Australian and New Zealand fashion people share the most-worn item in their wardrobe

The items they’re wearing on repeat.

We all have that one wardrobe item we fall back on, time and time again. For me, it’s this vintage black bomber jacket I bought from Grailed in my last year of high school. After what felt like endless back and forth with a stubborn seller, I bargained it down to half the price – and it’s gotten a battering every winter since.

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Maybe your favourite piece is a threadbare pair of perfectly-fitting jeans or an unexpectedly wearable tartan miniskirt. For those who work in fashion, staple wardrobe items usually comprise a combination of comfort, personality and high-quality materials. Below, nine Australian and New Zealand fashion people share their most-worn pieces.

Sarah Street, Creative Director of Brownwyn Footwear

My forever go-to [pair of shoes] is our Cas Sandals. I named these after my second son, Cas. These sandals you can wear with literally anything. I love the oversized… chunky-yet-refined aesthetic it gives being matte black. The custom hardware adds an elevated layer to the sandal, and the footbed is so comfortable you can wear these all day. I love wearing mine with oversized denim or with suiting, I think Cas looks really great paired with blazers and tailored pants.

My newest obsession from our winter range is Maggie in [the colour] latte. I love the lighter shade for trans-seasonal and colder weather. It pairs well with denim and anything oversized – I love the contrast of the tight fit of Maggie with a baggier leg… these will be my go-to for the winter season, I think.

@brownwynfootwear

Gareth Hemmings, Co-director of Beach Brains

It has to be our leather vest, the Beach Brains leather vest. This hasn’t come out yet but we spent hours on this piece tweaking the shape and getting the shoulders to sit right. When the final two samples came, everyone at Beach Brains was fighting over them… it was hard enough to keep the samples in the studio to shoot our lookbook. One ended up going to Paris with Dan and one stayed here with me.

It was six degrees in Paris and the vest worked killer over a hoodie or bomber, such a good layering piece. Then back here in NZ, I was wearing the vest over a button-up short sleeve shirt or boxy tee. [It’s a] badass but refined piece that works across seasons. I have to force myself to choose something else to wear before going out, so I don’t look the same every day. I wouldn’t mind this item being my uniform though. I love it.

@beachbrains

Lauren Nicholls, Director of Stable and founder of On Parks

The On Parks Hustle Trench comes with me everywhere. I never feel corporate in this version of a trench – it’s a cool, lightweight and almost sporty fabric that works over anything I wear. Then a special mention goes to Marie Luca’s zebra platforms: these guys are super comfortable and are basically flats, but make you feel more dressed up. I really love this new silhouette and the zebra print makes them go with everything… strangely.

@lauren_fillysstable

Gemma Lyndon, founder of Raie

[It’s] not one specific item, but I never leave home without wearing a cap! Whether it’s for long walks in the sun, beach days, rainy days styled with a hoodie or bad hair days. I love collecting cheap tourist caps when travelling.

I am 10,000 per cent an accessories girl. Some days I can be wearing a basic outfit, but I’ll style it with vintage and more premium accessories like a cap, runners, a coat, a handbag and my Raie sunglasses (of course). My all-time favourite are our Cupid Heart sunglasses!

@gemmalyndon

Laura Liles, Creative Director of King Csilla and Ciao Ciao Vacation

My most worn piece right now is definitely my sage linen Serene Pia Blouse from Kinga Csilla. It’s usually worn over my Elce Swim blue underwire bikini, and always a Cleopatra’s Bling gold snake chain and my Nonna’s coral ‘corno’ charm.

This has been the summer of swimming for me. Since joining the Kinga Csilla team, my business/life partner Tris and I take all our directors’ meetings in the saltwater. Pia slips so perfectly well over swimmers, and then I can button it up to take all my meetings with a respectable level of undone polish.

@_laura_liles_

Raquel Bouris, Creative Director of Who is Elijah

I think all my friends and husband would agree, my hot pink Valentino pumps! They are so incredibly comfortable (yes, really) and I love the confidence they give me… I always receive so many compliments when I wear them, my best purchase to date.

Although they are bright pink, I feel they are quite versatile. They look beautiful with a pair of jeans and a white tee. I recently wore them with a beautiful Camilla mini skit and bralette, and have worn them to a business lunch with a black dress.

@raaaquelbouris

Kerryn Langer, founder of Arms Of Eve

… I make the most of my everyday look with accessories. But there are only a few accessories that are always on my arms – the Olivia Gold Cuff Bracelet and the Helios Gold Cuff Bracelet. I’ve always loved gold jewellery that has the finish of being worked by hand, and these babies stack effortlessly with almost any other bracelets.

I like to stack the Olivia and Helios with the Duke, one of our best-selling chain bracelets and some beaded options (like the Vixen) to add colour and texture. If I’m going for an all-gold look, the gold bracelet stack is perfect paired with high-waisted denim jeans and a white shirt… bare wrists and fingers make me feel undressed.

@armsofeve

Margarita Robertson, Creative Director of Nom*d

My Skinny Bob T-shirt. Although I have so many to choose from, it is just my favourite one of all time. I have customised it of course, cut the sleeves off and shortened the back which is something I do to many of my tees. It works well casually… but can also be a fun piece to add to a dressy lace dress for an evening event.

[Another piece is] a waistcoat that I have been wearing since it was first designed in 2016. It’s a mix of a lightly lurex fabric and the two sides are not the same. One side hangs longer than the other, and the fabric is reversed from one side to the other… I love it so much [that when] I accidentally left it in London recently, I had to get it couriered back home ’cos I couldn’t live without it!

@nom_d

Katia Kelso, co-founder of Ilio Nema

I love wearing dresses! Especially billowing silhouettes that can be dressed up or down. My personal favourite is a patchwork vintage dress of my mum’s. I love wearing it as it’s so comfortable, versatile and unique. It was one of her favourite dresses as well. We have a similar aesthetic, and what is so special about this garment is that it was pre-loved by her… heirloom pieces [like that] have inspired our Ilio Nema Priam Caftan.

This is comfortable, versatile and totally unique. It is the ultimate summer piece; handwoven with gold threads that shimmer in the sunshine and capture the golden light. It’s the perfect dress to travel with, as it can be worn from the beach to dinner. Another favourite is [my] Ulla Johnson dress. It’s a gorgeous silk maxi dress that I wear on repeat to weddings.

@katiakelso

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