High-Low. How do you do it? - YouLookFab Forum

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High-Low. How do you do it?

Thistle

Veteran

I have read on here several times the concept of high low. You wear a few higher end pieces that amp up an entire outfit. I find this concept super intriguing.

I would love to know how other YLFers do this. Do you focus on shoes? Handbags? Outerwear? Does it vary for you by season?

Dressing

25 replies

Latest reply was from Mia

Anonymous

I do spend a lot of my budget on the items you listed above. I find that is where you see the most jump in quality as the price point increases. I also have a thing for designer custom jewerly. I am probably the only one around here with that fetish. LOL.

For the rest, I am ok with a little GAP, BR etc. although I would pay premium for unique design elements or luxe materials, such as silk and cashmere.

I think I am pretty constant on my budget allocation across seasons.

Emily

Veteran

IMO this depends entirely on the outfit, pieces, and what you consider "high end". I don't have many high end pieces in my wardrobe, but here are some outfits of mine that mix bargain buys with splurges

1. Splurge: Kate Spade Shoes. The rest: Modcloth dress, RW&Co Cardigan (Several Seasons Old), Modcloth Tights
2-3. Splurge(s): JCrew Coat, Silver jeans. The rest: same RW&Co Cardigan, Old Navy tee, Aldo flats (bought at deep discount)
4. Splurge: Guess Houndstooth Skinnies. The rest: American Eagle blouse (bought on sale), white tank, same Aldo flats

I would say it is definitely worth splurging on higher-end workhorses like coats, bags and shoes so long as they fit well, are comfortable, will last, and you love them.

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Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I have high-low style. In fact - I consider it a signature part of my look.

To answer your question, *any* item can be high or low end, and can be mixed up in an outfit.

For example, I wear:

- Sears jeans with a Burberry Prorsum belt

- An H&M jacket over an Anne Fontaine shirt

- A Chanel bag with a Zara top

- Prada boots with J. Crew jeans

- Rag & Bone jacket over an Express turtleneck

- Smthye jacket with Docs

- J. Crew skirt with a Tory Burch pullover

- Brooks Brothers shirt with a Valentino bag

- Theory suit with a Zara clutch

- Burberry scarf over a J.Crew pullover

It's important to me to have high-low style because it feels democratic, authentic and modern. It works for my soul.

I also apply the high-low philosophy to other areas of our life: grocery shopping, traveling, home decor, our doggies. Like I said, it's part of my soul.

Day Vies

Veteran

I am not sure I can add much more (after Angie) other than to say it's really about whether the item adds to the ensemble. I don't have much in the way of high-end designer clothes but, what I do have I mix them up with things I have from Sears, Kohl's, BR, GAP, Old Navy, Talbots, Land's End etc. No one can tell the difference in a cohesive outfit. The same goes with jewelry no one knows the real from the fake if it all looks good.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

This post I found interesting http://www.jseverydayfashion.c.....cheap.html She mentions where she splurges and where she goes budget.
For me, jackets and shoes are usually the high-end items, but I always find sales so it doesn't have to cost full price to be high end necessarily. I will go cheap (Target, Old Navy, Gap) on tops and skirts and shorts. I tend toward high end with my denim, too, but wear it a lot. Dresses are middle ground, as are bags.

K. Period.

Veteran

Zapotte and I share a weakness (jewelry). Mine is horrible because one of my BFFs is a jewelry designer so I get first peeks and sometimes first dibs on things. I love to high low by wearing a very nice piece of jewelry with jeans.

For me (and I notice this in other people's lists too), I focus on accessories for higher end stuff. It works better for me because I really want a piece to be useful for years and years if it is expensive. I high low with scarves, pursues, belts, shoes.

Carole

Veteran

I will NOT go cheap with shoes or bags, that is my only absolute. Bags and shoes get worn and used so much more than other wardrobe pieces and can make other pieces look more "high" end, and conversely if they are cheap can make other higher end pieces look cheap, IMO.

Gaylene

Veteran

I think it depends on your style. For me, spending on good shoes is a must. I don't collect designer handbags, but the few handbags that I own get constant use so I spend money on those. The same goes for outerwear which I usually keep for several seasons before replacing it. The other place where I always go high-end is lingerie. After spending money on gorgeous bras that do what they are supposed to do, feel comfortable, and look pretty, I'll never wear a cheap bra again. I buy sets, as well, just because I love the way they look and feel. And my husband encourages my love for beautiful lingerie...

Items where I go low-end are things like t-shirts, shorts, jeans, and casual summer skirts and dresses. These pieces only last for a season or two because they are constantly being worn and washed so I like to replace them fairly often. I love wearing jeans, but I'm lucky that I get a good fit in inexpensive ones so I don't own high-end denim; I can see, though, why spending on a great pair of jeans works better for many people.

The rest of my wardrobe is a mix of high and low. Fit, construction, fabric, and intended use guide my decision-making. I demand as much from my lower-end items as my higher-end ones. I don't wear much jewelry, but I will spend more on a watch or my specs if i find something I really like, because, again, I will probably use these for several years before replacing them. I also spend money on gear for skiing, hiking, and golfing because of the fit and performance features.

Aziraphale

Veteran

For me, higher end coats and shoes are the ticket. All the other elements can be lower to mid-price range, but if I'm going to get spendy, it's on the coat and shoes. You can make anything look awesome with a perfectly-fitting, good coat, and the right high-quality footwear.

Anonymous

Footwear. I think you can't go wrong if you splurge on footwear. Cheap footwear is never a good idea. And by splurging, I mean, spend more than $100 on boots and shoes ... but you don't have to spend $500, you know?

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Shoes are my big splurge. But I'll wear stuff from Target. In fact my favorite striped tshirt is from Target.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I just love Angie's examples! I was looking at some recent WIWs and thinking how boring they are: the same Gap sweater with various jeans but what makes the difference for me are the boots. I have expensive shoes (bought second hand usually), moderately expensive bags (all second hand), some expensive jackets (all second hand), and a variety of pants and jeans (bought at Gap retail or second hand), a range of tops from retail Gap or Target to second hand designer and watches that are second hand or gifts. Sorry for the stream of consciousness! For me my high end items usually cost me less than my low.

catgirl

Veteran

My highest end items are boots. But I find this super-easy, since I shop all price points. I'll wear F21 tops with designer jeans, or thrifted skirts with my Theory blazer. I'm not sure anyone really even knows what's high or low - the higher end item often elevates the "cheap" one. And I'm not averse to anything "low" as long as it's reasonably well-made, which often can be found.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Footwear, coats, jackets, bags & scarves & jewellery are my most expensive purchases. With other items like pants, jeans & tops I try to have a mix of high & low - the high are usually sale items. For me the important part of the equation when shopping this way is you train your eye to tune into quality at any price point. Like shevia some of my high-end items have cost less than essentials - through great sales & shopping at recycle outlets.

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

For me, high/low style just means being open to a range of price points that encompass both, considering everything available, from everywhere available, instead of only buying *these* things, from *those* places. And then making outfits based on how the items look together, rather than where the items came from or how much they cost.

rute

Veteran

It depends on your style and which pieces you consider important.
For me, I prefer to invest in shoes, bags and winter coats or jackets. I invest more on the clothes I know I will wear for many seasons. Tops and pieces that I know I will have to wash a lot or more trendy pieces I prefer to buy cheaper!

Thistle

Veteran

It is great ot hear how you all do this!

I have always invested in shoes. Perhaps not fashionable ones, though (yes, I am looking at you Danskos and Wolkies!)

I am still working through handbags and whether I want just one really nice one or if I want a small collection. I am busy and lazy, so I am not sure I would switch between them.

Still, great thoughts to ponder.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I like natural fabrics including silk, cotton, or a nice soft wool so I try to buy these. Last year, J Jill had pure silk shirts for a ridiculously low price so I bought two. I also have a Joie silk shirt that the original price was at least three times that of the J Jill but I am not sure that it is significantly better quality so for me it is the feel and nature of the fabric.

Gaylene mentioned underwear as a priority and I could not agree more. Putting gorgeous designer tops and dresses over poor quality or poor fitting lingerie totally drags down the look (literally and figuratively). I used to spend $100 - $150 per bra but then discovered that the same bra in the U.S. was half the price and in the UK often a third of the price (I'm Canadian). I still support my local retailer by purchasing some of the items from them, but mix in the purchases from online retailers.

A few people have mentioned fit and I believe this is the most important factor. Clothes that are too tight never look like quality to my eye. I just can't get past it to see the beauty of the piece.

I also shop for suits and dresses at the local Jones outlet store. My NYE dress was an Anne Klein jersey that was originally $210 and was on the 70% off sale rack.

I wear a lot of boots since we have long cold winters and I buy quality boots but I rarely pay full price. Here is my logic: if one person pays full price to enjoy the latest version expecting she will keep and enjoy the boots for many years and I buy the same boots the next season for half the price, we are both wearing the boots for a few years. I missed wearing them in year 1 but paid half the price. For me, that is a good compromise.

K. Period.

Veteran

I have to jump back on to third Gaylene and Dianthus. Far and away, the best investment I've made is in buying very nice bras. I started when I was in my mid 20s and it was hard for me to come up with the (then) $60 plus that it cost me. Now, I don't even hesitate. It is amazing what a good bra does to show off your shape. It doesn't have to be designer per se, but it should be excellent quality: Wacol, La Perla, Le Mystere, Chantelle, Natori or any other in their range.

A sales woman at Macy's once sneered at my friend when she asked if they carried Le Mystere saying they didn't "carry STATUS bras." Reprehensible! Very few people advertise what bra they own. They aren't status items. What they are is incredible foundation pieces that help women look their best, all under cover. If I had been the store manager, I would have fired that woman on the spot. First, never alienate a customer. Second, if you don't believe in the importance of what you sell, you shouldn't be selling it.

I even invested in nice nursing bras by Le Mystere. And you know what? When I got them and swapped out my inexpensive ones for them? My friends actually commented. It was that obvious. And besides, when you are nursing, who doesn't want to wear a "Sexy Mama" bra (seriously, that was the name of the bra style)? Bless them. I needed that boost.

So absolutely, I high low with high end bras. My Old Navy tees look fantastic with a great bra underneath.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

The few big splurges that I have made have been on outerwear, bags, blazers, shoes, jewelry and dresses. I'll mix expensive jewelry with costume pieces, wear Kohl's shoes with a DVF dress, wear my Burberry trench over Levi's.

Gaylene

Veteran

Can I just chime in to say that wearing beautiful underthings is the best route to learning to love your own unique body shape. It's hard to feel ugly when you are wearing a gorgeous bra and matching undies that fit perfectly and make all your clothes look better.

The $100 or so you might spend at a good bra boutique is the cheapest form of therapy that I can ever image for anyone who is feeling unhappy about her body. Seriously, if I had a daughter, that is probably the best way I'd know of to help her develop a positive body image.

MsMary

Veteran

I honestly don't have any hard and fast rules. Like Angie says, I leave no retail stone unturned and will look at high and low in any category of apparel or footwear.

One of my fave pair of shoes is a pair of high heeled gladiator sandals I got at Payless, of all places. They've seen hard wear through two summers and have had heels replaced and a broken strap repaired and still look and feel fab and draw compliments whenever I wear them. I also have a pair of $300 Kate Spade pumps for which I paid full price and which I love and adore and wear constantly in warm weather.

Ditto jackets -- I have a Kate Spade jacket that I love, but I also wore a $35 black cotton Target jacket every. single. week for more than a year until I lost so much weight it no longer fit.

Same with handbags. I've spent as much as $250 on a bag, but the one I carried yesterday cost me $12 at the consignment store and everybody was raving about it.

My feeling is I just want everything to look and feel fab, and the price is really secondary.

ETA: Or, +1 to what Girl X said!

Emily

Veteran

This is a great thread! I totally forgot about bras. I went for a professional bra fitting last year and it was amazing. I can't believe how much difference a good bra makes. (Chantelle vs. La Senza)

Day Vies

Veteran

AMEN on the bras! If there is one thing I have learned is that a cheap/il-fitting bra is the source of bad outfits and poor self-esteem. Without a good bra your clothes just don't fit correctly. I don't care how much they cost. And if any one is curious my favorites are Panache, Bravissimo, and Fantasie. I also buy most of them from the UK.

Mia

Veteran

I always did the hi/low without being conscious of it and remember when Vogue magazine first had a spread on mixing Gap etc with designer items. I always thought I was just frugal not "fashionista". The advice was "buy the right pieces" which I think is what the concept is about.

I do this much more in fall/winter as summer is spent primarily in cottons. I will still splurge on beautiful quality sandals or a summer cashmere to elevate the look but it seems crazy to me to spend $$ on stuff that is going to be beaten to death after a summer.

I tend to buy high on shoes, handbags and tailoring but there are some notable exceptions, some vintage, in my closet. A $10 clutch from the 60's that is so my style is an example.