Because personal style should be about knowing yourself, not following somebody else’s rule book.
There is no shortage of advice telling women how to dress. Dress for your age. Dress for your body shape. Wear these colours. Avoid those colours. Know your size. Follow the trends. Buy the must-have piece of the season.
At Philosophy Australia, our point of view is less “this advice is wrong” and more: You know yourself. Dress accordingly.
Particularly as we get older, we know more about ourselves than we ever have. We know our lives. We know our bodies. We know what makes us feel comfortable and confident. We know which clothes we wear on repeat, and which ones sit hopefully in the wardrobe waiting for a life we don't really live.
So perhaps it's time to break a few style rules.
Style rule #1: Dress for your age
We'd rather you dress for you. Your life now. Your body now. Your personality now. Your needs now.
For many women over 40, 50 and beyond, personal style becomes more interesting, not less. We've had years to experiment. We've lived through enough fashion trends to know that most of them come back around eventually. And we're increasingly comfortable deciding which ones deserve a place in our wardrobes.
Getting older doesn't mean becoming invisible. Quite the opposite. It can be the moment we stop dressing for other people's expectations and start dressing more confidently as ourselves.
Wear the colour. Wear the print. Wear the sparkle. Wear head-to-toe black if that's what makes you feel fabulous. Your age isn't a dress code.
Style rule #2: Know your size
We'd rather you know your fit.
As a womenswear designer, this is one I feel particularly strongly about.
Women's clothing sizes are inconsistent. Sizing can vary between brands, and it can even vary between garments depending on the fabric, cut, stretch and intended silhouette. So please don't become emotionally attached to the number sewn into the label.
Size is just a number. Fit is what matters.
Sometimes you might want a garment closer to the body. Sometimes you might prefer it looser and more relaxed. Sometimes you may go up a size because you love the drape. Sometimes a stretch fabric means you'll choose differently.
The “right” size is the one that makes that garment fit and feel the way you want it to.
The clothes need to fit you. You don't need to fit the clothes.
Style rule #3: Dress for your body type
Apple. Pear…. Somehow women's bodies became a fruit bowl!
Understanding your proportions can absolutely be useful. As a designer, I work with shape, balance and proportion every single day. But there's a big difference between understanding your body and believing you need to correct it.
Instead of asking, “What am I supposed to wear for my body type?”, try asking:
“How do I want to dress my body?”
Perhaps you love a defined waist. Perhaps you don't. Perhaps you feel fantastic in wide-leg pants. Perhaps you're happiest in a slim leg. Perhaps oversized shapes make you feel fabulous. Perhaps you prefer something that skims the body.
That's personal style.
Knowing your body isn't about learning which parts need disguising. It's about understanding which shapes, proportions and silhouettes make you feel good.
Style rule #4: Comfort isn't stylish
This one we're very happy to put in the bin. Comfort and style are not opposites.
In fact, we think the best women's clothing should give you both. You don’t need to choose between Style and Comfort.
Beautiful fabrics can stretch. Waistbands can be comfortable. Clothes can breathe and move with your body. Garments can be easy to wash, easy to wear and still look polished enough to take you from desk to dinner.
We've built Philosophy around this idea for more than two decades:
Easy wear. Easy care. Wear anywhere.
Because a beautiful garment that you're constantly pulling, adjusting, itching in or desperate to remove isn't going to become a much-loved part of your wardrobe.
Comfort isn't giving up on style. It's knowing what matters.
Style rule #5: More clothes = more outfit options
This might be the biggest myth of all. An overflowing wardrobe doesn't necessarily give you more choice. Sometimes it just gives you more decisions.
We're big believers in fewer, better clothes.
Not because we're suggesting everyone suddenly creates a tiny capsule wardrobe of beige basics. Far from it. We believe in identifying the clothes that genuinely earn their place.
We call them your Wardrobe Warriors.
They're the pants you reach for without thinking. The top that's permanently in the washing basket. The jacket that somehow works with everything. The pieces you pack for every trip and miss when they're in the wash. They're not necessarily the most exciting clothes you own.
As we often say:
The showstoppers get the compliments, but the warriors do the heavy lifting.
When you know your Wardrobe Warriors, shopping becomes easier too. Instead of continually buying more, you can look for better versions of what you already know works.
That's where fewer clothes can create more style freedom.
Style rule #6: Save the good clothes for best
We're calling time on this one too.
Wear the fabulous jacket. Wear your favourite dress to lunch. Wear the good pants on an ordinary Tuesday.
If you've invested in quality clothing that makes you feel wonderful, let it have a life.
One of the principles behind slow fashion is buying thoughtfully and then actually wearing what you own. The more often you wear a garment, the better its cost per wear becomes, and the more valuable it becomes to your real wardrobe.
We'd much rather see a beautiful garment worn repeatedly than preserved perfectly for an occasion that never arrives.
Your life is the occasion.
So, what is the best style advice?
After more than 30 years designing clothes for women, mine is becoming increasingly simple. Know yourself.
Know what you reach for, how you like your clothes to fit, which fabrics feel wonderful against your skin, what works for your life, what makes getting dressed easier; and know what makes you look in the mirror and think, yes, that's me. Then wear more of that.
Because great personal style isn't about successfully following every fashion rule. It's about reaching the point where you understand yourself well enough to know which ones you can happily break.
You know yourself. Dress accordingly.
