Caught out by the cold snap? Fashion director Sally-Ann Mullin shares with us her tips for pulling off a seamless winter wardrobe refresh.
For much of the country the switch from “still summer” to “definitely not summer” was an almost violently abrupt one – the sudden March cold snap leaving many of us scrambling to swap out the minis for merinos.
But while the drop in temperature brings with it a strong temptation to rush out and buy a whole new winter wardrobe (trust us, we know the feels), sometimes just the addition of a few key pieces is all it takes to bring the heat through the cold months.
Our Fashion Director Sally-Ann Mullin tells us what she’ll be buying this season, and shares her tips for refreshing your existing wardrobe for winter.
1. As a fashion director, how do you keep your wardrobe fresh and up to date as we transition into the colder months? Do you have any tips to make it easier?
Firstly – I am a self-confessed fashion hoarder. I’ve been working in and around NZ fashion for 17 years and I like to think of myself as a collector. Because of that I tend to shuffle items around to reflect the season rather than do “seasonal cull” – for example in winter I’ll move coats and knits to the main wardrobe and file away summer dresses to the backroom, or even garage, to reassess for the next year. I’m fortunate that a lot of my clothes are gifted from NZ designers, so I would feel wrong about selling them. I prefer to gift them where I can, or if there’s something I really like I’ll box it up and store it. That way I can “shop from the archives”, as my friend and mentor Sarah Voon terms it.
2. What are your autumn/winter wardrobe staples? Are there key items that stay there from summer?
My core wardrobe for winter revolves around great knits and coats, of which I have many (I’m not very Marie Kondo, guys). Basically I can’t resist a coat and will generally buy one or two every winter. I keep my base layers simple and revolve my look around the coat and work backwards. Under the coat is generally a pair of well-worn vintage denim in light blue or faded black – the higher the rise the better. A cami helps to keep me warm, while a crisp white shirt and maybe a cashmere roll neck or soft merino pullover finishes the look. The items that follow me season to season are my denim, the shirts, the camis, and the heels – add in a good coat and you’re set for the cold.
3. In terms of colour, what are you loving this season?
No surprises here but this Autumn I’m all about worn or vintage blue denim, grey marles or dark charcoals and deep mossy greens. I also can never go past white, cream and beige. At the moment I’m also obsessed with clear perspex footwear and minimal accessories, which is new for me as I have always been a loud earring and stacked silver ring kind of girl.
4. What are you looking forward to wearing this autumn/winter? Does your sense of style change?
I’m looking forward to layering! I love clothing; it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning so I love the thought of wearing more of it! I dress for the three temperatures: the freezing commute or walk from the office to an event; the slightly warmer deskside or showroom , and then I need to be able to strip down to next to nothing as the fashion cupboard (where we store the samples we use for shoots) is seriously about 30 degrees no matter the season. I mean it’s a great place to escape winter so I’m not complaining.
This article is brought to you in partnership with Farmers. To shop the full collection, head to Farmers.co.nz.
