Kate Bell
As a model, Kate Bell spent her life surrounded by beautiful clothes. Ironically, it left her unsure of how to dress herself until one piece of advice transformed her approach to dressing.
“My mum had a big influence on helping me find my style. She owned exquisite evening shoes that she wore before she had us kids and she would freely give them up for dress-ups. She sewed and made groovy jeans and suits that she wore to art school. She always looks effortlessly stylish.
As a teen, I gravitated towards punk and new wave, and with Mum’s help I recreated styles I’d seen in magazines. My creations were often a bit kooky. Mum also introduced me to op shopping, which we would do together. Second-hand clothing has always delighted me, often not even to purchase, but to see and feel. I try pieces on just to see how they look. When I started modelling, I became self-conscious of how I dressed. It was like there was suddenly a right and wrong way to dress, and I second-guessed myself for years. I still wore dramatic pieces when partying, but chose easy-to-understand clothes to go to work.
A stylist once told me to lean into the masculine. This was the best piece of advice, as I’d never considered that way of self-expression before. I would describe my style as masculine, thoughtful and a little kooky. I like creating the shape I want, and I dress to communicate how I’m feeling. Some days that’s a floor-length dress; other days it’s track pants and a T-shirt.
Clothing, for me, is art. It makes me feel and think, and I use it to communicate. Some days I feel more feminine but mostly I’ll be a bit “boy”. I still enjoy wearing feminine pieces, but mostly I dress to my proportions and wear what feels right for me. I’ve become more confident in my own style and no longer second-guess myself the way I used to.”
Virginia Jenkins
Lawyer by day, fashion blogger by night, Virginia Jenkins is known for the endlessly chic yet low-effort outfits she shares on What Vee Wore.
“The change in my relationship with clothes wasn’t marked by a lightbulb moment or sudden epiphany, it was when I returned to work after my first stint of parental leave. Back then, private practice was still very much stilettos, pencil skirts and figure-hugging dresses, and it was a rude awakening to discover my postpartum body couldn’t comfortably wear much of the wardrobe I’d spent years building.
People talk about losing their style after becoming a parent. I don’t think that’s what happened to me. If anything, it made me reconsider the expectations I had for my wardrobe. I wanted clothes that still felt like me but were comfortable enough for my everyday routine with work and the kids.
I started documenting what I was wearing to work on my blog, What Vee Wore, and Instagram, @whatveewore. Making content started as a passion project, but it’s been going strong for almost eight years. I get so much joy from connecting with my audience in my little corner of the internet and am driven by my passion for what I share. I also feel it’s my civic duty to report back whenever I find something that fits my petite frame straight off the rack.
Good-quality basics occupy a big chunk of my wardrobe and, post-pandemic, there’s been less of a line between my work clothes and my weekend clothes. I love pieces that can do double duty. I’m usually heading to work when I leave the house, so it’s important that I look polished enough for the office, but I like to think that my aesthetic isn’t overly corporate or stuffy. My work outfits are elevated to match the office environment, but I’ve been able to achieve this while staying true to my personal style.
It has all continued to evolve over the years, and I think my audience has enjoyed evolving with me. Lately, I’ve been embracing a bit more personality in the way I dress – a pop of colour here, a different silhouette there. But, at its core, my style is still very classic. My three style words are comfortable, classic and elevated, and they provide great structure when I’m getting dressed.”
Antoinette Lattouf
Last year, Antoinette Lattouf took the ABC to court to argue that it had unlawfully terminated her contract for posting in support of Palestine on social media. Clothing became her armour during the trial (and helped lead her to victory).
“My first foray into fashion was pretty humble. I am one of seven children, and my parents came to Australia as refugees from Lebanon, so we often struggled to make ends meet. I was almost always wearing clothes from the thrift store or hand-me-downs from my three older sisters. My earliest memory of fashion was my Year 6 graduation because Mum bought me a new skirt and blouse in mint green, and I was obsessed with it. Mint green is still one of my favourite colours, and who would have thought that I would become known for co-ordinated sets years later through a Federal Court trial?
During the trial, I was strategic about how I dressed: what I wore, how I wore it and the story each outfit told. I knew I would be filmed, papped, scrutinised and dissected. Women in the public eye always have been. Since tabloid outlets would inevitably write about my appearance, I decided to narrate that story myself by being proudly fashion conscious. I worked with Katherine Rizk, a fellow Lebanese Australian and a stylist, whose pro-bono support opened doors. Together, we approached and were approached by fashion labels and designers with ties to the Levant (Lebanon, Syria and Palestine), as well as an emerging designer born and raised in Iran.
I wanted to amplify people whose talent and generosity sat alongside family histories shaped by dispossession, by war, by the choices of power-hungry men who chose violence over humanity. I was, after all, fighting tooth and nail for my right to share a factual Human Rights Watch post about the use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, so the synergy felt right. Values meeting values. Soon enough, people across social media were waiting for the next day of the trial to see what and who I was wearing.
I’ve always wanted my appearance to reflect the nuances of my personality, which can sometimes feel like opposing forces: feminine but fierce, unapologetically individual but not wanting my clothes to shout too loudly. Over the years, working in television, with four sisters whose wardrobes I still raid, and having two daughters who love fashion and aren’t shy about sharing their praise and critiques, I feel like I’ve found my own [style].”
Mariah Burton
For Mariah Burton, interior designer and the co-founder and director of Folk Studio, getting dressed is never an afterthought but an opportunity to tell a story.
“Growing up, I was very aware that I looked different from many of my friends because I’m biracial. Fashion became my way of expressing myself and, in some ways, finding a sense of belonging. Clothing gave me confidence before I even knew how to articulate that feeling. I vividly remember spending Saturday mornings watching [the music video show] Rage and being completely captivated by … not just the music but also the clothes. I was fascinated by the way people used fashion to tell a story. At home, I’d wrap bath towels around myself to make dresses and pretend I was walking a red carpet. Looking back, those moments were probably the beginning of my lifelong love affair with fashion.
As a child, I refused to wear dresses and lived in boots and knee-length shorts. Then, around the age of eight, I embraced a more feminine style. By the time I was a teenager, I was known among my friends as the best thrift shopper. I loved finding unique vintage pieces and putting together outfits that felt completely my own. I always wanted to be remembered for what I wore because fashion became a creative outlet for me, a way to express myself before I had any other medium.
It’s funny because my parents have never been interested in fashion. I’ve never seen my mum wear a dress or even a pair of earrings; she has always prioritised comfort. Looking back, it’s interesting that I gravitated towards fashion so naturally, despite not living in a household that valued it.
When I turned 18, I started modelling and became immersed in the fashion world. For the first time, I could afford to buy clothes for myself. Initially, they were still almost entirely vintage finds and, looking back, I’m so grateful for that.
Today I’d say I have a very distinctive capsule wardrobe where almost everything works together. I gravitate towards rich browns with occasional pops of colour, rarely wear patterns, and almost never choose anything particularly form-fitting. Oversized, low-rise tailored trousers, oversized blazers, loafers and a beret are my winter uniform.”
Angie Smith
A relocation from London to Sydney cemented stylist Angie Smith’s laidback style. But when she entered her forties and started going through perimenopause, everything changed.
“Although I’ve worked in fashion for more than 20 years, I don’t think I found my style until I moved to Sydney from London in my late thirties. Before this, I didn’t have time to really find my style, and it was always about the practicalities of what felt good and was easy to put together.
Australia is the place where I feel the best in myself. Plus, you don’t have to think about the practicalities of dressing like you would in the English climate. The weather means that, for most of the year, I can dress like it’s summer, which is my comfort zone.
This resonates with my childhood growing up abroad. Some of my earliest memories of fashion are making outfits from my mum’s sarongs when we lived in Cyprus. We moved around a lot because of my dad’s work in the military, and I used to count down the days until my gran arrived with some clothes from the British high-street brand Tammy Girl. My mum bought all our clothes from charity shops, so anything new was a real treat.
Growing up, I was a bit of a tomboy. I stuck to wearing leggings and baggy T-shirts before entering a hippie stage marked by patchwork trousers, crochet and crushed velvet anything with Dr. Martens. I remember getting an award in sixth form for being both the best and worst dressed. In my late teens and twenties, I was taller and bigger than all my friends, so I dressed more self-consciously.
When I started going through perimenopause in my early forties, it really impacted the way I dressed. I felt like I’d lost control of my body. Suddenly I had this unmanageable, bloated belly that was uncomfortable and made all my clothes feel tight. I’ve always eaten well and exercised, but nothing would help. I started ordering things sometimes two sizes larger just so I would feel comfortable in that area. Natural fabrics and clothes that felt good on my skin helped enormously around this time, as well as wearing lots of big beach tees.
I’m much more comfortable in my own skin now, and I have the confidence to wear what makes me feel good rather than worrying about how it looks. I’ve found brands I trust and go back to again and again. I know what suits me now and how important it is to get a piece’s fit right. I’m tall, and I find my clothes need to skim rather than cling. Simple T-shirts, well-cut denim and sweatshirts are my most valuable assets.
Personal style takes time to develop and is always evolving. Clothes should be fun, and the way you get to a place where you’re happy is by playing with them, auditing your wardrobe and asking yourself: are you wearing them? Do they fit? Are they easy to style?”
Sarah-Jane Pyke
Interior designer and co-founder of Arent & Pyke, Sarah-Jane Pyke explains why the secret to great style is becoming your own muse.
My grandmother was a seamstress by trade, and my mother made all her own clothes, so fashion was always something we actively participated in. We decided what we wanted to wear, chose fabrics and details together, and then brought it all to life. We even hand-embroidered some of our clothes. Looking back, that’s where my appreciation for craftsmanship and beautiful textiles really began.
As a little girl, I was obsessed with everything matching. I had to have a ribbon in my hair that was the same colour as my dress and my shoes. Then I became a teenager and my mother despaired that I’d completely lost my sense of style when all I wanted to wear was black and things that were deliberately mismatched.
I feel like I’m still finding my style. Working in interiors, I’m constantly surrounded by beautiful textiles and unexpected colour combinations, and there’s a real two-way conversation between fashion and interiors; one continually influences the other. I might create a colour or texture combination in a home that inspires an outfit later, or discover something in fashion that finds its way into an interior.
My love of beautiful textiles has been a constant, but these days I’m drawn to bold blocks of colour and interesting silhouettes. Becoming a mum also made me appreciate clothes that feel effortless and comfortable, without losing that sense of personality.
Wherever I am, I want to be dressed as myself. It’s easy to slip into wearing a version of yourself that suits the occasion or what you think is expected, but I always feel happiest when I’m not performing. The clothes feel better because they genuinely reflect who I am.
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