This Expensive-Looking Trend Will Make You Look Like You Got a Raise
This fall, there are so many ways to make your outfits look more expensive. From leather separates to croc-effect accessories, there's no shortage of luxe-looking trends to choose from if you find yourself searching for ways to trick people into thinking you spent more on your outfit than you really did. And now we're adding one more expensive-looking trend to that list: pleated clothing, or, more specifically, plissé. It's the material that's defined by micro-pleats, which give it a crinkled or puckered effect.
Why is plissé so expensive-looking? For one, the crinkled effect obscures any and all wrinkles, so you always look fresh and put-together even if you've been wearing the garment all day long. Secondly, any article of clothing made from plissé is immediately more interesting than most other fabrics thanks to the pleated texture. As you'll see up ahead, the material can be found on dresses, tops, pants, and skirts this fall, and even though Pleats Please by Issey Miyake made plissé so covetable in the first place, everyone from affordable retailers like H&M and Topshop to luxury designers like Khaite are getting in on it right now, so you can achieve the luxe look no matter how much you're actually willing to spend.
Simply scroll down to see the pleated clothing trend IRL and then shop each of the items defining the look.
PLEATED DRESSES
Oh, Ganni, you always know how to stop us dead in our tracks with your eye-catching dresses.
Hot tip: ASOS is flooded with variations on the pleated clothing trend.
PLEATED PANTS
Issey Miyake basically invented the plissé trend.
Zara does it again.
Shop the matching Pleated Top ($20).
PLEATED TOPS
Take a cue from the model and wear this pretty blouse with your favorite denim.
PLEATED SKIRTS
May we suggest shopping the matching top to make it a coordinating set?
Next up: I spot trends for a living—here's everything I'm buying for fall.
Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.
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