Luxe Everyday

If I had to pinpoint one area of a woman’s wardrobe that is always overstocked with old and tired looking pieces, it has to be her shoes! That doesn’t mean she has too many, often times she doesn’t have enough, of the right shoes, for her lifestyle, that pair back perfectly with the majority of her clothes. Shoes are one of the hardest working pieces you’ll ever wear, they literally support you all day long! They deserve a little respect by being the highest quality you can afford.

I’m a huge believer in shopping smarter by doing your research and buying quality over quantity. Buying cheap is often a false economy which leaves our wardrobes bursting with compromises and mismatched disappointment. The antidote is simple, take stock of what you have (in your wardrobe), who you are (your shape and colouring) and what you do most in your life (your activities & lifestyle). Once you’ve done that it’s MUCH easier to see an item in store or online and tell immediately if it’s going to work for you.

From repeating this process again and again with my clients over the years, I’ve started noticing certain pieces that suit most women and their lifestyles. I call these pieces wardrobe staples and definitely think they are worth investing in.

I have curated the below styles that now make up my summer shoe wardrobe. I chose them all in the same colour as I wear it a LOT and wanted to highlight the style of shoe and not distract you with different colours. In order of how often I wear them, here are the four shoes I believe every woman has room for in her wardrobe.

1. The Neutral Flat – choose a style that is smart enough for work but soft enough for the weekend. I love this style because of the almond shape toe which elongates the leg. Gone are the round toe ballet flats of the early noughties, which we were promised would be ‘classic’ and ‘cool’ forever but it turns out just make you legs look stumpy.
2. The White Sneaker – the epitome of effortless cool, they instantly downplay an outfit and make it look fresh. Wear them with virtually anything from maxi dresses to wide leg linen pants. You almost can’t go wrong.
3. The Flatform Sandal – reinvented into different incarnations every summer the sandal has been elevated this season…literally. Flatform sandals add height without discomfort and add a little drama to an otherwise neutral shoe.
4. The Stacked Heel – the perfect style hack, these heels add sky scraper height but maintain stability through a platform at the front. For an updated twist go for block heels in a shorter length.

Well there you have it ladies, a lesson in responsible shoe ownership. I’d like to thank Naturalizer for gifting me these beautiful and sponsoring this post so I can continue to create content.

As a stylist it’s my job to make people look good and feel confident in what they’re wearing. My first step is always making sure they feel comfortable and everything is fitting properly. If your shirt is gapping or your bra strap is showing, it’s hard to feel at ease. You have to be ready for anything when styling clients for events or on set, so every stylist worth their weight will have a kit with them at all times. I’ve been carefully curating mine over the years with must-haves for keeping outfits in place and avoiding a stylist’s worst nightmare…the wardrobe malfunction! These products are a god-send and definitely worth having on hand in your wardrobe.

Double Sided Fashion Tape – I don’t go anywhere without it. It lives in my handbag as well as my kit. I use Hollywood Fashion Secrets as it comes in pre-cut strips, and a very convenient tin. Sure you can buy double sided tape on a roll and cut it up, but I don’t have time for that, do you?

Lint ‘Sticky’ Roller – You can buy some pretty ones out there but they tend not to have a lot of tape on the roll. I just get the standard supermarket option. 

Bra Band Extenders – These are great if you’ve put on weight or are breast feeding and need a little more room in your too tight bra. I like this pack as it has a black, white and beige colour in one. 

Bras Strap Converting Clips – I use these all the time for razor back tops and dresses. These are super handy when you have a quick outfit change. 

Nipple Covers – These are particularly great if you have a smaller chest and don’t need the support of a bra. You can get them in Silicone or Satin fabric finishes. 

Anti-Static Spray – It’s the worst feeling when a dress won’t stop clinging to you! I spray this on clingy garments after washing and before drying. 

Invisible G-String – The wrong underwear can totally ruin the look of an outfit. Even standard G-Strings can create a panty line. I’m not a fan of stepping out sans-nickers either, especially when hiring your event look! So I use these adhesive G-Strings that can be washed and re-used up to 20 times.

Sewing Kit – I have a travel sized one that includes safety pins, pre-threaded needles in black white and nude and tiny nail scissors. 

Shoe Comfort Kit – These adhesive gel cushions and heel shields feel like heaven after wearing heels for a few hours! Some ladies like to pop them in their shoes mid event but mine live in my favourite pair of heels and stay there always. 

I’d like to thank Hollywood Fashion Secrets for sponsoring this blog post and keeping my kit well stocked for over a decade!

As there are many more products I regularly use (and I am notoriously slow at writing blog posts), I have split this post into two parts. Part II coming soon!