How To Build A High Low Wardrobe
High-low dressing isn’t a strict formula or a set of rules, it’s an expression of personality. At its core, it focuses on two things: mixing formal with casual or vintage, and blending high end pieces with more accessible, everyday ones. It’s the styling trick that makes outfits feel both put together and effortless at the same time.
A high-low wardrobe is built on contrast. A tailored blazer with a graphic tee. A vintage jacket with modern trousers. A statement necklace worn with simple denim. The “low” doesn’t mean low quality, and the “high” doesn’t require a head to toe designer look. Luxury works best when it’s lonely. A £1000 handbag surrounded by £20 jeans feels intentional, not loud.
Wearing everything expensive or everything affordable can make an outfit feel flat. The magic happens in the mix. High-low dressing adds depth, personality, and fun to what you wear, proving that great style isn’t about how much you spend, it’s about how you combine what you already own. Balance is the key.
Let Basics Do The Supporting Act
Your “low” pieces are the everyday staples of your wardrobe. They should be comfortable and versatile, the items you reach for on repeat. Stock up on essentials like white and black t-shirts, tanks, straight leg jeans, and classic shirts. They keep outfits relaxed and wearable while letting your standout items shine.
Mix Textures, Not Just Price Points
This is where outfits start to feel styled instead of random. Contrast is what makes a look interesting. Mix knits with leather, denim with silk, cotton with tailoring. Your outfit should feel layered with personality, not just labels. It’s about combining different textures and finishes to create depth, balance, and intention.
Quality Over Price Tag
High doesn’t have to mean designer. It means good fabric, a great fit, and pieces that last, the kind that lift everything else you wear with them. Sometimes that’s designer. Sometimes it isn’t. If it still looks good after fifty wears, it’s a high-quality piece. High pieces look different for everyone: a designer bag, a perfectly cut blazer, or the leather boots you reach for on repeat. They come at different price points too. You don’t need to spend £1,000 on a handbag if you’ve found a great one for £200. It’s less about labels and more about quality.
Don’t Buy Everything At Once
A high low wardrobe is built slowly. Buy one good piece. Style it ten ways. Add another. Over time, your closet becomes a mix of: Investment staples, thrifted gems, trend pieces and sentimental items. That’s when it starts to feel personal, elevated and effortlessly cool.
Buy From Every Decade
Vintage and second hand pieces are made for high-low dressing because they come with built in personality. It keeps your wardrobe from looking like everyone else’s and adds depth you can’t buy off a rail.
Embrace Trial and Error
High-low dressing is built on experimentation. The best outfits often come from combinations you didn’t plan, pieces you thought wouldn’t work together until they suddenly do. What feels like a mistake at first is often the look that turns out the most interesting. Style isn’t about getting it perfect every time. It’s about trying, adjusting, and trusting your instinct. Trial and error is how you discover what feels personal, and that’s where the best outfits live.
