The End of Summer, Already?

By Sharmin Musca, Personal Stylist on March 25, 2014 in Other

Is March really the end of summer? While there may not be a public holiday to soften the blow, I can offer you all a little bit of good news for autumn fashion instead.

H&M will soon be opening its Melbourne store and who better to add an Aussie flavour to the retail chain’s global campaign than good old Miranda Kerr. Another Aussie, Ryan Storer (the guy who made the ear cuff the latest statement accessory), has just been picked up by Net-a-Porter. If you haven’t already, now is most certainly the time to purchase one of his pieces.

Now is also the time for your Autumn/Winter collections to start filling up some serious wardrobe space with high street and designer boutiques taking a distinctly wintry turn. But before you go planning your new purchases it’s time to take stock of your current wardrobe. Whole new outfits can’t evolve if you can’t even see past the few items you wear all the time – a streamlined wardrobe will help you develop your personal style.

I’m as guilty as anyone for holding on to things for far too long, but removing pieces you don’t wear will free up space and ease the guilt by wiping the offending items from sight and mind. Here’s a three-step plan to get you going:

1. Take stock – just what exactly is lurking in there?

2. Divide and conquer – make three piles: a ‘give-to-charity’ pile; a ‘maybe’ pile; and a ‘keep’ pile. You need to be ruthless when going through the ‘maybe’ pile, but keep in mind how your style will develop and what will work with any new purchases.

3. Wardrobe maintenance – put your pieces back into the wardrobe in a well-organised manner so that you can easily see garments that will work well together to make complete outfits.

After you’ve executed my three-step plan it’s time to go shopping, but don’t slip back in to old ways. Plan your purchases, make sure they fit in with your newly cleared wardrobe and don’t go overboard.

Sound too hard or time-consuming? Let a personal stylist do it for you. Call Sharmin Musca Personal Stylist on 0405 518 155 for a pain-free wardrobe audit and let her create your signature style. Visit www.personalstylist.net.au for more information.

On the streets this month I found:

Name: Olivia
Lives: Glebe
Occupation: Retail Manager
Fave item this season: A white blouse with ruffle detail on the sleeve by Alice McCall.
Street style: Olivia wears a dress by Alice McCall, neckpiece by Mania Mania and boots from Zimmerman.

Name: Laura
Lives: Waterloo
Occupation: Manager
Fave item this season: My half black, half tortoise shell XXL sunnies by Celine.
Street style: Laura wears a skirt and top from Manning Cartel. Her shoes are from Wittner.