With 9 in 10 adults reporting that their cost of living has risen compared with a year ago and viral movements such as ‘de-influencing’ taking over our timelines, it’s no surprise that more and more of us are turning away from fast fashion and making more of what we already have.
But, where to begin?
Making your wardrobe look more expensive doesn’t have to break the bank. Megan Watkins, wardrobe styling professional at SilkFred explains:
“Making a couple of simple tweaks to your everyday styling can elevate your wardrobe to celebrity-status level and will help save time getting ready in the morning. From utilising your local tailor to matching your existing accessories, these simple tips will have you looking chic and polished in no time.”
1. Tailoring
We’ve all been there – your favourite jeans don’t fit like they used to and that new dress you bought doesn’t flatter you like you thought it would. Instead of returning the item or throwing it to the back of your wardrobe you can simply head to your local tailor and perfect your oddly-fitting clothes without shelling out for a new outfit.
Megan reveals: “Tailoring is not just reserved for celebrities that are off to their next red carpet event. Don’t be tempted to return or discard an item just because the fit is slightly off. If you love the piece, get it altered at your local tailor.”
“With all clothes, fit is key and a cleaner fit will make you look more polished and put together. Timeless pieces like jeans, evening dresses, suits and skirts should always be tailored and are easy to do so. According to the American Dry Cleaning Company, getting a waistband altered can cost as little as £15.”
2. Jewellery
Whether you’re a gold or silver person, adding a touch of shine to your outfit is a simple way to elevate your everyday look.
Megan recommends: “With jewellery, we can often be guilty of throwing on the same selection day in, day out. However, taking a bit of time with your accessory styling can make a world of difference.”
“For example, if you’re wearing a pared back outfit like a t-shirt and jeans you can be bolder with your jewellery and can experiment with layered necklaces or throw on some chunky hoops. If you’re already wearing a look with a touch of sparkle, keep it simple with a single bangle or stud earrings.”
3. Invest in timeless pieces
Yes, it seems like every other day there’s a new ‘viral’ item that you simply MUST have or else be totally out of fashion. However, it’s very possible you have a similar item in your wardrobe already.
Megan suggests: “Enduring pieces like leather jackets, neutral knits and trench coats are seen time and time again on runways and street-style stars alike. Although these styles change slightly year on year, these pieces are essentially timeless and as long as you invest in a good quality item you can keep rewearing it for years to come.”
“Not only will you be able to repurpose this item, they can be styled with almost anything, depending on current trends.”
4. Dress in monochrome
With the rise of style movements like the ‘vanilla girl’ trend and loved by style icons such as Kate Middleton and Holly Willoughby, dressing in monochrome is a sure-fire way to look elegant and upmarket.
Megan says: “Not only do monochrome looks make you look polished and put-together, it is super simple to pull off. Opting for a monochrome style means you don’t have to worry about clashing colours and what’s more, if you go for a neutral, black or white palette it’s very likely you already have many items of the same colour in your existing wardrobe.”
5. Matching accessories
If monochrome isn’t your thing (and if the recent rise of dopamine dressing and trends such as Barbiecore are anything to go by, we wouldn’t be surprised), then you can still streamline your outfit by matching your accessories.
Megan recommends: “Streamlining your accessories can be as simple as matching your black shoes with your black bag or pairing your grey hat with your grey scarf. This is an easy and aesthetically pleasing way to make you look more put-together. Think about it this way – a designer would never send a look out on the runway without matching the shoes to the rest of the garment – and neither should you.”
