Fashion Insiders Agree: This Staple Is the Key to Expensive-Looking Outfits

People have many different opinions when it comes to style, but here's one of the universal truths: Everyone wants their outfits to look expensive. Shopping for frugal items is one thing, but actually looking like you’re wearing something cheap is another, which is why you may have noticed that I talk about deceptively inexpensive basics ad nauseam. Going for minimalist separates is a tried-and-true approach to achieving this goal, but I found another one, courtesy of my feed—faux leather.

Of course, it's a given that genuine leather can instantly level up any outfit, but its faux sibling has come a long way since its stiff, plasticky-looking days. The real thing can be pricey, but with so many high-quality faux-leather and vegan-leather options (I love Nanushka) that feel just as soft and luxurious, who needs it anyway? This is why leather alternatives have become a stylish shortcut to achieving an air of luxury, even for people on a budget.

From wide-leg leather trousers to saturated leather jackets, the luxurious fabric is on the limbs of every cool person worth their salt these days, and it's a hack I'm taking up myself. Whether you go for real or faux, the trend makes every outfit look expensive, adding a lush and premium touch. Scroll below to see how the style set is wearing the staple as well as several leather pieces that will leave you feeling like you've increased your net worth.

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(Image credit: @emilisindlev)

Orange leather trousers give this vibrant top the oomph it demands.

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(Image credit: @michelleinfusino)

Even when I'm wearing tattered stretchy trousers, I know adding a leather blazer will make it look intentional.

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(Image credit: @sasha.mei)

Now, you know what to wear with all of those second-skin tops—a pair of loose leather trousers.

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(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

This combination of creamy neutrals and leather accents clearly is a winner.

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(Image credit: @annelauremais)

Leather miniskirts truly don't get enough shine, and when paired with a solid roll-neck, they make for a fail-safe outfit.

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(Image credit: @emiliamuss)

If you don't own a pair of statement patent-leather trousers, here's your siren call. Attention-grabbing strides like these don't need much, either (another plus!).

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(Image credit: @meganadelaide)

Trousers and a top are one thing, but trousers with a top and a cool, cropped leather jacket are another.

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(Image credit: @aude_julie)

Just another reminder that colourful faux-leather trousers are really it. I love the addition of chunky boots to give the look some edge.

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(Image credit: @shhtephs)

If you already have a bursting collection of leather blazers (like I do), the next phase of this obsession is to go the colourful route. A shiny leather topper makes this relatively simple ensemble something to really ogle over.

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(Image credit: @fongminliao)

Oversize cardigans are a styling hack on their own, but why not double the expensive-looking effect with a pair of faux-leather pants?

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(Image credit: @samimiro)

Chunky-chain jewelry and biker jackets—does a better pairing exist?

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Next Up: These 11 Elite Winter Outfit Ideas Simply Can't Be Beaten

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.