Skip to main content

The Effect of Dressing Using the High-Low Method

 So you may be wondering...what is the "high-low method"?  When you dress high-low, you are doing one of  two things:

  1. You are wearing a Designer item paired back with less expensive items, or
  2. You are wearing a dressier piece as a statement and dressing it down with more casual, or basic items.

I personally tend to take advantage of #2.  I am not one who shops Designer brands for myself much, but I love an "elevated casual" look.  So, what does that look like?  My "uniform" many times in dressing in this way is to wear a dressed up blazer and to pair it with a t-shirt or blouse and a pair of slouchy boyfriend jeans.

What are the benefits of high-low dressing?

I love that when you dress with this method, you are actually using the dressier items in your closet.  Maybe you have a fantastic sequin blazer that you typically only wear during the holidays.  Grabbing this piece and pairing it with denim or joggers or even leggings is a great way to make use of your pieces.

Another benefit of this way of dressing is that you can take some of your more "formal" and maybe slightly less comfortable pieces and make them more enjoyable to wear by pairing them back with items that do feel comfortable to you.  Maybe you have a trouser pant that you typically wear to work or to church and you can dress that "high" piece with something "low" like a denim jacket or a moto jacket and a graphic t-shirt.

A major upside to dressing using this method is that you save money!  You can splurge on fewer pieces and they are still impactful to your every day outfits.  You can splurge on just ONE Designer piece a year and then you find creative ways to wear it.

The key elements to High-Low Dressing

If you decide you would like to step into this way of dressing, you want to make sure that your "high" piece makes a statement and truly elevates the outfit. Avoid purchasing Designer "dupes" and calling that your "high" item.  Knowing you are wearing a fake will make you feel, well, fake.  High-low dressing is a vibe and if you know you are faking it, your vibe will not be authentic.

When it comes to your "low" pieces, these are going to be your basics:  your jeans, your t-shirts, your tanks.  With these pieces, while you do not need to break the bank by ANY means, make sure you are investing in quality. Because you should be wearing your basics often, you want to make sure they are made with a nice fabric that isn't paper thin so that they look good and not over-worn.

Examples of "High" pieces

  • Tailored Blazer
  • Designer Handbag
  • Fabulous Statement Sunglasses
  • Fabulous well-tailored Trench coat
  • Good quality statement necklace or earrings
  • Designer belt
  • Real Leather Blazer or Moto Jacket (not faux)
Think:  quality, texture, versatility, neutral

What aesthetic does the high-low method portray?

When you dress using the high-low method, it portrays an elevated classiness and a truly classic style. It's not about being "showy", but when you take Designer pieces it adds an instant high-quality or high-vibe feel to your look.  When you use the method of taking a "dressy" item like a sequin blazer and dressing it down with denim, it instantly gives your outfit interest with the texture.

The next time you watch a television show like "Billions" or "Succession" or watch ANY show or movie, take a minute to think about the clothing.  Costume designers on set create an intentional aesthetic with the clothes they put on the characters.  It is just as important, if not MORE so than the set or the music used. What is the clothing telling you about the character?  It's a fun assignment and you will find it very interesting if you pay attention to it.

One final consideration...

One thing to keep in-mind is that you do not want your "splurges" to be on trendy items because you will not get much use out of it.  If you want to wear trends, keep them to more of a mid-price range because they will not be in your closet long if you don't want your look to be dated. The goal for your splurges is to think of classic, timeless pieces that will not go out of style.

Stylishly Yours,



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Style is Important: The High Cost of Not Caring

 Close your eyes. Transport yourself to a moment in time when you felt absolutely beautiful. Maybe it was yesterday. Maybe it was when you were heading to an special event. Maybe it was when you were going on your first date. Maybe it was your wedding day. When you close your eyes, think about these things: How did you look? How did you feel? What were you wearing? What was the fabric like? How did the clothes fit your body? What did your hair look like? What did your makeup look like? Were you smiling at yourself in the mirror? How long did it take you to get ready that day? Did you take pictures of yourself? What thoughts did you have when you saw yourself in the mirror? When you open your eyes, I want you to think about the last time you felt that amazing? That powerful? That beautiful?  When's the last time you cared like that? When's the last time you allowed yourself to take that long to get ready? As I shared in last week's blog ( https://stylesynchrony.blogspot.com/...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to look stylish in your 40s (and beyond)

You're here! Congratulations because that is Step 1: Caring enough to want to make a change. Here's the thing, nothing changes if nothing changes. The biggest roadblock is if you aren't fed up ENOUGH with how you are feeling about your style (and likely yourself), you will never make a change. That's not you though, my friend, because you found this blog and opened it!  Step one is complete. Let's celebrate that! via GIPHY Here's what you already know. Style in your 40s and beyond (we will call this "midlife" going forward) is...different.  👉Our bodies are changing. Things don't sit where they used to. 👉Our priorities have changed. Most of the time, we aren't out all night at the bars. 👉Our lives have a new focus, oftentimes around our family. 👉Fashion and clothing is not typically geared toward women our age. It's commonplace for women who are in midlife to feel like they are lacking style or being left-behind, but that doesn't hav...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Importance of a Conscious Closet (and what is it?!)

Many times as consumers, we look at our shopping habits when it comes to clothing in terms of how much we are spending, where we are spending our money and the comfort and wearability of our clothes.   These things are all relevant.   However, one area that is becoming increasingly important to consider for value-driven shoppers and for those who are concerned about the environment is the true impacts that our clothing purchases have on the future of Earth and the lives of humans living on it right now. Today is the first of a 2-part blog series about Fast Fashion versus Sustainable Fashion.  Whether you care about the environment or not, I heartily believe it is important for all of us to take a look at our decisions as consumers and understand these topics so we can make our decisions coming from a place of knowledge.  The decisions we make today will impact not just our own lives, but the lives of our children and grandchildren and cannot be ignored. Clothes cou...
1 comment
Read more