Big call I know, but I’m sticking to my guns on this one (and for those astute readers, you may have read this post before, I actually wrote it last year, but it just seemed like a great time to remind everyone!)

You KNOW that I’m a huge fan of versatility in clothing and these 4 items are going to give that to you.

One of the questions I get asked the most whether from a 1-on-1 client, or friend, or the gorgeous people coming in to see me at my Sylvia Park KiwiStyle sessions, is “How do I do SMART-CASUAL?”

Well, my pretties, this is one of THE easiest ways to nail smart-casual. Just take these four pieces of clothing, and pretty much wear them in any combination, with pretty much anything else on underneath, and you’ve nailed it!

What you’ll need…….

A denim jacket (Get one on SALE here for $40 from Cait & Co)
A leather jacket (get one here from Asos $292.00)
A pair of casual shoes, trainers in this case (get them from The Iconic here $100)
A pair of black ankle boots (get them from Hannahs here $179.95)

Let me explain.

So, you are going to use combinations of these four items to DRESS THINGS UP, and DRESS THINGS DOWN.

Take this dress for example (a little French Connection number you can grab HERE), most people would see this as a work-only dress. Or something just for special occasions, but by mixing and matching these fab four, you get a lot more uses out of the dress

The key is to USE the “fab four” to turn outfits into something you wouldn’t expect them to be.

Let’s play again……

Here little ole me wearing the same jeans and tee combo, but going from most dressed up to most casual….. wearing leather jacket and boots, then leather jacket and trainers, then leather jacket and denim jacket.

These combos could pretty much take me anywhere in my life from a product launch, to a business meeting (I have the luxury of being able to look ‘more creative than most, given) to hanging out with my mates at a bar, or taking my nephew to the park on the weekend.

One more time for luck?

This time I’ve taken a LBD (little black dress) and dressed it up on the left with all of the leathers (jacket, bag and boots) then turned it into weekend casual with all of the canvas and cotton on the right.

It really IS that simple!

All you need is some variation of the Fab Four (denim jacket, leather jacket, trainers and ankle boots) and with a bit of imagination, you’ve doubled your wardrobe!

Remember, the key is to use the dressy items in the Fab Four (leather jacket + ankle boots) to DRESS UP things that feel more casual and the more casual items in the Fab Four (denim jacket + trainers) to DRESS DOWN more fancy things.

Got it? Good!

Do you already have the Fab Four items in your wardrobe? Are you looking at them in a new light now? Tell me what you think in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

Until Next Time, In Love & Style Always,

Still not sure how to work these items into your wardrobe? Then make sure you book me for a 1-on-1 personal styling package here in Auckland – a wardrobe cleanup and audit comes with every package! We can get you looking and feeling great in no time. More info here.