Silk slip skirts are one of those “style essentials” you’ll see on lists for building your wardrobe. And while I don’t think that these are hard and fast templates for building up a wardrobe from scratch, I can’t deny that personally for me, they’re a big yes (for you, it might be a different cut in a different fabrication, or, no skirt at all). Combined with the trend towards 90s minimalism, hem lengths have dropped in favour of the maxi. Long and lean silhouettes. So today we’re going to chat through how to style a maxi slip skirt three ways. Which, is a great starting point if you’re planning to add a new silhouette into your closet. If you can’t identify three different outfit combinations which you’d realistically wear, give it a pass. #1 | Worn with a pop of colour The first outfit combination denotes a neutral/tonal base, using accessories to add in personality and vibrancy. I’ve used a red shoe here for that fun burst of colour, which I could have amplified by also adding in a matching bag. Bright accents are a great way to breathe new life into your much loved style staples. Some of my favourite pairings with chocolate brown are lemon yellow, soft muted pinks, burnt orange and verdant green. But obviously what you gravitate towards will depend on the colour of your skirt. Another tip for keeping things a little interesting is to consider your tee. Mine has a rich earthy red-brown print to it which serves to tie together the colour of the skirt and shoes. Wearing Sezane graphic tee, Quince silk skirt, Quince cardigan, Margaux ballet flats, Karen Walker bag #2 | Worn with texture and shape Use this type of outfit combination to create visual interest and dimension. Slip skirts tend to have this long and lean element, so you can either play into that, or opt to create friction through the use of fun proportions. This outfit does the latter. Not visible from this image but the top has a slight blouson/puff sleeve and relaxed fit. Though the jacket is really what is doing all the heavy lifting. It’s a fuzzy tweed combined with the oversized style that feels counterbalanced against the dramatic length of the skirt. You can also use your accessories to increase the tactical quality of your look. My bag is a mock croc leather, but then you could throw on a big bulky scarf in a fuzzy fabric. Also, it looks a little like I’m wearing “shades of” here, and in some ways I am. If you’re having trouble matching colours in your outfit, look for like with like colours (so brown with light brown, charcoal with black) as it’ll create variation while remaining cohesive. Wearing & Other Stories knit (also here), Quince maxi slip skirt, Mango bomber jacket, Arket boots, Sezane bag #3 | Worn in blocks of colour Something I talk about often is considering where you are adding visual breaks into your outfit. It’s why certain hem lengths might look off with certain shoes. Or why despite using all your other tricks and a usual style uniform the outfit just isn’t working. Matching the colour of your shoes to your skirt helps to continue that clean line and has the illusion of adding length – you can reveal a little bit of skin though the effect is amplified when wearing a boot or sock and shoe in the same colour as the piece on your lower half as the visual line is extended all the way down to your toes. Best way to think about this is using the rule of thirds. How can you break up your outfit like that for a look that feels settled and at ease on the eye?

Monochromatic or tonal looks might just be my favourite. It’s the styling tool that I utilise most and every outfit – saturated with colour or muted and calm – feels right within my wheelhouse. The trick though, is how to make a monochromatic outfit feel interesting. Stop it from falling flat. Through all my years experimenting with monochrome dressing, I’ve found that there are three key styling pillars that add in that visual element of dimension; shape, texture, and colour. You may even find that your outfit includes all three, but usually, the ones that feel good will have at least one of these core themes. Shape Starting with the first outfit, I wanted to touch on the theme of shape. This could be sharp vs soft lines, slim vs oversized. The silhouette could be exaggerated, sculptural, or strike some as unusual. It could be a design detail of the item itself, or a styling flourish that you’ve intentionally added in. A personal favourite of mine – belting something with volume to create an exaggerated peplum effect. This dress is a slightly more subtle take on shape; the bodice is fitted, designed to sculpt and contour in a thick rib knit. It has body, feels robust. The skirt by contrast has an element of grace and flow. The fabric moves around effortlessly, while also adding in a softness. Wearing ONTE dress; Oroton bag; Aeyde Maryjanes Texture The second theme is texture. A tactile quality to the clothing. Something that distinguishes between the partitions of our outfit. That draws the eye in, in search of a missed detail. Think soft, fuzzy, shiny, glossy, smooth, puckered, silky. A good mix helps to define the outfit, while also adding layers of nuance. You can see it present in this outfit here. The cashmere knit has a plush quality, whereas the skirt is in an ornate Jacquard with so much depth alone. My bag is a pebbled leather, with a slight shine, and the shoes are a mix of fuzzy wool flannel, and soft suede. Wearing Quince sweater; Foemina skirt; Vaneli two tone pumps; MONOROW bag (review here + it’s 10% off with MADEMOISELLE10) Colour Final theme; colour. And there’s a handful of ways that this can play out in an outfit. Namely, the balance between warm and cool. For harmony, you’ll want to pick one or the other (though neutrals that straddle that middle ground tend to work too). It could be how you incorporate prints – drawing in on commonalities of the colours present in the print for your outfit. Maybe it’s how you play with brights; opting for varying degrees of colour intensity within your outfit (think shades of blue, or red). Or maybe it’s how you add in colour against a neutral base through accessories (think bags, shoes, earrings and even makeup). You can see how I’ve chosen to use colour here in this final look; all pieces sit on the neutral to cool end of the spectrum, from clothing items to accessories. Wearing Jenni Kayne sweater; LILYSILK skirt (20% off with JL20); Tony Bianco shoes; Saben Tilly Bag (15% off with JAMIELOVESSABEN15)

Sharing these six transitional outfit formulas I’ve been relying on lately – before it gets too chilly here in Sydney to share. Which if this current cold snap is anything to go by, the days of bare legs are already over… Because it’s easy enough to fall back on denim, especially when you primarily work from home, I wanted to highlight my favourite types of outfits where jeans don’t even get a look in. And no, these aren’t any earth-shattering outfit combinations – personally, am a big fan of an easy, minimal look that I can put together in a pinch (a must when you have young kids!). FORMULA 1 | Oversized knit + mini skirt + Mary janes With the knit either tucked or loose; I’m not particular. For me, a fun way to play around with proportions, and I find this is the easiest way to integrate looser silhouettes as you’re baring a lot more of the leg. Can easily update this outfit with some sheer tights too and a long trench for extra layering. Also, have been really playing into the idea of prints as neutrals. The snake print skirt I’m wearing here is a great example of a piece that plays well with other murky hues in your wardrobe. Especially fun when you play around with interesting textures. Wearing Marle sweater, ELKA Collective skirt (also here); Oroton bag (on sale!) FORMULA 2 | Relaxed cardigan + straight leg pants + ballet flats Worn with the bottom couple of buttons loose, to either expose the teeniest bit of skin, or a fun coloured tank underneath. I like this most worn with a slightly cropped pant, to expose some of the ankle, as there’s not really any definition in the outfit otherwise. Wearing Sezane cardigan, Sezane cropped trousers, Acne Studios mini musubi bag FORMULA 3 | Activewear + quilted jacket + chunky sneakers I don’t often wear activewear as my “outfit”, but if I am going for a walk and want to look a little styled, this is an easy way to do it. The quilting on the oversized jacket adds in an element of texture and dimension which feels really interesting. You can play it up by adding in a leather bag. Something with some shine to elevate and add a sense of luxury. Wearing Lululemon crop top; Lululemon align leggings; Karen Walker quilted jacket; Lemaire crossbody bag (review here) FORMULA 4 | Relaxed sweater + tailored mini skirt + oversized coat + ballet flats I’ve worn this fairly easy outfit formula a bit lately; what I like about it comes down to the details. Usually I’ll add in a belt to highlight the waist, but things like a scarf coat can bring in that point of difference. You also get a nice balance of relaxed pieces paired with more tailored items. Wearing Assembly Label cashmere sweater; Minima Esenciales skirt; COS scarf coat (alternate here – US only); Saben odile bag (15% off with JAMIELOVESSABEN15) FORMULA 5 | Sleeveless tank + tailored trousers + oversized cardigan + loafers Texture play being the hero of this outfit, which I’ll usually reach for in some sort of tonal or neutral colour situation. Outfits tend to feel a little more finished with the addition of that third piece, and the cable knit design on this cardigan is particularly special. Wearing St Agni tank; Facade Pattern trousers (10% off with MADEMOISELLE10); Andersons belt; Quince cable cardigan (US only); Oroton pouch (on sale) FORMULA 6 | Knit cardigan + tailored trousers + ankle boots Final outfit formula is a simple one, that pairs a slightly more feminine silhouette with a traditionally more masculine style. Heeled boots give that elevation and sense of refinement. Given my love of oversized knitwear, this feels a bit more unexpected. Wearing Oui Mais Non cardigan (10% off with MADEMOISELLE10); Laing Home trousers; Polene bag

I still remember my first denim jacket. A classic, mid blue, which I often wore with a pink and white striped tee, and pink shorts. Even as a kid, I was partial to this wardrobe “classic”, the transitional weight jacket that has this uncanny ability to chill out even the most dressed up outfits. Tulle and taffeta? Dial it down with denim. Casual to its core. So off the back of a new series on Instagram, where I take a single item and style it 10 ways, I thought I’d immortalise those outfits here, while expanding a little on the styling concepts I leaned on. Basically, the idea is to become besties with the items we already own (if you aren’t already). Because it’s half the equation to finding wardrobe nirvana. There’s a few details I personally tend to seek out in a denim jacket. As someone with a longer torso, I tend to prefer a style that hits me just below the hip. The denim must be reasonably soft (though a rigid denim does work, the style needs to be quite oversized to compensate). And I want a medium blue; nothing too aged or faded out. No distressing. Any button style will do. A curved hemline is preferred as it creates a softer silhouette, but straight across is fine too as long as it meets my other criteria. The one featured here is Ceres Life (sold out but love this one they do). My wardrobe is mostly neutrals, so with the exception of the blue monochromatic look, I decided to lean in on that, as I wanted to highlight the jacket as the focal piece. The blue wash acts as something of a neutral – the great thing about this wardrobe hero – and it actually looks fantastic when paired with a vibrant red, or soft pastels. You could easily repurpose these proportions using a more vibrant colour mix or swap out the blue denim jacket for one in white or black denim (if that’s what you have in your wardrobe). Looking back on the outfits I pulled together, I can see that I favoured a higher neckline. And reflecting on this, you can see that the crew-neckline tops allowed the jacket to be the focus. Probably my favourite look, has to be the first double denim outfit. Or, pairing it with the white denim, which allows the blue to really pop. I think when doing double denim, what you want to do is aim to match with a jean that is as close as possible in colour to the jacket. An exact match isn’t a must, but it does make it feel much more intentional. You can see here in action, how a denim jacket is a great tool to use to dial down the formality level of dressier pieces in your closet. It makes full skirts or heeled looks feel more “chill”, by adding in that good friction. Finally, you can really play around with the styling. When doing double denim, break up the colour with a contrasting tee, or button it from the collar to get a monochromatic moment. Wear it like a shirt or a jacket. Throw a knit over the top for another layered piece. Before we get into the outfits, it’s worth also highlighting that as you remix your wardrobe, you’ll start to see a solid through line. Variations on styles that you find work best for you – something that comes with playing around with what you have in your wardrobe. Not all of these outfits will look wildly different, but instead allow you to see commonalities in items you own (and sometimes even lesser worn pieces!). OUTFIT 1 | Wearing Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Assembly Label straight leg jeans, Edward Meller heels, Quince woven pouch OUTFIT 2 | Wearing COS t-shirt, Blanca skirt, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Edward Meller heels, Oroton bag OUTFIT 3 | Wearing Assembly Label stripe top, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Everlane linen shorts, Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, Oroton bag, Vieux Eyewear sunglasses OUTFIT 4 | Wearing Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Wynn Hamlyn skirt (old but similar), Tony Bianco heels, Quince pouch bag OUTFIT 5 | Wearing Everlane stripe shirt, COS trousers, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, Edward Meller bag OUTFIT 6 | Oroton wool vest, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Nothing Written jeans (10% off with MADEMOISELLE10), About Arianne ballerinas, Edward Meller bag OUTFIT 7 | Assembly Label blue tee, Sezane slip skirt, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Loeffler Randall woven flats, Madewell bag OUTFIT 8 | Everlane strapless dress, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), YSL slides, Quince woven pouch OUTFIT 9 | Grana cashmere vest, Levi’s ribcage jeans, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Bared boots, Edward Meller bag OUTFIT 10 | Ceres Life t-shirt, DISSH trousers, Ceres Life denim jacket (old but this is similar), Vaneli two tone pumps, Oroton bag