Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a fashion fanatic, deciding what to wear each day can often come with its own set of challenges.
And if your day involves rubbing shoulders with supermodels and mingling with the who’s-who of the industry, the pressure is only magnified.
Thanks to fashion month and the impeccable front row, street style and model off-duty moments we’ve seen from our favourite A-listers, we’ve never been more ready to doll ourselves up and don our finest grams to see a in-real-life fashion show.
Fortunately we won’t have long to wait, with Australia’s largest consumer facing fashion event, Melbourne Fashion Festival, just around the corner.
From large-scale runways featuring the finest emerging and established designers to styling sessions, there’s plenty of opportunities to showcase your personal style and immerse yourself in the best fashion the industry has to offer.
Regardless of whether this is your first or fiftieth fashion festival, there’s no better time than now to hit the town and strut your stuff.
To assist with planning your look, we’ve put together a few styling tips to help you nail fashion week dressing.
1. Shop your own wardrobe.
Shopping your own wardrobe isn’t just the most sustainable option, but often the most stylish decision you can make.
Rather than feeling like you need to buy into the latest fads or douse yourself in designer labels, Melbourne Fashion Festival is the time to experiment with your own style.
“Often events can make us want to go out and buy new pieces and I’ve found that this is when I have made the poorest wardrobe decisions,” Teanne Vickers, marie claire Australia’s junior fashion editor, tells us. “Some of the best outfits come from seeing old pieces in a new light, it forces creativity.”
By mixing and matching trusted classics with new favourites, you have a chance to reinvent your look in a way that feels refreshed, contemporary and best of all, something you’ll feel represents your own style.
Plus, you can save the cash for something that may catch your eye on the runway.
2. Wear something that feels like a second skin.
This tip ties into the first, but the best fashion week style moments come from embracing what makes you special.
Don’t reinvent the wheel struggling to pull together a groundbreaking or avant-garde outfit, but choose something that feels like a second skin or an extension of yourself. Often these looks will make you more noticed than anything where you try too hard.
Regardless of what your signature look is—could be a vintage silhouette or an always-colourful ensemble—we recommend leaning into this and not shy away from showcasing the unique pieces in your wardrobe.
As Teanne says, “the street style that I find the most appealing are looks that have me guessing where each piece is from.”
3. Don’t be afraid to embrace trends.
Given the impeccable street style from New York, London, Milan and Paris, don’t be afraid to look through street style guides and take cues from the four fashion capitals.
The international runways are also providing plenty of style inspiration that you can pull from.
“I felt this season’s shows had a lot of reference to the 90s and 2000s, which has definitely influenced street style,” Teanne said.
The low rise resurgence is currently upon us, so feel free to be playful with these trends by pairing a mini skirt with something more timeless like a structured blazer.
Sheer, leather and denim fabrics are also having a moment (which we all most likely have in our closets already) so don’t be afraid to take notes from what’s trending in the fashion world.
Or, throw trends out the window altogether. If you have cash to splash, opt for something that stands the test of time, like the Dior Bar jacket or Saint Laurent smoking tuxedo.
4. Opt for functionality over aesthetics.
While your first thought may be to dress up for the occasion with your favourite evening wear look, it’s actually better to dress practically.
Your favourite 6-inch platform heel may be calling your name, however we recommend opting for a functional shoe since you’ll most likely be standing around or walking between shows.
As you’ll also be sitting down during the runway presentation, maybe think twice before wearing your super sexy and short micro dress.
Don’t forget we’re also at the mercy of the weather and given that Melbourne is notorious for their unpredictable forecast, it may be best to acquaint yourself with the Bureau of Meteorology in the lead up to the festival.
5. Style is all about the attitude.
Regardless of what you wear, the best accessory is your attitude.
With all these tips in mind, don’t dress for anyone but yourself and if you feel comfortable in what you’re wearing you’re inevitably going to look chic.
So now you’ve got your wardrobe sorted, which shows are you hitting? May we suggest ‘Runway 2’, the show we’re hosting in partnership with Samsung.
Showcasing the collections of top designers like Aje, bassike, Lee Matthews, Oroton and Viktoria & Woods, each ticket also comes with a gift bag with $100 worth of goodies.
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