On the Street

David James

Usually sharing her interior design advice, Aimee Materoa treats us to her personal fashion trend tips. What are you wearing today?

Today I’m wearing one of my go-to outfits, this skirt is from Witchery, with a black over the shoulder top, and a pair of RM Williams boots. I love these RM Williams boots!

Do you have a usual style?

I have three styles. My ‘business style outfits,’ usually a combination of skirts, dresses, smart pants, a good pair of boots and jacket. My ‘casual style,’ love my jeans, t-shirts, boots. And then my sport style.

What item do you have the most of in your wardrobe?

J and J... Jackets (coats/blazers) and jeans. What looks or trends do you like right now?

Oh my God, I love the all the colour trends coming out at the moment, like every colour, sooo exciting!

Where do you buy most of your clothes?

Sisters and Co, Superette, Thomas’s, Witchery, Country Road, Seed. I will buy from anywhere if I like the style, colour and most importantly, if I feel good in it.

What is your all time favourite buy?

I have to say my RM Williams boots, I was once told that if you have nice shoes your whole outfit will shine, they can make or break an outfit. Just like the difference tiles can make to a kitchen.

Worst clothing disaster?

Wearing a silk dress at a wedding in Indonesia in 40degree heat with no aircon. Seriously, the thought of it #disaster101. A wardrobe staple everyone should invest in?

A good pair of quality boots (look after your feet everyone), and a good quality coat. Which celebrity’s sense of style do you admire?

I love Princess Diana’s style, a timeless and classy style. Finish this sentence. You would never catch me wearing?

A mini skirt with F*** Me boots. Aka over the knee boots, apparently that look is coming back in again. I’ll have to check with Jackie from Dress Code.

FASHION STYLING ADVICE

with Michelle Bradley, Personal Stylist.

Re-evaluate your wardrobe

Organising your wardobe can seem like a tough task for many. Luckily, we have expert stylist Michelle Bradley on hand to give us few tips to streamlining the wardrobe and helping you look and feel your best. Michelle is a personal stylist, an image and colour consultant, and a personal motivator. She inspires people to “look great, be confident, and feel empowered and successful”. Comments she often hears when working with a client on their wardrobe is “I have nothing to wear!” - even if the wardrobe is overflowing. “Everything in my wardrobe is similar!” - because, she says, they keep buying the same thing. “My wardrobe is all the same colour!” - more often than not, they are black items. And lastly, “I can’t mix and match!” - this is generally due to consistently wearing pieces in only one way, she says. While the following tips may seem like small and simple adjustments, they will revolutionise the way that you dress on a daily basis, ensuring you look fabulous every time you step out of the house. Michelle says a good starting point is to address and sort what you already own, like an audit on your wardrobe. She suggests sorting your clothing into items to keep, items to donate and items to have repaired or altered. “From there it is easier to see what key items you might be missing to make your wardrobe more cohesive and align it to your lifestyle.” She then suggests making a list of missing key pieces. Staple pieces are easy to accessorise, they can be dressed up or dressed down relevant to your needs. Depending on your skin tone, some colours can make you look older than you are and a little unwell, whereas other colours can help you shine and complement your skin palette. Michelle recommends finding out what colours work best for you. “Dress to suit your body shape and personality rather than following fashion trends.” Finding an item of clothing that flatters your figure is an empowering feeling. Knowing your body shape enables you to wear outfits that balance your figure. You can draw the eye to focus on where you want it to go, using lines to help create curves, lengthen or emphasise your favourite body parts. “Do not impulse buy.” Impulse purchases are often triggered by boredom or getting caught in the moment. Take your time, think about how that ‘must-have’ piece can complement or enhance your current wardrobe.

Finally, Michelle encourages people to enjoy themselves with the process. “Most of all have fun and be true to you. Arohanui.”