Finding The Blueprint To Your Wardrobe

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Oh my god, you have to do it. You live for fashion.

Hello, and welcome to Nothing to Wear, the podcast that solves fashion problems and levels up your wardrobe. I'm Lee Campbell and every week I talk to an expert who helps us work out how to get more out of the clothes we already own and tells us exactly what is and isn't worth adding to our wardrobe. And on that. Do you have all your favorite wardrobe pieces but feel a bit lost when it comes to putting them together.

Oh goodness, well high lay and thank you for having me. Very excited to be joining you today. And look. I have given this a little bit of thought because I thought, by now, at this point in my career, I really

I really really like that there's the classics that shapes change, but it's still a white shirt. It might be a different white shirt.

That's exactly right, and the category might be the same, but execution is tweaked a little bit, and you're moving forward with it.

I love that. Now are you claiming that as one word or two?

Look? I in my notes yet, I've made it up and it was hyphened, but we could make that one word.

Yeah, that's the one word. What else have you got?

Elevated?

Which is sort of a funny old word, but I think for me that means I'm just going to be trying to smarten it up all the time. I'm one of those people where I feel, you know, don't save your good stuff, put it on, feel good, look your best, and don't kind of save it for.

A special occasion.

I agree.

Mind being the most overdressed person in a room.

Me neither. I'm not going to wear a ball gown. But if I've got five pairs of jeans and one of them are the best ones, I want to reach for the moment.

So that's exactly my thinking as well. And then I thought another word was maybe assured, And by that I mean I know what looks good on me by now, and I know how it makes me feel, and I hope that's reflected in my style and how I'm wearing something.

I love that too, and I hope so too. Because this is your job. And I must agree you are definitely those three words. Now, the saying that rings true with most people. We wear ten percent of our wardrobe ninety percent of the time, so there's stuff we reached for over and over. What's in your This.

Is such a great stat and it's interesting because I've sort of used that stat a lot myself, and I thought we wore twenty percent of our wardrobe eighty percent of the time.

So I'm loving this increased.

I feel sorry for the ninety percent though.

Oh it's so true. So what is in my ten percent? It is definitely denim. I do feel we've had a couple of seasons of very denim centric kind of style and fashion looks, so denim at the moment shirts, I wear shirts and shirting a lot. I really kind of go between those and white T shirts.

You and I sound like we should share a wardrobe as long as.

I get your skincare in the mix too. So definitely denim shirts, T shirts and a great blazer are my definite sort of tight pieces within that temper.

I like that we are very similar. Now, Listen, you're a personal stylist and you have been for many years, so who are your clients and what do you find are their main problems with their wardrobe? What are they coming to you for?

Good question, Good question. I am a stylist.

And I work with everyday normal ladies, just regular women who are getting about their weeks, their days and their weeks. I have a really broad mix of clients. I've been doing this for fourteen years since I left Vogue, and really I'm working with clients that I began working with back in twenty ten. So it's been a really lovely

It kind of depends on the client.

And why do they come to you? Are they overwhelmed by fashion? Do they not have time for fashion. Are they try to get the best out of their budget all of the above.

Yes, absolutely, all of the above.

I think essentially they're coming to me because they're busy, they've got a lot on they've got other things that are taking priority in their brain capacity, and they're coming to me for my kind of expert eye. I can cut to the chase, I know the best black pants they need for what they need them to do. It's a little bit, I guess I describe it a little bit like being an interior designer.

Not many people would embark on a.

Big house renovation project without getting an expert opinion or an expert eye in the mix for some of those critical decisions. And I feel I sort of am a little bit similar. But in the wardrobe clothing space, they're coming to me for my expert eye, a bit of a well edited and I present to them the kind of curated edit of what I think they need for what they need.

That's such a good analogy, that is so so true. It's like you wouldn't do a big fit out without a professional and it's the same thing.

Embarking on the process of a personal stylist is an investment but I do feel you're setting yourself up for better financial decisions and outcomes with your wardrobe. Oh and this is where it gets really funny. After we sort of work through our process together and we set up their wardrobe and everything's there, they'll say, oh God, I've got a black taie function on Thursday.

I need a new dress.

And I'll say, no, you don't refer back to those black velvet pants that we just set you up with that look great for an after five event and that fabulous top. So you don't need to go and do that impulse spend panic purchase.

I never panic purchase, but I emotional purchase a lot, which and I'm always in some sort of emotion and so honestly, I do need a bit of a mind. And when it comes to shopping, it sounds like that's what you're good for. Now. Something you've talked about before is when you go shopping with these clients, you're like their projector against the shop assistance, and you're their advocate. What do you mean by that?

I like to think that I'm a sort of a value add in a retail space with a client, because I really work with women that are predominantly, I guess sort of early forties through to late fifties, and interestingly, a lot of women in that demographic might have lost their style confidence and lose a little bit of that self confidence part, particularly when they're at retail and they get a little bit overwhelmed by what's in front of them. And I like to think, I'm there. I am a

Say that looks great, that looks great.

I'm there going actually they really do look great, and actually that pair doesn't look as great, and they don't look great because of XYZ. So creating a context and explanation which makes the whole shopping process a lot more informative and educated and easier.

Ultimately, Yeah, and it can be intimidating. I mean I mostly shop online these days, but if I do go in store, sometimes as a sales assistant is saying, how do you look in that now the size? Let me have a look. Oh that looks great, And sometimes you're like, oh, okay, and you might end up buying, or we might end up leaving because it's a lot But if you tried on other things in that story, you might have found some winners.

One hundred percent, and I really kind of make that retail time count. I'm out there running around the floor making sure I've got all the items that I think are right for that client. How they move back with the pieces that we've already pulled, So I guess I'm sort of that edit running around.

Half the time, I'm like, oh, I need a different size. I can't be bothered to go put my clothes on, go get it. I'll just leave that's.

Exactly right, Whereas I'm out there getting the size above below. So we've got all the options and we're doing that in real time, bang bang bang yes no, yes no. So it ends up banging a much more efficient way to go shopping.

And speaking of in real time. So you take these clients shopping rever possible. Do you ever work with people that are into state? Do you have people that shop online or do you ever recommend, you know, online purchases.

Absolutely.

The nature of how we do our retail what I call our retail appointment together, because we start with the wardrobe board at their house, in their own wardrobe. Part two is the retail appointment. That has changed significantly in the last four or five years since COVID, So pretty much the model now is I will go back to with clients with a full recommendations list and it is largely online. Now some things we will do in person

Big picture kind of a wardrobe at it, and then a shopping situation of some sort. And then at the end, it's kind of pulling together the older than new.

Pulling it all together.

We're integrating the new items that we're using to rework and refresh their old existing items because we don't just throw obviously, we don't just come in and move everything out. I'm going into the eye to say they're great, but we're going to wear them this way. We're going to try those pants with a whole different concept of top or a different shape blazer. So we sort of em

And you need to write because otherwise you just think, oh, that new top goes with those pants. But actually, if you take the time to work out all the combos, you've got so much more to wear than you think you do. You've got some great tips. So you have three objectives, and I want to break down each of them. Their first is finding the blueprint to your wardrobe, the second is the style uniform, and then the thirty is unlocking the way women get dressed in the morning. So

Well, I guess when I.

Say blueprint, it really is identifying and establishing what your personal style is. So once we get a handle on what that is, we can then sort of put some pigs in the ground, if you like, What are the items of clothes that are going to contribute to that sort of style blueprint?

Okay, what are the things you need? Once we establish what that blueprint is, it just makes every future purchase a little easier.

Yes, and it relates back to what you have, how you get dressed, how you want to look.

How can someone at home establish their blueprint? They don't have a you there. Do they look at their ten percent the stuff they wear all the time? Do they assess their lifestyle? You know, they've got a toddler, they're out on the floor. You know, they're a lawyer and they've always got to wear, you know, a certain style. How does one find their blueprint?

Get a big clothing rack or two, pull out everything and start organizing into groups. Pull out the things you wear all the time, okay they're over there. Pull out the things you really wish you could wear more of, but you're a little bit unsure as to how to do that. They're the things you really like that you find appealing from a style point of view.

Put those on another rack.

Put the things that you just have in warning ages and you've got no idea why they're still hanging around taking out wardrobe space. Put them on another rack, and then a picture just slowly emerges. Okay, I'm wearing those things all the time. Am I wearing them because I want to? Or it's just a default position because I'm used to it.

Little threads will start to emerge.

Now obviously if I'm there, I can sort of make that connection a little faster, But it does become obvious. You can see what you're wearing a lot of you can see what's sparking, enjoy what you like wearing, and then you can sort of define what are those pieces that make me feel good that I feel good in that I want to wear more of, And it.

Kind of just starts to gain a little bit of ments.

Makes sense, it does, So that's working out the blueprint. And then from there, I guess we're left with what you call the style uniform, which everybody has. But everyone must have a different style uniform.

One hundred percent. No one's meant to look the same. That's all a bit no thank you.

A lot of people will associate the word uniform have a negative connotation about it.

It sounds a bit boring, but it doesn't. But that's not what we mean, not at all.

And when I say uniform, I really just mean pertaining to the individual woman and client, because I think a lot of people find sort of solace and assurance in having a little bit of a boundary or a uniform definition, which is okay, what does uniform mean?

Well, it means it's a collection of pieces that I wear that I like that all work together.

So I guess my big thing when working with clients is I want to establish a framework of clothes, let's call that their uniform that all work together more than one way.

Things that we're not going to have really.

Are items that sit on their own in isolation, that don't really do anything.

Yeah, but you've got to work hard to work out how to wear them, because clothes shouldn't be that way exactly.

Like, you look at them and you think, I want to wear that, but I've got no idea what's going with that? Is it a skirt that then brings a top and a shoe issue with it? Is it a random top that makes no sense with your color palette and the tones of the other items in your wardrobe. So once we kind of move those things on, we then introduce shapes and colors and things that all kind of work together.

So you can basically.

Put six of your tops with two pezz of your pants and all of a sudden, how's my MAT's going twelve different looks more?

And that's kind of you captual wardrobe, but instead of sort of there's so many terms for it, but it's kind of almost going through your wardrobe, working out your blueprint, and then you're like, oh, that's my style uniform, and then you can buy more of the similar look or length or whatever, because you know that's what you're subconsciously throwing on every morning. It's just making that conscious Okay, this is my uniform exactly.

It's like we need to blow it all up to bring it back together with less pieces that prove their worth, that show how they work a multitude of ways.

Yes, Like, honestly, we are not buying a blazer unless.

It works three ways good across a number of different dress codes, and if it doesn't get that tick of approval for me, it's not coming home with the client.

It's so funny you say that because I did a mini clear out on the weekend and there was this blazer that I bought but still had tags on maybe nine months ago, and I tried to make her work. I love the color, but it's just not part of my style uniform. And I was trying to make the blazer fit into my style and it just didn't. So I've donated her. Someone will love her. I liked her on her own, but she did not form part of my style uniform.

That's kind of it, right, That is sort of my whole ethos with my clients. It's things that don't make sense, that don't then fit into the picture that we create. We need to park those for now. Now, having said all of that, you absolutely can have an item that sparks joy and is therefore no other reason than it makes you happy and you love it.

So it's not all just rules and regulations of all the extra.

I guess that's sort of different. Like you say, spark joy, it's kind of the Marie Condo of your wardrobe. It's like that sparks joy. But we're talking style uniform day to day, so that our busy, rushed mornings aren't spent forty five minutes trying to make that bloody blazer work.

It is all about at the end of the day, my whole process with clients is about making getting dressed every day easier.

And that's what I want to ask you about, because you finally touch on unlocking getting dressed in the morning and not hating it and feeling frenzied and throwing clothes all over the floor or throwing on something that doesn't make you feel good. So how does this work? How do we enjoy getting dressed in the morning.

By the time that I've gone through the process with my clients from sort of the wardrobe board it through the retail appointment to the fitting where we do a styling session and fitting at home, we've demonstrated.

Fifty looks and I photograph it. I put it together for.

The client with So do you have them put on the outfit and your photograph.

It one million percent?

So then they've got a little bible of outfits to look through.

Percent.

It's like inspo for the Tuesday morning when it's six degrees in Melbourne. You've lost the will to leave. You've got to be for a meeting. What the heck am I wearing page twelve done, done, and it's just a guideline. It will spark thoughts on how to put other pieces together. Obviously it's not entirely conclusive. It can't be every single combat.

Yeah, I might feel them confident enough to go out and buy a few new pieces, but I'm sure they know how to work them back in exactly.

The whole point is that I set them up. I create this kind of foundation, this platform where yep, I know how I want to look, I know the pieces that I feel good in, I know how I want my style to progress. And then they do have the confidence to layer in and add the pieces that are

I'm like, absolutely no, I.

Do not need that. Put the credit card away.

A hard no on that and forget it, and we love it.

If people don't have you at home, should they put on their combos, stand in front of a full link mirror and take a photo and save them on their phone. How should people because I love the visual reminder, because I'm so forgetful, So how can we do it at home without the joy of you there?

Absolutely, you need to dedicate a Sunday afternoon colle some space in your brin to think.

Okay, hang on a minute, I'm just gonna go back and look in my wardrobe. What have I got?

Pull some things out, try some outfits on things that you see on Instagram, tiktop online, good old magazines. I still buy them.

I still read.

I love them.

Sheets behind me. I love that. I've got teest sheets. There's a tear sheet there I've carried around for thirty years.

I love it. Yeah, there's nothing like just having sparking an idea from a photo that's.

Exactly right, and it will often exactly get you thinking about that and then something else from there, and just pull together those references, those little inspo nuggets, and then try things on, photograph them. Yeah, create a folder in your phone and you've just got them all there.

And just shoes at this point as well, and always shoes, full outfit.

Full outfits. Honestly, often I'll be in a change room.

With a client they've got the outfit on and they've left their socks on, like you've got joking.

Oh you got that's me. I shop in active wear leggings and I just try dresses on over leggings because that's how.

That's absolutely not happening. So sorry, I'm like the time, like the school too.

No, it's true, because then you think something works in your head. It's Tuesday morning, you're running late, and then the shoes don't look good and you're like, o'h bug it. You rip everything off and chuck on your boring black outfit.

So take that extra sort of twenty minutes on Sunday to map it out in your brain, find your shoes, and then all of a sudden, I promise you, once you start, things start making sense and it sort of is self fulfilling.

And you know what I mean. I know it's November now, but we'll blink and it's Christmas. This could be a good little project to do if you've got some time off over Christmas and New Year's, have a play a new orderbe it's kind of like a New Year reset. And then even if you just start with fifteen outfits you like, that'll help.

One hundred percent and it is often the time of year where I do get the most calls because it is that call to action to sort of start the year, refresh, clean the slide, start again, and also think about all the items that you're not wearing that are taking up ninety percent that we talked about. You've had a great time with those pieces, so how about we pass them on to someone else who's going to get value.

And we're out of.

Them, or you haven't and you feel guilty and they're just sitting there making you feel bad, So all them, donate them and get them out.

One hundred percent everyone wins in that situation. And I love the increasing circular nature of fashion. That's just been something that's fallen into my process over the last sort of probably five years, and I love it. And often at the wardrobe bought at stage I'm leaving. I left to clients with twenty three garbage.

Bags last week.

To be fair, that was an old time peak because there was a lot she'd sort of had twenty years worth of things in her work.

Yeah, but how fun your job sounds so fine?

Well, I just want to remind people fashion is so not glamorous because at my age I'm still lugging garbage bags of clothes out of the back and the boot.

Of my car and scouring through dusty wardrobes and cupboards. I love it.

I guess in summery it's about what are the items you already have? What are the new things we can layer in to just give you a refreshed, renewed sense of personal style, give you a little bit of a pep in your step, because, let's be honest, new things and shopping and sparkling new things is exciting and unlocks that dopamine and we all feel good about that. How do we keep that balanced? And then how do we

Agrees present the best version of ourself and just feel happy and confident.

And feel good.

Now, Anthea, we're about to jump into bougie and budget. But first, if our listeners want to find out more of your tips at about your services, where can they find you?

They can have a look at my Instagram at Theoro O'Connor and my page is called the Fashion Edit but it's under my name, and also my website at Theoconnor dot com. So I've got a lot of information about how i work with my clients and my services on my website, so a bit more detail there.

It's very expensive, honey, how mud are these percent bougie and budget? So sticking to the theme of sort of blueprint personal style uniform, I am going to shock you because I'm normally jeans and a T shirt. But we're heading into the humid Sydney weather. So I've got what is my sort of style uniform for summer. I've got a more expensive skirt and a more affordable tank. But do you want to go first with your boogie or your budget?

A bougie item worth the investment is a blazer and now I am from Melbourne, so really we are wearing blazers three hundred and sixty out of three sixty five And I won Fashion Salotto last year when I was in London and I found a saline blazer for sixty percent off.

In my eyes, thank you fashion.

Yeah, that's your good fashion karma coming back to you.

So that's been just an absolute winner and I love it and I'll wear it forever. And it was a bit different to what I'd normally buy, but it all just fell into place.

I love it. So bougie blazers are worth the spend. It's certainly worth buying as well as you can in that category.

In that space, get a great cut, a great style that works for your body shape, that you feel good in, and it's going to go the distance.

So tick worth the money, I think, particularly because when you throw on a blazer to it just makes you feel powerful, like it is a power item. I don't know why, but.

Well it makes you feel pulled together and polish and like you've sort of finished the job.

Yes, absolutely, that's a good way to put it. And what's your budget?

Okay, well the budget and no surprise here is a white T shirt and my current favorite is the Cause Clean cut T shirt.

And that's such a good tea Honestly, I feel like I did to on a tea band, but every time I just see a good tea, I can't not buy it.

Well, I now have a wardrobe of bhaite T shirt, so you know, please to say not a full war drobe of blazers.

It's a wardrobe of white T shirt.

And they all do different things, right, So they do different way of fabric, different neckline, sleep, they all do little different things so few but that Coose T shirt is my new current fave and it's probably be sold out, but you know at the end of this season, because I've told that.

Many people, make sure you stuck up before you tell anyone else. Well, speaking of cause my bougie is from Cosh Oh good. It's the Maxi slip skirt, yes, because I love a slipskirt and a tank or a white tea, especially it's quite humid here in summer in Sydney and also perimenopause. I'm getting hot. I run hot, I run hot, so I'm normally jeans and a tea. But my kind

I'm making notes because I'm buying that that we hang up.

It is just such a good basic tank. You could wear that with a lovely wide leg pant and a heel, your jeans, shorts, your blazer, your chuck on a shirt. You know, it's just one of those really good all rounders. So that's my blueprint for this summer. I'm mixing it up perfect.

And can I just add around that tank?

Yes?

Can you sort of move out of a cotton tank cotton tank into that more of a knit tank all of a sudden that feels like a dressier.

Top, you know, that's it's a nice top concept.

Yes, and goes back into the hole, back with your jeans, back with your jean shorts, back with knee length denim jean shorts. That we're seeing a lot of the sum that's it. It's going to roll out one hundred ways.

Yes, But then you know beautiful like I've got like a cream pair of wide leg pants, like I could check on a heel and go somewhere quite fancy with that tank. And I like that the cut looks like a traditional white singlet, but the knit just brings up that elevation. And it's thirty five bucks.

Yeah. No, I'm just going to be jumping on.

There in the minute, will anthe. I think we should go on and buy each other's purchasers before we tell the whole world. Thank you for joining me. I love the blueprint. I've got it in my head, but I'm going to go home and do it physically because I know my style uniform. I'm a bit of a chameleon. But at the end of the day, I know what's going to be on that first rack you do, and I.

Think it's just about taking that formal step to moving all the other stuff on, just conceding that these are the pieces you wear.

Yes, you know.

The truth is you don't need a lot in the end.

Now, that's the thing if you get rid of the clutter, the liberating feeling. And I see it with my clients. The minute we move the volume out, everyone's shoulders go down, things become clearer, things become more joyful as we talked about, and it all becomes a lot easier.

And we've sort of untangled the.

Little sort of not fashion my wardrobe and how I get dressed.

It all just sort of I love it.

It's so true, it is. It's simple. We make things hard for ourselves. Anthea, thank you so much for joining me. I will be having you back soon because you're a wealth of knowledge.

Oh you're the best leade. Thank you for having me. It's been a lot of fun.

Thank you for listening to Nothing to Wear. Don't forget to sign up to the Nothing to Wear newsletter. There's a link in the show notes and it is free. And if you have enjoyed this episode and it has inspired you to shop your own wardrobe, you can listen to our episode on the six new season looks you already own. There's a link in the show notes so that too. See you next week. This episode was produced by Grace Rubray with audio production by Lou Hill. This