Shelly Vella The fashion director who forgot how to dress - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Fashion Shelly Vella The fashion director who forgot how to dress By You Magazine - September 23, 2018 She’d spent years advising other women what to wear, but after a long break from the office, YOU’s new head of fashion Shelly Vella realised she needed help herself. Here’s how she resolved her wardrobe crisis. YOU Magazine It’s been two and a half years since I left my day job as a fashion director on a women’s magazine to go freelance, leaving behind the demands on my wardrobe of not just the international fashion weeks but the office, too. That’s a long time in the world of fashion, especially when my new life of running around town for meetings or working from home on my style website meant I’d swapped posh heels for Converse and statement bags for a functional Adidas by Stella McCartney rucksack. Dressing up had been my life for so long that it was a while before I was relaxed enough to open the door to the postman at midday still wearing my PJs. The home office can certainly kill the need for glamour, especially when you’re spending hours alone. When I got the call to say I had landed the amazing job as fashion director of YOU magazine, imagine my panic when I looked in my wardrobe at a crammed rail of boho tops and floaty dresses. They’re definitely my style, but weren’t exactly the core pieces essential for the smarter, more groomed me, soon to be returning to an office. The irony was that I’ve spent years advising women which clothes to invest in, now I needed some of that advice myself. So I set about creating my own list of essential pieces that will blend with and update my existing wardrobe to make me feel confident. There’s also the added challenge that I’ve become vegan since leaving my last job, and I’d prefer not to buy any more leather. Here’s what made the cut… The tailored suit Rekha Damhar A men’s dinner suit features all my favourite style details, so in a quest to find the perfect black trousers and mannish jacket – something I could also slip over a pretty blouse or dress – I actually ventured into the men’s department at Marks & Spencer and there they were. The trousers fitted, flattered and boasted a side stripe; the matching jacket had a nipped-in waist, satin rever collar, plus a gorgeous blue lining. They were also made from quality wool, had an immaculate finish and a modest price tag. All that was needed then was a quick trip to the tailor’s – a must for getting that perfect fit; in this case, I just needed the trousers shortened. Find someone local or a dry cleaner that offers this service. Man’s tuxedo suit, £139, M&S Collection, marksandspencer.com. Sustainable cotton t-shirt, £22, fatface.com On-trend heroes Rekha Damhar While I hunt down my ultimate basics I’m also keeping an eye out for gorgeous ‘so this season’ pieces to pep up my look, and Zara came up trumps with this sleek satin dress and sumptuous wool coat in A/W’s rich chocolate tones. This will be my go-to outfit when I’m at Paris Fashion Week, which begins on Tuesday. Coat, £129, and dress, £69.99, both zara.com. Sunglasses, £169, Tory Burch, sunglasshut.com. Boots, £69, topshop.com The white shirt Rekha Damhar Oh, the joys of a tailored white shirt! Buttoned up or undone, it breathes fresh air into an outfit – somehow lighting up your face as well as providing a neutral foil to stronger wardrobe pieces. I like to wear one with wide-leg trousers and a kimono-style jacket. It looks smart but still feels like me. This classic white Me+Em number has modern flourishes such as black buttons and a gently ruffled front panel, and is the ideal partner for well-cut black trousers. Shirt, £169, meandem.com. Trousers, £260, Isabel Marant Étoile, theshopatbluebird.com. Bag, £125, mattandnat.com Jeans Rekha Damhar I’m lucky that YOU has a relaxed approach to dressing because jeans are a great option when you want to wear a statement top or jacket without being OTT. I’m still searching for the perfect cut, but aren’t we all? I believe in shopping as sustainably as you can, and Iden is one of my favourites for ethical denim. These side-stripe jeans are my new best friend: the loose fit, the added detail and smarter cut make them a good choice for less formal office days. Jeans, £155, idendenim.com. Shirt, £55, frenchconnection.com The standout dress YOU Magazine I love dresses – they’re a one-stop shop and an easy option when you’re rushing in the morning. I prefer a fluid cut and I’m a sucker for anything embroidered or embellished, but the aim is to find something more simple and versatile that I can dress up with a blazer and heeled ankle boots, making this Ghost number a winner. Dress, £145, ghost.co.uk. Blazer, £240, reiss.com. Bag, £560, Stella McCartney, net-a-porter.com Slouchy trousers Rekha Damhar Loose-fit side-stripe pants and a silky shirt are great office companions. On trend but comfortable; stylish yet effortless. Trousers, £135, and Shirt, £79, both jigsaw-online.com PS… lingerie Good foundations – ie, great-fitting, comfortable underwear – are, trust me, empowering and the basis for every good look. Knickers that shout underneath an outfit are a no-no, as is a scratchy, ill-fitting bra. If you haven’t sorted through your lingerie drawer for a while, it can be a therapeutic process. Half of mine has ended up in the fabric recycling bin. More hard-working pieces for autumn Zara Loose-fit jacket, £59.99, zara.com ICHI Suit-style trousers, £36, Ichi, amazon.co.uk Topshop Statement dress, £55, topshop.com DL1961 Wide-leg jeans, £184, dl1961.com Asceno Pyjama top, £210, asceno.com Luisa Cerano White blouse, £279, luisacerano.com Anine Bing Sunglasses, £143, aninebing.com …and five great coats Dorothee Schumacher Black blazer, £630, dorothee-schumacher.com Zara Belted wraparound, £159, zara.com Warehouse Double-breasted check, £99, warehouse.co.uk Closet London Trench, £110, closetlondon.com Boden Camel, £250, boden.co.uk V by Very Mustard, £80, V by Very, very.co.uk RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR Rochelle Humes has launched a gorgeous new edit with Next Shop the YOU Magazine Instagram YOU picks the best new-in buys from M& S Popular in Fashion Laura Jackson has teamed up with Next for the chicest knitwear January 22, 2020 Holly Willoughby’ s birthday dress is another Zara bargain February 10, 2020 The Instagram-famous & Other Stories wool blazer is back in stock August 31, 2022 Lorraine just wore Emma Willis’ Next collection from head to toe March 17, 2020 The prettiest spring dresses under £100 March 1, 2022 Everyone is buying Holly’ s gorgeous gingham Oasis dress May 14, 2020 13 bargain dresses to buy in ASOS’ s extra 20 per cent June 10, 2020 This £20 H& M dress is set to be the social media June 26, 2020 Stacey Solomon x Primark is back for a third collection with July 20, 2020 Searches for this perfect heatwave summer top style are up 5000% August 10, 2020 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. 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