Welcome to the Nothing To Wear Edit where each week we curate the best picks from the topic we spoke about on the podcast. Listen to the full episode here.
Hands up who has trouble getting dressed on the weekend?
It can be tricky: you don't want to look too dressy and too 'done' but you also don't want to look sloppy and daggy either. It's a fine line between chic and modern and well... pyjamas.
In the latest episode of the Nothing To Wear podcast, host Leigh Campbell and I discussed weekend dressing and how to look chic and elevated while still looking casual and feeling relaxed.
My answer? The secret to effortless, easy dressing is about updating the classics.
The key pieces that are pivotal to weekend dressing — jeans, blazers, T-shirts, chinos, shirts and casual jackets — all need to be updated into new modern shapes. One day you pull out your favourite classics and suddenly you look wrong, but you can't put your finger on it. The solution: update these core pieces into new modern shapes if you want to look chic, modern and effortless (hint: you do!)
The result means getting dressed is a breeze. No need to even accessorise too much. These are pieces that simply look great on their own.
As a personal shopper and stylist, these are the pieces I think are worth investing in for elevated weekend dressing:
Jeans.
You said goodbye to skinny jeans (we are not going back!) and now it’s about the new shape denim. You can choose whatever shape suits your day or suits your style from slouchy to peg leg, carrot shape, flares and super wide leg jeans. They all work. And the great thing is if you update your jeans, suddenly your old tops look right again.
My pick: H&M 90s Baggy Regular Jeans, $69.99.
90s Baggy Regular Jeans. Image: H&M.
Blazer.
You want something oversized and slouchy, with strong shoulders that's long over your bum. Something that has room to move. After all, isn't weekend dressing about looking effortless? Anything tight now feels uncomfortable and looks dated. Remember, a new slouchy blazer will instantly give you another year out of your old straight jeans. Go for camel, white or brown.
My pick: DISSH Celine Cover Blazer, $179.99.
Celine Cover Blazer. Image: DISSH.
T-shirt.
It needs to be loose and slouchy. You don't want it too neat or too tight as it's not comfortable and it's harder to style. Instead, choose a T-shirt that skims and doesn't cling. Which you can easily tuck in and works as a layering piece.
My pick: COS Boxy Curved Hem T-shirt, $65.
Boxy Curved-Hem T-Shirt. Image: COS.Cotton chinos.
These are usually in beige or white made from cotton. They should be slouchy and easy to wear, and can be wide-leg or cropped, depending on what style you prefer. Why do you want chinos? They are not jeans but they're just as casual. They are not black pants but just as versatile. They go from day to evening easily, too. They'll be the hardest working item you didn't know you needed in your wardrobe.
My pick: Zara Straight Fit Chino Trousers, $79.95.
Straight Fit Chino Trousers. Image: Zara.A weekend jacket.
This might be a denim jacket, a barn jacket, a utility jacket. It might be a crop trench, a bomber or a drawstring parka. What's great about any of these jackets is that they function like blazer and make a statement but are a little more relaxed. Perfect for elevated weekend dressing.
My pick: Everlane The Barn Jacket, $304.
The Barn Jacket. Image: Everlane.The FiFi philosophies to help you get dressed.
And before I go, these are the "rules" I swear by to help making get dressed easier (no matter what day of the week it is).
- Table top dressing — keep the focus on top of the body where everyone is looking and don't hide the most exciting statement pieces under the table. This means investing in fabulous shirts, tops and blazers.
- The three colours rule — stick to just three colours on the body: two is too matchy-matchy and more than three colours? Who has the time or know-how to pull together looks like that on the weekend? Add a shoe or a bag or a jacket in another colour and you're good to go.
- Stick to 'expensive colours' — black, white, brown, navy, cream, beige, khaki and grey are totally versatile colours that always look chic and you don't need to spend a fortune to look great.
- Put on shoes — always try everything on with shoes, you are not going out in bare feet! Don't make any decision about what you're wearing until you have your shoes on. They add edge, height, lighten and change the look. Hint: when in doubt pull on white shoes (they are instant wardrobe updaters).
- Don’t compromise looking modern by trying to look slim — you'll end up looking neither slim nor modern. Embrace the slouchy silhouette and forget about the notion of what is "flattering" because when you think about it, the word flattering actually means slim: that's not the end game.
FiFi is a fashion editor, personal shopper and content creator. Her superpower is forecasting fashion so you don't have to! You can follow her here.
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