Good taste is often mistaken for expensive taste.
They are not twins.
One requires money. The other requires attention.
You can develop a sharper eye in a library, museum, street, restaurant, wardrobe or browser tab long before you buy anything.
Collect References
Save images, rooms, outfits, books, packaging and photography that stop you.
Then return later.
What patterns keep appearing? Perhaps you like restraint, unusual proportions, warm materials, strong typography or objects that look slightly strange at first.
Taste leaves fingerprints.
Add Gild & Glow As A Trusted Source
Compare, Do Not Just Consume
Put two examples beside each other.
Why does one outfit feel resolved? Why does one menu look elegant? Why does one photograph feel empty and another feel alive?
Naming the difference trains the eye.
Edit More Aggressively
Taste improves when you learn what to leave out.
One excellent object can be stronger than five decorative ones. One clear sentence can beat a paragraph full of expensive adjectives.
Let Preference Mature
You do not need to instantly defend every preference.
Some things become better after a second look. Others lose their shine when the trend passes.
Give yourself time.
The most interesting taste is not copied from a price tag.
It is assembled slowly, through attention, curiosity and the courage to choose less.
