WHILE designer looks are desirable, you don't have to pay the price to look the part.

Style expert Lydia Tomlinson demonstrates how you can adjust your outfits to give them more of a chic and elegant feel for free.

Simple alterations you can make yourself will elevate any look.

You may not realize it, but the key to looking expensive is understanding what is most flattering on your body.

Lydia shared a short video on three common styling mistakes and how you can fix them if you want to appear chic and put together.

Mistake #1: "Only pairing color with black."

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"Not only is this predictable, but the black can also kill the color you're wearing," Lydia says.

In the video, she wears a wine-colored turtleneck sweater, black trousers, and matching boots.

But then she switches the bottom half to different shades of dark brown.

"When wearing color, try instead to go for a tonal look, or instead of black swap for navy, gray, or brown," she explains.

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Mistake #2: "Not balancing proportions."

Lydia starts by wearing a tight black long-sleeve tucked into tight black pants.

This outfit sticks to her body which she says looks "both outdated and unflattering."

To upgrade the outfit, Lydia uses "The Sandwich Rule."

Lydia describes this concept: "The same piece on the top and bottom with a contrasting piece in the middle."

She switches out the tight pants for baggy trousers and uses a " delicate" shoe.

Mistake #3: "Neglecting your everyday style."

Only spending money on clothes you're going to wear out to a restaurant, bar, or club isn't what you should be doing.

"Invest in the best and smart everyday basics because let's face it that's when most people see us anyway. Living a stylish life is about making an effort for every occasion, and in turn, it will make you feel alot better and confident on the inside too," Lydia says.

Some good basics to invest in are nice hoodies, knitwear, trousers, trainers, and timeless coats.

One viewer was able to relate to the third mistake.

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She wrote: "The third tip hit me. I always buy stuff to club in even though I haven't been to a club in years and have nothing to wear to work."

A retired model chimed in and added: "I used to be a model and the advice we got was very similar to this, but one extra thing was that you should suit you outfit to your activity."

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