Looking polished on a low income. How?

[ghostmous3]

I read with interest the thread on looking wealthy and polished and i dont think it's something I'll ever be able to achieve on minimum wage 🤣

Is it however something you can achieve on a much lower wage. I dont particularly want to look wealthy so much just polished and as I can only afford to shop high street and I'm really thinking primark, TU, Asda sainsbos new look and the like.

I'm 43 now and after all my life being obese and in horrible relationships I'm finally down to my target weight of 11.5 stone and I'm five foot 7 and I also look after my eyebrows these days, something i never did. You could see my eyebrows coming round the corner first they were that bushy 😄

My hair is home dyed, it's very dark purple and its boob length and I love it but it does need a cut I think.

So is it possible to look half decent and polished on a low income and wearing stuff from the high street?

I would say avoid fakes unless you can afford the real thing.

You’re never going to look polished in supermarket clothes.
Disagree ^^ you can get done great thick cotton T-shirt’s and jackets from TU at Sainsbury’s. I’ve also had some good collarless jackets and midi dresses from Asda.
Buying off eBay you are taking a chance and you never know if it will fit or not, it’s too hit & miss.

Supermarket clothes can definitely look polished. Stick to plain neutral colours, no patterns. Stick with black, navy and cream colours. If you have some money to spend invest in a good pair of leather boots (Sainsbury’s had a lovely pair of Chelsea boots last year) and a decent leather handbag (try tk max or the John Lewis sales).
As others have said it’s also about the grooming - filed nails, clean swishy hair. Perfectly possible on a budget.

These are lovely, they also do a flat version

tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/p/Sole-Comfort-Black-Leather-Heeled-Chelsea-Boots-/136984379-Navy

This is very mulberry in style

www.marksandspencer.com/leather-shoulder-bag/p/clp60443814

Yes, you can look polished in supermarket clothes - I love it when people say they like something I'm wearing and I say it's from Sainsbury's or Tesco. As PPs have said, choose the right sized clothes in the the right style

Completely agree with this. Today I’m wearing a Tu (Sainsbury’s) T-shirt, the stripes are perfect aligned on the seams and it has a pink finish at the neck, it’s heavyweight 100% cotton, I think it cost £8. It’s not about what you pay, it’s having your eye in.

@slipperyeel, no it's not. M&S have classier looking bags than that one.

Do you have any good charity shops near you? I have a few which have turned up absolute gold- usually posh/wealthy areas have good charity shops. If you don't know, learning to mend clothes can be great too as some charity shops will still sell, for example, a jumper with a slight hole in it at a great price, so you just need to darn the hole. I bought a beautiful Jigsaw cashmere jumper for £8 in a charity shop and once I repaired the hole it was good as new.
I've had some great buys on eBay too.
I learnt to sew a few years ago. I wouldn't say I'm particularly accomplished but I do have some really beautiful clothes which are so, so much cheaper than what you'd pay on the high st. Sometimes you can source fabric quite cheaply using bedding from charity shops/TK Maxx etc too, but even some fabric shops can have very decently priced stuff. Obviously you need a sewing machine (can get decent ones second hand on FB marketplace) and the time to learn etc, but it's something I love.

Follow 'doesmybumlook40' on Instagram. Think she might be on Facebook now too. She does a lot of high street fashion. Sometimes she has more expensive stuff but she mainly focusses on high street. She does Instagram vids that give tips on how to put a look together etc, I've learned loads from her and love her attitude re older women wearing what they want and being creative.

Despite all her tips I still live in the same few crappy clothing items oops, but that says more about my laziness!

Thank you all so much for your comments and advice, all appreciated. I do tend to avoid patterns as much as I can. They dont really suit me anyway

I love those boots from sainsburys and I might invest in those!

Does anyone have any nail polish suggestions that won't break the bank. My nails are horrible

My mother has an eye for supermarket clothes. I haven’t inherited it.

Cheaper clothes can be made to look better by ironing, re-sewing hems where they're off kilter, and if of thin material then spray on starch is your best mate. Footwear - always always polish your shoes! Clean white canvas scuffs with chalk and brush off (buy a block from an equine tack shop)

I used to have an utterly lovely jacket, it was a lightweight cotton chambray - but it looked like a limp rag when washed. I added iron-on vilene to stiffen the collar so it 'sat' right, and spray starched it every time I washed it, and always wore it with a scarf of other accessories to blend with the rest of my outfit. Everyone commented how nice it was.

For nail polish Boots No 7 I find great.

@ghostmous3

Thank you all so much for your comments and advice, all appreciated. I do tend to avoid patterns as much as I can. They dont really suit me anyway

I love those boots from sainsburys and I might invest in those!

Does anyone have any nail polish suggestions that won't break the bank. My nails are horrible

Rimmel gel polish (with separate clear top coat) is great and lasts well. I'd go for classic red or clear. The only word of warning if you're aiming for polished, is that no polish looks a hell of a lot better than chipped polish in my opinion!

What is your body shape?

What is your colouring?

I would suggest devising a capsule wardrobe of pieces that mix and match based on the above information.

Next I would be really strict about only buying items that complete your capsule at maximum price point you can afford. Primark does sometimes have some gems. Never found anything worthwhile in a supermarket yet and they don't last long- as evidenced by the glut of George, Tu etc we received in the charity shop I volunteer in.

Better but affordable brands - Uniqlo, H and M, Next (some- part jeans). Worth trawling through Next clearance very early in the morning for the best bargains...

Ebay is good for picking up bargains but have a clear idea of capsule filling and try and go for brands such as Celtic and Co, Cos, Pure Collection, Toast, etc.

I would also invest in some longline vests to smooth everything out under cheaper materials.

Un-fancy blog had a really great capsule building guide which you might find useful.

@PerditaProvokesEnmity

I have bought very good fake copies of Louis Vuitton, Chanel & Mulberry,

Sorry - but in my world "fake" and "stylish" simply don't exist in the same space. It is theft of creative output, and exploitation of cheap or even slave labour. Polish or stylishness has to begin with one's character surely?

I have found some great fakes in my time. Not that I went looking for them. But when I found them, I took them and no one could tell the difference. I bought them only because I liked each of those pieces. And all of them lasted as long as I wanted to enjoy them, if not more. I just can’t see the problem here somehow. Second others on capsule wardrobe op. Less than 10, tailored and well-fitted items can be a great start for a while and you can then build them. I also buy multiples of any piece that looks well on me. Saves a lot of time and energy if you aim to look polished with neutrals, especially white, blue and black.

**What is your body shape?

What is your colouring?**

I think I'm either a pear shape or an hourglass. More.likely a pear tbh but my shoulder and back are a bit broad and my waist is long

Colouring wise..I'm very very pale. I do have vitiligo so a natural tan is out of the question as I will never tan unfortunately

Purple hair could look fashionable, on trend, edgy but it's going to make it harder to look polished.

I agree about buying second hand off eBay. I get some lovely higher end items for an absolute bargain, I never spend over £10 and I never buy items that look worn- people would never know the difference!

I agree you can find good items in supermarkets but need to be very selective. I am a huge fan of Sainsbury’s 100% cotton plain t-shirts in white, red, black or navy. They are £4! The cotton is thick and washes well. There is a reason the white is usually sold out... I live in fear the next batch will just not be the same. (They last ages, but for in future when I do need to replace!). However, they work for me because they fit so well. A different body shape, different story? The vast majority of their tops I would not touch.

I had a hit and (mainly) miss order from New Look recently where things that looked great at a distance went back because either the material looked or felt cheap/unpleasant on my skin, or they were very poorly sewn together. This is the one thing I kept which is absolute class with neutral flat sandals, neutral bag and a (cheap) m&s fedora:
www.newlook.com/uk/womens/clothing/dresses/summer-dresses/white-spot-puff-sleeve-midi-shirt-dress/p/652401819

To look polished you need something to “lift” your outfit above nice but bland. You also need nothing to “let it down“ (e.g. scuffed or dirty footwear, badly fitting, fabrics that don’t hang well, colours or patterns that don’t go well together).

Two other suggestions for looking polished. One cheap (free?), one expensive.

Think about how you stand and how you walk. Good posture and graceful movement are priceless. Improving fitness, stretching and walking as much as you possibly can all help you “wear your clothes” better. There must be videos and advice on this online. YouTube equivalent of a deportment class?!!

Teeth. Lots of people mention good hair, and I agree. Teeth are the next thing that can either enhance or detract from your appearance. Appearance isn’t everything and if your teeth work and don’t cause you pain then that’s the main thing. If you are happy with your teeth then that’s brilliant. But... if I was not, I would save up and spend my money on dental work ahead of any haircut, hair dye, handbag, pair of shoes, make up, clothes anything... for best long term investment. Good teeth can transform your appearance and confidence. If relevant, and possible, I would suggest braces (or Invisalign or that sort of thing) to straighten what one has, rather than veneers which don’t look natural, and deteriorate and stain. I wore braces for years and years as a teen due to functional problems with my teeth but am so grateful now that they are straight. I have looked after them because I value this so highly.

Finally, polished to me is probably more “style” than “fashion”. Think about overall shape/silhouette, being able to move naturally, can you have fun in your clothes? Despite the lecture above I generally tend towards casual and bland because I rarely want or need to look polished . But I can bust it out it I need to!

For nails buy the black nail files. Boots, Superdrug etc sell them.
I think they are these www.boots.com/boots-salon-smooth-nail-file-10278872
Keep them filed neatly.
You can buff nails - you'll need a buffer, or a clear or natural nail polish. www.boots.com/boots-4-way-buffer-10278878
I can't stand wearing nail polish so I don't.
Rimmel clear is probably fine.

Keep nail clippers or scissors handy so you can snip off any broken nail bits.

Leave the nail creams and hand creams and strengtheners alone as I think they can weaken the nails.

Clothes-wise, you can get nice things in shops like Primark, New Look, Zara, H&M and Mango. Check the stitching.
H&M and Zara are the best out of those but NL and P sometimes have gems.

Buy blazers. They are about £30 in Wallis in the sale at the moment. They smarten up lots of outfits

Eyebrow maintenance is a game changer! I would add:

• always take your nail polish off when it starts to chip
• look after your shoes and give them a polish now and then
• iron your clothes (I'm convinced this is the only real difference between Kate Middleton and me - pressed creases)
• a single bright chunky piece of jewellery or a scarf against neutral clothing can brighten up an otherwise basic outfit
• invest in a decent coat in a classic cut and colour for winter. Do not let the cat sleep on it.

I think you can look polished on a budget.

Neat and tidy doesn't have to cost. Manicures, pedicures can be done at home. Clear or nude nail varnish.

Everything scrupulously clean and cared for.

Simple looks are best. For example, white t shirt, jeans, a blazer and jewelled sandals (all kept super clean and ironed and fresh) with well-cared for feet, nails, hair and eyebrows (all of which can be done at home). Those clothes and sandals could come from a supermarket and would still look polished. I truly don't believe you need to spend more to look as good. The items might not last as long or be as good quality but the overall effect at a glance is the same.

fake goods are produced in unregulated sweat shops and help fund terrorism around the globe, its hard enough already to know that clothes are 'ethical' without knowingly buying a fake.

I agree with all the comments about taking care of what you own, supermaket clothes so long as they are fairly plain and well cared for can look great.