Yes, high and low fashion is a thing and this is kind of my “fashion motto” so to speak.
In a nutshell, high/low fashion is when you mix more expensive staple pieces with cheaper, more budget friendly pieces.
If I know I really love an item and that I will wear it for years to come, I am willing to spend more on it. However, for seasonal or trendy pieces, I try not to spend much on them knowing that I may only wear them for one season.
This outfit that I am wearing is a good example of high/low fashion.
My bag and shoes are designer and more expensive, definitely a splurge, but I wear them all the time and they are classic pieces that I will wear for years. While my top is still really good quality, I only paid $54 for it. My belt was $9.99, the jeans were on sale for $58.00 and my earrings were under $10.00.
So, rather than spending a lot of $$$ on every clothing item, you spend more on staples such as bags, shoes and denim and you spend less on tops, seasonal items, and trend items.
Here are my tips for mixing high/low fashion items:
Invest in good staples
Good staples include: bags, shoes and denim (add sunglasses to this list if you wear sunglasses a lot!).
Bags complete an outfit and a luxury or designer bag gives any outfit a great look. The bag I am wearing in this post was a gift from my husband and I have been wearing it with everything from casual to dressy. If you don’t have a good, staple bag, start with a black one because it will match most outfits.
For staple shoes, I always say get a good pair of boots (black and brown), black dressy heels or strappy sandals, a basic nude heel, and a good pair of sneakers.
This way you have a nice pair for any occasion and season. I have these Chloe boots that I bought last season and I literally wear them year round. They go with anything from dresses to jeans to shorts.
Slide sandals, seasonal sandals, and miscellaneous shoe colors and styles come and go so I will buy those on sale for cheaper because I won’t wear them as often.
If you love denim as much as I do, then investing in a few great quality and great fitting pairs will make getting dressed each day so much easier. Although I got this pair that I am wearing for $58 on sale, they normally go for $158. I tend to spend closer to $200 or more for a great pair of denim but I wear them for literally years.
Stay under $100 for trend pieces
For trend pieces such as dresses, skirts, shorts, tops and random shoe styles I try to stay under $100/piece.
My favorite places to shop for trend pieces include: H&M, Forever21, ASOS, and Topshop. Nordstrom also has great trend items for under $100. I also love thrifting for unique items at a great price!
Quality over quantity
Weather you are buying at a high price point or low price point, always look at quality. If the fabric clings or looks cheap, don’t buy it even if it is on sale and super cheap, you won’t wear it.
Also, on sale doesn’t mean anything if you purchase items that won’t go with your staples. There is nothing worse than buying a piece of clothing and coming home to find that you can’t make an outfit out of it with anything in your closet.
All of those “sale” items that you buy and never wear end up costing a lot of money over time. You are better off saving your money for something that is great quality, will last long and will match with multiple things in your closet.
I love basic whites, stripes, a good denim jacket and blazers, simple blouses, button up dresses. I do love the occasional floral top or printed dress, but those you can’t mix and match as easily as you can basics.
Here are some great high fashion staple items to give you some ideas!
One final thought that I want to add is, don’t go in debt over expensive clothing. If I really want an expensive item and it meets all of the above criteria, I just save my money until I have enough to purchase it outright.
If I can’t afford to buy something now, with cash, then I won’t buy it at all.
Stay true to your style and your budget!
Although it’s nice to have all of these material things, life is more than that!
Keep that in mind and don’t over extend your budget for it. It will only make you miserable.
Happy Friday!
