You get what you pay for, so they say. But the High Street is adept at doing tailored pieces in smart fabrics. TV presenter Kate Garraway tried three top-to-toe outfits. Could she spot the bargains from the bling? DINNER DATE . Dress, £20, oasis-stores.com . Necklace, £2.99, and bag, £14.99, newlook.co.uk . Ring, £7, asos.com . Shoes, £5, everything5pounds.com . Total: £49.98 . A belt would improve the overall shape of this dress, but at a smart evening event no one would know it cost the same as a posh bottle of wine. I can’t believe the shoes are only £5; they look as if they’d be at least £50. Dress, £650, beulahlondon.com . Necklace, £3,195, caratlondon.com . Ring, £235, monicavinader.com . Bag, £195, lkbennett.com . Shoes, £725, arunaseth.com . Total: £5,000 . This dress looks sweet and fits perfectly, but it doesn’t feel expensive (75 per cent stiff cotton, 25 per cent nylon with a 100 per cent silk lining). The platforms are comfortable. But the necklace (set in nine-carat gold, but these aren’t diamonds) does not look as if it’s worth thousands. WINNER: Split: I prefer the pricey dress, but the cheaper shoes and jewellery. OUT FOR DRINKS . Dress, £30, axparis.com . Jacket, £5, and shoes, £5, everything5pounds.com . Necklace, £7, and earrings, £3, claires.co.uk . Total: £50 . This dress may be less than a tenth of the price of the more expensive one, but I prefer it 100 per cent. The colour is better — it’s a warmer golden shade rather than a silvery grey — as is the fit. On looks, I’d think it was the more expensive of the two. The jacket is smartly tailored, worn-in looking and lightweight for spring. The shoes have a natty asymmetrical cut at the toe line and feel incredibly comfortable. Rag and Bone dress, £460, oxygenboutique.com . Leather jacket, £1,845, michaelkors.com . Star necklace, £1,495, sheeva.com . Earrings, £695, astleyclarke.com . Shoes, £505, giuseppezanottidesign.com . Total: £5,000 . This is a great dress: sexy, but the length prevents a mutton-dressed-as-lamb situation. The fabric feels a little viscose, though. The jacket is suspiciously shiny, but butter soft. The necklace is set with miniature white sapphires, but I wouldn’t have spotted this as different to the budget version. WINNER: The cheap option — it makes a better impact all round. SHOPPING TRIP . Coat, £30, boohoo.com . George at Asda sweater, £4, direct.asda.com . Shoes and jeans, £5 each, everything5pounds.com . Tote bag, £19.99, hm.com . Necklace, £7.99, daisystreet.co.uk . Total: £49.98 . I love this (admittedly thin) coat, which looks far more costly. The necklace looks almost identical to the dear one. The jumper is a bit see-through, but the jeans fit like a glove. Coat, £1,450, aquascutum.com . Adam Lippes silk and cashmere sweater, £740, net–a-porter.com . J Brand jeans, £300, selfridges.com . Tote bag with inbuilt phone or iPad charger portal, £1,500, aspinaloflondon.com . Shourouk necklace, £590, benna.co.uk . Shoes, £420, arunaseth.com . Total: £5,000 . A classy outfit. The jeans are soft and supple, the jumper warm, but not heavy, the coat smart if shapeless and the handbag is obviously top quality. But the shoes and necklace were nothing special. WINNER: The cheap option. With neutral colours and fail-safe cuts, I had to look hard to tell which was which.
The High Street has been reproducing expensive styles for years . Kate Garraway tried three outfits from the shops and three from designers . Can you tell which is cheap chic and which has a weighty price tag?