Welcome to the Nothing To Wear Edit, where each week we break down the topic we spoke about on the podcast. Listen to the full episode here.
On this week's episode, personal stylist and all-round fashion expert Tina Abeysekara joins Leigh Campbell to share her rules for shopping with intention.
Abeysekara rose to Instagram fame thanks to her popular former account Trash To Treasured, where she shared her affordable fashion finds under $150.
The account was so successful it allowed the multi-hyphenate to quit her corporate job and focus on content creation and styling full-time.
Tina Abeysekara built a following for her affordable fashion finds. Image: Instagram/@tinaabeysekara
However, after a move to LA and some reevaluating, Abeysekara realised she needed to pivot. While her followers were buying her outfits wholesale off the screen, she realised she was supporting what she calls a "throwaway wardrobe mentality". She'd wear a look once and then never revisit it.
And in her words, "something wasn't aligning".
Now, the stylist educates her audience and clients on how to shop more mindfully, looking for pieces that compliment their personal style and serve their wardrobes better in the long run.
"Moving overseas was the catalyst I needed to shift," she shared. "I did a huge wardrobe edit, downsized massively and kept only the pieces that truly felt like me."
Abeysekara says her mission these days is to teach women how to "style with purpose, not pressure." Her personal styling program, Style On Purpose, is the culmination of this vision.
She still loves the thrill of a bargain find, only she has a couple of ground rules that help her discern whether it's really worth buying — or better left on the shelf.
Here are the expert tips she uses to curate her wardrobe and shop smarter.
Less is more.
First things first: Abeysekara says we all need to get rid of the clothes in our wardrobe that are telling us we have nothing to wear.
"You've got a whole bunch of things hanging in your wardrobe, and you've got some really great pieces in there, and they're amongst things that you hate," Tina said. And wow, we feel seen.
Unfortunately, this situation is only going to cloud your judgement when you're looking to put together outfits you feel good in.
To combat the overwhelm, she says to take out 10-15 pieces that "always make you feel great."
Lay them out on your bed, and Abeysekara says you'll start to notice the commonalities: certain silhouettes or fabrics that you're drawn to.
"Start with the stuff you love," she said, "because this is your blueprint. This is your personal style."
Abeysekara loves a "throw on and go" dress. Image: Instagram/@tinaabeysekara
By shifting your filter from what you dislike to what you like, you'll start to be more discerning.
"When you pull out that next item in your wardrobe, you will clearly see why it doesn't fit… and it makes it so much easier to get rid of."
Genius!
Make a shopping list.
Abeysekara says one way to know if you really want or need an item is to first write it down, and see if you come back to it.
You can do this by saving shopping links in your Notes app on your phone, or even just writing the items down on paper.
The stylist started doing this herself after realising she was "emotionally shopping" following her move to the States — something she puts down to the accessibility of major e-tailers like Amazon.
"I was buying a lot of stuff I just didn't need," Abeysekara shared.
"I started a list on my Notes app… every time I saw something, I saved the link. So it gave me this comfort that I wasn't going to lose it… and then I never went back."
Abeysekara bought one item off a list of around 20 that she'd saved over several weeks.
So if you think you need that new top or handbag, try adding it to your list and giving yourself at least 48 hours to come back to it… or not.
The stylist's Chanel handbag was one of her 'forever' investment pieces. Image: Instagram/@tinaabeysekara
Ask yourself: How can I style it three ways?
When looking at a potential purchase, Abeysekara says to first think about how you'd style it. Can you imagine three ways to wear it with the pieces you already have in your wardrobe?
"For example, I'm wearing see-through pants right now," the stylist shared of the outfit she's wearing to record the podcast.
"So I need a longer shirt to cover some areas… but I already have long shirts."
With this theory, you can start to identify if an item is going to fit in with your wardrobe, or be an outlier — the kind that requires you to buy more stuff to go with it. That's what you don't want.
Find your feel-good outfit.
"It's great to have that one piece that you know when you put it in, you feel great," the stylist shared.
One of Abeysekara's go-to items is a "throw-on-and-go" dress, which doesn't require much thought to look effortlessly put-together. In fact, the content creator is so known for this particular style, she basically coined the term.
She also leans towards tailored shirts and tops, but says these items are different for everyone (see: personal style).
The message? If it makes you feel good, hold onto it. And keep the shape or style in mind when you're shopping for future pieces that will have longevity in your wardrobe.
Apply the 80:20 rule.
You might've heard of the 80:20 rule in relation to diets, but did you know you can use it to help curate your wardrobe?
Abeysekara explains that the aim is for 80 per cent of your wardrobe to be your blueprint — those aforementioned building blocks you always turn to and feel great in.
The other 20 per cent can be the "fun" pieces you use to add personality or amp up your style.
Abeysekara says blazers are an essential item in her 80 per cent. Image: Instagram/@tinaabeysekara
Although it might be tempting to overlook the more boring basics for trend-driven items or special pieces for events, if you tip the ratio too far towards the fun, you may find yourself lacking wearable options.
"That's how you end up with a whole bunch of things, but not outfits," Abeysekara warns.
Feature image: Instagram/tinaabeysekara and Tinaabeysekara.com
