Subtle Luxe

Wearing: Zara jumper Cos chinos Fiorelli satchel Ray Ban sunnies OASAP hat Fericelli flats

Things I like about transitional dressing: being able to layer up but still retain a semblance of normal dressing, i.e not yet being at the point of having to wear a coat/jacket/hat/scarf/glove combo with everything. Despite a few decent charity shop hauls of late, I am really feeling a little bit stuck in a rut with my wardrobe which always means a good turn out of it is in order. I have lots of things that I don't rotate as much as I should-hence things mysteriously go missing in the depths of the cupboard (maybe they've been in Narnia?!) and when I find them, much time later, I always wish I'd found them sooner and probably would have worn them more. Case in point: these beautiful chino's from Cos. I absolutely lived in these on my holiday to Portugal. Which was in April. And I'm ashamed to say they've not been worn since! They were a recent re-discovery (found whilst looking for something else-isn't that always the way!) but  I'm making the most of them before it gets too cold!

I love how luxe these Fericelli flats look, too. They kind of remind me of the Roger Vivier square buckle pumps that were so popular a few seasons ago. I always love the look of a smart flat shoe, especially with something a little more relaxed such as these chinos. That they're not black is also something, for me at least-I'm all about a navy or black shoe at the moment! However, these tan ones look really expensive and elegant.

I'm not really into matching my accessories because I think that can look a bit stuffy, however I really like the combination of the tan flats with the tan coloured satchel. I think it ties this look together a bit; I like how it grounds the other pieces and, with the gold tones in the jewellery I've chosen to wear, makes the whole look appear much more high end. Which is something I like to try and attain, all on a budget however! It is possible to look like you've spent a lot of money on a look, when really you haven't at all; it's all in the styling, I feel! That's what I've learnt over the years anyway. Equally a very expensive outfit can appear cheap if worn in the wrong way, so it's fun to try and create that illusion of luxury and expense even if your outlay was actually very minimal!

Speaking of my accessories, the jewellery is all vintage pieces or gifts, my watch is the rose gold Marc Jacobs and the Ray Bans were a gift from my gorgeous friend Lizi.

Hope you like this look! Have you got any tricks on making a cheaper outfit look really expensive? I'd love to know!

XO Amie