Cheap-Looking Wardrobe Pieces to Avoid in Your Closet ❌

1. Majority Synthetic Pieces

I’m a sweaty person. I overheat easily. Unless it’s workout gear or something that NEEDS synthetic (parkas, raincoats), I don’t want majority polyester close to my body.

I’ve had synthetic blazers that made me overheat constantly and felt cheap compared to wool blends. Now material is the FIRST thing I check. Majority polyester trousers, t-shirts, blazers? Even if I love it, I rule it out. I know it won’t feel good when I actually wear it.

2. Anything Frilly

I’ve tried. There’s a pirate shirt or two buried in my Instagram history. But I prefer clean lines, sharp edges, shoulder pads, V-necks, crew necks. Puff sleeves, Peter Pan collars, poofy bohemian skirts? Never feels like ME.

I love brands like Ganni that brought this romantic femininity back. I love how people style it. But on me personally? It just doesn’t work. Happy to let others enjoy it.

3. Patterns (Especially Florals)

I have maybe two checked blazers – and surprise, they’re my least worn. Florals, geometric prints, anything that feels ultra-feminine or too preppy? Not my vibe. When I DO like a pattern, it tends to be muted and toned down. Florals specifically are a hard no. These are definitely wardrobe essentials to avoid for me.

4. Breton Stripes

Part of my fantasy self is an effortless Parisian cool girl eating baguettes with tousled hair. But Breton stripes? I HATE them on me. Not because “horizontal stripes make you look wider” – it just feels preppy and never right.

I recently decluttered a beautiful cashmere Breton sweater from Reformation. 100% natural fibres, soft, comfortable… and I never wore it. Having it on this list reminds me: this is fantasy self territory. I’ve tried it. Time to let it go.

5. Warm Tones

After getting my colour analysis done, I learned I’m a deep, cool, and clear colour type. Warm-toned makeup used to make me look DEAD – all those Anastasia palette oranges and warm blushes made me look sallow. Clothing does the same thing.

Now I avoid warm tones and yellow-gold jewellery (silver pops better on me). I can still wear gold if it’s pale and desaturated, or if I have something in my actual colour palette closer to my face. But brassy yellow gold? Not buying it.

6. Pastels & Desaturated Colours

Being typed as “deep” means saturated, deeper shades complement me more than light, washed-out colours. I used to wonder why I HATED my pastel pink t-shirt and pastel green button-down. Now I know: those deeper, more saturated tones just look better on me. Depth and contrast are what I shop for now.

7. High Heels

This one’s pretty universal, honestly. High heels just hurt. I have some 3-inch heels that I can actually WALK in comfortably for long periods – that’s the key. But super high heels that aren’t wearable? Among the wardrobe essentials to avoid for sure.

8. Lukewarm Pieces

You don’t need to be obsessed with every item – I don’t get fuzzy feelings about leggings. But I don’t want to feel like I SETTLED, especially if I’m spending money. It either needs to serve a functional purpose OR make me feel like a total babe.

My rule: if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. The “hell yes” can change based on what you need – maybe it’s the fit, the rise, the material. But when you know your yes, it’s easier to say no to everything that isn’t cutting it.

9. Beige Pants

I’ve decluttered every camel/khaki trouser I’ve ever owned. INCLUDING ones I re-bought after decluttering them the first time. Don’t get caught in that cycle.

I love how camel trousers LOOK – so elegant, so elevated. But on me? I always feel like I work at Best Buy. Maybe I need deeper brown or stark white instead. Either way: policy is no more beige pants.

10. Super Chunky Shoes

I talk a lot about dressing for proportion – the big/slim/skin balance. But even when I try to balance chunky shoes with slim silhouettes on top, I feel weighed down. I’ve realized I just prefer slimmer shoe silhouettes across the board.

11. Oxford Button-Downs

These are “love to buy, hate to wear” for me. I’m always attracted to how cool and versatile they SEEM. But I don’t reach for them. They require more effort to style compared to t-shirts, tank tops, and bodysuits – which is what I actually gravitate toward. Keeping what I have, not buying more.

12. Clothes for Vacation

I used to buy entire new wardrobes before trips, then wear the same thing I always wear OR feel like a completely different person. Saw a great TikTok: “No one knows you on vacation, so why buy new clothes no one’s seen you in anyway?”

Cheap-Looking Wardrobe Pieces to Avoid if You Want Everything to Look More Expensive

You do not need a designer closet to look polished. You just need to avoid pieces that give away “cheap” instantly. Most of the time, the giveaway is fabric and finishing, not the price tag.

Pieces that often look cheap:

• Thin white tops that go see-through

• Shiny polyester that looks plasticky

• Blazers with flimsy shoulder structure

• Leggings that pill and go gray

• Shoes with peeling faux leather or visible glue

Common mistakes:

• You keep worn-out basics too long. A tired tee ruins a great outfit.

• You ignore fit. A cheap-looking fit is usually too tight or too loose in the wrong places.

• You skip maintenance. Pilling and wrinkles scream “messy.”

Quick fixes that make your closet look instantly better:

• Replace tees with thicker cotton options

• Choose matte fabrics over shiny ones

• Steam your clothes and use a lint roller

• Upgrade your shoes and bag first, because they show the most

If you do one thing, stop buying thin tops. They are the fastest way to make an outfit look low quality.