No dress rehearsal.

Last weekend my mum returned home from an overseas holiday. As we sat together looking through her photos, she paused on one. She had captured a woman passing by on the footpath, her back to the camera, dressed in a long bright turquoise coat with large black cuffs and collar. She had a black beret ...

Last week an article from Hello! magazine stopped me mid scroll. The article was titled ‘VOTE: Is Princess Kate's hair unprofessional?’ With a subtitle ‘The Princess of Wales' hair looked longer than ever this week, but comments suggest her long hair impacts her ability to do her job’.

I’m not sure...

Last weekend I was waiting on the pavement for a coffee when I saw a $40 sale rack sitting pretty in the sun outside a beautiful boutique. I started to sift through it when I laid my hands on a beautiful skirt. It was just my style. ‘Oh it’s my size too!’ I exclaimed to myself.

All the dopamine rec...

One thing that never fails to bring a wry smile to my face is watching young women on a night out in winter, walking from bar to bar, wearing a slinky summer dress. I feel many things at once when I see them, frustration, empathy, nostalgia. But mostly I want to give them a fabulous warm coat and te...

Last week I attended a professional event. I hadn't been to this event before and I had no idea who would be there or what to expect.

I wanted to wear something that was professional yet expressive of me. I got dressed and looked in the mirror.

It hit me immediately.

I had shrunk myself down to w...

There is a sentiment I hear repeated on social media that I have also heard in retail, and that is 'Wear what makes you happy' or 'Wear what you love'. It sounds empowering but it drives me crazy.

Many times I have witnessed a woman take a garment off the rack and gaze upon it with adoring eyes. So...

For decades I have wished for a defined, angular jawline. It started in the 90s when I fell in love with fashion photography. The incredible images of the era all seemed to highlight the model's strong, defined jawline. I thought it looked so glamourous.

I also believed that a strong jawline made y...

I arrived at Frida Kahlo's Blue House in Mexico City in 2018 on a bright, sparkling summer's morning. I joined the queue that was already snaking its way down the street. Hundreds of tourists lined up, snacking on churros, waiting for their chance to experience the place where Frida had lived and wo...

Last winter I was getting ready for work when I thought I'd experiment with a new outfit. I had a jacket that was a soft yet structured cross between a military jacket and one you may see in a marching band. Cropped at the front with long tails at the back and big silver buttons. I paired it with so...

For most of history, women wearing pants was considered scandalous. In many parts of the world it was unlawful.

Not unfashionable, illegal.

In western culture, prior to the early 20th century, women wore dresses and skirts for everything. This included riding horses which they were forced to do si...

Working in fashion retail, one word I heard over and over again was 'flattering'. Flattering is used constantly on the sales floor by staff and customers. It is also used in product descriptions and sales copy everywhere.

Flattering, it seems, is the holy grail of style. I have definitely bought cl...

There was a moment in my 40's when I looked in the mirror and realised my outfit no longer made me look cool. The vintage dresses I loved wearing suddenly turned on me, and now I was the one that looked vintage.

The outfits that once made me feel myself, now had me falling into a frumpy abyss. Some...