My spring fashion edit is in my Net-A-Porter basket. Through (expensive) trial and error, I know which designers to invest in each season and usually spend hours happily exploring their new ranges.
A statement Zimmermann dress with a big floral print is my number one annual purchase. At up to £1200 each, you’ve got to love them, and I do. Next, I turn to the master of prints, Dolce & Gabbana. Its signature baroque swirl looks great with a tiered skirt for £750 or a crop top for £850, and absolutely stunning when worn together. Having separate items also helps me justify the four-figure price tag. Then I need a multi-tasking piece like a Victoria Beckham leather skirt, for another £700, or Saint Laurent shorts, also for around £700. Maybe both?
Leather is the perfect complement to florals that might otherwise seem overly fussy or overly feminine, hallmarks of unrefined taste, and if it’s hot, well, that’s what air conditioning is for.
I’ll add a light jacket or Balmain blazer for around £1,950 in a fabric that’s not too precious to carry in a bag or hang over the back of a chair. Finally, a Gianvito Rossi pump is my ultimate spring hero in multiple heel heights, colors, and fabrics.
Shruti Advani is more used to strolling through Harrods than going to the clothing aisle at Asda.
A gorgeous pair in pistachio suede is on my wish list for this season, and I buy one in white every couple of years because I wear them repeatedly throughout the spring and summer.
I’m 5 foot 8 inches tall, so a 3 inch heel is my sweet spot. However, at over £500 a pair, they put a dent in the credit card.
If I checked my cart now, I’d pay almost £6,000 for my spring upgrade. Given I’ll be doing the same thing in summer, autumn and winter, that’s not far off £24,000 a year. I won’t lie, I’ve been there and done that.
However, this season I put my order on hold. In a cost of living crisis we must all cut our clothes, yes, even the privileged one percent.
Luckily, High Street’s current offering is so good that ditching my designer habit doesn’t feel like a sacrifice at all.
In fact, right now it is perfectly possible to get the proverbial million dollars without spending it.
In fact, as I am quickly discovering, cheap clothes from the High Street (even, it is whispered, from a supermarket) can, in some cases, have an advantage.
It is a common misconception, even among luxury lovers, to think that the best cuts come from an atelier in Paris or Milan.
In fact, mass market may be better: if you’re going to produce 100,000 pairs of navy blue pants, you’re going to pay close attention to the way they’re cut.
Additionally, while fashion influencers will tell you that wool, silk and linen are the shortcut to a wardrobe of stealth wealth, this is neither accurate nor practical.
In truth, synthetic fabrics like viscose and rayon are easier to cut and drape, and feature prominently in the Spring/Summer collections of Celine, Bottega Veneta and Gucci.
A word of caution, though: cheaper fabrics need tolerant colors, meaning the brighter the better. An inexpensive blouse will always look better in fuchsia than in pale pink.
Read on to find out which super luxe-looking but budget-friendly outfits I’ll be wearing in Kensington and the Cotswolds this season.
Jumping for fun
Jumpsuit, £258, reiss.com; shoes, £69, charleskeith. United Kingdom
The key to a good jumpsuit is the ease with which you can put it on and take it off.
This one from Reiss has a smart cut so you can put it on and take it off like a dress. There’s a handy sash instead of hooks or a zipper and you can cinch your waist or tie it down for lightweight definition.
The fabric is similar to the crepe worn by Alexander McQueen, but without the need for dry cleaning, while the bold print and blue and white color scheme are a nod to Dolce & Gabbana.
Leather CAN be stylish
Shirt, £18 and skirt, £22, primark.com; shoes, £75, dunelondon.com
Conventional fashion wisdom would recommend that you buy the most expensive leather skirt your budget allows. But trust Primark to find a way to turn that logic on its head with this clever navy skirt.
Its A-line cut and below-the-knee length make it dressier than a black pencil skirt, not to mention more flattering.
Match colors like a pro with a similar colored t-shirt, also from Primark. In fact, sticking with shades of the same color for an entire look is my top tip for an instant luxe upgrade.
When you’re off duty, this skirt will dominate floral or ruffled tops and keep an outfit from looking too busy. Navy blue is a great trick for spring, as it tones down more modern colors: bright yellow or fuchsia.
Asda in the Cotswolds
Dress, £20.80, bag £18 and shoes, £14, George at asda. com
Block-printed cotton is the calling card of a certain type of fashionable woman who roams the Cotswolds as if she’s just stepped out of the pages of a Bamford catalogue.
This set from Asda achieves a similar effect, but the fabric is less likely to weaken once it hits public transport. If print on print is too country for your taste, wear the skirt with a plain t-shirt or dress it up for work with a crisp white shirt.
The blouse will pair wonderfully with jeans and a leather jacket in spring or with linen shorts in summer.
Accessories are key here: think a gold charm belt or a leather lace-up belt and strappy sandals or ballet flats, depending on the weather.
Maximum joy from a midi
Midi dress, £195 and other stories on asos.com; shoes, £69, charleskeith. United Kingdom
This dress makes my heart sing! Each element has been carefully considered and the result is a fun, feminine yet sophisticated dress.
Pops of blue and large florals keep the look on-trend, and the fabric is remarkably similar to the silk-linen blend of the Zimmermann dress I’d been thinking about purchasing, at 10 percent of the price.
Stay off floors; You need heels to balance the volume.
Fuchsia perfect for spring
fuchsia dress, £139,phase-ocho.com; shoes, £110, dunelondon.com
If it’s good enough for society girl Pippa Middleton (she wore a red Phase 8 dress to a Lake Como wedding last summer), then it’s good enough for me.
The brand’s fluid and impeccably cut dresses are gaining popularity among my friends.
Fuchsia is back in fashion this spring, but it must be the right shade. Aim for deeper shades like this, not Barbie pink.
The voluminous sleeves are cleverly balanced by the simple cut, but the real genius is the textured fabric. Not only does it look designer, but it prevents the color from being overwhelming and making the dress look more expensive than it is.
Multitasking wonders
White top, £8.50 and skirt, £55, marksandspencer. is; shoes, £35, riverisland. com
Three key pieces make up this deceptively simple look and each is a multi-tasking workhorse.
The white T-shirt pairs especially well with this simple bias-cut satin skirt that looks luxurious thanks to the generous cut of the fabric. M&S offers several colors of satin slip skirts and also a printed linen version.
Get a few and wear them over and over again exactly as you would wear your favorite pair of jeans: with a t-shirt, shirt, leather or denim jacket.
I chose this jacket from George in Asda because I love the print and the boxy silhouette that contrasts with the feminine skirt and shoes. Wear it with Boden cropped jeans now and with cropped jeans in summer.