Want to Look Luxe? Follow These Rules. Seriously.

I’m not going to lie. I love nice things. And within the last several years of running SSD and working in retail for over a decade, I know what I love in terms of style and what I’m looking for. Thanks to Instagram, my favorite influencers and Pinterest, I’ve been learning to define my style.

And what I’ve come to the conclusion of is that I love looks that are edgy with a feminine touch. The bonus? If I can look luxe and be able to move around in terms of comfortability, you’ve got a WINNING outfit.

With that said, I wanted share some fashion tips with you today. When I want to look luxe, these are the seven carnal rules I follow:

1. Quality vs. Quantity

I’m a huge advocate of quality versus quantity. As an avid environmentalist, I don’t like buying fast fashion. I rarely shop at places like Forever21, H&M, Old Navy and Zara anymore. The thought of adding to landfills because of my own fashion decisions that weren’t well thought out just makes me sad. Trust me when I say that there’s a huge difference between a $200 pair of jeans versus a $20 pair of jeans. It’s not just about price and quality, it’s about bad business practices such as illegal sourcing for materials and unfair wages and terrible working conditions.

2. Versatility vs. Once Over

If you’ve been reading SSD for some time now, you know I’m all about cost divided by times per wear! Always build your style starting with a capsule wardrobe! If a piece is “expensive” in your eyes, think about it before you pull the trigger. What is it? A bag? Shoes? A coat? Those are items that you can get a return on your investment (ROI). If it’s a trendy item that you’ll wear a few times, I’d think about long and hard before buying.

3. Function vs. Malfunction

This may sound weird, but trust me when I say that your outfits need to function well when you’re out and about. Can you move in your clothes? Or are they tight? Do they hang off of you or drape beautifully? One thing I hate is having to tug and pull on my outfits while I’m out and about.

4. Timelessness vs. Trendy

Classic pieces over trendy items will always give you the most options. Begin by building your closet with a solid foundation: a capsule wardrobe (more on this later). Then after you’ve got a solid “go-to” wardrobe, that’s when you think about flashy pieces if you’re into trends.

5. Uniqueness vs. Boring

I personally love having pieces in my wardrobe that I feel like no one else has. It’s one thing to build out a basic wardrobe and another to “layer” on top in terms of uniqueness. After you’re done with your capsule wardrobe, look for pieces that are “you” when you’re shopping. Are your clothes a reflection of your personality as well? That’s what’s so fun about fashion! Like Rachel Zoe said, “Style is saying who you are without having to speak.”

6. Know what colors work with your skin tone.

Just because it’s your favorite color doesn’t mean it works with your skin tone. If you really love a certain color, try to dial up or down the same shade to see if it’ll work! And you can’t go wrong with nude. BUT! It has to be the right nude for you. For instance, this nude silk bodysuit, would work with me since I have an olive complexion. If it were any lighter, it would look very funny on me.

7. Sometimes, less is more.

Listen to me on this. You’ve got to know your limit. When it comes to wanting to look luxe, you need to know that should you go overboard on accessorizing, you end up looking tacky. If you ever feel like you’re overdoing it, you probably are.That is all. And if you have no idea how to dress for (special) events, look to your favorite influencers and go through their archives and take some notes before you shop/put together a look.

The number one tip I can give you to look luxe is to build a capsule wardrobe first.

If you’re like me and want to purchase your clothes based on an investment wardrobe mentality, go for it! And if money is an issue, go the consignment route. Hey, you can have champagne taste on a beer budget and it’s okay!

I understand that not everyone wants to spend tons of money on their wardrobes. And that’s fine because you can always create luxe looks mixing high-end pieces with low-price point items. You want to see a great example? Here’s Annabelle styling an outfit from Target. It can be done!

The key to looking luxe is also feeling good in what you wear so it’s important to build a wardrobe you love build a wardrobe you love, not just make purchases because things are on sale.