street jewellers are now quite shoddily made. If you want to convince someone yo are rich by the watch you wear, I think it's got to be either a vintage Rolex ( or better) or one of those really high end watches you get from esoteric Swiss makers. But some of those cost as much as a house!

Post DC I have gone to seed a bit, but have been told I can make a hessian sack look glamorous. I think poise and posture play a part annoying alliteration not intended . And natural fabrics all the way, with the exception of swim and sports wear. Well cut garments whatever your size. Coordinating simple accessories. Coordinating bag and shoes. Grooming. Avoiding ostentatious 'statement' pieces. I only buy clothes, shoes and bags second hand for environmental reasons, so you can pull classy off on a budget.

For me it’s glossy hair, smart mani/pedi, glowing skin and diamond ear studs. The rest of me can be wearing a trackie or one of last summers MN harem jumpsuits with a Primark t shirt but if the grooming and stones are good it lifts the whole look.

I disagree that “the right stones” can even made a tracksuit wearing person look expensive.
I think a lot of people wearing diamond studs believe that everyone knows they’re real and that it lifts the look but in my view no one can tell if they’re real or not (I have both real and fake) and they wouldn’t be noticed over the trackie!

I think diamonds during the day are not really a thing. I’d assume they were zirconia.
You look good with good, clean teeth but not dazzling fake white. Good posture. Good eye contact. A bright smile. Shiny hair in traditional cut - not much nicer than long, shiny locks or a carefully created plaited style. Good hands with neat nails, French polished or natural but clean and not chewed. A good gait from shoes you can walk comfortably in. Invisible underwear.

You perhaps look less elegant if you’ve been a slave to fashion trends, are overdressed for occasion and time of day, cover yourself in labels or jewellery to show how rich you are or are smoke damaged. Spray tans, excess make up, anything that should be in the laundry, inappropriate footwear and eating in the street are all going to work against you.

Nobody can tell the difference between real and fake diamond studs. I’ve got both and you can’t tell them apart when they’re side by side in your hand.

Op if jeans are a staple for you then I think it makes a lot of sense to buy the best you can afford. I know some people swear by supermarket jeans but I dislike the thin denim and the way they sag after a couple of wear so my arse ends up looking even lower than it is. At the moment I'm wearing some narrow (but not skinny) high waist NYD jeans that I bought in a charity shop. They're not a hip brand but I'm quite impressed. I'm also still fond of Levi. It might be worth starting a new thread for more recs. Finding the right pair can involve a lot of trying on I'm afraid - there's no way round it that I know of.

I don't get on with floaty fabrics either because I'm getting saggy and they accentuate it. I look better in clothes with a little bit of structure so a decent blazer / jacket is something else I think is worth paying for.

Swap jeans for Cotton Chinos... Jeans always make you less posh....
Or if you just wear jeans got for a natural colour....
Oh and pearl necklace and earrings. Tiny ones....

Watching Elene on TV and no matter how expensive they are they look cheap.