Repeat Offender

I very much live — and now design — by the theory that if I’m purchasing something new, it can’t be a one-hit wonder. It needs to be a repeat offender. In other words, I need to be able to wear it at least 3–4 different ways. I want longevity in my pieces and, ultimately, in my wardrobe.

With that being said, I received a comment a when I was styling the Marrakesh Blouse that it’s “easy for me” to wear it so many different ways because I probably have a big wardrobe. And while I do have a big selection in my wardrobe, I think it’s less about how much you have and more about knowing what to wear with what you already own.

One of my biggest wardrobe pet peeves is buying something I love, only to realise I need to buy something else because I don't know what to wear it with! I really do believe that, regardless of the size of our wardrobes, we all have more options in there than we think. Sometimes it's simply about stepping outside a comfort outfits.

You know the ones.

The top you always wear with those jeans.
The shoes you always wear with that dress.
The skirt you only ever style one way.

We get comfortable. We find a combination that works and we stop looking for what else might work.

Stay with me here.

I had a conversation with my girlfriend recently around this very topic. Her comments weren’t quite as pointed, but they were similar to the idea that it’s easy for me because of my wardrobe.

But I think it’s more than that.

I think it’s about being willing to step outside our comfort zone and look at the things we already own a little differently.

So, before deciding if this was a hill I was willing to die on, I went around to her house, Iris Skirt in hand, to test my theory. Could she wear the Iris Skirt 3–4 different ways using pieces she already had in her wardrobe?

And while I’m not going to show you her face (who remembers those dentist ads where they did the same thing 😂 ) there are, in fact, 7 completely different ways she can wear the skirt using clothes she already owns (10 if you include layering those pieces differently) - and that was without even trying.

Preparing to start my climb up the hill, ladies. 😂

And this is where I think it gets interesting. The Iris Skirt is not what you would traditionally call a “basic”. It’s a statement skirt. It has colour and personality, and it certainly isn’t a neutral. But I actually think it is a basic.

Because to me, a basic isn’t necessarily something that is plain or neutral. It’s something that works hard in your wardrobe. I'd go so far as to say a repeat offender - because these 10 outfits weren't even scratching the surface of options she had! And not one new purchased required!

Full disclosure: yes, I’ve AI’d the model images. The clothes, however, are all genuinely from her wardrobe!Which actually brings me onto another topic — using AI as a stylist. But I’ll save that one for another day. For now, I’m sticking with my hill.