These Australian labels make adjustable clothing designed to meet your body at every stage
IMAGES VIA @OATSTHELABEL/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY VIC BAILEY
Flexible fashion.
As someone with short legs, buying a pair of pants inevitably means finding time to get the length altered. Occasionally, I’ll luck out and the store will offer free alterations in-house, but more often than not, I’m knocking on my mum’s door, asking her to take them up for me.
This process usually takes a few weeks, and in the meantime, I’m left in a pants purgatory where I’m dying to wear them but can’t leave the house without getting the hem dirty and damp.
Discover more up-and-coming local designers in our Fashion section.
Thankfully, there are a growing number of local labels catering to us short girls by offering a range of trousers and jeans with adjustable hemlines. And it’s not just pants – from a convertible skirt-to-jackets to tank tops designed to be worn eight different ways, you just need to know where to look.
Neil Vernon
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Sydney label Neil Vernon is the master of versatile styling. Its entire range of pants all come with three different height options (so you can wear them with heels or flats) and an adjustable waistband. And it doesn’t stop there. Its Daily Shirt can be worn cinched, loose or unbuttoned, while its Odette Dress can be taken from strapless dress to midi skirt.
Kahe
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Founded by Kacy Heywood, the creative mind behind Melbourne boutique. Error404 is Kahe. A fashion label known for its denim, boots and tailoring, Kahe has expanded into modular design. Its CMS Pant, V2 can be worn full length or as shorts when you remove a few buttons.
Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp
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Sydney label Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp is all about rejecting traditional fashion norms and dressing intuitively. Its Eight Pocket Jeans feature an adjustable hemline but its Multiway Tank is perhaps the most versatile garment we’ve seen. Coming in two colourways, the tank can be worn eight different ways. Style it as a dress, one shoulder top, halter-neck, skirt or whatever your heart desires.
Deiji Studios
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Based out of Byron Bay, Deiji Studios designs pieces with longevity in mind. Known for its linen and slouchy silhouettes, many styles can also be adjusted and layered for versatile styling. Its Layered Top comes with a drawcord hem and long waist ties so you can tailor it depending on your mood, while its belts and skirts can often be repurposed as tops or layered over pants.
Monroe the Label
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Monroe the Label infuses its designs with functionality, originality and creativity. Specialising in hand-made styles and deadstock materials, most of its collections come in limited drops. Its convertible Skirt-Jacket can be transformed with just a few zips while its Short-Vest, true to the name, can be transformed from a pair of shorts into a zip-up vest. Though both styles are currently sold out, you can register to be notified when they become available again.
Oats the Label
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Run by a mother-daughter duo, Oats the Label creates versatile, custom-made styles in an effort to combat waste in the fashion industry. Many of its skirts come with adjustable ties, so you can take the hemline from calf-length to mini depending on your mood.
For more on streamlining your wardrobe, try this.
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