The Champagne Lifestyle

Writer, Rob Carter, reveals how gents can look like a millionaire on a budget

We’ve all been there; you want to look good, you want to impress, you want to turn heads but there’s one problem – you don’t have the bunce and you're low on moolah. Ultimately, you just don’t have enough wedge…

Well, put down that tiny violin and look no further. We’ve done a bit of research and to ‘fake it until you make it’ just requires just a few minor tweaks to your personal style and mindset. By following the tips below, you’ll have everything you need to look the part, act the part and live the part – you’ll be able to convince anyone that you’re a millionaire…

Step 1. Look the part

Focus on the emotional benefit of sharp dressing. Once you’re plugged into the idea of looking the part you’ll naturally aspire to make some positive changes. Contrary to popular belief, a designer wardrobe doesn’t depend on a huge bank balance. Sending out the right message simply requires smart thinking.

• Sharpen up your groomed style with a classic haircut and a professional shave. A traditional men’s barbers will give you just as good a cut as a stylist without charging a small fortune. Take a look at some of the latest classic hairstyles for men to get an idea of what’s fashionable right now, and keep your hair trimmed and tidy.

• While we’re on the subject of classic styles, be sure to look at some of the designer threads you can find at vintage clothes stores, or on online auction sites. A vintage herringbone, checked three-piece suit, for example, could be yours for just over £100 and will really get heads turning. Swap your tired wardrobe for elegant pieces that reflect your new status.

• Don’t forget the briefcase. Even if the entire contents is a half eaten apple, carry a briefcase around and you’ll look like the brains behind a business operation. Just make sure nobody finds out what's inside! However if this does happen, simply say you are the CEO of Innocent Smoothies, they’ll definitely believe you...

• They say that ‘shoes maketh the man’, so make sure you give your shoes a military style brush and polish. Your expensive appearance will be instantly busted by scruffy footwear.

• Finish off with a signature scent. Go for an aftershave with a musky, wooden smell but with a hidden array of citrus to it. We love Creed’s Millesime Imperial to smell like a true millionaire, but if the budget doesn’t stretch that far, go for something like Collezione Nero, £15.00 from Marks & Spencer, for a suave fragrance that blends top notes of apple, cardamom and pepper, with heart notes of sage, cedar wood and patchouli resting on a sophisticated base of tonka and amber musk. Or, opt for another affordable fragrance with Joop! Homme aftershave, £18.00 from Blue Inc. It’s a sweet, woody fragrance with an oriental feel with amalfi lemon, bergamot, orange blossom and mandarin orange top notes. It has heart notes of cinnamon, lily of the valley, cardamom, heliotrope and jasmine and base notes of vanilla, patchouli, tonka bean and sandalwood.

Step 2. Act the part

• Give your name a makeover. The perfect name conjures up leadership qualities, revered status and influence. For example, if your name is Barry or Larry try switching to Barrington or Laurence instead.

• Hire some wheels. Need to impress for a special occasion? No stress. For just over £500, you can hire a Lamborghini, Porsche or Ferrari for the day from companies such as Hertz. Your flash wheels don’t have to be parked on your drive 24/7, just make sure you don’t waiver the accidental collision cover! Find out more here by visiting the website at www.uk.hertzsupercars.com

• Be unique. Some of the world’s wealthiest men have a distinctive eccentric streak. Exaggerating your unique quirkiness will leave people assuming that you have stacks of cash. Just be sure to be eccentric and not crazy, think Jack Sparrow not Van Gogh as nobody wants to be picking your ear off the floor!

• Know your Art. Amassing general knowledge about art history, fine wine, gastronomy and classical music conveys the message that you’re the real deal. A quick skim through the Art History for Dummies website is a good place to start.

• Take up an unusual hobby like wine tasting with a company such as Vinopolis, which will also assist with part of the previous point. You’ll earn respect for mastering a pastime and may even meet some fellow wealthy chaps because the rich make time to pursue other interests. Be warned though, they may also be fake millionaires! Visit www.vinopolis.co.uk to book on a course.

• Change your lingo. Refine your speech by speaking the Queen’s English with correct intonation and pronunciation. Take a gander through Debrett's New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners by John Morgan to give you everything you’ll need.

Step 3. Live the part

• Ditch the comfy armchair in favour of world famous designer furniture at a fraction of the price. Simply kit your pad out with replicas of the classics such as the Eames Chair or the infamous Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair from www.trueinterior.com.

• Get the paintbrush out and decorate your home with a neutral palette and embellish it with a couple of large mirrors – on the walls not the ceiling. The light colour and large reflections will make the room seem bigger that will ooze taste, style and sophistication.

• Alternatively, why not go the whole way and hire a wealthy guy’s apartment for the weekend? Rent a bachelor pad online for a couple of days and you’ll be well and truly living the part without the mortgage-inducing heart palpitations!

• Finally, to really sell the lifestyle part, take a leaf out of this Dutch lady’s book who faked being on holiday with merely the use of Photoshop and Facebook – www.news.distractify.com. You too can fool your online friends into thinking you're living the millionaire lifestyle with just a bit of cutting here and pasting there. They never need know you actually uploaded the photo whilst sat in your underpants watching The Chase!