How-to Look Expensive on a Budget

Heels | Dress | Clutch | Lips | Choker

You might be surprised, but this blog is not about this dress. While this dress is totally fabulous, (it’s definitely one of my favorites, and definitely looks more expensive than it costs) this blog is all about these amazing turquoise faux-suede lace-up heels.

You see, my theory is: Shoes can make an outfit look a lot more expensive than clothes because it’s a lot easier to find cheap shoes that look expensive than it is to find cheap clothes that look expensive. 

Not convinced? Let me just tell you that these turquoise heels are $15! YES, you heard me correctly! You can’t beat that price. I bought these specifically for this outfit (that I wore to night #2 of Austin Fashion Week) and I have already found 2 other dresses I have that they match. If I hadn’t, though, I wouldn’t have even felt bad because I buy shoes for one occasion only all the time, and they’re usually more than $15. (I also bought the black lace-ups I wore in this post from the same store, but they sold out fast.) The heels completely make this outfit, adding an unexpected pop of color, where a nude heel might have normally been my choice because of the vibrant colors of the dress.

In my opinion, you can spot inexpensive clothes from a mile away, but shoes are a little trickier to spot. Also, I’ve found that cheaper shoes not only can look expensive, they can also hold up longer than cheap clothes. You know you have those items of clothing you bought for $5 that you’ll never wash because it will fall apart in the washing machine, but I have worn these turquoise heels 4 times already and they are holding up just as well as any expensive pair might. I also have a friend who recently bought a pair of designer sandals for nearly $1,000 that she returned immediately because after one wear, they were messing up because of a design flaw! The way I see it, you shouldn’t dismiss any shoes thinking their quality matches their price, because that’s not always the case.

Photos by: Brandon Hill