Wardrobe Rehab
WARDROBE REHAB: FOREVER TRENDS
7th February 2013
Every season I feel like trend fashion becomes more and more intertwined. The internet and our hunger for the newest and shiniest pieces means that we often start looking ahead to the next season well before this one has even got underway. Admittedly I’m a tiny fish in this tide of the seasons – you’ll often find me plotting the DIYs I’ll be doing at the same time as they’re walking the runway (and won’t be in stores for 6 months!). At this time of year when all the fashion shows start, we’re just about to embrace a new season (Spring!) and wham! We’ve got looks from next season in our face. And let’s not even get started on what it’s like when you live in Australia, you’re a season behind weather wise and 4 seasons ahead trend wise. Although I’m really looking forward to glimpsing what’s in store for us this coming winter ( even though winter is my least favourite season – give me resort any day, even sounds more fun) sometimes it’s nice to pour yourself a cup of tea, take a deep breath and remind yourself that no matter what comes down that shiny runway, all shimmering hair and ‘can’t-turn-left-ness’, some trends will never die. Keep them in your closet and you’ll wear them over and over, with minor updates if required. I love to think of these as ‘forever trends’, cos you know, they’re forever and all. A few of my favourites to follow.
Leopard Print
At one point a few years ago I thought leopard print was D.E.A.D. Probably because I made the mistake of going into a high street store mid sale when animal prints were at their height and it looked like someone had butchered half the Great Migration in there. But as I’ve gotten older prints have stood by me in my wardrobe and I honestly think done right, they’ll live on forever.
Double Denim
Maybe you’re like no way double denim is passe or will be or should be, but it looks so good in this casual and relaxed way that I don’t think it will truly ever pass. So if you hate it, be prepared to see it over and over.
Red on red
Can you say sexy and sleek and amazing all at once? I wear so much red on a day-to-day basis (it’s the extra colour I buy my basics / essentials in) but I know for some it’s not their favourite shade, however I honestly think you’ll never go wrong with red on red.
Florals
Sometimes a major trend that dominates the runways, floral prints worn well are a trend with staying power. As long as you don’t wear head to toe florals, and hell, even if you do – this look will never get old. Pick up some vintage florals and wear them for the rest of your life – til you’re eighty!
Jumpsuits
There’s nothing as elegant as a jumpsuit, and no matter what magazines and the runways are telling you that you should be wearing, you’ll always be the best dressed person in the room with a jumper on.
All White
So crisp and fresh, all white is a major trend this coming Spring, but that doesn’t mean it’s ever any less chic. Even if the runways are all goth and dark, all white is a welcome distraction.
Tone on tone
I’m such a big fan of tone on tone outfits where you dress in only one colour. Not the easiest thing to pull off but striking and a forever trend for those people who can get it right. You sure need lots of clothes in your wardrobe to make it work! Or perhaps just buy your clothes only in one colour?
The Hat
There’s just something special about the addition of a black fedora (or indeed any chic black hat) to your outfit. Although at times they dominate the runway, a fedora is something that’ll live in your wardrobe and do you well, hopefully keeping your head warm til your old and grey.
Polka Dots
Bringing to mind chic mad men inspired ensembles, polka dots have such a sense of fun that I don’t think you’ll ever see them cast off. I’ve had a silk polka dot skirt for 8 years and have worn it monthly – chic and forever.
Stripes
If my collections of breton striped tops is anything to go by (way to embarrassed to say just how many I have!) then stripes are a trend that you’ll be able to wear until the end of your days. I’m sure this is one most of us can get on board with right?
Black and white
Ye olde staple, a simple outfit of black and white will absolutely never ever become outdated. Probably the most forever of the forever trends.
The Perfect Jeans
It’s a pretty simple process, find the style that suits you, and wear it all the time. Full stop.
The moral of this story? Buy forever trends when you see them and you’ll be eternally well dressed regardless of what’s ‘hot’. I’ve only scratched the surface here I know – do you have any outfits/ensembles you think of as ‘forever’? I’d love to hear!
WARDROBE REHAB: FOUR WAYS
9th January 2013
Recently I’ve been planning my wardrobe rehab resolutions – the new year is a great time to think about how your closet evolved in the year just gone, deciding what you liked and what you would change. Although overall my wardrobe is streaks ahead of where it was this time last year, one thing I’ve noticed is that a few pieces I bought have only been worn a couple of times, mainly because they fit in with limited outfits. Not a major issue but not something I want to replicate in 2013. It can be really hard when you’re in a store, the adrenalin of finding something you like (and fighting over it with other crazy b*tches) and the excitement of sale items can cloud your judgement. And it’s often not until you get home that you know whether it fits with your current wardrobe or not, which is sometimes too late. This year I’m changing my approach. Rather than banning myself from shopping (a girls gotta cover her bits and pieces ya know?), this year I’ve decided on a ‘four ways’ resolution. Each time I’m about to make a purchase, I’m going to quickly plan at least four different outfits that include that item. If an item doesn’t meet the four ways challenge I’m not going to buy it (probably with a few teeny tiny exceptions… I’m only human!). I’m hoping this will help me to a) chose new pieces that grow my wardrobe and its wearability b) preplan outfits with new pieces and c) save money/space/time on pieces I won’t wear.
As an example, I stopped in at the Zara sale recently (talk about chaos!) and was umming and ahhing over these leopard print heels. I’d had my eye on them for a while but wasn’t sure how they would fit in with my wardrobe. They were fairly inexpensive at $50, but it wasn’t necessarily about the money (although my funds are in no way unlimited), it was more about wanting to avoid buying items I won’t get loads of wear out of. And so I asked myself, there and then in the store, to decide what outfits these heels would fit into. Amongst others things, I asked myself the following questions:
Q. What four outfits (or more) would these heels work great with?
Q. Do I have anything like this already?
Q. Does the colour palette of these heels fit in with the rest of my wardrobe?
I probably looked like a total nutter in the store, staring up at the ceiling and numbering off the outfits in my head. I even used pieces in the store, of which I had similar at home, to help me visualise the perfect ensembles. I obviously decided that they were wearable enough to take home, and I haven’t suffered from the smallest bit of buyers remorse yet (other than to hope the Madewell or J Crew versions I love don’t pop up on ebay soon). I’m putting this one down as a win (obviously for Zara as much as for me), and can’t help but now think of this style of heels as a staple in my wardrobe. Here are the outfits I came up with.
Outfit 1| Red Whistles dress (a bit like this), Brahmin satchel bag, Coach watch, earrings from Thailand.
Outfit 2| DIY Cut off shorts, J Crew t-shirt, DIY sleeveless blazer, thrifted envelope clutch, Coach watch, Giles & Brother wrap bracelet, necklace from Paris.
Outfit 2| DIY Cut off shorts, J Crew t-shirt, DIY sleeveless blazer, thrifted envelope clutch, Coach watch, Giles & Brother wrap bracelet, necklace from Paris.
Outfit 3| Thrifted nautical top, Sass & Bide skinny jeans, Whistles leather bomber jacket, Coach watch, Giles & Brother wrap bracelet, Necklace from paris.
So that’s my Wardrobe Rehab resolution for 2013 – I’ll let you know how it goes! How did your wardrobe evolve in 2012? Is there anything you would change, or anything you would like me to cover here to help you create the perfect closet? If you’re yet to embark on Wardrobe Rehab - now’s the time!
Some ideas for other Wardrobe Rehab Resolutions include:
- Define your palette: Think about what basic colours suit you so your purchases fit together better.
- Thrift more: you often find great quality in older pieces.
- Cull every 3 months: so your wardobe is a reflection of pieces you like and actually wear.
- Dress in Three Colours: can’t explain how much this has helped me!
- Shop smart: Invest in quality items.
WARDROBE REHAB: THE UNIFORM
5th November 2012
If I had to choose a few items for my closet as my absolute essentials, the ones below would be them - a uniform that’s perfect in summer as is or layered with tights and a coat in winter. Remember how easy it used to be at school when you knew exactly what you would be wearing day in and day out? Kind of boring I know (and my uniform was the least flattering thing in the world – we spent the whole time trying to make it chic) but it did make life pretty easy. Sometimes I find it really it helps to have an outfit of favourite basic pieces (as well as a few variations of that outfit) that you feel comfortable in and can throw on when you need to run out the door without having to umm and ahhh over your outfit choices. Naturally this outfit doesn’t work in every situation but it hopefully comes pretty close. Funnily enough the concept of the uniform is something I got from my boyfriend, when we were first together I noticed that he wears variations of the same thing everyday, so I thought I would try out a similar approach. It’s become second nature now, I could probably throw out most of the rest of my closet!
My uniform: Vintage leather skirt (this is a similar one), vintage breton top (want one of these!), Zara ballet flats (these are cute too), gold pendant bought in Paris, Coach watch.
My other favourite picks for a uniform are a simple white silk shirt and a pair of denim shorts or boyfriend jeans.
If you had to describe your own ‘uniform’ (the clothes that feel like a second skin when you wear them) what would it be? I’d love to hear!
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