Country Road – Rachel Dennis Personal Stylist

April 18, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

Scanlan and Theodore-Double Cotton Trench $800, Viktoria and Woods – Valentina $699, TY-LR – Antonia Dress $490

I love living in a city with defined seasons. Melbourne does it well with a full display of colour in Autumn and beautiful Icy winters. The air changes from one season to the next, affecting our moods and lifestyle. As the leaves turn to gold and red we need to start thinking about how we’ll layer for the coming winter. We’re no London or snowy New York but there is still a need to rug up, don a coat and spend weekends relaxing by fires.

This seasons Coats for women range from waterfall wraps to long and over sized with the trench holding it’s place as a wardrobe staple. I love the colours showing this season from soft pinks to rich tans and teal and of course classic navy. There is a lot of felted wool coming through adding to the unstructured feel and making them super snugly.

An important tip for buying the right coat, especially when the overall style is unstructured, is to make sure it fits you well in the shoulder. The shoulder seam should sit at the edge of your shoulder bone. Too narrow and it will look to small and your arm will look larger and rounded. Too wide and your neck and shoulder will appear to slope. It’s all about a sharp angle where the shoulder is concerned. If you do have a shoulder the drops away from you neck consider popping in a slim shoulder pad.

The wrap coat is a great option for those that want their coat to mix work with pleasure. Tightly cinched at the waist gives a classic pulled together look for the office. Try swapping the tie belt with a simple leather one for an individualised, look. Then on weekends, loose the belt all together and casually throw it over jeans and roll neck knit.

These are a few of my top coat picks for AW 2016 . Click on the captions to head straight to the On line Stores.

Godwin Charli – Maxine $799, Godwin Charli – Georgia $699

Karen Millen – Mohair and Alpaca Wrap Coat $ 675 , Saba – Penny Coat $499

Diana Ferrari – Maxwell Blanket Coat $349.95, Viktoria and Woods – Altitude Coat $549

Country Road- Military Button Coat $399, Viktoria and Woods – Equalizer Coat $699

February 21, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

As much as I am able to appreciate my last Shoe post visually and as a Stylist; the thought of spending more than a few hours in heels is my idea of hell and I know I am not alone. Not all of us trained our feet to wear heels and find the pain a major distraction from living our lives to their fullest.

Here are my picks of Flats and Boots that’s I’d love to get about in this Autumn/Winter.

Most of the brands will be familiar to you but there is one that you might not have had the pleasure of getting to know. I am talking about Habbot. The brain child of Annie Abbott, a talented Melbournite with a passion for shoe design and a desire to have them beautifully hand made at some of Naple’s best shoe makers. They have a store in the newly refurbished The Strand Melbourne and in the iconic Royal Arcade. If you are wanting handmade quality footwear please pay them a visit or head to their online store.

I am in love with the patent leather coming through in flats this season. It gives our comfy flats some glamour, making their limited height less noticeable as the high shine is the attraction here.

This season we’ll see the sneaker hold it’s position as a major trend. This is music to a flat shoe wearer’s ears. Team it with your mid-length skirt and a roll neck jumper for a great off/on duty look. Ginger and Smart have been clever with the hard ware on their sneakers, adding some rose gold zips and studs. Wittner’s Beckett is a less expensive pair that offer similar flexibility with what you can wear them back with.

So go forth and be comfortable. Your feet and the person you’re trying to have a conversation with will thank you!