This post was originally published in June 2020 and updated on February 4th 2025
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this feature with our Top Ten Tips to Look Elegant on a Budget.
You might assume that to look elegant and classy, you need to spend a fortune, but looking elegant isn’t just about flashy bags and jewellery, it’s about these little tricks that can make any outfit look more elevated. Here are my top ten tips to look elegant on a budget.
Tips to Look Elegant on a Budget
Table of Contents
- Invest in Timeless Pieces
- Prioritize Fit and Tailoring
- Pay Attention to Detail
- Prioritize Quality over Quantity
- Invest in your Personal Grooming
- Choose Expensive Looking Colours
- Wear Monochrome
- Accessorize Wisely and Add Statement Pieces
- Create Combinations That Work Together
- Be Shop Savvy
1. Invest in Timeless Pieces
Remember that less is more. Instead of filling your closet with cheap, trendy items, focus on fewer high-quality essentials. Look for well-made fabrics, structured silhouettes, and classic designs that stand the test of time.
Minimalistic outfits with sharp tailoring, in natural muted tones and with timeless accessories will instantly make you look more polished and elevate your style.
Timeless wardrobe staples like a tailored blazer, a little black dress, and a crisp white shirt can elevate your style instantly. Classic pieces never go out of fashion and can be mixed and matched effortlessly.
If in doubt, wearing black with classy gold jewellery is a great default option (regardless of whether your budget is big or small).
2. Prioritize Fit and Tailoring
So many women forget this, but your clothes have to fit perfectly AND flatter your body shape. Not everyone has the same body shape so we have to select clothes that flatter our specific body type, and showcase our assets.
Whilst I am not going into all the details about dressing for your body type in this guide, elegant women know that the the key to looking stylish is to focus on their assets and draw attention to the parts of their body that they love.
Here is a brief summary of the principles of dressing for your body shape .
You can have a look at the definition of the different body types and the best skirts for your body type and/or the best swimwear for your body type for more detailed information.
A well-fitting outfit looks far more expensive than an ill-fitting designer piece. Consider getting budget-friendly alterations to enhance the fit of your clothing, giving you a polished and put-together appearance.
Even minor adjustments like hemming pants or taking in a dress can significantly improve the overall look of your outfit.
And, don’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right underwear. Choosing the right underwear is about more than just aesthetics—it’s about comfort, health, and boosting your confidence. Whether you’re dressing for work, a night out, or simply lounging at home, the right underwear can make all the difference.
3. Pay Attention to Detail is one of our Simple Tips to Look Elegant on a Budget
One of the best tips to look elegant on a budget is to make sure your clothes are as immaculate as possible. Make sure that your clothes are always clean and pressed and that there are no loose threads or missing buttons.
Small details, such as neatly pressed clothes, polished shoes, and subtle jewelry, can make a big difference in achieving an elegant look. Taking the time to refine these aspects ensures a sophisticated and put-together appearance. Ensuring that your clothes are lint-free, your shoes are clean, and your posture is poised will elevate your look effortlessly.
Taking care of your clothes regularly is one of the best ways to look your best. Wash your clothes with detergents that’ll ensure that the colors aren’t washed away.
Scuffed shoes or worn-out bags can bring down an entire look. Keep your leather goods clean, polished, and well-maintained, and have your shoes repaired whenever necessary.
4. Prioritize Quality over Quantity
Instead of filling your closet with cheap, trendy items, focus on fewer high-quality essentials. Look for well-made fabrics, structured silhouettes, and classic designs that stand the test of time. When shopping, pay attention to stitching, fabric weight, and details, as these small aspects can make an affordable piece look luxurious.
Invest in quality fabrics such as silk, linen and velvet; timeless, elegant pieces add an air of sophistication to your look. Opt for natural fabrics such as wool, cashmere, silk, linen, cotton, leather and suede and good quality synthetics such as elastane and viscose.
5. Invest in your Personal Grooming
Not only must your clothes be immaculate, but so should your personal grooming.
Always make sure to pay attention to your skin, hair and nails, invest time and effort in your hair and make-up and NEVER ever wear chipped nail polish!
A clean, natural look often exudes sophistication. Stick to well-groomed brows, neutral tones, and a polished hairstyle, whether it’s a sleek ponytail, soft waves, or a simple bun.
6. Choose Expensive Looking Colours
If you want to look polished and expensive, some colours work better than others. Neutrals create a seamless wardrobe where pieces blend harmoniously, making it easier to create polished outfits effortlessly.
Natural, neutral colours are always classy, so opt for colours such as cream, beige, grey, earthy tones, kaki, chive and taupe and colours such as black and white will also elevate your look. Some brighter colours such as burgundy, red and blue also look polished, as do pastels.
Monochrome outfits or simple color combinations often appear more high-end than busy prints.
Avoid some of the bright colours that look artificial, such as neon, bright purple, lime green, bright yellow and hot pink, if you want to look elegant on a budget.
7. Wear Monochrome to Look Elegant on a Budget
Wear an outfit in JUST one colour. It’s slimming AND it looks expensive.
You can never go wrong with a simple LBD. And you can easily dress down a LBD if you want a more casual look.
Any monochrome look makes an outfit look more sophisticated but an all-white outfit is really ultra-expensive looking because it conveys the message that you can afford to risk a stain and to travel exclusively via cabs and Ubers.
8. Accessorize Wisely and Add Statement Pieces
A statement piece, correctly chosen and worn correctly will instantly make you look more polished.
A sleek watch, pearl jewelry or a structured handbag can make any outfit look more refined. Thrift stores and second-hand shops often have elegant accessories at a fraction of the retail price.
The number one statement piece is a good quality handbag – it doesn’t need to be a designer handbag, but it’s definitely worth investing in leather (or a good quality vegan equivalent).
Statement jewellery and a classy watch will also elevate your look. A simple classy watch is much more chic than scrambling for your phone to check the time.
A hat elevates your look and always makes you look more glamorous
9. Create Combinations That Work Together
Elegant women create a wardrobe where everything fits together. All the pieces work together, which means that you can create many different looks with less clothing.
This is the principle of creating a capsule wardrobe, and to find out more have a look at How to create a capsule wardrobe .
To look elegant and classy you also need to understand how to put together an outfit and this includes:
- Colour combining
- Mixing and matching prints and fabrics
- Combining colour and fabrics (the cheaper the fabric the more luxurious and expensive looking the colour needs to be).
- Mixing and matching statement/ designer pieces and high street
10. The Last of our Tips to look elegant on a budget is to Be Shop Savvy
Many budget-friendly brands offer classic, elegant styles that look expensive. Explore thrift stores, outlet shops, and even online second-hand boutiques to find designer pieces at discounted prices.
Have a look at where to buy designer clothes at high street prices. You may want to consider shopping on sites, such as the Outnet (USA, UK, France), where you can pick up designer picks at a fraction of the price.
Finally, shop pre-owned/ preloved and thrift, which enables you to invest in high quality pieces without spending a fortune.
Finally, remember that Confidence is Key
Elegance isn’t just about what you wear—it’s also about how you carry yourself. Good posture, graceful movements, and a confident attitude can instantly make you appear more refined.
Looking elegant doesn’t require a designer budget—just a keen eye for detail and a focus on timeless style. By following these tips, you can maintain a chic and polished look without overspending!
Remember to review and refine your wardrobe as when we evolve, our style needs to evolve with us! It’s a continual journey of growth and self discovery!
I hope you enjoyed this post about how to look elegant and classy on a budget; and you might also enjoy this post on 5 common style mistakes and how to avoid them, or this post about the top ten secrets of stylish women.
I will be back soon with more style, lifestyle and travel inspiration and don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you never miss a post,
Look good, feel good, live your best life 🙂
With love,
Thank you for sharing these really helpful tips! Quality fabrics make such a difference! Jane xo
Totally agree x
Very well detailed and useful! I believe in the top quality fabric, nice bag and good grooming.
http://www.busyandfab.com
Thank you Mercy! Good grooming is so important! 🙂
Love these tips. I never really thought of colors having an ‘expensive’ range, but I think you’re absolutely right – neutral colors are a lot more classy than certain other colors. And they’re just timeless colors!
http://bloomingsuitcase.com
Thank you Deasy! I’m glad you loved the tips, and I definitely think neutral colors look more classy 🙂
These are such a great tips. Thank you so much for sharing.
New Post – https://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2020/06/la-mer-soft-fluid-long-wear-foundation.html
I’m so glad you liked the tips 🙂
Good tips:)
Glad you think so 🙂
These are amazing tips dear… thanks for sharing 🙂
Beauty and fashion/Rampdiary</a
So glad you like them 🙂
Great post! I feel that elegance is an endangered concept right now. Every time you describe something as elegant in my country, you risk being called classist. I think that elegance has very little to know with money and a lot with how one values oneself. You are valuable, you choose to portray that. Thank you so much for talking about this.
Lindifique
Thank you Natalia! I agree that elegance is an attitude and about how you value yourself and you don’t need to have a fortune to b elegant 🙂
totally love these tips! thank you for sharing dear
happy weekend!
xoxo
style frontier
So glad you like the tips xo
These are all fantastic tips! I really love the idea of keeping things simple. 🙂
Make Life Marvelous
Thank you Ashley! I’m glad you like the tips 🙂
Yes! I love these tips! And they all work well together!
https://www.emilyclareskinner.com
Thank you Emily x
These tips are on point!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thanks Ashley! Glad you think so xo
All these tips are spot on hun!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thanks Lovely! Glad you think so xo
Totally agree with this post!
Thanks Aidan 🙂
Great post! I can’t agree with u more!
Thank you Shauna x
These are fabulous tips, Julia! I love investing in some statement pieces and I agree that always looking polished definitely helps! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend.
Thank you Katerina! I’m glad you like the tips 🙂
These are all great tips! I agree with them all: invest in fabrics, monochrome, simple, clean and steam, statement pieces and we don’t need to have a lot of them, just some that are our signature signs 🙂
xx Dasynka
http://dasynka.com
Thank you Dasynka x
I always love to have an elegant and classy look! I love the idea of always looking immaculate
xoxo
Lovely
http://mynameislovely.com
You always do look immaculate Lovely! Your style is so inspiring xoxo
Very good tips to look chic ❤
Glad you like them Kinga xo
Great tips! It really works!
http://www.recklessdiary.ru
Thanks Anya x
oooo these are all fab tips! I love elegant and classy style, especially for work! x
Glad you like the tips Mia x
such a great post, I am all about statement pieces and wearing clothes that flatter my body shape trendy or not and I think this is essential !!! thanks for sharing your tips,
Sonia
http://www.soniaaicha.com
Thank you Sonia! I’m so glad you liked the tips: )
Love these photographs! So inspirational!
Hoping you are doing well during the COVID-19! Be well and stay safe!
xoxo,Vanessa
http://www.whatwouldvwear.com
Thank you Vanessa, and Congratulations on your new job! Stay safe and well xo
Yesssss babe I loved these tips!
Serene XOXO
So glad you did 🙂
Oh, really helpful tips! They make absolutely sense to me!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
So glad they do Rena xo
Investing in quality fabrics is indeed a great tip! Sometimes we go for the price tag more than the quality we pay for, which results in clothes that quickly disintegrate in the wash.
This is so true! xo
These are all great tips! quality over quantity!
District of Chic
That one can be difficult to apply 🙂
I know it makes sense but……
It’s amazing how good fitting clothes can make such a difference. That’s why alterations can be key.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I totally agree Jodie! Finding a good tailor is so useful 🙂
These are great tips! I’m pinning! I agree that wearing monochrome and timeless classics always looks so effortless and chic!
Jill – Doused in Pink
So glad you like the tips Jill x
These are such great tips! Colours selection is definitely very important and I do love gold accessories.
Elegant Duchess xx
Glad you like the tips! xo
Such amazing tips here !
I love monochrome looks. It’s always so chic !
xx
Margot
Thanks Margot! I’m so glad you like the tips 🙂
I completely agree with you. I always strive to have my clothes clean and looking like new no matter how many years I have had them for.
Have a nice day!
http://www.fashionradi.com
Yes, it makes a big difference to the overall impression! xo
Yes to all these tips! I resonate especially with luxe colors and fabrics.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks Kathrine! I love luxe colours xo
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing them!
Glad you like them Rach x
These are important tips! I think people underestimate them because they’re so simple, like wearing flattering clothes or wearing monochromatic colours. Clothes don’t have to be expensive, they just have to look expensive.
Great post and very informative.
xxxx
Glad you liked the post Omaye, and I agree they are very simple tips but effective 🙂
These are great tips! I completely agree with keeping things simple at times! Quality fabric also makes a huge difference!
Glad you liked the tips x
Oh such a helpful post and spot on. I have to say there is nothing worse when some one is dressed nicely but something they are wearing is stained of wrinkled. It really ruins the whole effect.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Yes, I totally agree Allie! It makes the whole outfit appear sloppy!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Julia
This is such a lovely post of classy and elegance both. I love the natural fabrics and cotton is my go to though it has a short shelf life. Black is the new white and loved the choice of other pastels that you have specified. Pinning it.
Thank you! I’m so glad you found it helpful xo
You got those right! I think that keeping it simple while finding the right cuts to flatter your body shape is key in looking elegant!
-Didier
http://www.didieryhc.com
I totally agree Didier! xo