Mixing High And Low Style

Oh, it feels good to get dressed up again! We’ve been playing it safe and still staying as quarantined as possible, but we actually went out to dinner this past weekend and it felt GREAT.

Over the last 3.5 months in quarantine, I’ve barely put on more than a tie-dye sweatsuit so this simple but chic outfit may have well been a ball gown fit for the Met Gala.

As I assimilate back into normal society, I’ve been thinking a lot about my personal style and what it will look like when (if?) we ever go back to “normal.” While my closet was once full to the brim with overly formal and feminine pieces, the NYC style bug is finally sticking and I’m becoming way more simple and laidback than I once was. When you start buying more simple pieces, it is hard to know what to splurge on and when to save. I think this outfit is the perfect example of how to mix low and high-end pieces in a relatively laid back look.

Half of this outfit is comprised of pieces from Abercrombie. And the other half is from Chanel. Two brands I love and always will, but very different in terms of price and aesthetic. So if you are asking how to mix low and high pieces, this is how I go about it:

1| Splurge on the accessories. Bags, shoes, jewelry, even headbands I think are worth splurging on. I know these are pieces that I’ll grab continuously in my closet and get my money’s worth. Even better if they are season agnostic, like my black leather Chanel bag.

2|Save on the trend pieces. I love these Abercrombie boyfriend jeans, but who knows how long this trend will last. Will I still want to wear these a year from now? Two years? Why splurge on a pair of designer jeans when I can get them on sale at Abercrombie for less than $30.

3|Splurge on the neutrals. This entire outfit is neutral so it isn’t 100% applicable here but always splurge on neutral (black, beige, white, gray, etc.) pieces first. If you have your heart set on a bolder piece, consider signing up for a service like Vivrelle where you can rent pieces that go with specific outfits.

4| Save on pieces that break or wear easy. This is an unpopular opinion but never splurge on sunglasses. They’re going to get scratched, they’re going to get crushed in your purse, and they’ll inevitably get lost so I always go for a low-budget option. Same with shoes that I know I’ll walk a lot in. If you are planning to wear the shoes for more than 4 days a week (boots, sneakers, sandals, etc.), save.