Great Style Has Never Cared About Price Tags.

A well-cut jacket worn with a battered pair of trainers can look more interesting than an expensive outfit assembled from the same shop window. So can a brightly coloured scarf above an ordinary white shirt, or a beautiful old coat thrown over clothes that are otherwise entirely unremarkable.

The interesting part is not the money saved or spent. It is the judgement behind the combination. Good style has a way of making items from different origins speak to each other, without asking them to announce how much they cost.

The outfit needs a point of view

People sometimes describe high and low dressing as though it is a financial calculation: spend here, save there. The better question is what the outfit is trying to say. Does it feel relaxed, elegant, mischievous, architectural, romantic? What makes the pieces belong together?

An expensive blazer does not automatically make jeans look polished. Its shape, weight and length have to work with the trousers beneath it. Likewise, an affordable jacket with a pleasing line can set the tone for an entire outfit. Labels may tell you where something came from. Proportion tells you whether the combination works.

Start by looking at the outline from a few steps away. Where does the eye go? Is the volume concentrated in one area? Does a narrow top balance a generous trouser, or do two loose pieces create the right kind of movement together? Rules about proportion are best treated as suggestions, because a deliberately unexpected silhouette may be the point.

One: tailoring without ceremony

Try a roomy suit jacket over a simple T-shirt or fine knit, with trainers and trousers that are cut the way you like to wear them. The pleasure comes from the contrast between the formal shape of the jacket and the ease of everything else.

A slate oversized jacket is one kind of silhouette to investigate. It is not a guarantee of a perfect fit; the shoulder, length and fabric will still need assessing. But it illustrates how a tailored shape can be considered separately from a complete suit.

Keep the finishing simple or introduce an unexpected detail: a colourful sock, a textured bag, a necklace that feels personal. The styling decision should be made because you enjoy the effect, not to prove that a casual item has been 'elevated' by something expensive.

Two: texture does the talking

Imagine an outfit made from several shades of the same colour. It can still feel vivid when the surfaces differ: crisp cotton, brushed knitwear, smooth leather and sturdy denim. These details create depth without requiring prints or dramatic accessories.

Texture can make an ordinary piece feel deliberate beside something more precious. It also gives you a useful way to wear older items whose colour still works with newer clothes. The slightly worn jacket may be the most expressive element in the outfit.

Pay attention to care and comfort, though. A striking material that catches on everything is unlikely to become a pleasure simply because it photographs well.

Three: let one colour lead

A strong colour can be the whole story. Wear a vibrant dress with understated shoes, or place a printed scarf next to familiar neutrals. Resist the urge to make every other detail equally loud unless abundance is genuinely your style.

A silk cotton scarf with an expressive print offers an easy way to test the idea without changing an entire wardrobe. A red one-shoulder dress illustrates a bolder route. In each case, the success of the outfit depends on the wearer and the occasion, not on an assumed hierarchy between the brands.

Colour is also culturally and personally specific. One person's restrained outfit may be another person's idea of theatrical dressing. Wear what feels persuasive on you rather than searching for a universal definition of chic.

A coherent outfit does not need every item to agree on price. It needs them to agree on attitude.

Four: a practical shoe changes everything

Shoes have an extraordinary ability to shift an outfit's character. Boots can give a light dress more weight. A neat loafer can sharpen relaxed denim. A clean, simple trainer can make tailoring feel less ceremonial.

Try the combination while walking, not only while standing still. Comfort alters posture, and posture alters how clothes appear. Shoes you cannot move in comfortably rarely improve an outfit once you leave the mirror.

A pair of off-white trainers is one of many ways to introduce an everyday shape into a more considered look. Whether the pairing works will depend on the volume, colour and mood of the rest of the clothes.

Five: the pleasure of a deliberate mismatch

Some of the best combinations are slightly odd. A vintage patterned shirt under a modern jacket. A delicate top with workwear trousers. A sophisticated bag beside an otherwise relaxed weekend outfit. The mismatch works when it looks chosen rather than accidental.

You can create that effect with inexpensive pieces, heirlooms, second-hand finds, designer garments or whatever you have kept through several changes in taste. The story of the object may even make the outfit more personal. Something does not need to be current to have presence.

Care is part of the visual language

Price does not determine whether clothes are clean, properly stored or comfortable to wear. A shirt that fits well and has been pressed when it needs pressing can be more convincing than a costly one worn carelessly. Shoes that have been looked after often bring an outfit together.

That is not an argument for perfection. A favourite pair of jeans can look better as it softens. A worn leather bag may develop character. Knowing which signs of use appeal to you is part of learning your own taste.

Fit and alterations matter for the same reason. A simple hem adjustment can make a proportion feel intentional. Equally, a garment that fights you every time you wear it probably needs more than an impressive label to justify its place.

Build a vocabulary, not a uniform

When you see an outfit you admire, ask what drew you to it. Was it the line of the coat, the contrast of textures, the flash of colour at the neck, or the confidence of the person wearing it? Those clues are useful even when the individual products are outside your budget or simply not available.

Use them to look again at pieces you own. Try an unlikely combination. Allow a favourite item to appear more often. Discovering what you like is a richer pursuit than constructing an outfit to look as though every piece belongs to the same price category.

There are many ways to dress well, and almost none can be calculated by adding up the price tags. For more on building a wardrobe with room for play, read A Wardrobe Should Make Life More Interesting.