Tricks of the Trade

Style – 28 January 2014

Wear the same dress five days in a row and convince everyone you’re not. It’s easy when you know the tricks of the trade!

We spoke to Melbourne-based stylist Carlos Mangubat, from Unsigned Management, on how to turn one staple into five looks. Using a simple shirt-dress as the example, here is your new wardrobe plan for the week.

Monday

Keep it simple. It’s Monday, so we don’t want to have to think too much. Wear the dress on its own with a great pair of shoes – boots, flats or wedges – most types will work.

Tuesday

Tuesday is all about layering. Depending on the weather, you can create plenty of different looks by simply adding layers to your shirt-dress. If it’s warm, add a tailored blazer and wear with flats for an easy relaxed look. If you’re feeling a little rebellious, throw on a biker-style leather jacket, black ankle boots and even patterned tights for a cool grunge-inspired look.

Wednesday

Accessories. They are your hero, but sometimes we forget just how far a simple piece can go. Amp up the volume with a cool Boho look using jewellery and a hat. Boho-chic is right on trend and we are seeing plenty of celebrities embracing this style, from Jessica Alba to Heidi Klum. The hat could be a floppy wide-brim hat or fedora, pile up some bangles, add a couple of long necklaces and unbutton the top two buttons for an easy Rachel Zoe-inspired outfit.

Thursday

Thursday we turn things upside-down! Play around with turning the dress into a shirt or even a skirt. To wear it as a shirt, just tuck the bottom half into a black pencil skirt or a bold coloured full skirt and you’ve created a great shirt on top. Or wear a stylish knit on top and the dress becomes a simple skirt.

Friday

Go casual. It’s the end of the week and you may think your dress has been pushed to the limit, but wait, we have one more great look to try – the perfect ‘casual Friday’ outfit. Turn the shirt into a jacket. Wear it unbuttoned over a t-shirt and pair of jeans or skirt. Add a pair of heeled boots or wedges and ta da! A stylish street-style outfit.

Thanks to Carlos, we can get away with wearing the same outfit everyday- and the masses will be none-the-wiser!

If you don’t already own a shirt-dress, visit: http://www.witchery.com.au/shop/her/clothing/dresses/60161404/Summer-Shirt-Dress.html

Credits: www.carlosmangubat.com