How To Make Your Wardrobe Work Harder

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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.

TikTok and Instagram.

And Pinterest is full of fashion inspo and cool hacks to mix up your wardrobe, but knowing how to do that in your own wardrobe can feel overwhelming. How do people make patterns clash but still match? I'm trying to work that out?

And how do.

People find new ways to style their old favorite pieces while still looking on trend. We are here to help cut through the revolving algorithm and find the practical ways in which your wardrobe can work harder for you, and the best person to talk about repurposing and reinventing our wardrobes is Tina Abasakara. She is all about sustainable fashion choices and just like this podcast, she wants you to get more out of the clothes you already own. My friend,

Okay, So trash to Treasured has been retired in a way because it's time to get deeper, I think. So I'm releasing the Feel Good Style Club membership.

Feel Good Style Club what a great name.

When I speak with my clients, my first question is how do you feel when you put this on? Because it has to come back to you and how you move through the world and how you feel in your actual clothes. So Feel Good Style Club is a way to kind of take the DMS into a more interactive space.

Love that.

So you'll have access to me as a stylist. So you have your stylist in your pocket.

Oh my gosh, I'm becoming a member of me.

Right and it will just help me sit down and really speak to you and answer your questions. Yes, and there'll be a bunch of resources in there. You don't have to go through bunches of links and trying to find certain things.

You are a genius, Thank you.

And everyone will go through a little style quiz when they come in, so then you'll know exactly what kind of content you're going to be searching for and that we can provide for you.

You are so clever.

We've been doing this for over a decade, so evolution was inevitable and I'm so proud of you, and there is no one better to talk to about this topic. So we've got a dressing room dilemma from a listener who said, how can I create new outfits from clothes I already own? I feel I always see people making really cool, new and fashionable combinations and I don't really know where to start. It just looks like I got dressed in the dark.

You've got a phrase I do so pick well style often.

Well style often. Yes, So you are truly the best person to talk to. Let me ask some questions, but then just jump in with your advice because your brain is like an encyclopedia for this kind of thing.

What are some.

Common wardrobe mistakes people make that prevent them from getting the most out of the clothes they do already have in their wardrobe.

I think when you're looking at really unique colors that don't really sit well with the other clothes you have in your wardrobe, I think it's so fine to try bits and pieces as long as you have like about eighty percent of your wardrobe that really mixes the match as well with each other.

So let's talk about approaching mixing and matching and knowing what items to even start experimenting with. You know, we're not going to the shops yet, we're in our wardrobe.

The first step would be bring out all of your neutrals. So that's your blacks, your whites, your tens, your denim if you don't absolutely and also like khaki, yeah, gray, yeah, ray, all of those are.

Not your bold kind of prints and primary colors.

No, And so what I like to do is take two colors from the neutrals and then take a bold color if you do have that in your wardrobe, and pop it in so it's three colors. Oh clever, and you'll always look put together if you've got three colors going on in.

Your okay, So like for me at the moment, I'm loving gray and navy, so I could play with my gray navy pieces and I kind of like, I've got a lot of dark denim that I love.

Then I could add my.

Reds absolutely, because I've been struggling with my reds because I've been thinking black. Then that feels too harsh, That is so clever.

Well, I've got my red sneakers on today, but I've got them with white pets. Black got and it got black at the top.

That looks good.

Yeah, I was trying to do all black with a pop of red, and it felt like that woman just really wants to wear that red item, which is.

What it was.

Because then there's only two colors that you do add in a third color and suddenly it's more of an outfit.

And do you find when you're chatting to clients within that neutral's wardrobe, do they generally have more of one or two colors, like they are a gray or a beige or a white.

It's usually a lot of black because people feel safe and black. But I actually think black is one of the hardest colors. I'm discovering two style because it's so standalone. It's almost a statement in itself. So if I'm wearing black, I like to lean in all black and add like a bit of detail with my accessory.

Yes, bag.

That's so funny because packing for my holiday, I've pulled out sort of my neutrals. I've done almost what you're telling us to do, and then I had some black pieces. I thought, Oh, I have to take these because they're classic. But then when I looked at the combinations, they went with less amount of things. It was more of a gray blazer than a black blazer or a white And yeah, you're right. Black is a classic, but it doesn't always go with that much no.

And it gets you into these situations where it's like two clashing big colors, like you're red and you're black.

Yes, so big about allow too, because I've got a beautiful, fine yellow knit I've been trying to wear. But again, I've been reaching for black mindlessly and it just was too hot. One of your tips you talk about is to look at the detailing on fabrics and on items. Talk to me about the details.

So when you're looking at a shirt, think about where you can unbutton it too to create a different neckline for yourself. Look at if the buttons are functional on the sleeve so you can change the sleeve length as well. Yes, look at if it's a shirt dress, look at how you can completely unbutton it and wear it as a caftan overswimwear or a singlet and jeans. So think about ways you can wear the piece other than what it's intended for.

Yes, so it can be more kind of multi use exactly, that's clever. That's often a fail of mind online shopping. That's some you know, more affordable brands, which is fine, but the buttons won't even be functional, like why didn't you give me a hole for my button?

Exactly? But then you know that's where you're saving on costs, But then you need to buy another shirt to be able to make new combinations.

So it's so true on that. Do you have tips for shopping online to look at details? Like?

Are you a zoomer in er on the pictures?

I zoom all the way in. I look at every single photo. I look at the fabric, detail, the percentage, So.

You're pretty good with the fabric.

I'm just getting into like understanding well actually just looking at the tab where it says you know, wool or lien all vis goes. I've only just started that. But it's important when shopping online for details.

Absolutely, especially when it's an item you would like to wear a few times during the week, and so you want it to be able to like dry quickly. You're not going to want to dry clean it every week, no way. Then you're looking at fabrics that might be really wrinkle resistant or heavily wrinkled like so these are all things that will make me reach for it less or more. So that's why fabric is.

Important, because again, you know people might travel for work and it might be in a suitcase. If it's wrinkled, you're not gonna iron it. You don't have time. No one does.

No.

You are a huge fan of the throw on and go dress. You came up with that acronym and I love it. I'm in two minds about this. A throw on a go dress, I guess is completely versatile because you chuck it on, it's one piece of clothing and then you're not naked. But is it versatile? Talk to me about your throw on and go theory with dresses.

So it is versatile if that is your personal style. So some people might be like, oh, I don't like wearing dresses. That's fine, So find a piece of clothing that you feel like yourself you can throw it on. So it might be a jumpsuit, it might be a printed pant, it might be a one shoulder fitted bodysuit. But if that's your version of I pop it on and I feel great. That's your version.

Yes, it doesn't have to be a dress.

It doesn't have to be a dress.

Did it start from the dress though, because you literally don't even have to think of a second item.

Yes, so it started because I used to go into work on a Monday morning, I had to commute two hours and the last thing I want to think about is what am I going to wear? So this way, I can just pop on one piece of clothing and I'm done. I'm polished. And I love a dress with a print on it as well, because again you're adding interest without having to add too much. True, and you put on a simple shoe and you're good.

Yeah, that's fascinating because you just said print, Whereas I guess I'm a bit more classic in that way. I've got two actually, they're both dishes and the same dress, different colors. I've realized one's a navy and one's a light gray linen, sort of a line throw on and go yep. And I've worn it with sneakers and a denim jacket or a trench or with sandals in summer, and it literally is my throat, on and go when I don't have time to think, I know it fits me.

I love this.

Okay, colors, we want to make something feel fresh, We want to mix and match with our wardrobe. But do we go and then maybe buy a pop of color once we've worked out our neutrals?

How do we feel fresh with color?

So again it comes back down to if you are a color person, Yes, so you might.

There's a lot of coming this summer, right there is.

There's a lot of print coming too.

In the US.

So you've just lived the summer we're about to go into exactly. Hey, tell us a bit about.

That first Okay, So there was a lot of white, lots of bubble skirt, silver, lamb.

I'm leaving that one. I remember it the first time.

Yes, it was around back in high school.

Back in high school.

But I wonder maybe if it's better this time, or if I just leave it?

Are you doing the bubble now, I'm doing a maxi.

Okay, yeah, I think that's a bit more wearable. And then color and print. Tell me what you saw.

So I saw a leap of print. Yeah, animal print, Yes, red, red, green.

I'm glad red still around now that.

We're going into autumn winter in LA and the US, it's a cherry red.

Okay, so a bit deeper, a bit.

Deeper, but you can bring your summer red through great.

And I've still got my winter red, so I'll just keep wearing that through summer and back into winter.

Yeah.

Perfect. And I'm seeing a lot of baby blue, which I love. Yes, me too, Okay, Yeah, de Cuba have some great baby blue pieces.

Okay, So say someone they're mixing and matching with what they've already got, but they do want to go and have a look at the spring offering. How do we add a little bit of color? Is it back to the three color theory? Do they wear their neutrals to the store to try the color?

How do we do that?

Yeah? So that's a great idea actually, where things that you would consider a base so for some people might be black linen pants. For someone it might be wide legged jeans. Wear that and then try it on, you know, and you really get a real time feel for what it's going to look like.

It's so true.

Yeah. I often wear leggings because I just think I'm going to be changing lots, and I'm like, why didn't I wear a cut of jean that I have one hundred pairs of and that I wear all the time to know if the top looks good rather than silly leggings.

Yes, you know when sometimes you put something on and you think, oh, if only I had my hair done or my mate cup done, it.

Would look yes, great, Yeah, So putting it in a tiny bit of effort, yeah.

Yeah, put in a tiny bit of effort, or order it to your home.

Yes, you know, and just check the returns policy exactly, Yeah, I do that. Or yeah, if it's you know, Zara, and I know I can return all the iconic Say I got home from work and I look af decent, I'll do all my try on then, yes, because then you know, okay, this is going to work. And then you've just got to make sure you take the returns well back before the end of it.

I mean figuring all this out. It can be really simple, but it can take time.

Yes, it does take time.

Yeah.

So we just spoke about color, but not everyone loves color. Talk to me about the accessories.

What do we do. We don't have to do color.

We don't have to do color. And also it depends again personal style. If you do want to pop of something that that's where I love ringing in like an earring or a necklace or a bag with really interesting detail. But living that aside as well, I would say look at silhouette. So look at the shape of your clothes. So maybe a VOLUMEUS sleeve, maybe an asymmetrical hemline.

Yes, which is back again as well.

It is, and maybe that's more your cup of tea. Like I know, I have clients that only wear neutrals like black and tan, So we play with silhouette.

Yeah exactly.

So when you know blazers were fitted five years ago, now they're oversize, so it's still a black blazer, but the cut is different. Everything comes back exactly with a slight twist.

So then you're going to get the new thing anyway.

But we are talking about mixing and matching what we already have prints that sounds hard for me because I'm not a print.

You're more a print than me.

We've got prints in our wardrobe, how do we work out how to wear them?

More So, again, it would be maybe putting it with a neutral color that you don't usually pair it with. So when I think leopard print straight away, I'm going to go for a black blazer, for example, But a beige trench would look really good as well. Yes, a denim jacket great.

Yes, So something a bit classic and a block color. Maybe that's not another print exactly? Yeah, print scary? Can you do like a whole course on Prince.

Into print clashing? Oh my goodness, it's so fun to clash prints.

I love fashion, but when I try to clash prints, it just looks like I got dressed at three am and didn't turn the light on.

I need I need a lesson in that.

If I can give you two tips, yes please. One is make sure the prints are similar tones okay, so they're both warm tones or they're both cool tones. And also having like similar size of print.

Okay is helpful.

So if it's like a smaller leopard print and then a smaller check or something rather than a giant check.

Okay, yeah, it kind of makes the eye go over the outfie.

WHOA, what she done?

It's okay.

How important is it that we invest in quality pieces and how can they elevate the rest of our wardrobe? And I want to point out quality doesn't mean expensive, No, what's your definition of quality?

Quality to me is something that's functional, so it actually allows you to use and move in the clothes. So if it's a jacket and I'm wearing it in winter, it has to keep me warm. Yes, okay, So I'm looking for something that has a little bit of viscos or wool or something that is going to keep me warm. If I'm wearing these shoes all day, they have to give me support because I'm flat footed. Yes, so it's looking at those Detai tells. First start from there and then work your way around it.

Okay to more of the I guess superficial stuff like aesthetics. Aesthetics, that's right, that's so true. And you're big on making sure shoes a comfy. I love your rating on Instagram of how comfory a shoe is because I look at all the stillo doos I still have and would never reach for and even the flat shoes I've bought that I thought would be comfy, I never reach for them. I think, oh, maybe I'll wear them next week because I've spent the money.

But if they're not comfy, if they're not comfory, you're not going to reach for them. You know, it doesn't matter how expensive or cheap they were, Yes, if you're not using them.

Yeah, So quality is pretty much cost perware, like how much you love the item. Let's talk hero pieces. Sometimes a hero piece is something I just love and want to get more wear out of. How can we identify the hero pieces in our wardrobe and get more wear out of them?

A hero piece lights you up? Yes, it is really aligned with the message you want to give out with your outfit. So you know, it might be a pop of red, it might be a design, a handbag, might be part of your style identities. You love wearing linen, so maybe it's a beautiful long linen dress.

Yes, it's a motive for you, Yes, exactly, and then you feel good. I've got a jacket that I wear when I want to feel powerful. It came to mind it's my hero piece or one of my hero pieces, and it just makes me feel confident. Amazing layering and transitional outfits and seasons in Sydney here or in spring we had a really rainy, cold winter, then all of a sudden there were summer. Who knows what's happening tomorrow? How can we use the pieces in our wardrobe in these weird weather times?

So A, layering pieces are best when they're thin fabrics on the thinner side, so you can literally layer. Yes, I love using like maybe a white T shirt or a white singlet to give a pop of something underneath a knit, you know, underneath a jacket as well. I love using long sleeves to kind of pick the cuff out from below my jacket, adding another layer.

And it looks like you've put in effort. It looks very cool.

It does it's effortless.

Yes, that's less, and you haven't put in the effort, but of course you have. And footwear in trance seasonal, like, are we doing sneakers again?

I mean I am, because they're comfortable.

I think sneakers are having a huge moment, and especially after COVID, no one's reaching for their heels anymore. And then I think the sneaker companies are really leading into that and bringing out really cool combinations. So yes to sneakers. I really love like a flat knee length boots with my shorter dresses. And there's also like the chunky sould slides.

Yes, so it's chunky then the buckle, it definitely says something it doesn't go with as much.

Yes, exactly. I mean, if that's your personal style, go for it. If you're kind of dipping your toe into that, I would consider like maybe.

Just a plain on okay, and all mixed match with more exactly. Can you suggest a few easy wardrobe challenges or exercises that our lovely listeners can do to rediscover and love what's already in their closets?

Okay? So I would again bring up the three color palette.

Yes, I'm going home to do that immediately.

Yeah, it's so much fun to do and I'm traveling right now, so I'm really leaning into that.

And did you pack with that in mind?

Yes, yes, I've packed. I always pick a color palette. Wow, when I travel.

Do you try it on before you go, or do you just know inherently because you've kind of worn them before.

I just kind of know. I think it's my job to know.

Yes, hopefully. Yeah, So it kind of.

Works out, but it's kind of fool proof as well when you can see it there in your y. It's all mixing and matching. But I mean, if it's a piece you haven't worn in maybe six months, give it a go.

Yeah, make sure it's still and you still love it. The three color anything else. Before we do bougie and budget, we'll.

Do the sandwich because that is just so easy. You go for the same color in your shoe and your top and you have a different color in the middle.

Oh good, that's even easier for me.

So you can go white snickers.

I was about to say white and white and denim. He's like, yeah, my whole wardrobe. And then I might chuck in a different colored tailored pant, but white and white.

Like a printed skirt.

Oh yes, that's how I could do my prints.

Yes, the sandwich, So you just go feet in top sor it they match, and then you can kind of slide in anything on the bottoms in the middle. Yeah, I love these two formulas. Do you have any more and how can people find out about them?

Yes? I do have guys, so please jump onto the website. You'll see them all there. I have guys for all different types of colors, shapes and outfit styles.

And what is the website.

It's Tina Avesacre dot com.

And we'll pop a link in the show note.

Thank you.

It's very expensive, honey, how wond are these all? Right? Let's do bougie and budget. So I guess I'm kind of talking versatile items. Would you like to start with your bougie or your budget?

Oh, let me tell you a bougie. It's not very bougie's okay.

Boogie is different to everyone.

It's one hundred and fifty dollars.

Okay.

It is a shirt dress from the Cuba.

Okay.

And it is like a cotton linen and you can wear it as a dress. And it's actually like a leopard print. Oh, I really want to wear it with a white singlet. Yes, my slouchy denim cool black slides.

Love it.

And then I put this dress over the top so it's open open.

Where does it fall? Is it like MIDI knee?

It's like MIDI.

Okay, wow, that is very cool.

But shirts over pants is back again, and dresses over pants.

Yeah, well this kind of looks like long shirt.

Yeah it does, and then how good would that be over swimmers?

Absolutely?

Yes, yes, and then it's a dress exactly. Let me do my bougie.

It's not outrageous, but it's more expensive than yours. It's the Jerry Cream wool blend Bomber jacket. Now that sounds very wintry. It's from Dish. It's two hundred and sixty nine dollars and ninety nine cents and it's new. But it's this kind of longer bomber because I found a lot of the bombers very very cropped going through winter, too, cropped for my silhouette and what I like. So I was really sizing up. But then the sleeves, you know, they've just got this cut.

Great.

You could cuffort or push it up, and because it's that light color, it's really good for transasonal. Its zips open, so you could just wear it cool open like jeans or denim shorts or a tea, but it also has this really beautiful color. It's kind of dressing enough that you could wear it over something quite structured or a fancy dress. I'm obsessed with bombers and I'm sessed with cream and white, So that's my bougie. Now, you and I both love thrifting because I feel like it's not

Its stress up and it's cheaper.

So talk to you about thrifting and how we could make that work with what we've already got.

So, if we're looking at trying new colors, a thrift store is amazing because they're not kind of blocked into trends, current trends. They literally have anything and everything, so it's a great place to try new colors, try new silhouettes. And also if you are maybe not a particular size in one brand, but you really like the aesthetic, you can try and find that aesthetic in a thrift store as well.

That's very true.

Yeah, and it's worth trying things on because I think even you know there's thrifting, then there's sort of vintage and sizes were so different, you know, ten and twenty thirty years ago that don't just look at the label when you're sifting.

Try it on, Try it on, take your take coffee, set aside hour, a couple of hours. It's actually quite fun.

Oh my gosh, I love it. We have to go thrifting to it.

We do. My budget is a linen mini shift dress. You know how we're sort of seeing them everywhere. They're a bit fifties, are they? Or I don't know, retro retro they're retro. I love that.

When I don't know the season. It's from Verge Girl. I love that brand. Yeah, I just found out. It's Ossy Dozzy.

Yeah, not know that.

Everything's sort of a bit hippie bohemian, but in a very elevated way. So this is like a straight neck, almost bootneckat neck, very gentle boat neck, and then it just falls and it's got buttons all the way down the side.

You have it, I'm getting it.

It's white with black buttered.

Well this is kh key with brown buttons.

Oh. She's got a little sort of ballet flat on which I love sand or great, you could do a heel. I just think that really kind of retro shift dress is great.

And again it's short, but it's not tight and it's not too short.

No, I mean, I've seen some that are short short, but also because it's shifty, you can kind of size up a bit to get more lenked because it's already boxy.

It's not meant to be fitted.

Right, No, it's not meant to be so you can kind of yeah, there's leeway, there's leeway.

So it's one hundred and twenty nine dollars and if you've got it in the other color, I'm definitely clicking to buy now. So that is our versa topics. Tina, please move back to us, but in the meantime, please keep us posted whenever you're back.

Because we love having won the show.

I love coming in. It's part of my routine now when I visit Sydney.

Y see you, Sue, Thank you for listening to Nothing to Wear. Don't forget to sign up to our Nothing to Wear a newsletter. There's a link in the show notes and it is free. And if you loved this episode, we have had the wonderful Tina on the show in the past sharing her stylish wisdom, so we'll link that in the show notes. See you next week. This episode was produced by Grace Roofrey, with audio production by Lou Hill.