August 13, 2025 • 31 mins
Ready for a wardrobe refresh? Leigh's back with the brilliant Kim Crowley (seriously, she's so organised it's almost suspicious) helping you get your wardrobe sorted without breaking the bank.
Kim tells us why most of us can buy clothes but can't create outfits and lets us in on her revolutionary 4x4 shopping method that multiplies your outfit options without multiplying your spending. She's also got the ultimate wardrobe audit process to help us make sure we're doing the most we can to find new homes for the clothes we don't love anymore.
Plus, Mia Freedman drops in for a bonus chat about mastering the pre-loved fashion game—perfect for anyone ready to refresh this financial new year without the splurge.
Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au
EVERYTHING MENTIONED:
Kim's Budget: Assembly Label Sadie Coat $280
Leigh's Budget: Target Premium Suede Leather Bucket Tote Bag - Khaki $80
Kim's Boujie: Camilla and Marc Donato Coat $1100
Leigh's Boujie: Oroton Mica Workmanship Small Bowler $899
GET YOUR FASHION FIX:
Leigh's Best Tips for Shopping on a Budget
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Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au
CREDITS:
Host: Leigh Campbell
Guest: Kim Crowley
Producer: Ella Maitland
Audio Producer: Tina Matolov
Video Producer: Marlena Cacciotti
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast. Mama Mia acknowledges
the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast
is recorded on Hey you bees. Lee here with another recommendation.
I recently had an incredible woman called Kim on Nothing
to Wear, and we were chatting about shopping, budgets, how
to get the most out of what we wear, and
(00:31):
she gave me a few sort of stats and methods
that blew my mind when it came to the way
I shopped and the way I dressed. It really did
revolutionize the way I think about it, and I think
you might find it handy too, So we're dropping it
here for you to listen. Let me know what you think.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Whoever said orange is a new pink with seriously disturbed.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Laurels spraying groundbreaking?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh my god, you have to do it. You live
for fashion.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Hello and welcome to Nothing to Wear, the podcast that
solves fashion problems and levels up your wardrobe. I'm Lee Camberllan.
Every week I chat to an expert who helps us
work out how to get more out of the clothes
you already own and tells us what is and isn't
worth it adding to our wardrobes. Now before I get started.
Stick around to the very end because there's an extra
segment on this episode. The Wonderful me of Friedman and
(01:17):
I don't just say that because she's my boss. Is
coming to sit down with me and we're going to
talk about pre Loved. It's the new financial year. We
might have overspent, we might want to just save some money,
or we might just want some unique outfits or to
clear out our wardrobes. So we're going to talk about
pre Loved, buying and selling, how to do it, where
to look if it's overwhelming. We're going to cover it all.
(01:38):
But first, I've got Kim Crowley joining me. She's been
on the show a couple of times before, and she
is a virgo. I had to ask her because she's
so clever and strategic when it comes to shopping, getting
dressed and saving money. So it's a new financial year.
You might have blown the budget, but that's okay. It's
a new year, So we're going to talk about saving money,
(01:58):
doing our wardrobe audit, and then her very interesting four
by four methods got nothing to do with cars, So
let's jump into it. Kim, welcome back. I'm so excited,
third time.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Third or fourth. Yes, it's great that I'm using count
I love it exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
That means we love you the returning guests. Well, I've
got various questions, but one that I want to ask
you is do you have a fashion security blanket? And
if so, what is it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Oh, that's a great question. My trench coat is a
really well loved piece. Actually put it from ceed A
just go it to toffee color cotton. I get compliments
on it every time.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I wear You say toffee. Why I say toffee, like,
not tan, not brown?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Because I love food as well, so I can associate
any colors with food. I love it even more. But
it's this beautiful toffee color. It's really rich color and
it goes with everything. I have to actually stop myself
wearing it.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
So you can wear your other things exactly because I.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Want to wear more of my clothes.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
It's security blank.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, it is a bit security blank, especially at the
moment it's chili and you can wrap yourself up because
that cotton actually does help the wind not get to you.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yes, yeah, it's kind of it's not water proof proof,
but it really does that better.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Tighten fine fiber, yes, exactly, really tight woven so it's
actually a bit protective. Yeah, and then like waiting it
where Yeah, I'm just living in it. I know it's winter,
but god, I love it even for summer. I love
like waiting it where too.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So, Kim, you've been in the industry for over twenty years,
which is bizarre. You must have been like eleven when
you start. Of course you worked as a designer, so
anyone that's listened to the show before will know that.
And then for brands like H and M a source, Yeah,
I was gonna say brands like H and M and Aos.
I didn't know that on a pis Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Right at the beginning when a souce was literally much
more about Paris Hilton. Yeah, yeah, just literally replicate like
I've seen.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I've seen on screen. Yeah, we kind of started shop
Drop magazine.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, it's crazy thinking about then and how much it's evolved.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
But then you also work with real people, so well
you have all shapes and sizes absolutely, So what are
the some of the common things women that you've worked
with over the decades and all walks of live share
when it comes to clothes and style.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh gosh, so many things that we all share. It's funny,
there's this kind of like so many things that we
all share and then when we get deeper, we're very
different in lots of different ways. But there is a big,
big area that we all share a lot of It
is not knowing how to shop, So being able to
understand how to you know, shop strategically, not emotionally, but
(04:26):
one of the biggest biggest things, and it is, you know,
we have to change the way that we've been behaving
for decades, right, And that's what I'm trying to plant
seeds for a lot of my clients. But one of
the biggest, biggest things is the ability to buy stuff
but not put the clothes into outfits. That's one of
(04:47):
the biggest things that I deal with all the time.
So lots of people can buy lots of stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah, oh god, yea, I'm fabulous that it shopping wrong.
Then that's where you can't get dressed.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Exactly because you haven't got the outfit. So the whole
nothing to wear concept is, you know, you look at
your wardrobe and it's stacked and it's all packed, but
we've got nothing to wear is often because we haven't
found the outfit yet. And that's so much of what
brings me do. It really does light me up when
I'm in wardrobes. In fact, I had two of them yesterday.
I had a female client and male client and they're like,
(05:19):
I've got loads of stuff, but I can't find the outfits.
And I'm like, oh, have you done that? Have you
done that?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
No?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, because a lot of us will get say a dress,
and then we'll put it with the black blazer and
black shoe and it's like, I've done that. Look, I'm
really bored of it. And then I'm like, have you
put it with this blazer? They work perfect? Oh yes,
because a lot of the time what we do when
we purchase, we put things in boxes in our heads.
You know that lighter blazer is a wedding blazer and
this dress is a sexy date night dress. We don't
(05:46):
think that the two can coexist or pair together, and
so I want to be able to go in and go.
Of course it does, because I don't see the barriers.
I don't see like how you think that your wardrobe.
I'm like, oh, this goes with this, this goes with this,
this goes with this.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Because you said it's how to shop, so is how
do we fix that problem at the shopping stage, so
it doesn't happen in the wardrobe stage.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
That is a lot of it is fixed by my
four by four formula.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Oh we're going to talk about that later. Oh okay, cool, Yes,
I want to talk about that later because I'm terrible
at maths and you love numbers, but you're going to
teach me something. It's a new financial year, which I
love the first of July. Oh, you know, the start
of the new financial year, because I've had quite a
crappy start to the year, not fashion related, but I'm
just got you. I'm like, you know what happier year?
Fresh energy, fresh, five fresh everything, yep. And you know,
(06:34):
of course it's the financial year. So we've all got
money on our minds. What's the biggest money mistake you
see people making when it comes to fashion? So many
well we talk about how we're going to fix them.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So three main ones. First one is buying on sale,
so many can't say I bought this, but I've never
worn it. Bought this but it's you know, I haven't
worn it. And it's all got tickets, and it's all
got sell tickets being read mark you know, stamps, all
over them in all the.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Rest of sale extra discount yeah, which.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Sounds really enticing, yes, but is not how I want
you to shop. You know, if you really love that
product and you've watched it go down down.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
To you would have got it full price exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Jump on it. But nothing is a bargain if you
don't wear it. And you know, having like three or
four pieces that oh I only cost thirty bucks or
fifteen or forty or whatever your budget, it all adds up,
but you never wear it. So it takes up space,
takes up brain space, makes us feel guilty, takes up
guilt exactly, And I don't want people to feel good.
I want to actually have less that they wear more.
(07:32):
So the whole buying on sale thing is not I
it's I know, it's hard. Sometimes we look around Storm,
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
I really love it. You don't shop the sales.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I only shop it if I really love it.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So maybe you were already across Yeah, I was like,
you have that brand and you check out their sale.
You don't just find a random website that's having a
great sale with random stuff you've never seen.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay, No, So to Cuba, I've got beautiful pleated cream nitpants.
I was looking for something like that. I happened to
be shopping for myself, which is quite rare, and they're
not on sale, and I was like, oh, I'm definitely
going to buy them, okay because they.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Were Yes, that star was already something you were seeing.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Absolutely. The other thing, yeah, I need more. Here is
the buying three for two, you know, those whole spend and.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Save only good for andy.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
It's just capitalism, yes, exactly. Yeah, it's just capitalism. They're
trying to make you buy more. So we often think
shopping is a numbers game, or if I buy three
that's going to make me happy, then if I had two.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, Also that I fall into this chap. All the
time of free shipping, I'm like, oh, I've got to
find something else the free, but I don't really need
the other thing. Yeah, I should have just paid the
ten dollars shipping, yeah, rather than trying to round up
to forty. Yeah, you know exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
So it is really keeping your eye on how desirable
the item is that you want and buying one and
buying right, rather than buying plenty and buying so.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
One of the stim mistakes you see is people buy
more than they need, more than they need, yeah, Kim,
stop following me everywhere.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
And then the third thing is thinking we need five
new tops when really we need one new top that
we can wear five ways. Because you know, I could
talk about shopping being a numbers game. The number I
want you to care about is how many ways you
can wear something? Yeah, yeah, rather yes, exactly, rather than
having all those five new items in your wardrobe, you're
(09:15):
probably ain't gonna wear two. If you've got one that's
really versatile, it flatters, you feel really good in it,
layers under things you can marry on its own, you
don't exactly you can wear it five ways, So you know,
I want people to start pivoting the numbers game. The
way that we think shopping is about buying lots of
stuff because hopefully one of it will make us feel good,
(09:35):
and that's just capitalism.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I think it feels like we will feel better when
we've got options, but then we oftentimes feel overwhelmed and
it makes it.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Harder exactly exactly. And that's actually something I was talking
about the other day. My clients feel really underwhelmed with
their wardrobe, overwhelmed by the shops. Yeah, and it's like
I feel, and that's when we feel start.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
That's such a good way to look at it.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
So I just don't know what I do. I just buy,
I think.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Exactly, because we haven't found the outfit yet that exists
in our wardrobe. Because this is the thing as.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
A desire, because oftentimes I'm just shopping because I'm bored
or said or getting my period, or I'm rewarding my Yes.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yes, but that's when you need to buy it stick
or something like that.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Snack yeah, yeah, massage, yes.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Facial something else that will that will have that return
on investment, because that's what I want people to think
about when they're purchasing. What's my return on investment? Every
textile you bring into your house, think about the return
and investment that cost per waar.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah that's so. And the financial has just happened. We've
ordered it all of our well maybe the tax department
has ordered us. So we've done our finances. So let's
ordit our wardrobe.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
What do we do?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
We go through our wardrobe and we work out you know,
what we already do have, and we work out gaps.
And for me, this is something I really need to do.
Because I've spoken to you before, I love to buy
duplicates because I love a genre shirt and I accidentally
buy another one. I don't need another one. So we're
going to do an audit of our wardrobe and then
we're gonna decide what to do with those things later.
(11:01):
But what's our process when doing that audit? I love
saying audit, yes, because it's.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Financially it sounds very freshal So what we want to do.
So basically, when we're looking at our wardrobe and we're
deciding what we're wearing, a really good way to do
it is to actually look at the things that you're
wearing the most, so they're the things that you're washing
the most, right, and you bring them out yeah, because
you know that you're.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, yeah, you know you love it.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, And so we're and also, you know what part
of the reason I do insta, as I've told before,
is because I want to just be able to look
back at really what I'm wearing. Because sometimes what you
think you're wearing what you really wear are slightly different,
but you put them all out in your bed and
then what you do because when we put things in
our wardrobe and they're all side hanging. It's kind of hard.
We think we know what's in there, and we think
we know what it looks like. But actually I want
(11:48):
you to bring them out because out of those pieces
that you're wearing, you're probably only wearing like very formulaic outfits.
So you might wear one top with one bottom, this
top with this bottom, this top with this bottom.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, because it's in your head.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Exactly because we know the outfit is familiar, and we
go back to what we know. You know, we've got
that kind of photographic memory. I want you to wear
that top with that bottom. So I want you to
wear like outfits top number three.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Them at least just try it on and see how
the experiment. So you're doing dress up. Absolutely the order
absolutely kind of order because that text department, and that's
my kind of order, makes.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
The text department a little bit more interesting. But what
I find fascinating, and what I didn't realize at the time,
is that we buy things and put them in our wardrobes, right,
and we expect our wardrobes to work really hard for
us and to give all this stuff back to us,
as in, you know, I've bought this, I've spent two
hundred dollars on the top. Now it's time to know
to stop reaping the fit exactly and get some return
on investment. But we don't actually then invest the time
(12:43):
to play with that garment. We buy it, we wear
it one way and we're like, okay, I'm onto the
next thing.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
It's so true, and.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
I want you to go deeper on that garment because
there's so much potential in your wardrobe. There really is,
but we need to give our wardrobe time to be
able to release that potential. It's not going to jump
out and bite you on the bum. You have to
go and it's not necessarily hard work. It's playful.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Literally take it down exactly, and you have to take
down the barriers that you've put in.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I go back to that jacket that it's light colored.
Oh yeah, that's my wedding one, and then this is
my work pant and whatnot, and then we start combining them.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Like these are body yellow and like a few people
have said to me to say like, oh, like, aren't
you cold, and I'm like, well no, because I think
it's a summary base yes, and then yes, yeah, yeah,
lah way, I'd be like yellow exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, and you've put your jacket over it, exactly. But
had you not just spent a little bit of time
doing that, you would have put that top underneath and
that pan in your summer only wardrobe. And we put
barriers up, and I want to knock all those barriers down.
And by pulling things out on your bed a lot
of time, the outfits make themselves. Yeah, because if you've
got a style, which we all have. We have all
(13:49):
got personal style, and we've all got a type that
we like and a kind of look. So once we
put out our favorite pieces on our bed, the ones
that are on rotation, there's naturally going to be some
common denominators that make them go together.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
And maybe not immediately logical outfits that yes, that's where
they're like, yes, work comes in.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
That's a really good point. We always want to take
away the logic.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Yeah yeah, yeah, like the wrong shoe theory, but for
your fact exactly. All right, so we've done the audit.
Our happy clothes are having a party on the bed.
Then there's the clothes who have had a lovely life maybe,
(14:31):
but they're not going to make the party. You're not invited. Yea,
what are we doing with them?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So we are either because basically we don't want to
ever throw clothes away. It's either you try and sell it,
and this is in the right kind of order, so
you try and sell it and make some money to
recycle that money into your extpent.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Okay, I want to ask, can I break them down there? Okay?
So I've got things that I are in my cell
pie or that could be a coach bag or an
ooriton bag or could be god, I've even got some
fancy things. But then I've got your maybe dish or
it's just I've got such a mix of things. I
don't know where to sell what or like what's valuable? Yeah, yeah,
(15:11):
because it's so personal.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, so sometime and that's it and you only need
one buyer. It's just getting to them, is it. So
it's either going to places like you know, pre loved
and consignment and all those places.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Like your designer Like I've got one designer beg. I
feel so guilty about buying, but I never use it.
So I'd like to read.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah. Yeah, and as long as you learn a few lessons,
but why you don't wear it and use it, then
you've learned the lesson from it and you can set
it free and with exactly exactly so it's either consignment
or it might be on you know, the specific Facebook
groups that you can sell it. There's lots of different
ways to sell it. You can just sell it on marketplace,
you know, best collector all different places eBay, depop exactly
(15:50):
exactly there are there are and it might just be
having a little bit of research to the type of
brands that seem to sell quite well and that they've
got you know, maybe not many listed on that actually
might go quicker for example, that's kind of quite good
to look at. If you can't sell it and make money,
then give it to a friend friend gift or you
wop it with a friend.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
I was going to say, I've had some friends starting
to do little swaps and all little swap parties or.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Great because it gives you life to that's all we
want to do, because it takes such a takes such
a lot of work. When I've been designing to to
get a textile into the world and make it beautiful.
So to me, I look, I think of the long
life cycle of that garment, not just the wearing part,
the person one I'm like, what you're going to do
after the next thing is you if you don't give
(16:36):
it to a friend or swap it, then you give
it to charity. So many fashion forward dress for success.
There's so many great ones out there that really do
amazing things to women.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
For they're here in Bonde, but there are some Instagram
Yeah last week actually or did you then? Love? Tell
you what I got? But it's all for charity helps children.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, I needed to drop off to the match.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
We'll day and I'll buy your things and give them
money to charity. But they really given your.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Exactly and you can't take dirty things to them. They're
not going to accept it. So all of that goes
to rags. Anything it's really dirty, and I.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Think kids, daycare clothes and like stuff.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
That's yeah, wash your car with it, clean the house,
clean kitchen, you know, use that style, wash it, chuck
it in with a wash and then and then keep
using it. Because they're textiles. They would just want to
be reused and used. So if we think about.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
It, really trying to avoid landfillm absolutely because.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Someone else can get joy from it, and if they can't,
it goes to rags.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Okay, I love that all right, I've kept everyone waiting
long enough. We need to talk about you. Four by four.
It sounds like a big truck that would fit my
wardrobe dinner? Is that what it is? What's the four
x four theory methods?
Speaker 2 (17:41):
The four boy four is basically right. So I have
obviously lots of clients that will buy four new pieces,
and I'm like, cool, have you you know, go around
the house when.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You say that, like in the one like season, day week.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Totally depends on the clients. Some people might buy four
pieces in a month. Okay, some people might buy four
over the season. Totally depends on shopping, habits, budget, all
those things. They've got four, but they've got if they've
got four recent things a lot of time, I'm like, okay, cool,
because so have you worn them together? Like oh no?
And I'm like, well, have you tried oning? Oh no?
I just them randomly separately, and I've never liked outfitting them.
(18:13):
So my whole thing is, if ever you buy four
pieces to say, two tops, two bottoms, I want you
to not just create one outfit from that or two outfits.
So each time the bottom we need to cross pollinate it.
So for every four items, we can wear four outfits
we come crete.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
This is a process we go through before we purchase.
At the time of purchase, it has to like go
through this four by four before it's.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Allowed to be absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
It's very hard. It's not okay, it's not I've had
my eye on this bomber. Let's pretend how do I
fall by four in my head?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
So you make sure that the pant you want to
buy next, yeah, is going to go with it?
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Or the skirt all the dress Okay, so it can
be a dress and bought the bomber. Now I see
a skirt and I'm like, hang on, bombers new we'll
skirt get along with bombers exactly?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
And are they going to be friends?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
That's so clever because even if it's beyond the four,
you should think of your recent purchases and will at work,
will at work, will.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
At work exactly, because I want every four pieces you buy,
says two tops and two bottoms to cross pollin ag Okay,
So you've got the four outfits going across, and then
what happens is you do those outfits and then you
look at them back with what you've bought last year.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Ten years ago, and it kind of inspires the process.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Absolutely because you're always thinking about the outfit, not the item.
And this is the thing when I go back to
the shopping, isn't a numbers game. It's the numbers game
is also about the outfits you're creating, not the items
you're purchasing. Because again, the whole numbers game, the capitalism
part of you know, I'm going to go and buy
ten items and I know that will make me happy.
It doesn't, it doesn't. So really thinking about the outcome
(19:45):
of the outfit.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Okay, Okay, so said skirt. I just said, oh, yes,
it goes with bomber, and it goes with that, and
then I go, oh that top, So then I go
oh that top, Yes, that goes with skirt, which also
goes with bomber. And then it's kind of exactly and.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
From that one top you can still create four outfits.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
So you've always got to think about, you know, because
otherwise we're just buying items on their own in silo
and we're never thinking really about the outfit. It's like, oh,
what's the outfit I can work with? The gene or
a black pant. That's not enough. So for every four items,
we need four outfits, and the compound interest it's not
it's not. I mean, it does take a bit of thought,
and that's what I want people to do. I want
you to be considered and intentional about what they're purchasing.
(20:23):
But the great thing is the compound interest means that
once you then do those four you bought four items,
you created four outfits, Okay, Then when you're buying another
four later in the season next year, the compound interest
means that you might double the amount you're buying, but
you've tripled the amount of outfits because they're like breeding exactly.
So the compound interest effect means that you've actually got
(20:46):
way way more outfits from way less closed and fundamentally,
that's what I deliver.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
It's very expensive, howld.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Okay, answer booty and budget. I mean, we've probably should
have done two budgets because we're talking about saving money
and getting more out of your clothes. However, I've bought
a bougie. Let's start with your budget though, what's your
budget and why.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
My budget is the assembly labeled coat. It's a SADI coat.
It's currently on sale from two eighty to about one
nine five, but.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
I'm not allowed to shop the sales, Kim. I'm joking.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
That is such a classic, so classic, you know, the
one that belted lots of colors. So some colors are
on sale, some aren't, and it's one hundred percent wall
and that's a really good.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
And that's the best thing to buy on sales. Is
a staple quality that you're going to wear forbly discounted,
but it's saving you a bit of money on something
you will like flog to death and absolutely approved. Okay,
my budget is a Target bag. I don't know if
you've seen. They've been out for a little bit now.
The Target swayed one hundred collection of bags. So if
(22:02):
I first got some loafers at the start of winter,
real swayed the black arms, they're like wearing slippers. There's
also a hand and then the bag. I'm not getting
it because it's a new financial u and I'm trying
to save money and I actually need to sell some
of my bags. But before you replace them. Correct, If
I was in the market for a bag and it
could go back with my fourth wife four, I would
be getting. There's a few of them. Actually, they've got
(22:23):
like a big slapchy bow hoe. But this one's the
premium suede leather bucket tote bag in Kagi. Yeah, it's
eighty dollars.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That's really good, and I love how that's quite structured
but also a bit slouchy. It's like lots of people's style.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I don't even work for them, but I'm just so impressed.
Like they do the bow hoy slouchy shoulder.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Oh is that in the suede too, it's that little
gold class. Oh that's impressive. That's impressive.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Not for me because I'm.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Other people, other people in the market listeners just saying
it would go really nice with.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Your out you've gone today?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It all right?
Speaker 1 (22:56):
What else have you got for me? What's your boogie? Think?
Speaker 2 (22:59):
My bougie is Kamila Mark because they do really really
good outwear. Trenches and jackets and coats are.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Really they're unparallel there.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah, so they're Donato coats one thousand, one hundred.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
I don't think. Oh so it's a worn ye what
they're called like a teddy coat.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Well, it's very similar to the assembly label. And the
reason I like them a lot is because they're not
too dressing gown ish. You know, sometimes I had a
short collar.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I've got dressing gown fabric thingy, that's all. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Sometimes and obviously you can put a nice structured belt on.
It looks really cool if you're going, if you're dressing
it up, etcetera, purposing. But the coat is augeous.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
Because that's because we're such good people. We've got an
amazing tax return and we're treating ourselves.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
And again that will be really timeless, but it's interesting
because that's not one hundred percent. Well it's woolen poly
which is interesting.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Well, it depends because some of my natural synthetic blends
were the best. All right, good, I'm glad you're boogie
with bougey because my boogy is quite bousy. Okay, cool, Okay,
so we're being a good girl. This isn't me. But
someone needs to invest because we're talking about saving money
and shopping on a budget, but also we're talking about
purchasing things.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Will one beautiful thing, retire and investment. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
I mean I could not love Oroton anymore. The last
few Yearday have just had the biggest go up. This
is already sold out but coming back. But I'm just
going to tell people about it, so it's on their radar.
It is the Mica workmanship small bowler like it's a
bowler bag, which means like, but this is the small
the mini. The mini is quite small. The bowl is
(24:30):
like like, that's that's your everyday handbag, bigger than a four. Yes,
you could fit your laptop. I would probably have a
separate bag from my laptop. But this is my everything,
as in like glasses, you know, bottle Yes, yeah, zip
I love something the fully zip shut because I throw
it in the car, everything falls out. I love the black.
It's eight hundred and ninety nine dollars and already sold out.
(24:52):
So what does that tell you?
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
And like we were talking before we started recording, I've
got a green Oriton bag. I bought from the Oriton
outlet online. If you're not across the Oroton outlet online,
where have you been all your life? It's online maybe
five or six years ago. And I use it a lot, Yeah,
a lot.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And that's it. You want to think about the frequency?
Am I going to wear this daily? Week? Yeah? Monthly?
Speaker 1 (25:09):
And I'm that full price? I didn't so it was
a good sale purpose yes, yes, yes, okay, Kim. So
when are you coming over? Okay, thank you so much
for coming back. Love having you pleasure. So as I promised,
the show is not over yet. I love how Kim
(25:30):
talked us through the process of auditing our wardrobe and
then what we're going to do with it. So she
touched on pre loved and reselling. So I've found Miya
in the studio here and we're going to talk about
reselling and also buying secondhand because it's very cool right now.
Me Friedman, Hello, Hi. I wanted to bring you onto
the show and bring you back to talk about pre
(25:50):
loved fashion because you noticed we talked about a year
ago about thrifting. Have you noticed the boom of pre loved?
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (25:57):
And it's now a flex when you ask someone. It's
so funny because back in our magazine days, it used
to be where's that from? And it used to be
a flex if it was a label, yes, And then
it was a flex if it wasn't a label but
it looked like a label. And now it's a flex
if it's drifted because we loved or second then it
(26:18):
says not only am I sustainable and I'm helping the planet,
but also I'm clever and I've put in the work, yes,
and I've got something maybe individual, and no one can
copy it.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
And I've saved somewhere. Okay, So I've brought you across
to the well. It's not the dark sign anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
About six months ago, I was looking through a lot
of my clothes and I used to sell some of
my stuff. I'd go through my stuff a lot, so
I'm not sentimental about my clothes.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You do a regular clean out, I do.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
And I give away a lot. I donate a lot,
and that there are some things that I would sell
in various places consignment shops. Yeah, but I sort of
stopped doing that, and I things have been banking up,
and I was looking at all of it and just going,
I really want to do something good with this stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
And so you give it to me.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Well, I wanted to sell it and raise money for
Rise Up. So Rise Up is the charity that we support.
I'm an ambassador for them, and they help women and
children start again after domestic violence. They set up homes
and they don't take pre loved stuff, so we support
them with money, and I wanted to find new homes
for my clothes. I don't know if you watch toy story.
I think it was the second toy story of psychol
(27:25):
So do you know how there was that thing about
the toys just wanted to be played with. Yes, I
feel that way about clothes.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
It's so true. And I've got suitcases and suitcases of
stuff I want to sell. Yeah, but I haven't. I
can't set up a market stall. I'm too old, and
it's too early in the morning, and it's too crazy. No,
I agree.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
So what I did is eBay contacted me and said,
would you like to do a store with eBay? And
I'm like, I used to do stores with Aba all
the time when I was showing all the time. I
also shop on eBay all the time, and I will
often find buy new things. A lot of people don't
know Ye, so buy new things on eBay too. So
now building this store. What's amazing now is that there's
(28:04):
all this technology on eBay, like AI and stuff that
helps you list items. Yes, if people haven't been on
like it is so different and so intuitive and so phenomenal,
it's a lot easier much.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, I've just.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Really enjoyed the process.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
I like thinking about people being able to wear these
things in their own WARDROBEUF or I've had so much
joy from them, but maybe that don't fit me anymore.
Maybe they're just not my style.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
And that's what I was going to ask. How you
decide what to cull? What's your filter for it's time
to sell on eBay and give it? Yeah, it's the
toy that I'll be played with by someone else. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
So, like a lot of people, I sort of have
clothes stored all over the house in bits of others.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
I don't know, it's over that normal. It's just you
and me.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Maybe you're me. And what I do is I will
give something a two year grace period because sometimes things
come back and it's like this year, I just took
out all my winter coats and winter stuff and I
tried it all on and some of it. I was like,
I'm going to give this one more year. And if
I'm a made yeah, because I didn't wear it last year,
(29:06):
I don't want to wear it this year. If I
get to another year and I have a warn it,
it's going And then other things you're like, oh, this
feels right for now, Yes, you know that feeling.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
And then if it's like no, I'm not waiting, then
it's in the eBay pile. Oh my god, I'm going
to go on eBay and shop your things. Is that weird?
If I buy your things and then we sit next
to each other.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I have already bought one of my friends because as
we were laying it all out to photograph, I'd put
all these things aside and I'd washed them and made
sure that they were in good condition. And this was
about two months ago. And then we were photographing them
all to put up, and so I was making some
content and I put them all down and there were
these pair of fluorescent pink essential Antwerp trainers. Oh great,
(29:44):
I mean there was like, yes, chunky, and I'm like,
why am I getting rid of those?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
I need to take them back? And then I felt bad.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
I'm like, I'm not taking money from So I bought
them for like one hundred dollars myself.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Oh my god, I love that. So they ended up
being evalent and that's much more efficient. The eBay thing
is I have the bags in my boot for months
and then the whole season will change. Like I had
a bunch of winter stuff. This is how bad I
am that. Then it got cold again and I was
like freezing. I was at some soccer game or something
who went to the back of my car opened the
bags and I was like, oh, I quite like that
(30:14):
because it'd been there for a year. But had I
got my act together they listed it on eBay, someone
would have been wearing it for that year rather than yeah,
stinky boot.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
And you can feel a little bit claustrophobic, like when you.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Know, I feel like I'm drowning, and so I don't
know what to wear because there's too much to think about.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
So there's always someone who's going to want what you
don't want anymore. So it's like freeing its future to
find a new home, and it's a different.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Kind of joy. Like I love walking into Westfield and
buying something for a mass chain store. Of course I do.
But when it's oh it's the hunt, it's the hunt,
and then it's just sometimes the human interaction. Yeah. I
got a cardigan the other day that I brought an eBay.
I wrote to her and I said, hey, I love
it so much, I'm so glad. I was like, yes, yeah,
you know, it was like a village transaction back in
the day, but these two happy women. I bought it.
(31:00):
She sold it and the Cardigan's living its best life. Yeah,
thanks for having me, love you, Thank you so much
for listening to Nothing to Wear Now. Don't forget. There's
a news letter that goes with this show, so there's
a link in the show notes to sign up. That's
where you'll see links to all the products we talk about, images,
some great extra info. You can also watch us on
YouTube if you're not watching me right now, but this
(31:21):
whole podcast is also visual, so watch us there, find
us on Instagram. There's links in the show notes everything,
and I'll see you next week. The beautiful MoMA Mea
studios you're seeing if you are watching on YouTube are
styled by Fenton and Fenton. Visit Fenton and Fenton dot
com dot you to check out their beautiful homewares.
You're listening to a MoMA Mia podcast. Mama Mia acknowledges
the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast
is recorded on Hey you bees. Lee here with another recommendation.
I recently had an incredible woman called Kim on Nothing
to Wear, and we were chatting about shopping, budgets, how
to get the most out of what we wear, and
(00:31):
she gave me a few sort of stats and methods
that blew my mind when it came to the way
I shopped and the way I dressed. It really did
revolutionize the way I think about it, and I think
you might find it handy too, So we're dropping it
here for you to listen. Let me know what you think.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Whoever said orange is a new pink with seriously disturbed.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Laurels spraying groundbreaking?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh my god, you have to do it. You live
for fashion.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Hello and welcome to Nothing to Wear, the podcast that
solves fashion problems and levels up your wardrobe. I'm Lee Camberllan.
Every week I chat to an expert who helps us
work out how to get more out of the clothes
you already own and tells us what is and isn't
worth it adding to our wardrobes. Now before I get started.
Stick around to the very end because there's an extra
segment on this episode. The Wonderful me of Friedman and
(01:17):
I don't just say that because she's my boss. Is
coming to sit down with me and we're going to
talk about pre Loved. It's the new financial year. We
might have overspent, we might want to just save some money,
or we might just want some unique outfits or to
clear out our wardrobes. So we're going to talk about
pre Loved, buying and selling, how to do it, where
to look if it's overwhelming. We're going to cover it all.
(01:38):
But first, I've got Kim Crowley joining me. She's been
on the show a couple of times before, and she
is a virgo. I had to ask her because she's
so clever and strategic when it comes to shopping, getting
dressed and saving money. So it's a new financial year.
You might have blown the budget, but that's okay. It's
a new year, So we're going to talk about saving money,
(01:58):
doing our wardrobe audit, and then her very interesting four
by four methods got nothing to do with cars, So
let's jump into it. Kim, welcome back. I'm so excited,
third time.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Third or fourth. Yes, it's great that I'm using count
I love it exactly.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
That means we love you the returning guests. Well, I've
got various questions, but one that I want to ask
you is do you have a fashion security blanket? And
if so, what is it.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Oh, that's a great question. My trench coat is a
really well loved piece. Actually put it from ceed A
just go it to toffee color cotton. I get compliments
on it every time.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I wear You say toffee. Why I say toffee, like,
not tan, not brown?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Because I love food as well, so I can associate
any colors with food. I love it even more. But
it's this beautiful toffee color. It's really rich color and
it goes with everything. I have to actually stop myself
wearing it.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
So you can wear your other things exactly because I.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Want to wear more of my clothes.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
It's security blank.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, it is a bit security blank, especially at the
moment it's chili and you can wrap yourself up because
that cotton actually does help the wind not get to you.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Yes, yeah, it's kind of it's not water proof proof,
but it really does that better.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Tighten fine fiber, yes, exactly, really tight woven so it's
actually a bit protective. Yeah, and then like waiting it
where Yeah, I'm just living in it. I know it's winter,
but god, I love it even for summer. I love
like waiting it where too.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
So, Kim, you've been in the industry for over twenty years,
which is bizarre. You must have been like eleven when
you start. Of course you worked as a designer, so
anyone that's listened to the show before will know that.
And then for brands like H and M a source, Yeah,
I was gonna say brands like H and M and Aos.
I didn't know that on a pis Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Right at the beginning when a souce was literally much
more about Paris Hilton. Yeah, yeah, just literally replicate like
I've seen.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I've seen on screen. Yeah, we kind of started shop
Drop magazine.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, it's crazy thinking about then and how much it's evolved.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
But then you also work with real people, so well
you have all shapes and sizes absolutely, So what are
the some of the common things women that you've worked
with over the decades and all walks of live share
when it comes to clothes and style.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Oh gosh, so many things that we all share. It's funny,
there's this kind of like so many things that we
all share and then when we get deeper, we're very
different in lots of different ways. But there is a big,
big area that we all share a lot of It
is not knowing how to shop, So being able to
understand how to you know, shop strategically, not emotionally, but
(04:26):
one of the biggest biggest things, and it is, you know,
we have to change the way that we've been behaving
for decades, right, And that's what I'm trying to plant
seeds for a lot of my clients. But one of
the biggest, biggest things is the ability to buy stuff
but not put the clothes into outfits. That's one of
(04:47):
the biggest things that I deal with all the time.
So lots of people can buy lots of stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Yeah, oh god, yea, I'm fabulous that it shopping wrong.
Then that's where you can't get dressed.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Exactly because you haven't got the outfit. So the whole
nothing to wear concept is, you know, you look at
your wardrobe and it's stacked and it's all packed, but
we've got nothing to wear is often because we haven't
found the outfit yet. And that's so much of what
brings me do. It really does light me up when
I'm in wardrobes. In fact, I had two of them yesterday.
I had a female client and male client and they're like,
(05:19):
I've got loads of stuff, but I can't find the outfits.
And I'm like, oh, have you done that? Have you
done that?
Speaker 1 (05:24):
No?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Yeah, because a lot of us will get say a dress,
and then we'll put it with the black blazer and
black shoe and it's like, I've done that. Look, I'm
really bored of it. And then I'm like, have you
put it with this blazer? They work perfect? Oh yes,
because a lot of the time what we do when
we purchase, we put things in boxes in our heads.
You know that lighter blazer is a wedding blazer and
this dress is a sexy date night dress. We don't
(05:46):
think that the two can coexist or pair together, and
so I want to be able to go in and go.
Of course it does, because I don't see the barriers.
I don't see like how you think that your wardrobe.
I'm like, oh, this goes with this, this goes with this,
this goes with this.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Because you said it's how to shop, so is how
do we fix that problem at the shopping stage, so
it doesn't happen in the wardrobe stage.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
That is a lot of it is fixed by my
four by four formula.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Oh we're going to talk about that later. Oh okay, cool, Yes,
I want to talk about that later because I'm terrible
at maths and you love numbers, but you're going to
teach me something. It's a new financial year, which I
love the first of July. Oh, you know, the start
of the new financial year, because I've had quite a
crappy start to the year, not fashion related, but I'm
just got you. I'm like, you know what happier year?
Fresh energy, fresh, five fresh everything, yep. And you know,
(06:34):
of course it's the financial year. So we've all got
money on our minds. What's the biggest money mistake you
see people making when it comes to fashion? So many
well we talk about how we're going to fix them.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So three main ones. First one is buying on sale,
so many can't say I bought this, but I've never
worn it. Bought this but it's you know, I haven't
worn it. And it's all got tickets, and it's all
got sell tickets being read mark you know, stamps, all
over them in all the.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Rest of sale extra discount yeah, which.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Sounds really enticing, yes, but is not how I want
you to shop. You know, if you really love that
product and you've watched it go down down.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
To you would have got it full price exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Jump on it. But nothing is a bargain if you
don't wear it. And you know, having like three or
four pieces that oh I only cost thirty bucks or
fifteen or forty or whatever your budget, it all adds up,
but you never wear it. So it takes up space,
takes up brain space, makes us feel guilty, takes up
guilt exactly, And I don't want people to feel good.
I want to actually have less that they wear more.
(07:32):
So the whole buying on sale thing is not I
it's I know, it's hard. Sometimes we look around Storm,
Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
I really love it. You don't shop the sales.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
I only shop it if I really love it.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So maybe you were already across Yeah, I was like,
you have that brand and you check out their sale.
You don't just find a random website that's having a
great sale with random stuff you've never seen.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Okay, No, So to Cuba, I've got beautiful pleated cream nitpants.
I was looking for something like that. I happened to
be shopping for myself, which is quite rare, and they're
not on sale, and I was like, oh, I'm definitely
going to buy them, okay because they.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Were Yes, that star was already something you were seeing.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Absolutely. The other thing, yeah, I need more. Here is
the buying three for two, you know, those whole spend and.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Save only good for andy.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
It's just capitalism, yes, exactly. Yeah, it's just capitalism. They're
trying to make you buy more. So we often think
shopping is a numbers game, or if I buy three
that's going to make me happy, then if I had two.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, Also that I fall into this chap. All the
time of free shipping, I'm like, oh, I've got to
find something else the free, but I don't really need
the other thing. Yeah, I should have just paid the
ten dollars shipping, yeah, rather than trying to round up
to forty. Yeah, you know exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
So it is really keeping your eye on how desirable
the item is that you want and buying one and
buying right, rather than buying plenty and buying so.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
One of the stim mistakes you see is people buy
more than they need, more than they need, yeah, Kim,
stop following me everywhere.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
And then the third thing is thinking we need five
new tops when really we need one new top that
we can wear five ways. Because you know, I could
talk about shopping being a numbers game. The number I
want you to care about is how many ways you
can wear something? Yeah, yeah, rather yes, exactly, rather than
having all those five new items in your wardrobe, you're
(09:15):
probably ain't gonna wear two. If you've got one that's
really versatile, it flatters, you feel really good in it,
layers under things you can marry on its own, you
don't exactly you can wear it five ways, So you know,
I want people to start pivoting the numbers game. The
way that we think shopping is about buying lots of
stuff because hopefully one of it will make us feel good,
(09:35):
and that's just capitalism.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I think it feels like we will feel better when
we've got options, but then we oftentimes feel overwhelmed and
it makes it.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Harder exactly exactly. And that's actually something I was talking
about the other day. My clients feel really underwhelmed with
their wardrobe, overwhelmed by the shops. Yeah, and it's like
I feel, and that's when we feel start.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
That's such a good way to look at it.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, me too.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
So I just don't know what I do. I just buy,
I think.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
Exactly, because we haven't found the outfit yet that exists
in our wardrobe. Because this is the thing as.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
A desire, because oftentimes I'm just shopping because I'm bored
or said or getting my period, or I'm rewarding my Yes.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yes, but that's when you need to buy it stick
or something like that.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Snack yeah, yeah, massage, yes.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Facial something else that will that will have that return
on investment, because that's what I want people to think
about when they're purchasing. What's my return on investment? Every
textile you bring into your house, think about the return
and investment that cost per waar.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah that's so. And the financial has just happened. We've
ordered it all of our well maybe the tax department
has ordered us. So we've done our finances. So let's
ordit our wardrobe.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
What do we do?
Speaker 1 (10:40):
We go through our wardrobe and we work out you know,
what we already do have, and we work out gaps.
And for me, this is something I really need to do.
Because I've spoken to you before, I love to buy
duplicates because I love a genre shirt and I accidentally
buy another one. I don't need another one. So we're
going to do an audit of our wardrobe and then
we're gonna decide what to do with those things later.
(11:01):
But what's our process when doing that audit? I love
saying audit, yes, because it's.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Financially it sounds very freshal So what we want to do.
So basically, when we're looking at our wardrobe and we're
deciding what we're wearing, a really good way to do
it is to actually look at the things that you're
wearing the most, so they're the things that you're washing
the most, right, and you bring them out yeah, because
you know that you're.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, yeah, you know you love it.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, And so we're and also, you know what part
of the reason I do insta, as I've told before,
is because I want to just be able to look
back at really what I'm wearing. Because sometimes what you
think you're wearing what you really wear are slightly different,
but you put them all out in your bed and
then what you do because when we put things in
our wardrobe and they're all side hanging. It's kind of hard.
We think we know what's in there, and we think
we know what it looks like. But actually I want
(11:48):
you to bring them out because out of those pieces
that you're wearing, you're probably only wearing like very formulaic outfits.
So you might wear one top with one bottom, this
top with this bottom, this top with this bottom.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, because it's in your head.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Exactly because we know the outfit is familiar, and we
go back to what we know. You know, we've got
that kind of photographic memory. I want you to wear
that top with that bottom. So I want you to
wear like outfits top number three.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Them at least just try it on and see how
the experiment. So you're doing dress up. Absolutely the order
absolutely kind of order because that text department, and that's
my kind of order, makes.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
The text department a little bit more interesting. But what
I find fascinating, and what I didn't realize at the time,
is that we buy things and put them in our wardrobes, right,
and we expect our wardrobes to work really hard for
us and to give all this stuff back to us,
as in, you know, I've bought this, I've spent two
hundred dollars on the top. Now it's time to know
to stop reaping the fit exactly and get some return
on investment. But we don't actually then invest the time
(12:43):
to play with that garment. We buy it, we wear
it one way and we're like, okay, I'm onto the
next thing.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
It's so true, and.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
I want you to go deeper on that garment because
there's so much potential in your wardrobe. There really is,
but we need to give our wardrobe time to be
able to release that potential. It's not going to jump
out and bite you on the bum. You have to
go and it's not necessarily hard work. It's playful.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Literally take it down exactly, and you have to take
down the barriers that you've put in.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I go back to that jacket that it's light colored.
Oh yeah, that's my wedding one, and then this is
my work pant and whatnot, and then we start combining them.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
Like these are body yellow and like a few people
have said to me to say like, oh, like, aren't
you cold, and I'm like, well no, because I think
it's a summary base yes, and then yes, yeah, yeah,
lah way, I'd be like yellow exactly.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, and you've put your jacket over it, exactly. But
had you not just spent a little bit of time
doing that, you would have put that top underneath and
that pan in your summer only wardrobe. And we put
barriers up, and I want to knock all those barriers down.
And by pulling things out on your bed a lot
of time, the outfits make themselves. Yeah, because if you've
got a style, which we all have. We have all
(13:49):
got personal style, and we've all got a type that
we like and a kind of look. So once we
put out our favorite pieces on our bed, the ones
that are on rotation, there's naturally going to be some
common denominators that make them go together.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
And maybe not immediately logical outfits that yes, that's where
they're like, yes, work comes in.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
That's a really good point. We always want to take
away the logic.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Yeah yeah, yeah, like the wrong shoe theory, but for
your fact exactly. All right, so we've done the audit.
Our happy clothes are having a party on the bed.
Then there's the clothes who have had a lovely life maybe,
(14:31):
but they're not going to make the party. You're not invited. Yea,
what are we doing with them?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So we are either because basically we don't want to
ever throw clothes away. It's either you try and sell it,
and this is in the right kind of order, so
you try and sell it and make some money to
recycle that money into your extpent.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Okay, I want to ask, can I break them down there? Okay?
So I've got things that I are in my cell
pie or that could be a coach bag or an
ooriton bag or could be god, I've even got some
fancy things. But then I've got your maybe dish or
it's just I've got such a mix of things. I
don't know where to sell what or like what's valuable? Yeah, yeah,
(15:11):
because it's so personal.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Yeah, so sometime and that's it and you only need
one buyer. It's just getting to them, is it. So
it's either going to places like you know, pre loved
and consignment and all those places.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Like your designer Like I've got one designer beg. I
feel so guilty about buying, but I never use it.
So I'd like to read.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Yeah. Yeah, and as long as you learn a few lessons,
but why you don't wear it and use it, then
you've learned the lesson from it and you can set
it free and with exactly exactly so it's either consignment
or it might be on you know, the specific Facebook
groups that you can sell it. There's lots of different
ways to sell it. You can just sell it on marketplace,
you know, best collector all different places eBay, depop exactly
(15:50):
exactly there are there are and it might just be
having a little bit of research to the type of
brands that seem to sell quite well and that they've
got you know, maybe not many listed on that actually
might go quicker for example, that's kind of quite good
to look at. If you can't sell it and make money,
then give it to a friend friend gift or you
wop it with a friend.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
I was going to say, I've had some friends starting
to do little swaps and all little swap parties or.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Great because it gives you life to that's all we
want to do, because it takes such a takes such
a lot of work. When I've been designing to to
get a textile into the world and make it beautiful.
So to me, I look, I think of the long
life cycle of that garment, not just the wearing part,
the person one I'm like, what you're going to do
after the next thing is you if you don't give
(16:36):
it to a friend or swap it, then you give
it to charity. So many fashion forward dress for success.
There's so many great ones out there that really do
amazing things to women.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
For they're here in Bonde, but there are some Instagram
Yeah last week actually or did you then? Love? Tell
you what I got? But it's all for charity helps children.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Yeah, I needed to drop off to the match.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
We'll day and I'll buy your things and give them
money to charity. But they really given your.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Exactly and you can't take dirty things to them. They're
not going to accept it. So all of that goes
to rags. Anything it's really dirty, and I.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Think kids, daycare clothes and like stuff.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
That's yeah, wash your car with it, clean the house,
clean kitchen, you know, use that style, wash it, chuck
it in with a wash and then and then keep
using it. Because they're textiles. They would just want to
be reused and used. So if we think about.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
It, really trying to avoid landfillm absolutely because.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Someone else can get joy from it, and if they can't,
it goes to rags.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Okay, I love that all right, I've kept everyone waiting
long enough. We need to talk about you. Four by four.
It sounds like a big truck that would fit my
wardrobe dinner? Is that what it is? What's the four
x four theory methods?
Speaker 2 (17:41):
The four boy four is basically right. So I have
obviously lots of clients that will buy four new pieces,
and I'm like, cool, have you you know, go around
the house when.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You say that, like in the one like season, day week.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Totally depends on the clients. Some people might buy four
pieces in a month. Okay, some people might buy four
over the season. Totally depends on shopping, habits, budget, all
those things. They've got four, but they've got if they've
got four recent things a lot of time, I'm like, okay, cool,
because so have you worn them together? Like oh no?
And I'm like, well, have you tried oning? Oh no?
I just them randomly separately, and I've never liked outfitting them.
(18:13):
So my whole thing is, if ever you buy four
pieces to say, two tops, two bottoms, I want you
to not just create one outfit from that or two outfits.
So each time the bottom we need to cross pollinate it.
So for every four items, we can wear four outfits
we come crete.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
This is a process we go through before we purchase.
At the time of purchase, it has to like go
through this four by four before it's.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Allowed to be absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
It's very hard. It's not okay, it's not I've had
my eye on this bomber. Let's pretend how do I
fall by four in my head?
Speaker 2 (18:46):
So you make sure that the pant you want to
buy next, yeah, is going to go with it?
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Or the skirt all the dress Okay, so it can
be a dress and bought the bomber. Now I see
a skirt and I'm like, hang on, bombers new we'll
skirt get along with bombers exactly?
Speaker 2 (18:59):
And are they going to be friends?
Speaker 1 (19:00):
That's so clever because even if it's beyond the four,
you should think of your recent purchases and will at work,
will at work, will.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
At work exactly, because I want every four pieces you buy,
says two tops and two bottoms to cross pollin ag Okay,
So you've got the four outfits going across, and then
what happens is you do those outfits and then you
look at them back with what you've bought last year.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Ten years ago, and it kind of inspires the process.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Absolutely because you're always thinking about the outfit, not the item.
And this is the thing when I go back to
the shopping, isn't a numbers game. It's the numbers game
is also about the outfits you're creating, not the items
you're purchasing. Because again, the whole numbers game, the capitalism
part of you know, I'm going to go and buy
ten items and I know that will make me happy.
It doesn't, it doesn't. So really thinking about the outcome
(19:45):
of the outfit.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
Okay, Okay, so said skirt. I just said, oh, yes,
it goes with bomber, and it goes with that, and
then I go, oh that top, So then I go
oh that top, Yes, that goes with skirt, which also
goes with bomber. And then it's kind of exactly and.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
From that one top you can still create four outfits.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
So you've always got to think about, you know, because
otherwise we're just buying items on their own in silo
and we're never thinking really about the outfit. It's like, oh,
what's the outfit I can work with? The gene or
a black pant. That's not enough. So for every four items,
we need four outfits, and the compound interest it's not
it's not. I mean, it does take a bit of thought,
and that's what I want people to do. I want
you to be considered and intentional about what they're purchasing.
(20:23):
But the great thing is the compound interest means that
once you then do those four you bought four items,
you created four outfits, Okay, Then when you're buying another
four later in the season next year, the compound interest
means that you might double the amount you're buying, but
you've tripled the amount of outfits because they're like breeding exactly.
So the compound interest effect means that you've actually got
(20:46):
way way more outfits from way less closed and fundamentally,
that's what I deliver.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
It's very expensive, howld.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Okay, answer booty and budget. I mean, we've probably should
have done two budgets because we're talking about saving money
and getting more out of your clothes. However, I've bought
a bougie. Let's start with your budget though, what's your
budget and why.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
My budget is the assembly labeled coat. It's a SADI coat.
It's currently on sale from two eighty to about one
nine five, but.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
I'm not allowed to shop the sales, Kim. I'm joking.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
That is such a classic, so classic, you know, the
one that belted lots of colors. So some colors are
on sale, some aren't, and it's one hundred percent wall
and that's a really good.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
And that's the best thing to buy on sales. Is
a staple quality that you're going to wear forbly discounted,
but it's saving you a bit of money on something
you will like flog to death and absolutely approved. Okay,
my budget is a Target bag. I don't know if
you've seen. They've been out for a little bit now.
The Target swayed one hundred collection of bags. So if
(22:02):
I first got some loafers at the start of winter,
real swayed the black arms, they're like wearing slippers. There's
also a hand and then the bag. I'm not getting
it because it's a new financial u and I'm trying
to save money and I actually need to sell some
of my bags. But before you replace them. Correct, If
I was in the market for a bag and it
could go back with my fourth wife four, I would
be getting. There's a few of them. Actually, they've got
(22:23):
like a big slapchy bow hoe. But this one's the
premium suede leather bucket tote bag in Kagi. Yeah, it's
eighty dollars.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
That's really good, and I love how that's quite structured
but also a bit slouchy. It's like lots of people's style.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I don't even work for them, but I'm just so impressed.
Like they do the bow hoy slouchy shoulder.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Oh is that in the suede too, it's that little
gold class. Oh that's impressive. That's impressive.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Not for me because I'm.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
Other people, other people in the market listeners just saying
it would go really nice with.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
Your out you've gone today?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
It all right?
Speaker 1 (22:56):
What else have you got for me? What's your boogie? Think?
Speaker 2 (22:59):
My bougie is Kamila Mark because they do really really
good outwear. Trenches and jackets and coats are.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Really they're unparallel there.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah, so they're Donato coats one thousand, one hundred.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
I don't think. Oh so it's a worn ye what
they're called like a teddy coat.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Well, it's very similar to the assembly label. And the
reason I like them a lot is because they're not
too dressing gown ish. You know, sometimes I had a
short collar.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
I've got dressing gown fabric thingy, that's all. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Sometimes and obviously you can put a nice structured belt on.
It looks really cool if you're going, if you're dressing
it up, etcetera, purposing. But the coat is augeous.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
Because that's because we're such good people. We've got an
amazing tax return and we're treating ourselves.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
And again that will be really timeless, but it's interesting
because that's not one hundred percent. Well it's woolen poly
which is interesting.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
Well, it depends because some of my natural synthetic blends
were the best. All right, good, I'm glad you're boogie
with bougey because my boogy is quite bousy. Okay, cool, Okay,
so we're being a good girl. This isn't me. But
someone needs to invest because we're talking about saving money
and shopping on a budget, but also we're talking about
purchasing things.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Will one beautiful thing, retire and investment. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
I mean I could not love Oroton anymore. The last
few Yearday have just had the biggest go up. This
is already sold out but coming back. But I'm just
going to tell people about it, so it's on their radar.
It is the Mica workmanship small bowler like it's a
bowler bag, which means like, but this is the small
the mini. The mini is quite small. The bowl is
(24:30):
like like, that's that's your everyday handbag, bigger than a four. Yes,
you could fit your laptop. I would probably have a
separate bag from my laptop. But this is my everything,
as in like glasses, you know, bottle Yes, yeah, zip
I love something the fully zip shut because I throw
it in the car, everything falls out. I love the black.
It's eight hundred and ninety nine dollars and already sold out.
(24:52):
So what does that tell you?
Speaker 4 (24:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
And like we were talking before we started recording, I've
got a green Oriton bag. I bought from the Oriton
outlet online. If you're not across the Oroton outlet online,
where have you been all your life? It's online maybe
five or six years ago. And I use it a lot, Yeah,
a lot.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
And that's it. You want to think about the frequency?
Am I going to wear this daily? Week? Yeah? Monthly?
Speaker 1 (25:09):
And I'm that full price? I didn't so it was
a good sale purpose yes, yes, yes, okay, Kim. So
when are you coming over? Okay, thank you so much
for coming back. Love having you pleasure. So as I promised,
the show is not over yet. I love how Kim
(25:30):
talked us through the process of auditing our wardrobe and
then what we're going to do with it. So she
touched on pre loved and reselling. So I've found Miya
in the studio here and we're going to talk about
reselling and also buying secondhand because it's very cool right now.
Me Friedman, Hello, Hi. I wanted to bring you onto
the show and bring you back to talk about pre
(25:50):
loved fashion because you noticed we talked about a year
ago about thrifting. Have you noticed the boom of pre loved?
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (25:57):
And it's now a flex when you ask someone. It's
so funny because back in our magazine days, it used
to be where's that from? And it used to be
a flex if it was a label, yes, And then
it was a flex if it wasn't a label but
it looked like a label. And now it's a flex
if it's drifted because we loved or second then it
(26:18):
says not only am I sustainable and I'm helping the planet,
but also I'm clever and I've put in the work, yes,
and I've got something maybe individual, and no one can
copy it.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
And I've saved somewhere. Okay, So I've brought you across
to the well. It's not the dark sign anymore.
Speaker 4 (26:33):
About six months ago, I was looking through a lot
of my clothes and I used to sell some of
my stuff. I'd go through my stuff a lot, so
I'm not sentimental about my clothes.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
You do a regular clean out, I do.
Speaker 4 (26:44):
And I give away a lot. I donate a lot,
and that there are some things that I would sell
in various places consignment shops. Yeah, but I sort of
stopped doing that, and I things have been banking up,
and I was looking at all of it and just going,
I really want to do something good with this stuff.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
And so you give it to me.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Well, I wanted to sell it and raise money for
Rise Up. So Rise Up is the charity that we support.
I'm an ambassador for them, and they help women and
children start again after domestic violence. They set up homes
and they don't take pre loved stuff, so we support
them with money, and I wanted to find new homes
for my clothes. I don't know if you watch toy story.
I think it was the second toy story of psychol
(27:25):
So do you know how there was that thing about
the toys just wanted to be played with. Yes, I
feel that way about clothes.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
It's so true. And I've got suitcases and suitcases of
stuff I want to sell. Yeah, but I haven't. I
can't set up a market stall. I'm too old, and
it's too early in the morning, and it's too crazy. No,
I agree.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
So what I did is eBay contacted me and said,
would you like to do a store with eBay? And
I'm like, I used to do stores with Aba all
the time when I was showing all the time. I
also shop on eBay all the time, and I will
often find buy new things. A lot of people don't
know Ye, so buy new things on eBay too. So
now building this store. What's amazing now is that there's
(28:04):
all this technology on eBay, like AI and stuff that
helps you list items. Yes, if people haven't been on
like it is so different and so intuitive and so phenomenal,
it's a lot easier much.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Yeah, I've just.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Really enjoyed the process.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
I like thinking about people being able to wear these
things in their own WARDROBEUF or I've had so much
joy from them, but maybe that don't fit me anymore.
Maybe they're just not my style.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
And that's what I was going to ask. How you
decide what to cull? What's your filter for it's time
to sell on eBay and give it? Yeah, it's the
toy that I'll be played with by someone else. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
So, like a lot of people, I sort of have
clothes stored all over the house in bits of others.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
I don't know, it's over that normal. It's just you
and me.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Maybe you're me. And what I do is I will
give something a two year grace period because sometimes things
come back and it's like this year, I just took
out all my winter coats and winter stuff and I
tried it all on and some of it. I was like,
I'm going to give this one more year. And if
I'm a made yeah, because I didn't wear it last year,
(29:06):
I don't want to wear it this year. If I
get to another year and I have a warn it,
it's going And then other things you're like, oh, this
feels right for now, Yes, you know that feeling.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
And then if it's like no, I'm not waiting, then
it's in the eBay pile. Oh my god, I'm going
to go on eBay and shop your things. Is that weird?
If I buy your things and then we sit next
to each other.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
I have already bought one of my friends because as
we were laying it all out to photograph, I'd put
all these things aside and I'd washed them and made
sure that they were in good condition. And this was
about two months ago. And then we were photographing them
all to put up, and so I was making some
content and I put them all down and there were
these pair of fluorescent pink essential Antwerp trainers. Oh great,
(29:44):
I mean there was like, yes, chunky, and I'm like,
why am I getting rid of those?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
I need to take them back? And then I felt bad.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
I'm like, I'm not taking money from So I bought
them for like one hundred dollars myself.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Oh my god, I love that. So they ended up
being evalent and that's much more efficient. The eBay thing
is I have the bags in my boot for months
and then the whole season will change. Like I had
a bunch of winter stuff. This is how bad I
am that. Then it got cold again and I was
like freezing. I was at some soccer game or something
who went to the back of my car opened the
bags and I was like, oh, I quite like that
(30:14):
because it'd been there for a year. But had I
got my act together they listed it on eBay, someone
would have been wearing it for that year rather than yeah,
stinky boot.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
And you can feel a little bit claustrophobic, like when you.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Know, I feel like I'm drowning, and so I don't
know what to wear because there's too much to think about.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
So there's always someone who's going to want what you
don't want anymore. So it's like freeing its future to
find a new home, and it's a different.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
Kind of joy. Like I love walking into Westfield and
buying something for a mass chain store. Of course I do.
But when it's oh it's the hunt, it's the hunt,
and then it's just sometimes the human interaction. Yeah. I
got a cardigan the other day that I brought an eBay.
I wrote to her and I said, hey, I love
it so much, I'm so glad. I was like, yes, yeah,
you know, it was like a village transaction back in
the day, but these two happy women. I bought it.
(31:00):
She sold it and the Cardigan's living its best life. Yeah,
thanks for having me, love you, Thank you so much
for listening to Nothing to Wear Now. Don't forget. There's
a news letter that goes with this show, so there's
a link in the show notes to sign up. That's
where you'll see links to all the products we talk about, images,
some great extra info. You can also watch us on
YouTube if you're not watching me right now, but this
(31:21):
whole podcast is also visual, so watch us there, find
us on Instagram. There's links in the show notes everything,
and I'll see you next week. The beautiful MoMA Mea
studios you're seeing if you are watching on YouTube are
styled by Fenton and Fenton. Visit Fenton and Fenton dot
com dot you to check out their beautiful homewares.
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