7 Essential Rules for Mixing High and Low Styles

Combining high-end designer clothing with fast-fashion, affordable pieces is every fashionista’s secret weapon on a budget. Before, you’d never imagine pairing a Chanel bag with a $20 dress or an old coat, but high-low mix-and-match is really trendy, and we’re on board. It’s an art to mix very different price points – how do you make your outfit look cohesive, stylish, and chic when these pieces come from such different backgrounds?

Next, check out the seven rules you need to follow when you want to mix high-priced and low-priced items.

Rule 1: Invest for the long term

Determine what you want as your investment. Are they a must-have item in your wardrobe, such as jeans, coats, shoes, or handbags? You’ll wear these pieces over and over again, so make sure they’re high-quality, durable, and don’t need to be replaced after a few wears.

Rule 2: Don’t spend your money on fashion trends

If you’re craving seasonal hits like fanny packs, fancy embellishments or bread boy hats, consider fast fashion stores like H&M, Zara or Forever21. Don’t invest a lot of money in a purchase that may feel outdated after six months to a year. We recommend that you try these trends first and buy low-cost pieces, and if you end up liking the trend and wear it regularly, then invest in higher-quality pieces. You can mix these trendy pieces with your high-end pieces, and it will be a great aesthetic balance.

Rule 3: Shop smart

If you’re looking to invest in a staple that you can wear for several seasons, shop wisely. Purchased at the end of the season or during the off-season. Check designer third-party retail sites like Net-a-Porter and Gilt, as well as resale sites like TheRealReal or Tradesy, and make sure to shop around to find the best deals before venturing in. For high-end products, you don’t have to just buy neutral colors or black, you can buy fun colors or things with decorations, just make sure you can wear it on multiple occasions and really like it.

Rule 4: Know when to break the rules

It’s okay to break the mold. You can mix and match expensive dresses with cheap trendy shoes, or expensive coats with mid-range shoes and $10 bags – the key is to mix and match pieces and not stand out too much and downgrade the whole look.

Rule 5: Seek the expensive

Now, this rule is important when looking for low-priced items. Think about and look for items that look expensive. Inspect fabrics to make sure they don’t fall apart, pilling, tear, or smudge easily. If you look closely, most fast fashion stores still offer quality items, so be sure to check everything out, and if it looks cheap at first glance, it’s even worse when you’re paired with other clothes – so skip it.

Rule 6: Make it your own

Keep in mind that you’re not limited to how an item looks when you buy it from a store. You can remove attachable straps, replace inexpensive plastic buttons, or customize an item. The art of making a low-priced item your own and more unique includes personalizing it and reinvesting in it if you think it’s worth it. It’s all about vision!

Rule 7: No Counterfeiting

Our last and most important rule: no counterfeiting. Almost all fast fashion or big-box retailers produce designer brand bags, shoes, and more, and you can also buy the designer items you want online or in places like Chinatown. These items stand out and will lower the price of your truly high-end items. When in doubt, keep it simple, sourcing unique items that can be considered high-end, avoid items with obvious brand tags, monochromatic clothing always wins.