MEAGHAN SMITH PERSONAL STYLIST

My favourite way to dress is to combine pieces that are designer (expensive) with low (inexpensive), from near and far and old and new. .

For me it feels more creative than wearing head-to-toe current season (which I do do occasionally – but it doesn’t seem as interesting).

For this reason I think about building a wardrobe, rather than just having clothes in my wardrobe for a season. .

Here I’m wearing a vintage embroidered blouse, which I found in a local opshop (about 8 yrs ago) for $5. With it I’m wearing, my favourite Levi’s, (bought in Melbourne), a pair of Scanlan Theodore shoes, a Maje necklace I bought in Paris and a Clare Vivier bag my sisters gave me for my birthday (which they had shipped from the States).

SIDE NOTE
While this top only cost me $5, I liked it so much I thought it was worth spending the money to have it altered. When I bought it the sleeves were too long. I wanted them to sit above my wrist bone – so I took it to my tailor and he removed the embroidered strip, shortened them, and then replaced the embroidery. Much better!

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Think about where you should be spending your money and where you should be saving (Or at least not so heavily investing) when it comes to your wardrobe…

It seems silly that you would have a $79 H&M black blazer that you bought knowing you wanted to wear it to work at least twice (maybe 3 times) a week, that looks tired and scruffy after one dry clean, but then you spend $550 on a dress you wear to Oaks Day – once.

The blazer I’m wearing here is about 5 years old. It cost me about $350. I wear it at least twice a week – to work, to dinners, to the races, to meetings, to funerals, etc… (You can see here I’m wearing it as a suit) It still looks as good as it did 5 years ago…

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Try and have at least one or two pieces in your wardrobe that you can rely on for different occasions.

For fancy dinners, weddings, dates, funerals, job interviews, etc.

It could be a little black dress, a cream suit, a navy jumpsuit, or a couple of classic separates. (As is the case for me here).

Make sure they’re current, modern, in great condition, and ready to be transformed for the particular event. (Eg. I’ve added high suede pumps, a belt, a small vintage bag, and tiny sparkly earrings – for a day at the races. If I was going to a bar for drinks, I might remove the belt, swap the bag and change to an ankle boot. Different look (and feel), using the same reliable classic pieces.

Remember – you don’t have to have lots and lots of clothes, to have plenty of outfits. It’s all about having the right versatile pieces.

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We’re currently in what can be, not quite disastrous, but certainly a dangerous period. Sales time.

This is the time when costly shopping mistakes are frequently made.

It’s when we can be easily lured into buying something we don’t really love, that isn’t at all flattering and doesn’t one bit represent the style and image we want to portray.

Here’s a scenario to think about…

You’ve been looking for something to wear to a friend’s wedding and not having much luck. You head out to the shops, thinking I have to get something today. I’m getting desperate.

You walk into a designer shop where they’re having a big sale. You’re thinking, this looks promising. But discover the only thing in your size is this pale pink satin ruched dress (pictured above). Its original price was $2072 and it’s on sale for $300. And it’s Nina Ricci. OMG, you think. I could never afford a designer dress like this normally. This is such a huge bargain. You try it on and it fits even though the neckline is too high for you, the length too short, you don’t really like the color (and it’s too pale for you) and you have no idea what underwear you’ll be able to wear to smooth out the lumps and bumps, which the shiny fabric seems to be highlighting. But it’s designer, it fits, it’s such a bargain and you’re desperate to buy something. The wedding is only 3 weeks away.

You’re still debating whether or not you should take it or not when the salesperson comes over and tells you you look incredible in it and that it’s beautifully made and only a handful of them were created – therefore nobody else will be wearing the same as you on the night. She gives you some ideas for how to accessorise it and how you could wear your hair and by now you’re starting to think it must look good if she says so. She works in fashion so she probably knows better than you. She could be right – the light’s not great in the change room, you don’t have any makeup on and you’re wearing bad undies.

What do you do? Do you buy it or leave it?

*If you do buy it…do you feel incredible when you wear it or do you feel uncomfortable, and unauthentic and wish you’d bought something that was flattering to your shape and reflected your style?

If you need help navigating the sales you can contact me here

You can read what styling services I offer here

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