Tash's Style Journey

My first article of 2020, and it has taken me a while to work out what it should be about. There are many topics I am going to cover this year based on your questions and feedback. But something I just did for myself, is work out how I want my style to evolve from last year to this year……and yes, I do this!

For me, mentally, the New Year brings fresh eyes, new goals, and subconsciously a newish me. With these 'new eyes,' I can look back on my last years self to reflect upon as a way to evolve, so I feel (and look) like I am ready for what 2020 has to offer. I also think it is essential to make changes to your style and wardrobe - only subtly, as a way of feeling relevant, and so you feel energized to get dressed and out the door. And I don't mean it's about going on a shopping spree!

As the forecast is predicting warmer weather just around the corner, are you looking for a little inspiration to achieve your dreams of becoming effortlessly ‘cool’ (as in… temperature and style) around the clock? And if you are sick of all the styles you already own, it’s time to find an alternative way to survive the heat.  The solution? It is linen - and not just the linen pieces you bought last season - it’s about a new take on linen. New colours, new shapes and most importantly, it’s about a new way to style it. 

When it comes to summer styling, no other fabric springs to mind quite like linen! Yet, so many people are afraid of wearing linen because they either don’t know how to or they simply don’t like the creasing. Now, I really want to bust a myth - the creases in linen are not flaws in the fabric – they are what gives linen its personality and character and I happen to think, they are what makes linen particularly beautiful. 

So what happens when an invitation gets delivered in the mail (yes, this rarely happens, but is still so lovely to receive actual mail!), and the dress code is “dress in your favourite dress…but no black allowed”. I know you are assuming I would just fling open my cupboard doors and select something spectacular from my collection? Well actually this time, I was little “what the f**k do I wear”! You know this feeling right? 

In all honesty, I don’t like a dress code; as for me it’s a rule for how I am meant to look. I prefer to use the ‘dress code’ as a guide for how dressed up or casual the event is, but ultimately dress my way, in my style. And most of the time, for me (and most clients I meet or friends), dressing can be very emotional – as you can use your outfit to show off or hide. AND dressing for an ‘event’ normally freaks people out!

The moment I wake up, one of the first things that pops into my mind is, “What the hell am I going to wear to work today?” Am I alone, or do you also ask this question? The reason I’ve been thinking about this is because I get many questions from corporate clients, and you, asking me how to wear clothes for work in a more modern way. So, I’ve been keeping a diary and paying attention.

 I think that there’s a sense that work wear means black and navy, mainly because it’s an easy uniform that just works. But what if you wanted to tweak the norm, or add something new, what would that look like? And how can you express your personality and incorporate fashion trends?

I have to admit it, I have a few weird rules about things that have no meaning or sense. An odd list that has no theory behind it, but I use subconsciously as a guide to my life. Take for example when I was pregnant. I refused to buy ‘maternity’ clothes because (yes, yes, all in my head) I imagined I would be one of ‘those’ women that was ‘all belly’ and wouldn’t put on weight anywhere else. This concept completely backfired as I was pretty much a watermelon for 9 months and lived in my husband’s clothes. I would have felt a lot better, and more comfortable, in a pair of maternity jeans. But again for my second pregnancy, I did the same thing! I actually think it just comes down to being in denial about the realities of life.

My latest denial is the fact that I really, really need glasses to read. It’s been about 3 years since I noticed it was difficult to read a menu in a restaurant without extending my arm out to read what I wanted for lunch from 1/2 a metre away. Or when looking at my phone early in the morning made my eyes weep like I had just watched a sad romantic movie. I think the reality of my denial is that I associate needing glasses with age…old age! Which I realise is ridiculous as my son got glasses when he was 2 - clearly it is not about age! And oddly many of my style icons wear glasses but I don’t notice that they even wear them. So, as part of my job I recently got the opportunity to work on a campaign for an optical glasses company, Spec Savers. So, rather than just being in the images, I decided to embrace my deteriorating eyesite and go and get an eye test. Just from the eyetest and trying on options, I realised I had been struggling for so long by putting up with blurred vision, and the alternative was incredible! I could see almost like my life was in high definition again.

Something I have done recently in my own wardrobe, is define what I love to wear. To work this out, I based it around what my go-to clothes are, what I feel good in and works vs what doesn’t. I hear often from clients and friends, there can be a sense of ‘wardrobe shock’ when you decide to do this process. Mainly because you have to be very honest with yourself, while taking out the emotion. You can get lost in the memory of, “oh I wore this when I met my husband”, or “that is too short for me to wear again, but I can’t get rid of it”. But what if you built your wardrobe around the idea you are establishing certain signature looks, while updating them with a hint of colour and seasonal new shapes? Well, this is the new 2019 way to shop and to dress. In fact, it is trending to be a responsible shopper! 

The most stylish women in the world have their own uniform, they keep it simple, know what they look good in, and simply stick to this formula - especially when they’re choosing new pieces. In fact to have real style does not mean you need to have a huge designer only budget or the biggest walk-in wardrobe filled clothes. And trust me when I say this, you do not need a lot to look good, just sensible dressing decisions. 

As the change of season is upon us, now is the perfect time to assess your wardrobe. Because rather than going out to buy all new season trends and spending a fortune in the process, I am here to teach you about building the perfect transeasonal ‘wearable’ wardrobe. 

You can do it with just 13 items and three classic pieces of knitwear. Don't believe me??

There’s a lot of talk about sustainability and conservation at the moment. Have you noticed or is it just me?

To that end, over the last 12 months I’ve been working with the Taronga Conservation Society in raising awareness of the incredible work they do for animals, their habitats and their efforts to protect it for the future. From top to bottom, they are committed to a greener future with sustainable practices and policies embedded in the core of all their activities. Even recognised by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (yes, Harry and Meaghan) during their recent trip to Sydney ….and YS I was very grateful to meet them. I have to say that it’s incredible to witness the work of so many dedicated, passionate people in this field, the need of which is only driven home when you watch distressing videos like the turtle with a straw up its nose. Horrendous!

Although conservation differs from sustainability, I’m just starting to learn more about the impact the beauty and fashion industry is having on our world.

So, I’ve just had a busy two months of travel. First, I went to India to see animal conservation work in action (to witness the work around saving the Bengal tiger and Indian Rhino from extinction). Then I went to Ghana in West Africa to look at fair trade and sourcing sustainable beauty products. Now I have so much more understanding of why it’s critically important we take both topics seriously.

I really wanted to share a few of my insights about sustainable beauty because I think there’s some confusion. I think explaining it to you in my voice will make more sense, so I have interviewed myself…which I realise sounds ridiculous, but just go with it.

What do you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? This question has been on my mind lately and I wanted to chat to you about it.

It all started when I went shopping with a very good friend, searching for dresses she could wear to work and also on the weekend with a different shoe. So, we headed to one of my favourite Australian designers, Zimmermann, to find what we could find. I sat on the “boyfriend” chair in the fitting room, mainly to keep myself away from all the tempting racks of fashion heaveness, while my friend went into the fitting room with five items.

 The first dress was a long style; black silk georgette with ruffles cascading down the front – ideal for work belted and a heel, or for a casual dinner back with a sneaker. My friend walked out and took a quick look in the mirror before turning to head back to try the next one on. What just happened? Next up, a navy and white floral with a high neck and oversized sleeve – “divine”. I shrieked as she walked out, but again she didn’t even look at the dress before spinning on her heels. Ok, this is getting weird. On the third dress I could tell that her energy was gone and that she was getting more and more depressed. Again, she didn’t look at the dress.

One of my favourite moments is when someone comments on my outfit - not because I like to hear flattering things about myself, but because I like tricking people with style. The moment goes something like this, “omg I adore that Balenciaga trench on you, you always wear the best clothes”. My first thought is, do I correct them and say I’m actually wearing a H&M trench, or do I just smile and say ‘thank you”? Well, there is something I find very satisfying about revealing my outfit only cost $70 rather than $7,000, and although I love designer labels, I think it’s very important and practical to mix it up with all price points when dressing.

You inspire most of my articles and recent requests are “how to shop and have style on a budget”. A few months ago I wrote an article about ‘The Style Myth’, which was because I was the subject of very negative Facebook banter amongst a group of women, that I was a ‘sell out’ for wearing cheap labels. And I always talk about having ‘style’ isn’t defined buy the price tag of a garment (you can read more about this HERE if you missed it). But what are the rules to remember when you have a limited budget, but still want to look good? When you can’t justify buying anything ‘designer’, but still wish you could. Or if you want to mix your price points up, but too afraid to buy cheaper products.

So, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. This year I have reduced my spending (on designer goods) by about 80% vs last year. And the main reason is because I just realised it wasn’t the best way to spend my very hard earned cash.

When I was in high school, I went to an all girls school and was forced to adhere to a strict dress code of cream stockings (so unpractical!), plaid knee length kilt, white pleated shirt and navy blazer. Oh and to top it off a very unflattering bowler style hat, which was compulsory to wear when not on the school grounds. Lovely yes, to see all the girls tottering about in this uniform, but each day I begrudgingly wore it counting down to when I could be free from uniformity.

So although I hated wearing a uniform or essentially a suit to school, I always looked up to stylish corporate women and aspired to be a 'working girl' one day. I measured wearing a suit with being grown up, successful and powerful! However working in the fashion industry meant suiting up was unfashionable but experimenting with clothes was what you did to stand out. Fast forward to now, and I find myself embracing the corporate style not only as 'fashion', but due to my work I am spending more time in corporate environments with clients - and wearing ripped jeans doesn't fly. To be honest, being surrounded by this new type of power dressing meant I really needed to step it up to be taken seriously. I couldn't be a 'fashion girl' in a corporate world, as I just felt silly - not to mention I really stood out! I needed to fast track my style to suit my new environment and had to teach myself the tricks, while still having elements of 'Tash' in my daily looks. And there is something to be said about ‘dressing the part’ as it has given me much more confidence, inspired by my ‘Donna crush’ (this is a reference to the badass character Donna Paulsen in the TV show Suits who really knows how to rock a suit).

When I uploaded my last article about the ‘ultimate work wear wardrobe’ with just 26 items of clothing, I didn't anticipate the overwhelming response. I was very impressed that so many of you were going to immediately put my tips into practice. My advice comes from real examples I have gained from working with clients or from personal experience...none of it was Googled or made up, which is why I think it resonates with so many of you. But along with the praise came some feedback...nothing negative, just constructive comments. Some of you requested the same formula, but instead of work wear dressing, you wanted a solution to 'dressing for life'. 

So I wondered, what about 'dressing for life' is so difficult? I guess it comes down to having too many choices. With work wear you have boundaries set by office norms, but outside the office you have total, scary freedom. Women struggle to dress when there aren't any rules, as it is easier when there is a dress code to consider. So when you think you don't have anything to wear day to day, going shopping and sifting through racks and racks of clothing is confusing because you don't actually know what you are looking for.  When dressing for life, what you need is 'constructive narrowness' to focus the mind.