This Is the Reason Kim Kardashian's Outfits Look So Expensive

Updated on 8/19/2015 at 4:15 PM

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Kim Kardashian's epic (Kanye West-ordained) makeover has revamped the reality star from former trend victim to style setter who's known now for a uniform of minimalist, body-hugging silhouettes and a lineup of killer heels that she hasn't traded in, even in the midst of her second pregnancy.

The overall look is sexy, sure, but more importantly, her look never strays too far from a particular color palette. In fact, most of her looks rely on varying shades of the same neutrals: soft, buttery tans, all black, gray, brown, and the occasional deep green. That's no accident — Kim (or Kanye, as the case may be) has homed in on one of fashion's cardinal rules: neutrals always look elevated. So even when she's wearing pieces as basic as tank dresses or cotton/spandex skirts, the outfits look way more expensive — and getting her high-end look is as easy as sticking to the same colors and simplified cuts (no designer labels required). Scroll to steal Kim's styling hacks and re-create the look with our shopping picks ahead.

Kim kept it all white in St. Barts, adding a gold choker to elevate her basic white tank dress and cream cardigan.

Armed in all green, Kim's look was streamlined. She added lace-up heels in an understated brown (read: not flashy metallics or a bright color) to complete the look.

Kim stuck to her signature silhouette — a body-hugging tank dress and duster coat, this time in shades of tan and gray.

All black kept Kim's look unified, and again, she added her lace-up heels to give just a touch of the trends.

Body-conscious but not flashy, Kim stepped out in a blush-colored duster coat to polish off a tan dress.

For a cohesive, cool airport look, Kim slipped into a tan skirt and top set, then offset the look with a cool moto jacket and heels in complementing shades of brown.

All white done right. The style setter added an oversize button-down to lend a little coverage to a skintight white tank dress. Where a printed or sequined tank dress might feel over-the-top, in white the look is chic and understated.

For an afternoon out, Mrs. West did her thing, bringing three complementary neutrals together in one outfit. As usual, she threw on a pair of statement sandals, albeit in an understated shade, to give the whole thing a little more oomph.