It’s definitely the time of year to take a look at your winter wardrobe and see what may need adding to make it work for the cold, dark few months ahead.
Now, funny I should say this but I really think you should start by looking at your scarf collection!
Transitional dressing is a lot more straightforward than it’s made out in magazines and the media. What you need is simple layers in neutral colours, a great scarf that adds a splash of colour or becomes a focal point and preferably a new pair of winter shoes or boots too!
A friend of mine visited the studio at the weekend with exactly this idea in mind. She stepped inside and said: “ I need to sort my wardrobe out – I need some colour round my neck, I don’t want wool as I need it to be more sophisticated for work and lightweight for transitional dressing”. We had a lovely time trying on pretty much every scarf in the shop and experimenting with different loops and knots too. In the end she bought two scarves in completely different colour-ways and left knowing that her whole wardrobe would be completely rejuvenated, solely from adding two beautiful and versatile scarves.
These are the scarves she chose (she’s called Corinne by the way but I didn’t take her photo as she was in her cycling clothes at the time!).
First up was this Snake Nolita scarf by Dea Kudibal (left images). The colours are mainly blues and soft greys and the pattern really lifted Corrine’s complexion. What we liked about this scarf is that it would look great worn to work with a neutral silk shirt and black or blue jacket, while it would also look fabulous at the weekend with a stylish cashmere jumper. It is a mix of cashmere and wool which makes it soft to wear but also very easy to style. I showed Corinne one of my top tips, which is never to tie a scarf with both ends pulled straight (as a rectangle). Always take one corner of one end when you start your styling so that it is longer and thinner and therefore less bulky.
The second scarf that Corinne chose is actually by the same designer but offers a completely different look. It’s called the Malsen Harlequin Scarf and the colours in it are black, heathered grey and soft dusky pink (right images). It has a very strong geometric design in the middle and is softened round the edges with an animal print border. As you can see it will give a totally different look to the blue snake scarf above. What this scarf will do is work brilliantly with blacks ,whites, greys, creams and taupes. All colours which we identified Corinne wears a lot of. It can dress a casual outfit up but it could also soften a plain black dress or smarter work outfit. The dusky pink is also an incredibly flattering colour against most complexions.
I loved my time spent with Corinne in the studio and I know she left feeling delighted with her purchases. I also feel confident she has gained lots of varied new looks, simply through the purchase of two gorgeous scarves. If I am very honest, we did then discuss the fact that she needed to invest in two new silk shirts but hey ho, it’s the start of a new season and we must all have a few treats!
By the way talking of the new season I found these great new tops online at Uniqlo.
I am always looking for great base layers that work under everything and these ones are perfect. The fabric is really soft, the arms are nice and tight, they look smarter than a cotton t-shirt, they come in every colour under the sun and the price point is fantastic. I have just started wearing mine and I love them!
I am so excited about all the new products (from luxury scarves to seasonal essentials & beautiful accessories) for Autumn Winter that I would love to introduce them personally to as many people as possible!
Hope this post has provided a bit of transitional wardrobe inspiration!
Harriet x