Remember that scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts walks into the expensive boutique in Beverly Hills and gets snubbed? She gets snubbed because she doesn’t look like she can afford the items in that store. She also doesn’t act like she can afford those items.

People will look at what you are wearing and make conclusions about you. If you are well dressed and put together, if you have the latest clothes and shoes, people will assume that you are someone that they have to deal with respectfully. Why? Because you look like you are successful and have money. People naturally assume that successful people have money and also have more connections, more power, and more influence. So, how do you get that look when you don’t have that much money?

To look expensive, spend more on key items that make an impact. Don’t choose designs that are trendy. Choose classic, long lasting designs to stretch your dollar.

Trends will come and go, but the classic items can be used forever. If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on designer items, then choose the items that you can use more frequently and choose classic designs that will last more than one season. Ideally, your goal is to use that item for at least 3 years if not more. Plus, don’t buy expensive items that wear out easily or can only be worn once in awhile. Here is my suggested order of things to buy that will make you look expensive, but won’t break your bank:

1) Purse: A good designer purse can last you a long time. Look for the classic designs and not the latest fashionable designs that people won’t carry past 1 season. For example, at Louis Vuitton, the classic design is the one with the brown background and gold monogram. At Burberry, it is the black, tan and red pattern known as their classic check. If you don’t know which ones are classic, ask the salespeople. They can tell you which ones are their classic and timeless pieces.

2) Shoes: A few pairs of nice shoes will last you a long time. Make sure you have a great pair of office heels such as classic black pumps along with a pair of flashier evening shoes to go out in. With shoes, you don’t have to spend as much (Jimmy Choos or Manolos). Just make sure that your items are high quality so they will last long and look good. Cole Haan, Sergio Rossi, and many other designers have fantastic shoes that are not as pricey, but still look great.

3) Jewelry: Start with a nice necklace. Tiffany, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, will all have beautiful necklaces that can be worn all the time. Look for a delicate piece on a silver or gold string, with a smaller pendant. If you can afford it, find a pendant with diamonds or some sort of stone on it. If not, a nice pendant that is not too loud, but is still distinctive works best.

4) Coat: The coat is the first thing people will see when you are walking around outside. One nice coat can last you more than 5 years. For your coat, definitely spend more and pay for quality. Make sure it is well made, tailored to fit you, and stylish and classic. If you live in a colder climate, spend more on that coat since you will be wearing it much more than those that live in warmer areas.

5) Jeans: These days, a pair of nice designer jeans is a must. The designer jeans fit better and everyone can tell from the butt and the wash that you are wearing a higher quality pair of jeans. Splurge a little on jeans, but only if they fit you well. If you don’t have enough money, buy 1 pair of nice jeans, don’t buy those casual jeans you would wear to walk your dog in. Buy a pair of darker wash jeans that you can wear to go out at night in and be “seen” in.

This list may look longer than you expected. Or, you may already have all of these items and can start buying others. Either way, make sure you are shopping smart and looking for high quality, long lasting, impactful items to add to your wardrobe. Looking good and expensive will give you that added bonus of making a stronger first impression and allow you to get what you want more easily.

Skinny jeans, short skirts, leggings, lavender – the fashion trends are always changing so you try and keep up. When you see lots of people wearing those great new jeans, you run out and buy a pair. If you see a ton of people in prints, you run out and buy that too.

OK, so that may not be you. But, to some degree, you are probably pretty trendy. You keep up with fashion and style and you wear what’s in. But, do you always look good in your clothes? Is your goal to look good or to look trendy? If your answer is trendy, more often than good, then you might have a problem.

Wearing something trendy doesn’t make you look good. To look good, you have to wear clothes that are flattering.

Everyone has a different body shape. There are pears and apples, carrots and grapes, and all sorts of shapes and sizes of people. Unfortunately, fashion and trends are made for tall, skinny models. Unless you are a tall, skinny model or someone who gets everything tailored to fit, trendy clothes will not always look good on you.

Trendy clothes are fantastic. They are fun and they make shopping fun. But, they aren’t designed to be flattering on all people and they won’t make you look good. Take skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are tight on your legs from your butt to your ankles. They show all of the fat you have on your thighs. When you look at someone wearing skinny jeans, it’s obvious if they have big thighs or not. If you have big thighs, you probably shouldn’t wear skinny jeans, no matter how much you like them. Why? Because those types of jeans will make you look shorter and chubbier. How about one-shoulder shirts? These one-shoulder tops look great on people with nice arms. But, if you have chubbier arms, that shirt will draw attention to your fat arm since the one-shoulder top completely exposes that area.

Instead of buying clothes that are trendy, look for clothes that will flatter your body.

Clothes can do a lot for how you look. Don’t choose clothes that make you look fatter or shorter. Choose clothes that make your butt look smaller or those that make your tummy look less extended. If you have bigger thighs, buy flare or boot cut jeans. They will make your legs look longer and thinner. If you have chubbier arms, look for short-sleeve shirts that drape over your shoulders and hide the upper part of your arms where there is the most fat.

Hardly anyone has the perfect body. We all have to deal with a different body shape. The next time you are trying on trendy clothes, look at whether or not those clothes are emphasizing or improving your problem areas. Choose something that flatters your figure and you will get a lot more attention and compliments than if you wear something really trendy, but look awful in it.

I read this article once that talked about the difference between a skinny person and a chubby person. It said that skinny people move around a lot more than chubby people. They actually fidget when they sit at their desks and they are constantly doing something active with their bodies. Instead of just sitting there, they need to get up. All of these extra movements that they do during the day add to the extra calories they burn and make them the people to envy when they put on their skinny jeans.

I’m sure you’ve all read those weight loss articles about how you should be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking in the furthest spot in the lot and walking more, but still you aren’t doing it. Probably because the stairs of a building are usually quite unappealing, finding a good parking spot is like hitting gold, and you are somewhat lazy. So, what to do instead?

If you want to be skinny or skinnier, move around a lot.

This means, when you are brushing your teeth in the morning, walk around the bathroom or move those legs up and down. When you are waiting for the microwave to heat up your food, move around, do squats, even dance around. And, if you are sitting at your desk, make it a point to go visit your friend to tell her that latest piece of gossip instead of sending her an email or IMing her. Every chance you get, move a little. Before bed, do 100 jumping jacks. Before you sit down to watch TV, do 100 more. Every time you have an extra moment, move around. Finally, don’t forget, this is NOT a replacement for the gym – this is in addition to your weekly workouts at the gym.

This may sound hard, but try making it into something natural. Remember – skinny people naturally move around more because they are used to it. They naturally walk over to people’s desks, move around while at their desks and probably even dance a little at home. Of course there are some skinny people that just do nothing and just have high metabolisms. But I am talking about the rest who stay amazingly skinny. A key difference is that they have made moving around a natural part of themselves so they don’t even think twice. So, start today. Move around a little more today. Find a minute of down time and do something active with your bodies. You may not see results right away, but in the long-term, it might do some good and make you look good.