How to Dress Up Basic Jeans - A Street Style Guide

How Street Style Stars Make Basic Jeans Look Fashionable

 If you're like most women, you've got some older pairs of jeans in your closet, that you save for wearing on casual weekends, or for work around the house. But did you know that with a little savvy fashion styling, you can dress up those basic jeans to make them look more expensive? We're here to show you how to transform your Sunday jeans into a stylish outfit -- so you can wear them fashionably every day of the week -- with our street style guide to dressing up even the most basic jeans.

Dress Up Basic Jeans With Colorful Layers

Here's a reliable (and pretty) way to dress up a pair of basic jeans, to give the impression of being more expensively-dressed overall. Wear a bright, colorful top that can pull focus and become the center of attention. Nobody will even notice that your jeans aren't high-end.

Dress in a rainbow of colored jeans outfits

Dress Up Basic Jeans With Colorful Layers

Layer like a rich girl by pulling a wildly colored blanket scarf or poncho over your go-to weekend jeans, for city walks or brunch with friends on cooler days. This is a great way to get mileage out of this season's stripes trend.

10 ways to wear denim and stripes

Dress Up Basic Jeans With a Designer Purse

Want a foolproof way to make everything you're wearing look more expensive? You'll instantly upgrade any pair of jeans you wear, by carrying a designer bag, such as the Prada clutch pictured here. Even a purse that only looks designer (check fast fashion retailers such as Zara for knock-offs that only look expensive) can do wonders to upgrade those standard-issue skinny jeans in your wardrobe.

Check out these chic denim shorts outfits with a designer purse

Dress Up Basic Jeans With a Designer Purse

When you carry Chanel, you can get away with a lot. Even a basic outfit of a hoodie, sneakers and paint-splattered weekend jeans looks fashion-forward when you add a pink, Chanel cross-body purse.

Learn more about why accessories matter (and which ones to get)

Dress Up Basic Jeans With a Designer Purse

Here, a white Sylvie bag from Gucci adds instant cachet to this otherwise basic outfit of skinny cropped jeans, a blue sweatshirt and a boyfriend-style trench coat. 

Shop for Gucci bags on Amazon Fashion

Dress Up Basic Jeans With an Amazing Jacket

Got a pair of trendy mom jeans taking up space in the back of your closet? Dress them up -- and create a vibe that says designer, not dated -- by wearing them with a rich-looking faux fur jacket. Matched with a choker necklace, cute shoes and your favorite bag, this look makes a charming daytime date outfit.

Get more ideas for wearing a faux fur jacket in your wardrobe

Dress Up Basic Jeans With an Amazing Jacket

When your jacket cost a pretty penny (or looks like it did), people will assume your jeans were a splurge, too. Take a look at how basic cropped straight leg jeans are instantly upgraded when you wear them with a one-of-a-kind spring jacket.

Browse our picks for the hottest jeans for spring fashion

Dress Up Basic Jeans With an Amazing Jacket

A great jacket to wear with jeans doesn't have to break the bank. You can create a stylish outfit by adding unexpected touches to a simple, streamlined outfit in basic, slim fitting jeans, such as the menswear shirt and black jeans combination pictured here. Add a great belt (the one pictured is by Gucci) and a shockingly bright puffer jacket, and you'll be dressed to impress.

14 ways to style your skinny jeans

Dress Up Basic Jeans With Smart Layers

Want people to think you spent big bucks on your jeans? Wear them with more luxurious-looking (if not actually expensive) items from your closet. Here, a stylish Parisian wears a furry vest, a Gucci belt and a classic trench coat over basic faded jeans, to create a louche, rich girl vibe.

Learn how to wear jeans like a stylish French woman

Dress Up Basic Jeans With Smart Layers

You can instantly dress up even the most basic jeans, by wearing them smartly with more expensive wardrobe pieces, as pictured here. A white Chanel t-shirt, Chanel bag and Acne Studios tweed blazer create a rich-looking outfit, even when the jeans are a bargain pair (those pictured here are from fast-fashion retailer H&M).

Fashion #inspo for dressing up your jeans and t-shirt outfits

Dress Up Basic Jeans With Smart Layers

Layering smartly doesn't have to mean spending a lot of money. You can pull off an expensive-looking outfit without splurging on any of the pieces, through the strategic use of color in your outfit. Create a trendy, color blocked look for any season by layering an easy coat in a saturated hue, such as the cobalt blue one pictured here, over a long-sleeved sweater in a contrasting color. Wear with your favorite ripped jeans and go-to ankle boots for an easy outfit that can take you shopping, to meet-the-teacher events, or out for lunch with friends.

Get more ideas for wearing ankle boots with jeans